El Cap Report

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Captain...or Skully

climber

Jun 12, 2012 - 02:38pm PT

I bet there ain't an A2 pitch around that you couldn't fire right off, so I'd agree with that. Those other 2 pitches, though. I think you're gonna want to hit them, sooner or later.
Have a good time on the Shortest Straw, eh?

TeleMele

climber

Hood RIver, OR

Jun 12, 2012 - 02:39pm PT

No Way! Greetings from Hood River Mark, just spotted you on here. I'm a local fan of your coffee. Well done! Hope you do a slide show of your adventure sometime in the Hood! Enjoy the heck out of your trip there.

Believe it or not, I was so frightened about dropping my stove and having no coffee and having to eat cold dehydrated meals that I hauled an additional complete JetBoil setup! BUT no extra glasses, Gri-gri or jugs.

I can believe this. Priorities. Whatever motivates you to the top safely!

Mark Hudon

Trad climber

Hood River, OR

Topic Author's Reply - Jun 12, 2012 - 02:50pm PT

Dang, you know Skully, A2 on Iron Hawk ain't like A2 elsewhere in my experience. There weren't many gimme/cruise pitches on that route.

Mikereddig

Trad climber

Camas, WA

Jun 12, 2012 - 02:56pm PT

Mark, you are the bomb and an inspiration to all of us.

So what would be a good first solo on El Cap? I gotta wait til I am older for Iron Hawk. ;)

Mark Hudon

Trad climber

Hood River, OR

Topic Author's Reply - Jun 12, 2012 - 02:59pm PT

Zodiac or Lurking Fear. Both of those routes are crowded but moderate. Zodiac, overall, is probably the best choice (Tom can't get photos of you over on Lurking Fear).

Captain...or Skully

climber

Jun 12, 2012 - 03:00pm PT

Well, there IS that. Never been there, myself(yet), but them I know that have agree with you, Mark. It ain't El Cap Lite.

MikeReddig, consider The Muir, also.

Michael Nicholson

Big Wall climber

Thousand Oaks

Jun 12, 2012 - 04:20pm PT

Glad your back okay Mark! Looking forward to another amazing TR that you always write up.

John Mac

Trad climber

Littleton, CO

Jun 12, 2012 - 04:38pm PT

Mark, Maybe buying a new set of glasses with transition lens would be a good option. My wife has a pair and finds them pretty good.

http://en-us.transitions.com/en/default.aspx

couchmaster

climber

pdx

Jun 12, 2012 - 05:25pm PT

Tape can be your friend. LOL

Norwegian

Trad climber

Placerville, California

Jun 12, 2012 - 06:17pm PT

im curious mark,
and i mean no disrespect with this inquiry,
but what would you have done if you had
not your cell phone to call for a top rope?

you certainly would not have retreated.
did your cell phone fool you into giving up to soon?

honestly i can not imagine the toil that you endured,
but i cant help but wonder if these e-gadgets
plague us with self-misunderstance.

i move that you would have
finished the route, either free
or via some sick hook runouts
if you hadn't the option of calling a friend.

sincerely,
a fellow struggler.

FrankZappa

Trad climber

80' from the Hankster

Jun 12, 2012 - 06:23pm PT

In 2000, my partner, who free climbs much better than me, led the two 5.9 pitches, and I followed them free. We actually thought they were really good and fun. (good temps, shade, dry rock helped)I remember that second one had no pro and was pure friction getting to the anchor. I don't think the second half of the pitch was any harder than 5.8+ or so, but covered in water and slime.......uuuuuuhhhhhhh
Seemed like there was a short, but very easy, "A3" pitch getting to the summit?

I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. Sh#t happens and you do what you do; no point looking back.

'Pass the Pitons' Pete

Big Wall climber

like Ontario, Canada, eh?

Jun 12, 2012 - 08:21pm PT

Holy frig, Mark - WTF? I just read this whole thing - all 369 posts - what an adventure! Glad you lived to tell the tale, eh? Sorry we never managed to hook up on the radio - sounds like your storm ordeal was almost as bad as ours. The runoff hitting the fly was unbelievable, and in almost 500 nights on the Captain I have never - ever - experienced winds so ferocious. Really feared the fly would shred, but it held its own.

