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curlie
Trad climber
SLO, CA
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Aug 21, 2006 - 04:03pm PT
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This is too good of a thread to be relegated to the second page so early. So I'll bump with a not-too-gnarly the first-and-only-thing-I've-ever-soloed story.
My buddy Ryan and I were following the Waugh/Bolton/Sampson train up Conness. It was the last day Ryan and I were in the Meadows and we had made a career of bailing off of sh#t that year. We had the beta on North Ridge, knew that there were 2 often-rapped sections of 5.6 and that the rest was maybe 5.4. I also knew that the intrepid Mrs. Waugh had soloed up the face after the raps the previous year (and down-soloed a quite interesting snow-filled gully using rocks as ice-axes, but that's another story), and while she is certainly one tough chick, I knew I could technically climb harder. So we brought a short rope, harnesses, and a couple of slings just for the raps.
We followed the train up to North Peak first, and I was pretty excited because it was my first real peak and first summit register. Then we went down the ridge to the notch, and started up the North Ridge of Conness. At some point, Ryan and I stopped to put on climbing shoes. The train was taking off ahead. We got to the first "rap" and Ryan headed down a few moves first to check it out. It wasn't that hard and we both downclimbed big holds with no problem. The second "rap" looked a bit more exposed and sketchy. But Ryan climbed down with the rope still in his pack, and I thought "If he can do it..." But this one was a chimney and I hate chimneys. I know that everyone says you can't fall out of a chimney, but I always _feel_ like I'm gonna fall out of chimneys. So predictably, halfway down, I was feeling like I was gonna fall out and I was in a pretty exposed spot, I would undoubtedly bounce off the slabs below, fall thousands of feet to my death, and that this was a Bad Idea. Then I got stuck. No really, I was wedged in the chimney. And I started to laugh, because at this point, I couldn't fall out of the damned chimney if I _tried_. So I relaxed, skittered down the rest of it, and soloed the rest of the beautiful 5.4ish face up Conness without fear.
In fact, there was a party below and off to the side who were for some strange reason rapping off the westish side. They got their rope stuck, and just as I got to it to free it, they managed to pull it down. They then asked, "Does it go?" And I was like, "Huh? You mean to the top?" "Yes," they said. I said, "Um, yeah, I think you're almost there, maybe 100 more feet." I left them there, in the middle of easy 5th class terrain, and I'm not sure who was more confused. Ryan and I caught up with the train on the top, my second peak of the day and ever thus far. It was very cool and we had an uneventful hike down the normal trail (no snow slopes or rock ice-axes) and caught the last boat back across the lake. That day was so good, we just packed up and left the Meadows that night. It just couldn't get any better.
Oh, and my first day of school solo story (since no one else has posted one). I don't really remember the day, but Mom told me about it years later:
First day of school, third grade. I lived on a small island and for the first time, was going to the bigger island next door for school. It was a 20-minute boat ride and a 25-minute bus ride away. I'd only been over to the school once, and never by myself. Mom hugged me goodbye and put on a brave face at the beginning of the dock. I evidently marched right down the dock and straight onto the boat without one look back, while she was crying the whole time!
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burp
Trad climber
Salt Lake City
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Aug 21, 2006 - 04:32pm PT
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golsen wrote:
"When I topped out I sat down in the warm sun and shook for about 10 minutes. During the climb I had not even thought about coming off except near the top. I think all of that pent up adrenalin had its way with me. At that time in my climbing career my best on-site was about 11a/b. To me the climb seemed like 5.9. It was later bolted by a party that had no knowledge of my ascent. It is rated 10c. Today, it is easy for me to realize the folly and risks I took soloing a new route that was so close to my limit. But today is also a time where more and more folks learn to climb in gyms, a sterile environment that does not breed the kind of adventure that was so evident prior to sport climbing."
Remember in '87 when I first went up Ferguson ... did Goldfingers and was blown away by your solos to the right and left. Goldfingers was insecure enough hanging around trying to get the right pro in. Plus, onsight solo? I would hate trying to reverse any of those moves you did if trouble presented itself.
Been to Ferguson lately? Everything has been retro-bolted!!! It's a zoo up there. The '80s were certainly a wonderful time in the wasatch.
burp
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SammyLee
Trad climber
Memphis
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Aug 21, 2006 - 06:07pm PT
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About 1977 me and the first wife were in the Smoky Mountains driving along. I'd never climbed rock in my life. I look over and see this "cliff" face and decide I should climb it. It's really just the side of the mountain they've cut away for the road. Choss as crap, but I didn't know choss from cheese at the time. I pull off the side of the road and hop out with my jeans and sneakers, ready to go.
