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Norwegian
Trad climber
Placerville, California
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Mar 11, 2010 - 10:31am PT
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my daughter leading unprotected slab to her first summit.
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tarek
climber
berkeley
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Mar 11, 2010 - 12:03pm PT
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bump
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Darryl Cramer
Social climber
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Mar 11, 2010 - 12:03pm PT
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Gene –
I am sure you won’t remember this but about 1982 or so on my first trip to Donner – cold and stormy October - I forgot my climbing shoes so a friend and I decided to go nail Bliss of the Knife – all we had was the old Beck guide. I had a load of iron over my shoulder and you walked up and informed us that the route was now free. I told you about my shoe situation and asked if there were any nailable aid routes around. You suggested free climbing might be a better bet and pointed us to some TR routes. Later in he day your partner left and you took my friend and I on a quick tour of the area and gave us a copy of your photocopy guide. We ended up being so psyched for the area that we drove down from Arcata every weekend until winter really hit. We never ran into you again but 26 years later thanks for the guide!
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oldcragster
Gym climber
WA
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Mar 11, 2010 - 03:53pm PT
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Darryl, actually I do sort of remember...probably because hardly anyone ever tried that route. "Your welcome" and thanks for jogging my memory. Hope you made it to Sugarloaf too! Gene
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Darryl Cramer
Social climber
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Mar 11, 2010 - 04:23pm PT
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Yep made it to Sugarloaf many times! I am surprised no one has mentioned the last pitch of Farley...runout, exposed but fairly moderate face climbing with some exposure!
By the way it looks like we are both in Washington now.
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Petch
Gym climber
knapsack crack
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Mar 11, 2010 - 05:35pm PT
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had the place to myself today. the descent still had a few inches of snow on it which wasn't to pleasant in slippers and shorts. there is a loose block on sheister about twenty feet after the squeeze. it's super close to coming down. i would have sent it but billy the dog was right under me.
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tom woods
Gym climber
Bishop, CA
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Mar 11, 2010 - 05:47pm PT
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Is schiester the one that used to be protected by a shoe string tied through an RURP?
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oldcragster
Gym climber
WA
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Mar 11, 2010 - 08:53pm PT
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Darryl, glad you brought that up. Jim Orey was the one who encouraged me to climb that upper wall for a fitting finish to Farley. First time I led it I thought it a bit crazy, but with more experience and sticky rubber it was a classic, providing one didn't fall. I was born in Longview WA and spent my early youth in Seattle area. Now we are in Port Angeles, a long way from our favorite climbing areas...so again...love these pictures. Ron, I'm glad to see you are still active both in writing about your passion and no doubt still getting out there. GD
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Trad
Trad climber
northern CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 11, 2010 - 11:29pm PT
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Did somebody mention the last pitch of Farley? I found a couple pictures:
The second pitch of Farley is fun, too.
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caughtinside
Social climber
Davis, CA
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Mar 12, 2010 - 01:18pm PT
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nice going trad! Love the loaf! That third pitch of farley looks, eh, sporty!
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Charlie D.
Trad climber
Western Slope, Tahoe Sierra
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Mar 12, 2010 - 03:08pm PT
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My first adventure at Sugarloaf was with the prankster (late) Jon Bowlin who told us we needed to rap off. Asking why we wouldn’t simply walk off toward the north he went into a very convincing description of lose blocks in a wet chimney that couldn’t be avoided on the descent. Somewhat skeptical we tied two ropes together and headed over the bun of the Fracture Roof (now the Grand Illusion) off of the ¼ inchers of the day. We went to pull the ropes down and much to our dismay they were hopelessly stuck and it was getting dark. All three of us walked out toward the extreme edge of the ledge and hung by our dead weight which slowly began to pull down against the friction. The melted ropes were retired and to this day on each return I burst out laughing. Many fond memories there and good to hear from Gene who I must of met there or at the Spires BITD.
Berg Heil,
Charlie D.
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Charlie D.
Trad climber
Western Slope, Tahoe Sierra
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Mar 12, 2010 - 05:57pm PT
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BTW Ron, same time frame we climbed up to the Fracture ledge and found a small yellow note stuffed in the crack with basically the same message, "the roof goes free". It contained a joint that my buddy Roy Baker quickly fired up, both of them are now long gone. I miss my buddies and love Sugarloaf, the place for me is haunted.