So what happened? Really. Did you bust your nut replacing bolts or what? I remember when I soloed Iron Hawk it kicked the sh|t out of me, and I distinctly remember waking up each morning with "crab claw" hands where I actually had to take my other hand to straighten out the fingers of the opposite hand. So you just couldn't pull the free moves?

Did you consider hooking? Was that viable? Fish's topo mentions "you can hook the whole thing" but that refers to the bottom bit I think. I know it is wicked run out up top, as I got my Rope Gun Neil to lead that bit after we did A.O. Wall last year [I only look stupid].

So let's hear the Real Reason. I can't believe that Mark Bad-Ass Hudon got blown away by the FREE climbing pitches, fer cryin' out loud. Oh yeah, and what was with the FOUR falls up to that point???

Thanks for some really heartfelt posts. Mark and I "bailed to the summit on the Nose" after I was unable to lead the Bagel Race connection from Grape Race to the Muir, which by my reckoning, looked to be a Real Live Death Pitch. However that was the very same day we all got thumped by the storm so perhaps that coloured my thinking.

At any rate, I talked to your Straw partner on the bridge today, and am overjoyed you are coming back to climb! I need some rest days before my next wall, so maybe you can come over to the Chateau Flory here in Yos. Village before yous guys blast?

Looking forward to helping you with what is certain to be your best-ever trip report, and because my PTPP Blend New Guinea Dark Hood River Coffee inventory is exhausted.

Way to share it all, eh? Good job in spite of everything. Maybe you can go back in a while, and solo the last two or three pitches, just to make it legit? ;)

Cheers, mate - hope to see you soon.
Your mate, Pete

Mark Hudon

Trad climber

Hood River, OR

Topic Author's Reply - Jun 13, 2012 - 12:29am PT

Norwegian,

I had never thought about that till now. Right then, I did not think I could recover enough to lead that pitch. I had enough food and water for at least two more days... I was quite mentally drained, I don't know if sitting there for two more days, looking at that pitch would have helped. I may have gained enough composure to free climb up with some hooks and maybe muckle my way up it.
Me sitting there for two days with no way to communicate would have been the buzz of Yosemite and the internet, eh?

Pete,
I was physically and mentally hosed. I was truly beat. Yeah, I haven't failed on a 5.9 pitch in 38 years! I tired to call you on the radio during the storm and the next night but you didn't reply. I'll try to find you in the Valley, I'll bring down some PTPP blend. Ground for French Press?

nita

Social climber

chica de chico, I don't claim to be a daisy.

Jun 13, 2012 - 01:49am PT

Dang..Mr Hudon, also glad you're not dead....and...you are still a badd ass..

Saludos...

FrankZappa

Trad climber

80' from the Hankster

Jun 13, 2012 - 09:59am PT

It's been 12 years, but I don't think there's any way you could hook that slab. My foggy memory recalls the last bit to the anchor being pure friction; not that hard but friction nonetheless. If it was wet and slimy, that would make it desperate regardless of the grade.

fsck

climber

Jun 13, 2012 - 10:28am PT

it's been almost 14 for me, but i agree with FrankZappa, hooking alone wouldn't get you too far. i got the second freeclimbing pitch and remember the moves off the belay being the hardest moves and then a massive runout on slightly easier terrain to a sloping ledge with a rivet.

mark hudon is still a baddass,

duncan

climber

London, UK

Jun 13, 2012 - 10:50am PT

The slab is proper 5.9 friction - not 'it's a bit tricky in wall boots so we'll call it 5.9' - it's Ron Kauk and Dale Bard 5.9. It's also run-out straight off the belay. Mark will stroll up it in good conditions but it would be a different ball game in the wet. I don't think it would be possible to aid without a bunch of drilling.

ElCapPirate

Big Wall climber

California

Jun 13, 2012 - 12:39pm PT

Awesome report Mark!

It's been a while for me, as well. The first time I freed those pitches and the second time we were doing it in a push and hooked a lot of it because I was short fixing and belaying myself.

I agree it would be VERY difficult while wet.