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Wayno
Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
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Dec 15, 2013 - 04:14am PT
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I tried to do a few FAs, but almost every time, I would find a fixed pin or some other evidence of previous endeavors.
I like the First Ascent with conditions, like the first Winter Ascent. Or the first Nude Ascent or the the first toothless ascent with colostomy bag.
So much more creative potential.
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mcreel
climber
Barcelona
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Dec 15, 2013 - 07:40am PT
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"Walk and Don't Look Back" at the Rainbow area W of Donner Summit. Drilled off hooks, in imitation of Bachar's style. A move of A0, then nice steep face climbing, 10a or so. Named in memory of Peter Tosh, who was killed shortly before.
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MisterE
climber
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Dec 15, 2013 - 08:40am PT
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DMT - There is a third part you are missing to a good FA, and that is the legacy. Looking back and realizing you made a contribution to the community that will be there long after you are gone.
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jcory86
Big Wall climber
Grass Valley, CA
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Dec 15, 2013 - 11:07am PT
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Does a boulder problem FA count? I put up a 20+ foot v5/6 highball across the river from the quarry in Auburn. We did a ton of work on the landing but the problem is AMAZING!!! very high quality. It will be the gem of the area "the bar" in chris mac's norcal bouldering guidebook when it gets revised. I believe someone has put up a v7 on the right arete of the boulder now. A couple gerat lines!!! The beauty problem is called SHOGUN. I am unsure of what the new v7 is called. go get on it!!!
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clinker
Trad climber
California
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Dec 15, 2013 - 12:28pm PT
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First pitch of Prairie Home Companion 5.7r 1984, Pinnacles National Monument.
Dam proud of it. Haven't climbed it since.
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Gary
Social climber
Desolation Basin, Calif.
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Dec 15, 2013 - 12:33pm PT
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That's not ego?
Yep, but not all ego is bad.
Tough Shiites, 5.6 or 5.7. Pretty easy, except for one small section. The wind is a big factor. At the Sunni Slabs at Christmas Tree Pass.
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clinker
Trad climber
California
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Dec 15, 2013 - 12:34pm PT
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My daughter Rose and nephew Kurtis, The Big Bad West 5.5 Pinns. 1999
My daughter Kate, Cat and Mouse 5.5 Pinns. 1999
Best days ever!
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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Dec 15, 2013 - 01:14pm PT
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BITD Chas Cole set me up with a nice 5/16" hand drill and some button heads. That was a good bit of gear. He also had some straight fluted 3/8" bits turned down to fit the same holder but they kept breaking (at least in my hands.) I practiced with this drill on random rocks until I was competent.
I think the first route I put up, using bolts anyway, was Seamstress on Voyager Rock at Courtright.
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crunch
Social climber
CO
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Dec 15, 2013 - 01:32pm PT
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1978 more or less.
My first first ascent was of what is surely the worst route on what might be the worst crag in the entire UK. The crag is called Taffs Well. it's a crumbling, overgrown limestone quarry right next to a major highway (and busy railway beyond that).
There was a climb, quite good, a Hard Very Severe (5.8-9) called Cowpoke that ascended to a traverse ledge, where it stopped. Above this was an unclimbed face, 60 feet tall. Youthful stupidity and enthusiasm blinded me to the simple fact that this face was utterly rotten, devoid of protection and ended at a forested jungle of rusty mattresses, trash and assorted bits of underwear, with a few trees.
First try, got 30 feet up, froze in fear. No gear, could not go up, nor down. Facing a BIG fall. I was using double ropes so hatched an escape plan. My partner tied off one rope to the tree he was belayed to, then rappelled with the other, hiked around to the top, threw the other rope down to me. I either toproped the rest or more likely could not as I was utterly exhausted--don't recall now. My partner did toprope it, and that gave me full confidence that I could do it, leading, since at the time I calculated that I was a better climber.
At some point I rappelled it, cleaning the worst, loosest stuff and placing a couple, very bad pitons that I knew would barely hold any weight but I did not really care--they looked cool.
Came back a week or so later, led it. Rated it Hard Very Severe (about 5.8-9). Which was about my leading limit, back then. Second ascent was Pat Littlejohn, who told me the pitons had, maybe, ahem, fallen out, or something....anyway, were gone. And he suggested maybe a modest upgrade to E1 (5.9-5.10a), for the seriousness.
Since then huge swaths of the cliff have been bolted and there are some pretty okay sport routes. I'd be happy for my route to be bolted, make it not so much a death lead.
Currently, apparently it's now rated E3 (5.10+). far above what I thought I could lead (or even follow), back then. Which says something of my own stupidity at that time and Pat LIttlejohn's own quietly ruthless undergrading style.
Huge thanks to my partner, Howard Nicholls, who patiently put up with all these shenanigans And took the photos.
