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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Nov 22, 2016 - 07:20am PT
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This quote from Pavel Blazek is great in that it points to the flow of climbing progression. The Nose was climbed in a searching style and the second ascent raced up it. Now it is a timed raceway. Lynn Hill climbed it all free in a searching style--lots of time working the hard bits in sections--and it still stands as a test piece. Tommy spends years finding a way up the Dawn Wall and then strings it all together with Kevin; Adam races up it.
Our tribe focuses on the first ascent teams, who create a vision, suspend disbelief and find a way. For the best of these efforts, we all rejoice in the new dawn those first ascents provide. The nature of climbing maintains a fairly sharp distinction between first versus next, but with an expectation that next is going to make quick, stylish work of it, someday. Pretty cool that someday came quick on a climb as monumental the Dawn Wall for Adam.
Years ago, in the 1970s, I wrote an article reporting the then new efforts being spent in Yosemite to climb short section of rock to put up all-free routes. There were voices from the then immediate past who thought it must be drudgery or somehow cheating better climbers of the opportunity to do the new route in better style. I assured my audience that any of those climbs would, in the future, be a pleasant romp for a young new cimber. We were climbing 5.10 and 5.11, not hard stuff, and I certainly did not foresee El Cap all free, much less the Dawn Wall free (The Dawn Wall was an embarrassment and otherwise marked the final passing of the 60's.)
But it is very cool that climbing keeps reinventing itself: the climbing changes and becomes more spectacular, but the process pretty much remains the same.
From Pavel Blazek who belayed Ondra:
"Huge admiration for Adams skill to climb the Dawn Wall today!!! What an adventure!
In the same time hats down to Tommy Caldwell @tommycaldwell for finding this route and doing the first ascent. There were many, many moments when we talked about the will Tommy had to have to keep coming back to this thing and finding the way up. Hats down!"
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Nov 22, 2016 - 07:37am PT
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The Dawn Wall was an embarrassment and otherwise marked the final passing of the 60's.
This is quite the observation. But the tables are turned and the proud wall now shines tall, like a beacon.
Props for Adam and his team. I'm glad they didn't let the beast sleep for too long.
Yowemite bowline?
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this just in
climber
Justin Ross from North Fork
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Nov 22, 2016 - 08:21am PT
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I love that this route has been freed by the best big waller, a so called boulderer, and a so called sport climber. I say so called, because I think we are just climbers. I appreciate all forms of climbing and to me they are all equal in importance. Ondra is far more than just a sport climber and I doubt many would argue that now.
In my book though, Tommy Caldwell is the best all around climber in the world.
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Nov 22, 2016 - 08:23am PT
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K-man, I agree that it is very cool that the Dawn Wall is now the shining light of El Cap Free. Maybe Tommy and Kevin should rename it Phoenix Dawn.
Kingtut, In my climbing the rock was not pinned out, even on the first free of an aid route (maybe the same for you), so it seemed strange to me that we call routes all free when climbers are pulling up on pin scars. But I have tried to think about it in terms of today's climbers who have only lived in a world with pin scars. So now your comment about no further pinning should be the focus.
It seems like the really hard bits on the Dawn Wall are on un-nailed rock, which may preserve the nature of the climbing well into the future. I wonder if it is possible to get everyone to agree that the Dawn Wall is now free, and only clean climbing can be used.
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blahblah
Gym climber
Boulder
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Nov 22, 2016 - 11:09am PT
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I love that this route has been freed by the best big waller, a so called boulderer, and a so called sport climber. I say so called, because I think we are just climbers. I appreciate all forms of climbing and to me they are all equal in importance. Ondra is far more than just a sport climber and I doubt many would argue that now.
In my book though, Tommy Caldwell is the best all around climber in the world.
I think he was "so-called" as such only by people who had absolutely no idea of his climbing history or background and had a completely uniformed opinion that was just a result of guessing or assumptions or making stuff up. (I say this as someone who is anything but an Ondra groupie, but has an office job where I'm on a computer all day and have paid some attention to climbing news for the past 20 years or so.)
Not to say that he's not famous for his sport climbing and bouldering or that he's not much more familiar with those styles than "trad" climbing, but pretending that he's never trad climbed before going to Yos is pure nonsense.