Charlie D.
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Salamanizer
Trad climber
The land of Fruits & Nuts!
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Mar 12, 2010 - 09:57pm PT
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Oldcragster, is the bolt on the last pitch of Farley original? Or was it placed later. Being that you did the F.A. I figure you'd know.
It's in need of a little refurbishing.
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oldcragster
Gym climber
WA
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Mar 12, 2010 - 10:52pm PT
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Just pulled out the 'Sumner guide' to check on the last pitch of Farley. It describes the pitch, never mentioning a bolt. I wrote in the guide that Jim Orey did that pitch, first ascent in 1971. I didn't do the first ascent. Can't remember when the bolt 'went in' or by who, but I think I convinced Jim that it was a good thing. Too long ago to be sure. Wonder if anyone has ever fallen on it. I hope not! Gene
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oldcragster
Gym climber
WA
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Mar 12, 2010 - 11:29pm PT
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Salamanizer, I just looked at Christine's '87 guide and she gives credit to Jim Orey for first ascent of that pitch also. Maybe someone will replace it, if it needs to be upgraded.
Charlie D., we may know each other because you mention Jon Bowlin, an old buddy also. May of '77, Jon and his family and Jim Day come to the Valley to climb for a week. They have one of those tent-camper units. I was hanging out so I came by every day to see how they were. It rained every day...the whole week, as I remember. I don't think they ever got to climb. Really felt bad for them. Jon was a great guy, and I'm glad to have known him. Always wondered how his family made out. Years later I was climbing/belaying on Short Subject (School Rock, Donner) when someone yells up, "Hey Gene". Turned out to be Jim Day with his family hiking the PCT. Last time I saw him. Those two plus Jim Orey did FA of 'Kangaroo' on Flagpole Peak (Echo Lake), just up the canyon from Sugarloaf. I repeated it because they raved about it, but only once.
If you like that last pitch of Farley, you'll probably like 'Lurch'. I remember it being challenging for 5.8, though not as exposed. Does anyone do that climb? Hicks couldn't come up with a name for the route so since his nickname was 'lurch'......He was about 16 when he did that climb.
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Salamanizer
Trad climber
The land of Fruits & Nuts!
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Mar 13, 2010 - 12:03am PT
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Thanks Gene! I was going to replace the bolt but wanted to make sure it was or wasn't original before using donated ASCA gear to do so.
Loving your stories, you undoubtedly know some juicy little tidbits of forgotten history about the Tahoe area. Keep the stories coming and maybe we can dig something up. Either way, they're a good read.
Speaking of Lurch, I just climbed that route last week. It had a smidgen of chalk on it so I suspect it sees a fair bit of traffic.
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Trad
Trad climber
northern CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 13, 2010 - 01:20am PT
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Hey Salamanizer, I'm pretty sure that's you (or maybe your partner) silhouetted against the sky in the second picture of the first post. I recall running into you guys earlier in the day, maybe starting up Hooker's Haven? (Date on the photo is Feb. 2009)
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Salamanizer
Trad climber
The land of Fruits & Nuts!
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Mar 13, 2010 - 01:28am PT
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Trad... Cool!!!
My notes say I climbed Hookers for the first time in April 09 but climbed both Bolee gold and Gost in the Machine in Feb 09. Looks like Bolee Gold.
By the way, when are we gonna get out together and do some climbing???
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dcaunt
Trad climber
Chico, CA
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Mar 14, 2010 - 01:40am PT
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Me and the Chico gang use to climb Sugarloaf in the early eighties, great place to go when the weather is too cold in the mountains. One trip we bumped into Bachar and he was doing the Grand Illusion. Lucky for me I had my camera, what an awesome climb!
Bachar on Grand Illusion
Rob Settlemeyer leading Taurus
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skychild
Trad climber
Birmingham, Alabama
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Mar 14, 2010 - 01:56am PT
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S-mizer why don't you do what comes natural and remove all the recent bolted routes on the totally lame boulders on the way to the "rrrrreal" climbing. The climbing up there is good but not worth 60 + responses, maybe it's just close to a highly populated area. There's good climbs up there but come on. Just sayin' Don Actually the climbing is excellent. But Amphibians still suck. You'll never find me S-Mizer I actually get after it and don't need notes to remind me what I "sent". Good job on hookers Haven?
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