Offwidth tips and The Twilight Zone

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Messages 41 - 60 of total 195 in this topic << First  |  < Previous  |  Show All  |  Next >  |  Last >>
Jaybro

Social climber
The West
Jan 27, 2006 - 04:15am PT
Ed-Valley, meadows, circa one week after tioga opened?
My partial TR from then;

"Jerry, check out the plates on that rig"
"Cool, let's do Galen's and then head down for Lobster Tacquitos."
"'s long as nobody's chopped the bolts.'

Russ Walling

Social climber
This space for rent
Jan 27, 2006 - 01:24pm PT
Hey Jay,
Who is that aiding that crack?
WBraun

climber
Jan 27, 2006 - 01:26pm PT
Hey hey what route is this?
Jaybro

Social climber
The West
Jan 27, 2006 - 06:36pm PT
Some knucklehead trying to hold together a set of evulsions, protuding bones, and existing gobis, as a curtesy to a squemish partner. Said partner drove, after all. I, I mean he, hadda do it! 'least I- HE, damn it, had a cool chalk bag!

galen's crack
Russ Walling

Social climber
This space for rent
Jan 27, 2006 - 06:55pm PT
As long as there is major carnage under that tape I guess it's ok then ;)
Grug

Trad climber
Golden, Colorado
Feb 3, 2006 - 02:15pm PT
Hey! Does anybody do the Burner anymore? This is an alternate way of climbing up to El Cap Tower (I can't even remember what pitch(s). As I recall, it's a pretty stiff offwidth. I did this in 1975 with Rick Piggot when we did the New Dawn.
WBraun

climber
Feb 3, 2006 - 02:28pm PT
Me and Dale bard did the FA of burner, not to many people do it any more Grug, I wonder why, actually I don't blame them.
Peter Haan

Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
Topic Author's Reply - Feb 3, 2006 - 07:36pm PT
The Burner is the pitch above Nose #7 and the pendulum point above Dolt Hole. Incredible rock, awesome location!
Grug

Trad climber
Golden, Colorado
Feb 5, 2006 - 12:09pm PT
Thanks for the clarification - and it's never too late to say, good job on the FA, Werner. I do remember this pitch as being pretty serious - My overall recollection is of burning more calories on it then maybe any other pitch of offwidth I can think of, and I've done most of the ones mentioned in this post.

Hardest Valley offwidth that I knew of and tried, a nemesis of mine, really, is the Owl Roof.

Oh, and funny story Leroy!
Jaybro

Social climber
The West
Feb 6, 2006 - 03:11am PT
My vote for hardest valley ow would be Elephant's Eliminate, though I couldn't do it the time I tried it so I don't really know. The crux, (or as far as I got) seemed similar to the Owl; flaring and suddenly wide at the lip.
Ed Hartouni

Trad climber
Livermore, CA
Feb 6, 2006 - 10:53am PT
If you want more information on Peter's recommended routes for TZ training, they are at this url: [url="http://home.comcast.net/~e.hartouni/doc/PeterHahn-TZ.htm"]Peter Hahn's NOT the Road to Twilight Zone[/url]

Rack and stack as you please... don't know what is easy and what is not, and I didn't put anything much harder (e.g. Owl Roof, Elephant's Eliminant) because this list would be a good life's accomplishment for a weekender like me.
Grug

Trad climber
Golden, Colorado
Feb 6, 2006 - 11:58am PT
So Jaybro, did you do the Owl Roof?
Jaybro

Social climber
The West
Feb 6, 2006 - 12:55pm PT
yeah I climbed it in the mid nineties, made a special trip down from Reno. I'd tried sporadically over the years, since maybe '83,
probably 4-5 times in all.
Grug

Trad climber
Golden, Colorado
Feb 6, 2006 - 01:43pm PT
Damn! I guess Elephants Eliminate is one that I never did get around to trying. I'm pretty sure that of the Valley wide cracks I tried, the Owl Roof was the only one that I couldn't do. I attempted twice. The second time -- in 1976 I think, I took a fall, landed on my tail bone, and could barely walk for a week!
Jaybro

Social climber
The West
Feb 6, 2006 - 01:55pm PT
Greg, I don't know if you ever did paisano, but, for reference, I thought the Owl was harder.
Grug

Trad climber
Golden, Colorado
Feb 6, 2006 - 02:40pm PT
No. Couldn't do Paisano either. Also, couldn't do Death Crack in Tuolumne. Come to think of it, there's kind of a pattern here. It's those really overhanging wide cracks that I can't do!

By the way, I just now read accounts from an earlier Forum topic on the Owl Roof. So, my old buddy Rick Piggot may have been the first person to flash it. Go Poway Mountain Boys!
Ed Hartouni

Trad climber
Livermore, CA
Jan 28, 2007 - 04:42pm PT
another favorite with lots of interesting history
Jello

Social climber
No Ut
Jan 28, 2007 - 08:53pm PT
Really good original post, Peter, and Brutus' story had me right there. I always liked offwidths. I thought they separated the women and men from the girls and boys. But they're an acquired taste, like beer. Remember when you were twelve years old and you and your buds got hold of a six-pack? Didn't taste too good, then, did it? Now, however, a good brew tastes like nectar after a day out on the rocks. Offwidths are like that. In fact I named one in Moab, Acquired Taste. Really good route, and one of my better route names, I think. Another thing about offwidth technique is that it is absolutely essential for an alpinist to be in possesion of those skills. Many big alpine testpieces have a wide-crack crux somewhere along the way.
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Jan 29, 2007 - 12:14pm PT
Great thread! A TR from Mental Block and Fallout and I think about every great OW in the Valley has been dusted off and held up proudly. Truly inspiring! Glad that I have been practicing my slab technique so diligently to prepare. LOL
Jaybro

Social climber
The West
Jan 29, 2007 - 09:37pm PT
yeah, offwidths taste good, between beers.

Steve, there is some Mentalblock feedback around here somewhere.
Messages 41 - 60 of total 195 in this topic << First  |  < Previous  |  Show All  |  Next >  |  Last >>
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