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=2409160&tn=20
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this just in
climber
Justin Ross from North Fork
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Nov 22, 2016 - 11:57am PT
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Agree blahblah.
Also shows how important sport climbing and bouldering are. Sport climbing is neither? Not anymore.
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labrat
Trad climber
Erik O. Auburn, CA
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Nov 22, 2016 - 12:03pm PT
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He came, he observed, he learned, and he climbed it. Wow!
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Nov 22, 2016 - 12:13pm PT
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For those of us who were around and remember, Adam's success in the Valley reminds me of the first time Henry Barber visited. Bridwell took him on the test pieces of the day and was astounded by his effortless mastery. On one climb, Jim just laughed and shook his head when Hot Henry said about one climb, "Really great climbing and it is so neat that the hard part is right at the top."
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patrick compton
Trad climber
van
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Nov 22, 2016 - 01:10pm PT
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Also shows how important sport climbing and bouldering are. Sport climbing is neither? Not anymore.
yep
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Chief
climber
The NW edge of The Hudson Bay
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Nov 22, 2016 - 02:41pm PT
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An impressive effort!
It is a New Dawn.
When we climbed Mescalito in 77 the notion of a free route up the wall never crossed our minds.
Likewise when we did the Hockey Dawn in 80(?).
Hell, it's hard to imagine even today!
I was impressed at the evidence of Harding's tenacity on his epic ascent with Caldwell in 1970 and would like to chime in on the statement that "The Dawn Wall was an embarrassment and otherwise marked the final passing of the 60's."
Maybe some people were embarrassed but I never met any Valley climbers who expressed that sentiment.
Robbins was definitely upset but even he had to acknowledge Harding's effort and stop chopping rivets on the second ascent.
Perhaps in another time or in another place Harding would have crossed an ethical boundary but I'd respectfully suggest that given the time and place, there aren't reasonable grounds to denigrate his efforts.
Harding and Caldwell's FA of the Wall of Early Morning Light was just the first of many epic ascents on the Dawn Wall including Mescalito, the New Dawn and the PO to name a few.
Tommy and Kevin had their own epic and now Adam has had his.
We're probably not done with epics on the Dawn.
Respectfully,
PB
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i-b-goB
Social climber
Wise Acres
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Nov 22, 2016 - 06:15pm PT
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^^^^
Wow, I guess the free Dawn is a trade route now and not the pinnacle achievement done yet?
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TomCochrane
Trad climber
Santa Cruz Mountains and Monterey Bay
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Nov 22, 2016 - 06:37pm PT
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Grossman and Cummins,
Excavating some memory archeology: am I correct in recalling the Dawn Wall aka Wall of Morning Light was the first route attempted on El Cap?? … I think by John Harlin and Gary Hemming?
It was the first route I attempted on it, with Mike Borghoff, when the Nose was the only completed route on El Cap. At the time their fixed ropes were still hanging off free from several pitches up. And I expect their bolts may still be in place on the early pitches.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Nov 23, 2016 - 06:21am PT
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👍👍👍👍
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clinker
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
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Nov 23, 2016 - 06:38am PT
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It's like judging the inventor of the lightbulb to an expert electrician based on speed of bulb installation. "
Dumb comparison. It is more like the best and most capable electrician ever, wiring a Magnet Hospital by him(her)self in only a few weeks.
Now, let's cure cancer and blindness.
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Watermann2
Mountain climber
Saluzzo Italia
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Nov 23, 2016 - 06:52am PT
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I would like to pay tribute and honor to this extraordinary climber, primarily because it is big as well as climber, is also a GREAT MAN, simple, humble, and a very kind person, after I've seen (video) to act as instructor and do climb children aged 6 to 12 years, (and there was a child of 7-8 years old who climbed 7a ( 5.12d), and I liked this amazing climber explain and act as a master to these children, speaking in good Italian, and therefore I say to this great man (in particular) mr. ONDRA: Chapeau !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!
