THE Black Canyon VS. Yosemite

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Bryn Evans

Social climber

Ft. Collins

Mar 9, 2007 - 11:43pm PT

sounds terrible, but Cali is crowded.

Kevster

Trad climber

Evergreen, CO

Mar 10, 2007 - 12:21pm PT

Go the the Valley to work on your body, go the the Black to work on your mind. If you really want an experience, go to the Black in the winter when you have the whole North Rim to yourself.

BrentA

Gym climber

Roca Rojo

Mar 10, 2007 - 12:38pm PT

Your never as alone as you think there...

This thread is 6 years old...6 years ago I was 25.

Fuqn A was I full throttle back then. So many good memories from the Black.

What up Wookster? Remember the Comic Relief? My/our first time down there.

Robbie and the A5 inbred soldiers....still laughing about that one.

Robbie Ryan and I made it down there last Spring. Sadly my last visit, but watching Robbie put in 12 pieces at hte first anchor was so worth it.

Cheers

Kevster

Trad climber

Evergreen, CO

Mar 10, 2007 - 02:02pm PT

Still savoring my last trip down, a magnificent failure. Rappelling the west face of the Painted Wall with a single rope. Hour long dunking session trying to cross the Gunnison at dusk. The first flame of a twig as my hypothermic fingers caress our 2 malfunctioning lighters. Four hour hickory smoked session drying our clothes standing over a smoky fire. Hot potatoes in our E bags curled in the dirt under a boulder, feeding the fires all night long. Dave wearing my climbing shoe up the SOB.

Classic!

Jaybro

Social climber

The West

Mar 10, 2007 - 04:25pm PT

I think comic relief was my first adventure there, too.

But why judge one against the other? They compliment each other. If you like climbing walls in one, there is something for you in the other.

The black gets you into trouble more quickly and often presents more hazards along the way, but it's an easier place for a one objective jaunt. Since bailing is more of a codk up than in the valley, keeps you going.

Fry Guy

Ice climber

Bondale, CO

Nov 17, 2010 - 02:19am PT

How the hell did I end up here again? It's like some time capsule that digs you up every few years. Not on purpose of course! Cause who the hell would wanna remember spooning some over active boy toy..... other than that Roberta. Roberta always liked handin it over. Still does in fact. I took the lead from him yet again the other day. But I digress, I laughed my ass off reading the beginning of this post again! That was funny sh#t fer sure.

Robertas got a kiddo now and is always too busy to answer his phone. When we going to the Black bitch? I call him on this sh#t every week....no answer. Sh#t, I've got two kids now but I still make time for my Bros and and my Black.

Last text conversation with the B-dog went somethin like this.
Me - "Dude...don't make me dog your face!" Guy never calls me ya know.
B - "Been pretty busy doggin my own:(" See, he's sad cuz he thinks he works hard. Actually he kind of does. "What's good on your end?"
me - "my new ice tools and the chippen I did over the weekend. And you?"
B - "Nothin that worthy. I think i popped the bubble on my work obsession." Well yeee f&^%n ha buddy!! LETS GO TO THE BLACK, ME TOO! Work what?

In comparison this typical text conversation isn't a rats ass as funny as the early days of Supertopo which sadly reminds me how dull you get as you grow. Reminder to self.

For all you youngins out there let this be a lesson. Get it while it's good and get all you can cause sooner or later you grow up and work harder. Harder at keeping in shape, sendin the rad, getting the time, jammin the cracks, crimpin the crimps, layin the pipes, schemin the schemes, takin the risks, walkin the walk..........WHAT! This is just BS media drivin jaberwalky, I'm not buyin it and should slap myself silly for think it!

Damn reading these Black stories gets me excited to get out there and climb again! Rekindle old partnerships. See who I can motivate, who I can make retaliate...Let's do this. Dive in and be born again! The Black calls again...too bad I'll have to wait till Spring:(

By the way Brent, I've been schemin another go at breakin the 24hr mark on the HW:) i know it's not as cool now that they do it in mere hours but it'd be an adventure pure. I'd prefer it be with you but I ain't hangin with no slackers. Gotta motivate at our age. I'll be sendin you your training schedule soon and this time your takin more than Circus Crackers and pop tarts.