The first few moves were pretty easy and up I go. This "cliff" is maybe 50 or 60 feet bottom to top. About half way up I realize that I am in trouble. The climbing has gotten hard and I don't think I can climb back down. Up is the only way to go, or start crying like a babe for momma's help. I started shaking and feeling weak but decide to go for it. I reach up to a chunk of rock above my head and start to pull. It comes off and damn near takes my head and shoulders with it. I'm pretty sure I stained my undies at this point.
Somehow, the old tree climbing instinct comes into play and I look down to see where I can put my feet to get up some and find a nice little ledge/edge kinda thing and step up. From 6 inches higher, more is possible. (six inches makes all the difference, right?) I manage to get to the dirty top out, trembling like a leaf. I staggered down the side, back to the car and my wife asked, "So, how was it?" She hadn't even watched me. I should have seen the writing on the wall then I guess.
That was the last time I tried rock climbing until last year. When I saw Devils Tower, I knew I had to revisit the urge. Glad I did. Just back from Yosemite and some great climbing. Trip report to be out soon.
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deuce4
Big Wall climber
the Southwest
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Aug 21, 2006 - 06:11pm PT
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My previous story wasn't the only time a single wobbly point of contact was the only thing between me and certain death.
Back east, on Mt. Washington, my friend Thom Englebach and I were progressively soloing all the ice gulleys in Huntington's Ravine. We started soloing them by accident. On our first trip, we were with some "experienced" ice climbers who were going to show us how it was done. They had all the gear and ropes. Well, on the approach, one of them tripped and stabbed himself with his ice tool. He wasn't hurt bad, but bad enough that he didn't want to go up any further. We requested the loan of the gear so Thom and I could continue, but it was no dice. So we went up without any gear and soloed Central Gully.
On the following winter weekends, we progressively soloed all the gulleys, until only one was left: Damnation Gulley, the 1000-foot steep runnel with a reportedly fearsome vertical section. We made it up to the steep part, where Thom saved my life by preventing a big slide triggered from another party from falling on me while I was in the midst of the crux. Later, near the top, Thom above me was yelling something, but I couldn't hear. He was trying to tell me that the winds were ferocious and that I should be careful.
As soon as I exited the narrow gulley and entered the final bowl as the route opened up, a huge blast of wind grabbed me and blew me sideways. All I had in was a single ice tool about 1/2" or so. Both crampons came out and the wind flapped me around for a while before I was able to replace my second tool and get my feet re-established. I was amazed that the pick of the tool held after all that wobbling (that was before I got to know my Guardian Angel intimately).
Then we had an all-nighter epic gettng down from that one too, ending up on the road about 10 miles from where we should have been in the ensuing white-out and storm. (Knocking on the nearest home at 4a.m. to call our friends that we were ok wasn't well received).
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golsen
Social climber
kennewick, wa
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Aug 21, 2006 - 08:05pm PT
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good stories guys.
burp, not much thought about downclimbing, that really would have scared me cuz I couldnt have. Hopefully no old routes had bolts added.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Aug 21, 2006 - 10:12pm PT
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Geez Deuce,
Yer a nice guy,
Glad you made it through that stuff.
I kinda forgot about those days, since you got all big wally and threw a nice shadow over the little things now coming back to light.
Kinda sketchmo even given your obvious competence, but good flavor nonetheless.
I think I recall the Stately Pleasure slab story first hand from you; maybe Dixie Peach!
Cheers!
I see Tom Englebach out here every now and then.
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deuce4
Big Wall climber
the Southwest
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Aug 22, 2006 - 12:37am PT
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Yes, I think it was Dixie Peach. A terrifying onsight. Especially when you're looking down and seeing all the lovely people hanging out and having fun on the beach below, oblivious of the epic struggle going on.
Say hi to Thom for me--now there's a man who wasn't afraid to stick his neck out in the old days (maybe still is).
Keep up the good work, Roy. Love your old pics (especially the gals!). Sorry for giving you the middle finger back in the old days when you took that picture that you posted some time back.