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McHale's Navy
Trad climber
From Panorama City, CA
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Dec 15, 2013 - 01:34pm PT
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Doesn't anyone have a copy of the article Doug Robinson wrote sometime in the 70s encouraging people to just climb and skip the reporting part? I bring this up from time to time. I remember when the reporting of new routes became epidemic. This may be why he wrote that. Sure would be cool if Doug could post it.
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clinker
Trad climber
California
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Dec 15, 2013 - 02:51pm PT
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Dear Dingus,
We are the "New Natives". Just as we enshrine, protect, and try to understand the meaning of ancient graffiti, future peoples may look in wonder at evidence of our passage.
Please leave the compressor and jackhammer at home.
Or, maybe we climbers should have our own Mt. Rushmore.
Who's bust would you vote for to represent North American mountaineering/climbing? (besides yourself)
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thebravecowboy
Social climber
Colorado Plateau
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Dec 15, 2013 - 03:25pm PT
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Knott BITD
Knott my first FA, but my first inkling that virgin summits are worthy.
No one, and I mean, no one, will repeat this loose phallus of Slickrock Member Entrada sandstone. It is five miles from pavement, stands 10 feet from a prouder summit, totally lacks a rap anchor. The cracks were riddled with black widow webs. It sucks. But I am glad that I did it. To see the hoodoo alone, up close, made it worthy for me.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Dec 15, 2013 - 03:26pm PT
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With Eric Gabel, FA was Natural on Fireplace Bluff
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=870861
it's possible that this is a repeat of the Shipley/Middendorf route Fireside Chat
But as far as I was concerned, it was a good FA and my first... I thank Eric for taking me along and starting me down the road of FAing, and the beginning of our, now long, FA collaboration.
My second and third FA's are also on that cliff, and are likely to be true FAs, but it really doesn't matter...
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BooDawg
Social climber
Butterfly Town
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Dec 15, 2013 - 03:34pm PT
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My first FA was my 3rd multi-pitch climb, the N.E. Face of Mt. Brewer that I did in 1963 which Life As A Bivouac mentions above. I posted some pictures of it here:
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=1079288&tn=40
Here's another one of Russ on the Summit, looking a little the worse for wear.
The approach took us 2 days over Kearsarge Pass.
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McHale's Navy
Trad climber
From Panorama City, CA
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Dec 15, 2013 - 04:11pm PT
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And in Kronhoffers I read!!!!!!!!!!
Hey, maybe to make it all sound less egotestical, we should start calling 1st ascents virgin ascents.......or something! (I just had to change one letter in ego....). Somehow we need to make our climbs as pure as the driven snow.
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McHale's Navy
Trad climber
From Panorama City, CA
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Dec 15, 2013 - 05:25pm PT
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Yeah, the ol ego takes a beating sometimes, but without it we would not have interesting constructs like ST. It's pretty fun to see what people are up to. Climbing may just be too dangerous to do for just egotestical reasons. It's a hard thing to do if a person is not 'all there' or still pretty young (at heart)!
You're gonna die!
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Bob D'A
Trad climber
Taos, NM
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Dec 15, 2013 - 06:57pm PT
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Forgot mine...must have been something at Cochiti Lake or the Basalt cliffs near Los Alamos back in 1974 or early.
I used to keep up with them bit stopped maybe around the thousand mark.
Kevin wrote: Bottom line is climbers that don't do FAs should think twice before judging those who do, whether it's how they're bolted, how they're cleaned, how they're climbed, or why they're climbed. That goes for those that do lots of firsts, too, but their perspective does carry more weight when it's spoken.
Well spoken Kevin. I agree. It is "the man in the arena" thing if you ask me. So much easier to from daggers when sitting in the stands.
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jgill
Boulder climber
Colorado
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Dec 15, 2013 - 07:19pm PT
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I have no idea. Probably something on Stone Mountain, Georgia sixty years ago. Since then I've done a few, but all that seems unimportant now.
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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Dec 15, 2013 - 07:37pm PT
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I have a few that I would rather forget. One or two I wish I had not bothered to bolt but most of them I feel pretty good about. It is a special feeling seeing people haveing fun on your routs. I also like to repete my routes. Ultimatly I put up routs on features that I want to climb. If it is fun I like to come back and do it again, and again. Kind of like sex but not as complicated ;)
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the albatross
Gym climber
Flagstaff
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Dec 15, 2013 - 07:59pm PT
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What a great thread.
Can't remember what my FA was, probably some random boulder problem in NAZ (that had probably been done a thousand years ago).
Sweet helmet you got there crunch.
DMT, I thoroughly enjoyed reading your post on the previous page. I haven't "reported" a climb in quite a few years. Can't remember the last time I sat down and drew out a topo for a FA.
Warbler I connect with your thoughts, too. And folks that haven't done a lot of FA climbing probably can't understand the motivations for those that have.
But JGill hits the nail on the head, it all seems so unimportant now.
Great thread!
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