Oh yeah, and I went to the valley again this year and climbed that thing they call the Captain again...It's alright. Can you believe i didn't even get scared and no holds broke! Couldn't believe it...it's like climbing on pavement or something. That sh#t is perfect....ly BORING:)

donini

Trad climber

Ouray, Colorado

Nov 17, 2010 - 10:31am PT

Missed this thread. I think that the Black and Yosemite are too different for direct comparison. The Black is far more foreboding for inexperienced climbers but has tremendous adventure climbing for the initiated.

The hang at the Black is FAR superior to Yosemite, in fact I think that camping is the Valley's Achilles Heel. The overall Black scene is much more primitive and lacking in amenities AND tourists.

Both areas should be on any serious climbers agenda.

Rhodo-Router

Gym climber

wussing off the topout on Roadside Attraction

Nov 17, 2010 - 10:34am PT

How's that Yosemite Climber's Ranch coming along, Jim? Sigh....if only.

donini

Trad climber

Ouray, Colorado

Nov 17, 2010 - 10:37am PT

Complicated.

Rhodo-Router

Gym climber

wussing off the topout on Roadside Attraction

Nov 17, 2010 - 10:59am PT

Yeah. I lived there for 2 and a half years and the crux was the same as ever: finding a bivy.

Anyhow. The Black: you go there, peek in (shudder), climb a route or two and feel like you got away with something. And it's OK to go climb something else for awhile. I never really got that feeling in the Valley- more like 'that was fun! how about that big thing over there...that's next!'

JLP

Social climber

The internet

Nov 17, 2010 - 12:56pm PT

Manicure the approaches in the Black and Supertopo the routes, then wait a few years for the chicken bolts and cheater slings to appear - then the Black wouldn't have anything going on that Yosemite didn't. Yosemite will always be more popular because of the food, scenery and other activities. There's good and bad rock, and easy and hard route finding in both places. Camping in the Black is great if you are one of the 10 to get a site, otherwise it really sucks.

BrentA

Gym climber

Roca Rojo

Nov 17, 2010 - 06:05pm PT

http://lukemehall.blogspot.com/2010/10/black-canyon-binge.html

eeyonkee

Trad climber

Golden, CO

Nov 17, 2010 - 09:37pm PT

In the probably 40 or so trips I've made to the Black, only ONE time did I ever miss out on a legitimate campsite at the North Rim (there's only 13). The number of times I got the last or 2nd to last site?...plenty.

Come to think of it, although I haven't been to the Valley since 1990, I don't think I ever wasn't able to get a site at Sunnyside.

So...I guess what I'm saying is ...TIE!.

donini

Trad climber

Ouray, Colorado

Nov 17, 2010 - 09:40pm PT

A tie in availability not in quality. Camp 4 is not nearly as nice as camping on the north rim of the Black.

Captain...or Skully

Big Wall climber

leading the away team, but not in a red shirt!

Nov 17, 2010 - 09:42pm PT

Never "camped" in either. Don't know how.
The wild places are vast. and free.
A comparison is useless, I think. Different worlds. Apples & Coconuts.

Bob Harrington

climber

Bishop, California

Nov 17, 2010 - 09:52pm PT

I've only been to the Black once - drove from Arizona to meet a partner to do Scenic Cruise. Partner never showed. A ranger took pity on me and went climbing with me on some one pitch stuff near north whatchacallit - forgettable climbing, but it was cool that he spent the afternoon doing a couple of routes with me. A more down-home low-pop experience than one would likely encounter in the Valley.

What a spectacular place the Black is! Shakespeare says: comparisons are odious.

donini

Trad climber

Ouray, Colorado

Nov 17, 2010 - 10:02pm PT

Comparing the climbing may be as Shakespeare said odious, but comparing the camping is more of a black/white situation. The Black is better, but then few areas are as bad as Camp 4.