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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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PS--First ascent of 1096 (which is police code for maniac on the loose)was made by Mark Klemons, Bridwell and myself and we rated it 5.11 at the time. I think that 5.10D rating is one of the great sandbags in the Valley. I was just a kid back then but I could barely do it on a top rope. I had an easier time on Hangdog Flyer, which is just next door.
JL
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Blowboarder
Boulder climber
Sandpoint, Idaho
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**PS--First ascent of 1096 (which is police code for maniac on the loose)was made by Mark Klemons, Bridwell and myself and we rated it 5.11 at the time. I think that 5.10D rating is one of the great sandbags in the Valley. I was just a kid back then but I could barely do it on a top rope. I had an easier time on Hangdog Flyer, which is just next door.
JL**
Sorry Largo, must have gotten confused there. Maybe the whipper came on a FA attempt and I misunderstood. You were there, I wasn't, so I'm sure you're correct. Do you remember when that was? I'll have to call Phil and get my story straight.
Still a proud line and as for the grade, yeah, I found it somewhat more difficult than say, Serenity Crack.
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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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Yeah, Phil Gleason (who was one of my first partners in Yosemite, and who´s brother basically taught the Stonemasters how to climb), during the first attempt on the route, actually climbed all but the very last body length and shot out for a supposedly epic whistler. He basically had it.
JL
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Blowboarder
Boulder climber
Sandpoint, Idaho
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Largo, I've heard some great stories of the Valley and all your escapades back in the day from the Gleason brothers. Your rendition jibes with what I heard, I just thought he had come back and sent it shortly after. You guys must have gotten it done first.
I learned more about climbing and life from Phil and Paul than anyone else but don't hold that against them.
If I remember correctly, Paul sought out John Gill and then passed the knowledge learned to the Stonemasters?
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WBraun
climber
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And now there's, John Gleason, chip off the old mans block. John was on Sar last summer doing a $hitload of climbing. The other brother Phil was on Sar the year before. Great family "Hawkman"
Werner
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Blowboarder
Boulder climber
Sandpoint, Idaho
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Werner, the other brother would be Dan and they are as you said, a great family. Jon also is a survivor of the recent tsunami on tonsai and had some pretty incredible tales to tell.
Hawkman, I forgot about that one. Did it come about from all the airtime on the 1096 whipper?
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Russ Walling
Social climber
Bishop is DEAD, long live JT
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 5, 2005 - 01:37pm PT
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I just like posting to two year old threads Swellymon....
Largo, see ya out here...
As for the climb, it is called Marlin Fishing In Baja (after Hemmingway) and this is on the FA. Your basic 11+ off hands, overhanging of course, to a fearsome bulge that gets wide and goes at about 13a or so, depending on hand size. Then it eases after the lip enocounter to a moderate 12b for 60 more feet. Casual. Yabo did the second.
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WBraun
climber
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Blowboarder
Opps... your right, Alzheimer’s settin here.
And Russ watch that uni Largos bringin you.
You guys are great!
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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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"If I remember correctly, Paul sought out John Gill and then passed the knowledge learned to the Stonemasters?"
That´s pretty much how it played out. Paul could really and truly pull down back then. It took us years to catch up with him. If you ever see Phil again, ask him about Phil Haney. That guy could have been the best climber in the world. An unbelievable talent, once in a generation.
Russ, AKA Olde Russ, The Fish, Mussey, Dr. Malt, and various other monikers, claims that he mastered the unicycle when only a pup, back in Cornwall, and that soon as I show up at his crib with a new age mountain unicycle, he will proceed to peddle it up, and down, Saddle Rock. I´m calling this claim what it is: a bold and shamless embroidering of the plain truth.
But I fully intend to give Russ a chance to prove me wrong . . .
JL
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Blowboarder
Boulder climber
Sandpoint, Idaho
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That´s pretty much how it played out. Paul could really and truly pull down back then. It took us years to catch up with him. If you ever see Phil again, ask him about Phil Haney. That guy could have been the best climber in the world. An unbelievable talent, once in a generation.
Phil said the same thing about Haney, just an unreal talent for climbing rock. Can't remember why he didn't go down in lore like the rest of you, methinks something tragic.
I see Phil all the time, I live in Idaho now but we own the best rock climbing area you've never heard of over in NCW together. Well, we bought it, it's owned by those who enjoy it.
And it's only the best area you've never heard of if you're into good trad routes and hard bouldering since there's not a bolt in the place and hopefully never will. Keeps the crowds away, you see.
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Roger Breedlove
Trad climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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So John, are you going to record Russ' effort on video for us all to see?
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Funny to be reading about 10.96 right now and just last night read Bridwell's account of it in his out-of-print book, though he doesn't name the climb I recognized it immediately...
