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johnboy
Trad climber
Can't get here from there
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To go where no man has, at least for a while.
50 miles east of the black Hills.
Dang near out my front door.
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 3, 2014 - 03:42pm PT
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 6, 2014 - 09:48pm PT
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Climbed up the north side of Harney left of the Harney Flow.
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LongAgo
Trad climber
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I'm with Richard as to what drew me there:
"Then there are the climbs themselves. Real summits are, nowadays, a novelty for rock-climbing. And a number of climbs have "horizontal" as well as vertical exposure. The pinnacle is slender enough to curve away from you on both sides, leaving you feeling perched in midair, a sensation that isn't as intense on buttresses and walls. "
Well, that and my lifelong climbing partner Kamps and all the other wonderful spirits congregating there, and the dog races too ... what am I saying.
Tom Higgins
LongAgo
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 7, 2014 - 09:44pm PT
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Tom, that you and so many great climbers would make the pilgrimage way out here in the middle of nowhere has always made a huge impression on me to keep looking around.Spent yesterday stumbling around on the north side of Harney and saw Hundreds of possible routes mostly never done.
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 13, 2014 - 06:18am PT
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Its 12/13/14 soon to be 10:11 and it was 63 degrees before the sun came up in sd. Hope to be on the tower by 10:11 12/13/14.
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 13, 2014 - 08:20pm PT
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Had a great day on the tower. Beautiful weather for mid December.
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johnboy
Trad climber
Can't get here from there
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Dec 13, 2014 - 09:30pm PT
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You were real close to the lost cabin where you took the pic looking back down at the line of fins going into Nelson creek.
All your pics from that day are real nice, not many people make it up and over Harney that way.
Im still looking for some more pics I've got. Going through all the SD cards as we find them.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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Dec 14, 2014 - 12:17am PT
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Nice towers, as usual, Mike.
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 16, 2014 - 03:33pm PT
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 17, 2014 - 12:33pm PT
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 18, 2014 - 09:47am PT
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These three photos were sent to me by Fan. the last one is a more recent one of Sore Thumb which is one of the most imposing looking spires around. It looks like a light bulb from certain angles and is overhanging all the way around. They are of the first free ascent of Sore Thumb. It had been climbed by a party from Casper College using aid. They hauled a concrete filled barrel with a cross to the top. It bothered Herb Conn but he and Jan did not think a free ascent within their ability so they enlisted Rearick and Kamps to do it.I have not done this one yet but it is definitely on my short list. Amazing what these guys did on what are very wide cracks in the 60's.
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 18, 2014 - 01:47pm PT
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Another one from Fan. 1965 First ascent of the Phallus in generally the Ten Pins area. Dave Rearick, Don Lauria, Mark Powell and Bob were the party. Another more current view of Phallus.Phallus is the yellow tower to the right of the climbers who are on Sandberg Peak.
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 18, 2014 - 02:27pm PT
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 19, 2014 - 08:47am PT
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More shots from Fan. Bob Kamps somewhere in the 1990's on what looks to be Trojan D and extremely scary 5.8 on the Needles Highway. It climbs much more like 5.10 and was protected by a piton and a bolt or two in about a half pitch.
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rgold
Trad climber
Poughkeepsie, NY
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Dec 19, 2014 - 08:55am PT
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I think the Sore Thumb is one of the best climbs in the Needles. It is essentially a crack climb and so is well-protected from bottom to top. The grade is a reasonable 5.9 (not sandbagged).
Trojan D. is another matter. I remember being terrified getting to the first bolt. I think I missed the best line and ended up somewhat to the right, very insecure, with a ground fall waiting to punish any mistakes. After the bolt I don't remember any real difficulty, but that may be because I was so relieved. Here's a shot from that day that gives a sense of how far you have to go before that first bolt.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Dec 19, 2014 - 09:09am PT
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I onsight soloed the sore thumb, and down climbed it. As I climbed up I figured I would bail if it got too crazy or I felt I was going to get into something I couldn't reverse. It went fine and there was only one semisketchy down climb move.
I was glad for the accurate rating..
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 19, 2014 - 11:21am PT
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Rich, I don't think there is a good line to get the first bowl on Trojan D I've seen several hard climbers back off or almost back on that route seemed very scary and in this picture Bob is doing it and what must be 70s
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 19, 2014 - 01:00pm PT
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Here is a few more from Fan who is Bob Kamp's widow Bonnie. This is John Gill and Bob bouldering in 1964.Harvey T. Carter on Bloody Spire in 1961Bob and a young Paul Piana.Also Bonnie did not think the photo in the last post with Bob in it was of Trojan D but of something in middle earth.
Thanks Bonnie for sending those photos it really made my week.
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