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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Sep 22, 2007 - 08:08pm PT
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Tarbuster's Tuolumne thread got me going through some old slides, and I came across this one. An undistinguished photo of the cliff in fall 1977, before the four big recent rockfalls that changed its face. Only the talus left of Moby looks fresh in this picture.
And here's a photo looking across towards Moby Grape from Vertigo on that day. The Triangular Roof pitch can be see near top center. It was a wet chilly late-fall day, my first excursion up Cannon.
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divad
Trad climber
wmass
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Sep 23, 2007 - 09:10am PT
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Chiloe,
Did you ever do the Whaleback Crack? Wow, that must have been some big rockfall when that came down.
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Beagle
Trad climber
CO
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Sep 23, 2007 - 01:15pm PT
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Yeah, I remember usurping an unsuspecting duo, going up Reppy's, via the original first pitch , I started just running up and got about 40' or so without placing any gear so I grabbed a piece and almost crapped myself upon trying to get it in... after that things went swimmingly. I love N.H. granite!
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Sep 23, 2007 - 06:31pm PT
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Chiloe,
Did you ever do the Whaleback Crack? Wow, that must have been some big rockfall when that came down.
There's a nifty pair of photos in Sykes' guidebook showing the first (Barber) and last (Sykes?) ascents of Whaleback Crack. I missed my chance on that one but back in 1981 I climbed a Cannon route called Torque -- a cool 5.9 splitter just left of Whaleback Crack. It turned out that Torque's splitter crack was actually the fracture line from which the whole Whaleback flake detached, pivoting rightwards and down off the cliff. When you look at the cliff now you can see the outline where the flake used to sit. Its left edge marks the former location of Torque, so I guess the left side of that crack is still there.
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ng
Trad climber
New Mexico
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Sep 24, 2007 - 12:52am PT
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i moved from Portland ME 10 years ago - didn't know Moby Grape hadn't exfoliated like much of Cannon.
is Whitney Gilman still climbable?
nice pix!
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Sep 24, 2007 - 07:55am PT
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Whitney-Gilman, Moby Grape and many other classics are in fine shape and get climbed many times a week, in season. Even on Cannon's cleanest routes, though, you see the onion-skin architecture with new layers a few feet underneath, waiting for their day in the sun.
Possibly New Hampshire's warming climate, with more freeze-thaw and winter rains, has speeded up Cannon's erosion over the past 30 years.
If somebody has a Cannon photo from the same perspective as my 1977 shot above, it might be interesting to post them next to each other for comparison.
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mack
Trad climber
vermont
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 24, 2007 - 08:27am PT
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40 feet off the deck with no protection!!! ACK I don't think I want to do the original start afterall.
Mack
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Sep 24, 2007 - 08:51am PT
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If you walk up to the original start, you'll see exactly what's up. The first 30' or so is a wide, flared but low-angle corner, about 5.7. I don't know if huge cams would fit this, but back in the day you just ran it out, the rock is clean and the laybacks/jams are not too insecure. Eventually a secondary crack comes along and takes good gear. The 5.8 crux happens higher, when you leave the main corner system to climb cracks on its right wall, leading to a good ledge. There's a photo of this section (from the FA) in the 1987 edition of Webster's guidebook -- look at that, compared with any pic of Reppy's, and you'll see the difference in character. Or why most folks climb Reppy's, but a few think the original start has more flavor. The FA party broke this first pitch in two, but it's simpler if they're linked.
The second pitch starts with a nice splitter hand crack before you joining with the same line as Reppy's.
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mister t
climber
nowhere special
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Sep 24, 2007 - 09:59am PT
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Thank You Sir- may I have another?
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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Sep 24, 2007 - 11:08am PT
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Chiloe, have you done it recently? The first pitch has huge hole in it where the block fell out last year. The stokes litter that used to live at the base of WG was used in this rescue and not returned to the upper talus. There is no litter up there as of 2 weeks ago.
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Sep 24, 2007 - 11:19am PT
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No, that's news to me. Where was the block that fell out?
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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Sep 24, 2007 - 11:37am PT
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To my knowlege a guide was about 30ft up the origional rt trying to pass a party on reppys when he rode a huge block for a ways . his gear caught im before the deck but he broke some bones and was evaced. The new rockfall is obvious. It looks sandy and fresh up there. Not inviteing. Compared to your overview photo the whole cliff looks like it was hit by a week long artillary barrage..... Three weeks ago I was on Duet Direct and large rockfall occured just past WG. Big rumble and riseing cloud of dust again.... Can"t wait for that sucker to freeze so I can get on the black dike again :)
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Sep 24, 2007 - 11:56am PT
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Wish we had photos, I can't recall any blocks 30' up the first pitch.