... the gremlins are ranging wider.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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"That evening at camp a friend, Phil Gleason, stopped by and suggested that I have a try at a new route he'd been working on. Fed up with it himself, he offered me the route. As we talked, I could see the keen interest in John's eyes, so suggested that he might come along with Mark Klemens, my usual partner, and me - if he wanted. Without hesitation he grabbed at the chance.
The next morning I was awakened by the drumming of John's pacing feet outside my tent. We threw some gear into a pack and walked to the coffee shop. We were too lazy to make something for ourselves, it was free because the waitress lusted for me as I did for her. After breakfast John still looked confused about the payment of the bill as we rode the shuttle bus toward the climb. The bus took us to the Ahwahnee Hotel, only a short walk from the route. Within a few minutes we stood at the base. As foretold, the flake arched above, leaning and overhanging. We drew stones and Klemens won the lead.
Mark's skills in flaring, overhanging offwidths were beyond reproach and John watched with awe at each precise movement. The flake leaned increasingly until the last eight feet, where it shot out horizontally. A young John Long sat next to me, totally confused as to a solution to this final bit. I'd analyzing the problem since our arrival and had come up with the answer but merely said to John, "You'll see." Klemens showed incredible control while working hard to place protection. John fidgeted nervously. Mark tried again and again to get something in before the crux. A bong would be his preference as he disdained the new fangled nuts, as yet in their evolutionary infancy. He reached to the rack, selected a large I-beam-shaped contraption and announced with typical Klemens' cynicism, "You know I'm desperate now." After using considerable energy fiddling with it, to no avail, he threw it to the ground, cursing. Nearly spent, Mark finally managed to secure a bong, but without the strength to carry on, he lowered to the deck.
My turn. Mark had set it up for me, having done all the hard work of placing the protection. All I had to do was climb and clip. I climbed up to the high point at the crux. John made the mistake of looking away as I slipped quickly through the tricky sequence. I'd gotten to reasonable fist jams, swung down, reached out and pinched the edge of the flake, pulled into a lieback and was resting before the boy from So. Cal. looked up again.
John was outspoken, to say the least but only because he could usually back up his words with action. He started using the pure brute strength of his powerful arms, his feet flailing for purchase. Through the echo chamber of the flake, I could hear his locomotive breathing, amplified. Once again he was desperate, but his great heart and the desire of his ego kept him afloat. He'd thrashed and struggled to the crux, but now hadn't a clue. His life signs ebbed as I shouted down instructions which he followed to the letter. A hand flashed to the finned edge of the flake and his head and torso popped into view, gasping for air. A few power pulls and he'd done it.
"Good job, man!"
John would affectionately become known as Largo to his friends, and he would share many great adventures - the Nose in a day, the crossing of Borneo and others - but I'll never forget those first two days.
There were others I met when they first came, Ron Kauk, Werner Braun, Lynn Hill, Maria Cranor and many more. They were children when I first knew them."
Jim Bridwell, "Climbing Adventures, A Climber's Passion." pp. 206-208
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Nov 12, 2008 - 01:36am PT
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bump
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Jaybro
Social climber
wuz real!
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Nov 12, 2008 - 01:43am PT
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Back not that long after the turn of the century, Russ sent me a link to this thread, (gee, I wonder where he got the title from...) and for better or worse, I found supertaco.
-I climbed 1096 with Cilley in spring of '79. I climbed that Marlin climb with him too, a few years later.
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Lynne Leichtfuss
Social climber
valley center, ca
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Nov 12, 2008 - 02:16am PT
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Gosh, you guys are kickin' up some great old threads today/night! Thanks ! Gotta catch some winks now, but will continue reads manana. Again, thanks. Lynne
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nutjob
Stoked OW climber
San Jose, CA
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Nov 12, 2008 - 07:53pm PT
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Ed, thanks for the labor of love pouring through the old lore and dusting off the gems for us. And thanks for those who made the gems in the first place!
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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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Nov 12, 2008 - 09:30pm PT
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1096 was the first flare I ever climbed and to say I barely made it is an understement. Fond memories, so long ago . . .
JL
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Jingy
Social climber
Flatland, Ca
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Nov 12, 2008 - 09:37pm PT
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I knew it was too good to be true... Saw the name.... Thought he was back...
He ain't!
stop bumping ancient Walling threads... messes with the head!!!
That ain't right!
Post Perusal Edit:... Uhm... Unless you're Largo!!! Ooops!!
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Lynne Leichtfuss
Social climber
valley center, ca
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Nov 12, 2008 - 10:31pm PT
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Can't believe I didn't find the Taco til 2008. Crack climbing is next on the list to learn. Hope I don't get eaten like Jilly on the Generator in Yo.
Jingy, stop reading old threads and get out to the events dude. Can't believe you missed the 50th Nose Re. The stories that were told were obscure, sometimes hysterical, poignant and I should have brought the recorder. Learned my lesson.
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