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nutjob
Stoked OW climber
San Jose, CA
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Oct 20, 2008 - 11:25pm PT
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Good showing, thanks for the gear beta
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cragnshag
Social climber
san joser
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Oct 21, 2008 - 12:24am PT
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Saw you guys climbing the chimney from the white talus. Looked cool from afar!
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Alexey
Trad climber
San Jose, CA
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Oct 27, 2008 - 06:06pm PT
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Zander and Gary, thanks for TR- it bring me back to Enigma last weekend. When I climbed it before we rappelled down from the tree p3. This time we top out and last pitch was very good- way to do it. I am curious how you rappel? We did not find Nabisco wall upper bolts and rappelled from Meat Grinder. Actually I realized that this is Meat Grinder after first rappel
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Zander
Trad climber
Berkeley
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 27, 2008 - 07:40pm PT
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Hi Alexey,
We didn't rappel at all. We just walked off the left side. It didn't take very long.
Take care,
Zander
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GhoulweJ
Trad climber
Sacramento, CA
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Oct 27, 2008 - 11:58pm PT
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Climbing thread bump
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jenren
Trad climber
Sac, CA
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Oct 28, 2008 - 03:57pm PT
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bump
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jpin
Trad climber
CA
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Feb 25, 2009 - 03:47am PT
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Zander, have you ever done the Cleft at the Cookie?
That should be right your ally.
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Zander
Trad climber
Berkeley
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 25, 2009 - 10:53am PT
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jpin,
Looking from the road there are three classic lines, or weaknesses, at the Cookie. Enigma, The Cleft and Vendetta. You can see them clearly in the photo above. And they are moderate. Not sure which is next, Vendetta or The Cleft but both must be done. Yah hoo!
Zander
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scuffy b
climber
Where only the cracks are dry
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May 17, 2010 - 03:38pm PT
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I just climbed Enigma this past Saturday. This was one of the first climbs
I heard people describing when I was new (the unusual double crack setup
on the first pitch.) A few decades later, I finally get around to it.
I'm certainly glad I didn't put it off forever.
We broke the climb up a little differently than Gary and Zander, in that
I continued up to the tree above Zander on Pitch 1. That put the 5.8
squeeze into Ron's lap, so he got the squeeze and the slab.
The flare/chimney pitch was the real deal, in my book. Serious in
appearance, from below and from most of the stances on the pitch. Some of
it was wet, in the first 30 feet or so. It went kind of like this: Yeah,
that's wet back in there. I'll just try this sopping hand jam, and I can
keep my feet dry, further out. Oh, damn, I have to use a wet heel/toe now
but it still feels OK. Oops, this arm lock...hey, are my hips getting
soaked now?
Some really really fun chimneying above all the wetness, and the moves
always felt better than they looked.
The 5.4 chimney, 4th pitch, was a delight, and then the choice of finish.
Ramp of Deception (I'd also heard talk about this way back when) looked
great, but we chose the original line (?) like Zander. I had a harder
time than I expected, but the protection was great. I may have missed
something, or been in some kind of haze, but after I did the strenuous
lieback moves, the climbing got strange instead of over. Heel/toes, hip
scum, roundiness...then I was sitting in the sun pulling up rope.
An excellent climb for a hot day, at least if you don't get an early start.
I think a repeat is just about dictated, for other summit pitch options.
Ramp of Deception would be a must-do if it were at ground level, and
Abstract Corner looks great, with the possible complication of its
severe difficulty.
If someone cruises the Enema, it would be good to continue up and finish
with Abstract Corner.
I say it a lot when I finish a climb, but I don't think I am at all off
base this time: What A Great Climb!!!
Cookie Left
A week before, I went to climb this one, another common topic of conver-
sation in Berkeley in the 70s: did you fit? No, pard fit through but I
had to go outside...
Well, I was always one of the skinny guys, so I know I was going to fit
through. HAHAHAHA
Somehow, being 15 pounds heavier has some correlation with actual SIZE,
who'd a thunk?
I got up to the pod, couldn't fit through, investigated the outside OW
moves, but since I didn't have any more big stuff and was looking at a
grounder, I climbed back down, and we bailed.
The major part of the pitch is one of the best 5.9 off width pitches I
have been on: great rock, 5"-6" in a corner with a great lip plus a good
foothold or two.
I think that if you fit through, this will be a classic 5.9 OW pitch for
you. If you have to climb outside the bulge, it will be a classic 5.10a.
If someone insists that it's 5.9 even if you have to go outside, I might
cry or puke or something, but I won't take it personally.
Way To Go, Zander and Gary
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Jingy
Social climber
Nowhere
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May 17, 2010 - 03:49pm PT
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Team Zander/Carpender...
Top notch dudes as far as I'm concerned...
Proud send, and thanks for the photos...
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Zander
Trad climber
Berkeley
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Topic Author's Reply - May 18, 2010 - 12:38am PT
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Hey scuffy,
Sound like you had a great time. Enigma is really a fun route.
You definitely need a #4bigbro for the finish of Cookie Center. I hope to lead that some day. It is tricky. Gary did a great job leading that thing.
climb on!
Zander
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msiddens
Trad climber
Mountain View
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May 18, 2010 - 12:45am PT
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AWESOME STUFF
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