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Chief
climber
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Topic Author's Reply - May 8, 2010 - 12:01pm PT
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Cozzy,
Put the hootch pipe down!
Near as I can figure, YOU did the FFA of The Grand Wall Route on The Grand Wall of the Chief.
Don't try to make it any more complicated than that or I'm going to call you collect and we're gonna have words offline!
PB
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Can we discuss now who did the first ascent of the Salathe Wall and of the Salathe Route, and whether they're the same thing? After that, perhaps you guys could let me know later the answer to that angle/angel question - you know, how many can dance on Zippy the Pinhead? While you're working on that, I'm going climbing. Restoring, anyway.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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I was in Squamish last night, "projecting" with my brother
Which reminds me of my U Wall experience with your brother...
Peder and I started up it one fine Squamish morning and had an enjoyable time right up until the rain started. Fortunately, we were both tucked under the roof at this point and not too worried. The rain was increasing but we figured with the overhang we wouldn't get too wet rapping to the base of the first pitch, and that from there we only had to scramble down to the trail and then run for the car. We'd brought a small haulbag and I figured it would slow us down on the scramble, but Peder said something like "No worries. We'll just toss it from the base of the first pitch -- it'll be waiting for us on the trail."
The long slab looked pretty smooth, and we'd be able to watch the bag the whole way so there'd be no problem finding it. And anyway, Peder was a big-time wall climber, so he must know what he was doing.
So we booted the bag. And our clever idea for saving five minutes and a bit of sweat caused us to spend the next two hours rapping down the stupid slabs freeing the bag from one sticking point after another. In pouring rain. Good times.
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Chief
climber
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Topic Author's Reply - May 8, 2010 - 12:46pm PT
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Hey Ghost,
Should I tell the story about you "cutting the bags loose" on Uncle Benn's?
Now that's a Squamish Classic!
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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I've told that one here already. But at least that was an accident. Stupid, maybe, but accidental. And it was the same bag. A little Forrest Grade IV which I've still got. And even used a couple of years ago during an epic cleaning session in the Jungles of Western Washington.
D
edit: story of dropping the haul bag on Uncle Ben's is at http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=331724&msg=999664#msg999664
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bmacd
climber
Relic Hominid
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I hammered a bong into the Split Pillar once, before friends were available. It really f*#ked up all the hex placements below it. That feature is destined for the ground ....
Coz when the Pillars drops off you will have to get you butt up here pretty quick to regain the the FFA of what will then be a new line
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Zander
Trad climber
Berkeley
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Great read Chief!
Z
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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I used some bongs in the Pillar in 1974, and maybe other occasions around that time, but didn't experience the expansion which others have reported. But the thing, and the various attached flakes above it and to both sides, is clearly not long for this world.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Yeah, maybe it's hard to believe that I would have hammered on bongs. Not at all my style. But it's all true.
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Chief
climber
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Topic Author's Reply - May 9, 2010 - 12:19pm PT
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I've hammered on bongs and definitely been hammered on bongs.
One memorable occasion where both occurred was getting to and arriving on Bismarck ledge.
(I think the biggest cam in 77 was a #3 Friend and we had one, some Chounaird bongs and a couple exotic wide pieces apparently made in Thailand).
I was WELDED to the ledge for a while, BOMBER!
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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The real Grand Wall is in the Chieftain Hotel. All others are pale imitations. Get through 40 glasses of draught beer at the Chieftain on a Saturday night, amidst the loggers, longshoremen and others, and you've got something to talk about. No need to solo, pinkpoint, or go onsight. But, like the sign on the door says, don't forget to leave your knife outside. And I'm guessing your evening would be enlivened if you wore spandex.
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Speaking of doing stupid things on the Split Pillar....to this day, Chief, one of my most embarrassing climbing remembrances, was dropping the (your) rack at the top of the Split Pillar after a little nap following a little hooch.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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May 10, 2010 - 12:34am PT
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Not to beat a dead beaver, but was the Angels Crest the FFA of the Grand Wall or even the U-Wall for that matter?????