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WBraun
climber
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Aug 22, 2006 - 12:39am PT
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Now now Ducey
The middle finger always does the job.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Aug 22, 2006 - 12:44am PT
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Will do Deuce,
I wonder if his nickname made the charts,
Remember Thom = The Waste Mission
He's a pretty funny guy and wears the cheshire grin 24/7,
in all kinds of weather.
To this day, when I see him at parties here in Boulder, like clockwork and fairly loudly, he'll blurt out:
"Hey Libido Roy!"
Gets me every time, always turns heads and wrinkles eyebrows.
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Aug 22, 2006 - 12:48am PT
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"Light, not Solid" -Thom?
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Aug 22, 2006 - 12:51am PT
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Yes, he stands rather tall Jay.
He had that blue VW Bug with the kerazy checkered artwerk on it.
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Russ Walling
Social climber
Out on the sand, Man.....
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Aug 22, 2006 - 12:56am PT
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He had a bunch of army men in a mock battle and some f14 jets epoxied to his hood and roof too.... cops must think when they see this.... "He's holdin'...."
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john hansen
climber
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Aug 22, 2006 - 01:00am PT
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Some times scary solos have nothing to do with climbing,,,
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Aug 22, 2006 - 01:13am PT
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he was holdin'
it
barely
tehgether,
'cidmaster...
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golsen
Social climber
kennewick, wa
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Aug 22, 2006 - 01:37am PT
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sammylee, I liked your story and fully intend on stealing this line, "didn't know choss from cheese "...haha
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Aug 22, 2006 - 03:08pm PT
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c'mon bvb...where's that most stupid free solo. I'm on the edge of my seat!
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Maysho
climber
Truckee, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 22, 2006 - 03:40pm PT
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Ok, since it was requested upstream here goes with the close call on Reeds Direct.
I was not on the schedule to work, and I had pulled an all nighter in difficult discussion with my girlfriend. I went into YMS just to pick up my paycheck and chill with my best women buddy, KB (an unheralded hot stonemistress from the 70's). Brossman the Bossman, comes into the back room, "some folks want a guide today, your up, thats what Chief Guide means, you take the walk ins when you can!" So off I go and spend a nice day with some nice dudes, we do Keystone corner, Reeds Regular, Bongs away left, and they still have a bit of juice left, so I just run up the first pitch of Reeds Direct trailing the rope. When I am standing on the detached ledge I pull up the rope to tie a bowlin on a bight to the tree, while pulling the rope, with no cams to block it, the cord becomes stuck back in the flake. I turn back in to downclimb to free it, and bobble my balance on the ledge. I make a grab for the unfinished knot on the tree, grab the wrong side and fall backward off the ledge...I let out the loud death yell, plummeting to the ledges below, certain of my impending doom, when I am brought up short by the rope, just as my heel breaks on the small ledge early on the pitch. The rope jammed in the crack, my client had put his hand on the rope running on the ground allowing it to sink in deeper and stick. I am now so high on survivors adrenelin, I swing back to the crack, untie and solo down the lower section easily, back to my shaking clients. I had split my calcaneous into two pieces, which 22 years later can still bug me if I am teaching the snowplow, and the weather is changing.
I learned some valuable lessons that served me well over the next 20 years of guiding. One, do not try to get my climbing kicks while working, it can be bad enough pulling the bulge on top of RCA with rain splattering the stone. Second, guiding is never just a job. The trials of real life, may make it necessary to call in sick occasionally rather than put myself or my clients at risk.
Cool postscript. The client who probably saved me, dropped dead of a heart attack years later. Two years ago, I get a call from his son, he was passing through the park with his sons and was trying to convey to them the adventurous life of the grand father they barely knew. I took the kids up Aqua Knobby, had a great time, and conveyed my respect for their granddad who saved me!
Peter
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Aug 22, 2006 - 08:23pm PT
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Well, you brought me to tears, Peter. Maybe a memorable guiding days thread is in order?
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pyro
Social climber
I'm not telling,
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Aug 23, 2006 - 01:24am PT
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Curlie! how cool! you laughed when you got stuck!!!
Soo, You didn't look back to see your mom. must feel special for you to see Bob K climbing on that same island?
you were his special! Keep the RFEng job and climb when you want to waste time. luvya!
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john hansen
climber
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Aug 23, 2006 - 01:38am PT
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Jay bro,, I posted a new thread on 'best and worst guiding' hope im not over stepping ,, sounds like great stories.
Aloha
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