Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
Mark Hudon
Trad climber
Hood River, OR
|
|
Most of your life would fade away but never that first lap up The Captain.
That's for damn sure!
|
|
Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
|
|
#32 - spring 2007 - rematch on Wyoming Sheep Ranch with Kate. Big wall camping at its finest. I replaced lead rivets on Welcome To Wyoming pitch, a Real Live Death Pitch, that, with an incredibly sharp lip to a roof that could well cut your rope if you fall.
That does not sound safe. You should have used a chisel to dull down that lip a bit.
|
|
Spanky
Social climber
boulder co
|
|
From the minute I saw the captain I knew I had to climb it to be the real deal. My uncle also gave me "Rock Jocks, Wall Rats, and Hang Dogs" when I was in high school and to this day it is the best descrption I've read of why I love this sport so I'm definitely biased. Thanks for putting it into words that feel right but are hard to compose.
there I'm a witness
|
|
Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
sawatch choss
|
|
El Cap will never look so tall as on the day you first walk up to climb it.
You got that right, largo.
|
|
'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
|
|
Largo's words ring true.
After my first time up the Big Stone via the Nose in 1988, I came home to my then-wife, now ex-wife, who was completely unsympathetic to my caving and climbing pursuits, or addictions as she liked to call them.
"Well, you've finally climbed El Cap," she said with evident relief, but as I recall no trace of congratulations. "Now you can retire from climbing."
Six years and zero further ascents later, I retired from the marriage, or more correctly I was fired. At that point, my Post-Divorce Renaissance began, and I've climbed 47 further routes.
She might have been right about one thing - I could be an addict.
And thanks everyone for your comments. That last one took about four hours to complete.
|
|
cmclean
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
|
|
Five so far: Salathe 2008, Lurking Fear 2010, Zodiac and Nose 2011, Lost World 2012. Thanks for the photos and writeup of our climb, Pete! It was lots of fun to climb with you, Steve, and Heather.
|
|
ryankelly
Trad climber
el portal
|
|
Time to update your numbers folks, heavy hitters and dweebs alike:
2 for this dweeb
the nose, with ned leblond 2011
the zodiac, with scott borden 2012
Normally I could give a sh#t about stats, but I gotta say these lists are inspiring...
|
|
wayne w
Trad climber
the nw
|
|
Did ZIAD last May, with my friends Scott Lappin and Kristoffer Wickstrom. My 15th El Cap ascent.
Other than Nik and Madeline coming up the base to the Prophet, we had the entire Southeast Face to ourselves, until a party came up to fix when we were at dead end ledge. We laughed the entire time. While racking up by the car, hiking up to the climb, on every pitch, and during the hike down.
Beautiful suffering. Look forward to more El Cap fun in April!
|
|
mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
|
|
For me, my one trip of six and a half days on the "Salathe" is just about equal to any number of lesser routes lumped together.
Pokin' along, visitin' spots you'll never see again makes eminent sense on the first and possibly only EC route you'll ever do--the issue is always in doubt, after all, if you'll finish or not, and to be able to savor the adventure is luxury...And the second time is generally better, as they say.
Werner's view seems right on--unless you spend most your time there, sleep there, eat there, you are only visitin'.
It's just as well that I am not an EC climbing junkie, but I envy the ones who are, I truly do.
The time I mentioned (1974 in a snowstorm) is silly by today's standards, sure, but the attitude is not.
|
|
Mark Hudon
Trad climber
Hood River, OR
|
|
It really is funny, isn't it? It's just a cliff, it's just a climb and yet it make such a lifelong impression on so many.
|
|
rincon
Trad climber
SoCal
|
|
7 for me....so far.
|
|
RP3
Big Wall climber
El Portal/Chapel Hill
|
|
Go R Kelly!
|
|
'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
|
|
Mark - I always loved in Long, Hard and Free where you wrote that Yosemite was your favourite climbing area, and that El Cap was your favourite "crag".
I thought, Damn - if this guy thinks that El Cap is just a "crag", he must really be a hardman!
Of course, I now make a point of referring to El Cap as merely a "crag" whenever possible. {snicker}
I think one of the things that makes El Cap so iconic is not only its location and size, but that it is accessible to everyone.
I verily believe it should be every trad climber's goal to one day climb El Cap, and every El Cap climber's goal to one day solo El Cap.
Cheers,
PtP Pete
Big Wall Parvenu
|
|
Mark Hudon
Trad climber
Hood River, OR
|
|
It's the honest truth that whenever I tell anyone about climbing, I'm always telling them about climbing El Cap.
|
|
ryankelly
Trad climber
el portal
|
|
Thanks RP3 AKA Raging Roger!
I've got my gortex on buddy, bring on the spray!
|
|
Paul Brennan
Trad climber
Ireland
|
|
|
Jan 16, 2013 - 07:24pm PT
|
2 so far, Mescalito with Oli Warlowand Zodiac solo. Both oct 2012. Psyched for the spring.
|
|
'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
|
|
|
Jan 16, 2013 - 09:06pm PT
|
My, how times are changing, eh? Only two routes, but one solo. Which did you climb first? Beers on the bridge in the spring, for sure, mate!
|
|
mawk
Big Wall climber
White Bear Lake, MN
|
|
|
Jan 22, 2013 - 03:22pm PT
|
Grape Race with Pete was my third time up the Cap.
Thanks Pete, it's been a great adventure, I already have a lifetime's worth of memories, and we're not done yet.
We shot a couple of videos during the storm, enjoy:
[Click to View YouTube Video]
[Click to View YouTube Video]
|
|
HuecoRat
Trad climber
NJ
|
|
|
Jan 22, 2013 - 03:46pm PT
|
You guys are all ahead of me. I've only done one, the Triple Direct, and it took me 2 tries to do it!
|
|
Mark Hudon
Trad climber
Hood River, OR
|
|
|
Jan 22, 2013 - 03:47pm PT
|
Dang, Pete, Mawk, it was windy over on Iron Hawk that afternoon, but nothing like that!
|
|
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!