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Rcklzrd
climber
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Sep 24, 2007 - 01:54pm PT
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Love that crack in the first pitch!
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Tomcat
Trad climber
Chatham N.H.
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Sep 24, 2007 - 04:38pm PT
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Nick...not a guide but my buddy Mike D.,brother of Chris D of Walk on the Wild Side/Quartet Ice hose fame.Chris got belayer of the year award for hanging tough while the block slid down around him.Since then,while sitting awaiting our turn on Reppy's crack I've heard a few folks exclaim..."darn,where's that block I used to put gear behind".Mike did get carried out,but I don't think he broke anything,except the cliff...
I see the First ascentionist of Duet Direct daily at work.No cams involved then.Originally rated 5.7,I believe it was Hurley who said it's the hardest 5.7 in the country...lol...what did you think?I led it when I was a kitten,in electric blue lycra....maybe that's what's missing...lol.It was up to 5.9 then.We had a double rack of friends,that's six,first gen ones...I recall poking them in in the midst of some stout liebacking,and trying to steal a look at them as I passed by..Dube and I tried it couple years ago after waltzing Sticky Fingers and got shut down,so I am looking for my lycra.;-o
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losbill
climber
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Dec 27, 2007 - 08:14am PT
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Mack - Just stumbled across your post. Great photos. Thanks for sharing. Looked like it was spectacular Cannon day!!!
Noted with interest your partner leading Reppy's in his approach shoes. That's not a bad idea for going up Reppy's I thought. As I roll down the post I see he keeps them on further up. Okay, that's doable. Then I come to the photo of your partner Dave. It is then I remember Dave telling me the story and I finally make the connection!
Mack, that's what you get for climbing with a thick mick of an Irishman (TMI). BTW if Dave isn't available for an outing where you absolutely need a TMI, give me a holler. I lead 2+ grades lower than Dave but I fit the TMI category fully!
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L
climber
The Wide Blue Yonder
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Dec 27, 2007 - 12:14pm PT
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Awesome TR Mack! Can't believe I missed this when it first went up, it's such a good one.
However, in the dead of winter (haha! LA winter ain't winter baby!) and after not touching real rock in a month, I have to admit it's working wonders for my withdrawal symptoms. Thanks!
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divad
Trad climber
wmass
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Dec 27, 2007 - 04:47pm PT
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Hey Bill,
Welcome to the Taco. With your thick skin and sense of humor, you will probably enjoy it here.
BTW, I'm not so thick that I climb with a partner who can't bail me out when necessary.
Mack, If you ever meet or climb with this guy, don't believe a damn thing he says about me. Haha.
Dave
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Feb 25, 2008 - 09:16am PT
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Quoting myself (upthread):
If you walk up to the original start, you'll see exactly what's up. The first 30' or so is a wide, flared but low-angle corner, about 5.7. I don't know if huge cams would fit this, but back in the day you just ran it out, the rock is clean and the laybacks/jams are not too insecure. Eventually a secondary crack comes along and takes good gear. The 5.8 crux happens higher, when you leave the main corner system to climb cracks on its right wall, leading to a good ledge. There's a photo of this section (from the FA) in the 1987 edition of Webster's guidebook -- look at that, compared with any pic of Reppy's, and you'll see the difference in character. Or why most folks climb Reppy's, but a few think the original start has more flavor. The FA party broke this first pitch in two, but it's simpler if they're linked.
The second pitch starts with a nice splitter hand crack before you joining with the same line as Reppy's.
And tradmanclimbs:
Chiloe, have you done it recently? The first pitch has huge hole in it where the block fell out last year. The stokes litter that used to live at the base of WG was used in this rescue and not returned to the upper talus. There is no litter up there as of 2 weeks ago.
This weekend, going through more old slides, I found a pic of the original first pitch. Dozens of photos of the Reppy's Crack start are on the Web, so it was interesting to dig out this relic. I'll get it scanned and post it over the next couple of days.
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Feb 25, 2008 - 03:41pm PT
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So here's the original first pitch of Moby Grape. That piece above the top of the tree is probably the first nut placement, you just shuffled up the layback till you got there. Above the climber's head you climb up and right, out of the corner and eventually up that splitter visible in the white face.
Tradman, this was 1980. Where was the block that later fell out? Is it that huge thing I've got my first gear behind?
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