No, but you could start a whole new argument about what was the first ascent of "The North Wall", or "The North Walls", or "The Sheriff's Badge" or...
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bmacd
climber
Relic Hominid
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May 10, 2010 - 12:40am PT
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Who else has been "Hammered on Bongs" on Grandwall raise your hand - thats very funny for an abstainer Jim. We actually bivied on Dance platform during that "Trip" due to rain and being intimidated about the Bellygood being wet.
Note the snow at base .... thats really bad ass EH ??
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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May 10, 2010 - 12:58am PT
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Friends - that is, the camming gadgets - became available at MEC in Vancouver in spring 1979. Dave Lane had one from somewhere which he was showing off (to skepticism) in autumn 1978. Maybe he picked one up on a trip to the Valley?
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Chief
climber
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Topic Author's Reply - May 10, 2010 - 01:35am PT
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Speaking of doing stupid things on the Split Pillar....to this day, Chief, one of my most embarrassing climbing remembrances, was dropping the (your) rack at the top of the Split Pillar after a little nap following a little hooch.
I was sure you threw the wide gear off on purpose so we wouldn't have to try that leaning offwidth into The Flats.
Re when Friends showed up.
I knew there was a reason I couldn't remember having any camming devices in 77.
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bmacd
climber
Relic Hominid
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May 10, 2010 - 01:50pm PT
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Grand Wall with Hamish was always a blast. We did the route often in the 80's, got it wired pretty good.
Rack:
1 x 1.5 friend
1 x #4 RP
3 X wired stoppers
6 x 1" nylon slings
20 x Carabiners
As in photo below we start Apron Strings Hamish leading. Plug in 1.5 friend 15 feet above belay. Hamish runs it out to the Apron Strings crux where he places #4 RP. When rope pays out completely I put on the day pack and start climbing. By the time I am at the # 4 RP crux, we had figured Hamish was clipping the first bolt on Merci Me, so we were "safe". Simul climb to base of Spilt Pillar if traverse was dry, otherwise belay traverse.
Spilt Pillar - not enough gear on rack for me to lead this pitch - Hamish leads split pillar, 1.5 friend goes in at the bottom, clip two rusty bolts near the fist section. Then Stopper goes into the flake wedged 3/4 way up.
Sword pitch - not enough gear on rack for me to lead this pitch defer to Hamish.
Bolt ladder - my lead, combine slings into etriers type deal, use stoppers for looping over hangerless bolts. Hamish follows bolt ladder, batmans haul line & stepping on bolt hangers. No jumars
Flats to last pitch - simu-climb if dry.
Last pitch - not enough gear on rack for me to safely lead, defer to Hamish. 1.5 friend at start of undercling - run it out to Dance platform
approximate time to Dance - 75 to 95 minutes - Hamish would know our best time. But it was never about making the fastest time, more about having it go smoothly. Often this was a spontaneous decision to climb Grand after a day of cragging
I was just lucky to be along for the ride ....
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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May 10, 2010 - 02:42pm PT
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Bruce's photo shows Hamish leading the first pitch of Apron Strings. It's often done as a start to the Grand Wall and other routes, but the proper start to the Grand is via the Flake Route, a bit to the right. About the same difficulty as Apron Strings, and a nice pitch.
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Chief
climber
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Topic Author's Reply - May 10, 2010 - 02:45pm PT
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About the same difficulty as Apron Strings, and a nice pitch.
I'd call it an unlikely looking mega classic.
You had to really bear down before small cams existed, Gordie Smaill broke his ankle flanging off above the chimney, but Gordie did have a thing for running it out.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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May 10, 2010 - 02:48pm PT
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Gordie's accident may have been more related to not having placed protection in the Flake Route, rather than a lack of possibilities, even in context of the mid 1970s. He sometimes had a tendency to go for it, and had several other long falls, e.g. on Sacherer Cracker. Although the Flake is cleaner now, the fixed pins are also gone.
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