I am very sorry not to be able to put the video, (I did not find) (I had seen on television! (Very sorry)
-------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------
And now some climbing this GREAT climber:
NUMBER of ascended routes
Grade Redpoint Flash On-sight Total
9b+ (5.15c) 3 3
9b (5.15b) 12 12
9a+ (5.15a) 27 27
9a (5.14d) 83 2 3 88
8c+ (5.14c) 108 18 126
8c (5.14b) 101 1 50 151
8b+ (5.14a) 66 3 53 122
8b (5.13d) 88 15 112 215
8a+ (5.13c) 60 15 164 239
8a (5.13b) 49 31 165 245
Total 549 66 549 1164
----------------------------------------------------------------
Climbing World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2011 Arco Overall
Gold medal – first place 2014 Gijon Lead
Gold medal – first place 2014 Munich Bouldering
Gold medal – first place 2016 Paris Lead
Silver medal – second place 2009 Xining Lead
Silver medal – second place 2011 Arco Bouldering
Silver medal – second place 2016 Paris Bouldering
Bronze medal – third place 2011 Arco Lead
Bronze medal – third place 2012 Paris Lead
Climbing European Championships
Silver medal – second place 2010 Imst/Innsbruck Lead
Silver medal – second place 2010 Imst/Innsbruck Bouldering
Silver medal – second place 2015 Chamonix Lead
Silver medal – second place 2015 Innsbruck Bouldering
Climbing World Cup
Winner 2009 Lead
Winner 2009 Overall
Winner 2010 Bouldering
Winner 2010 Overall
Winner 2015 Lead
Winner 2015 Overall--
----------------------------------------------------------------
MULTI--PITCHES routes
Karambony East Face - Tough Enough route runs in the middle
The Dawn Wall - El Capitan (USA) - 21 November 2016
Mora Mora - Tsaranoro Atsimo (Madagascar) - 10 October 2010 - First free ascent
Bravo Les Filles - Tsaranoro Kelly (Madagascar) - 7 October 2010
Tough Enough Original - Karambony (Madagascar) - 4 October 2010 - First free ascent.
Tough Enough - Karambony (Madagascar) - 30 September 2010 - First free ascent.
Hotel Supramonte - Gole di Gorroppu (ITA) - 18 October 2008 - First onsight ascent.
Ali Baba - Paroi Derobée di Aiglun (FRA) - 2008 - Second ascent.
WoGü - Rätikon (SUI) - 26 July 2008 - First free ascent of Beat Kammerlander's route (1997)[58]
Zub za zub - Rätikon (SUI) - 29 July 2007 - First free ascent.
Silbergeier - Rätikon (SUI) - 27 July 2007.
Many Greetings.
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Nov 23, 2016 - 07:07am PT
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Topher Donahue seems to have heard or read a negative comparison between the Tommy and Kevin's first ascent and Adam's 2nd. But the notion that world-class climbing can be appreciated in the absence of comparison is a non-starter. YDS is comparative. Style is comparative. Speed is comparative. Number of falls is comparative. There would be no improvement or progress without comparison driving it (I am pretty sure.) Almost everything in climbing that an observer or a participant cares about is comparative. Remove comparison and we would not know what to celebrate. So far all the comparisons for these free ascents lead to "wows."
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Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Nov 23, 2016 - 09:02am PT
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Nah00 posted above (thanks):
Day 1: 9 pitches redpointed [12b, 13a, 13c, 12b, 12d, 13c, 14a, 13d, 13c]
Day 2: 4 pitches redponted [14a, 13c, 14b, 13b]
Day 3: rest day
Day 4: multiple attempts on crux pitch
Day 5: 2 pitches redpointed [14d, 14c/d]
Day 6: 6 pitches redpointed [14a, 14a, 13c, 13b, 13d, 13d]
Day 7: forced rest day due to inclement weather
Day 8: 10 pitches redpointed [10, 11, 11, 11d, 11c, 12c, 12b, 12b, 13a, 12b]
and all of this after, near as i can tell, only 15 days of actually physically working the moves...
That's the only summary that I've found. As far as you all know, is that pretty accurate? Did he stay on the wall the whole time during the push? I of course can't even come close to relating to the crux pitches. But, jeeze days 1 and 10, when I think back to the last time I looked up that wall, well I just start giggling hysterically.
Does Day 5 have the "downward dyno" pitch?
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PSP also PP
Trad climber
Berkeley
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Nov 23, 2016 - 10:52am PT
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I am curious if they brought up 8 days of food and water with them or did they have a support crew jugging up with re-supplies?
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