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Pappy
Trad climber
Atlanta
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To hearken back to the original post, the 5.8 pitch on New Diversions on W'sides in NC is a puzzle. We dumped our water before that, because we were almost up, and I then spent damn near two hours figuring the right way out of that dish protected by a 20 year old 1/4" bolt. Because of that, we wound up spending the night on the wall in late Sept. at 45 degrees with one fleece shirt between us and no water at a semi-hanging belay off another old bolt and a nut at the end of the so called Escape Ledge. I was pissed. I was more pissed the next morning when my partner's wife meets us at the top with fried egg sandwiches (I loathe eggs) and no f*#king water. Women.
But the best 5.8 I've done is the Big Step on the East Ridge of Temple in the Canadian Rockies in clunky Galabier boots and a snow storm. That may be my best pitch ever. I enjoyed the hell out of that. We barely beat another pair up to there and according to Yardman, who followed me, that watched me climb it and decided they had already had enough fun for that day.
You rock climbers just do not understand what real fun is.
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dirtineye
Trad climber
the south
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Rhodo, just where on the crescent pitch of the OR are you ever far from pro?
IT's not very tall and it would be hard to fall, (I'm poeteic tonight) but Comfortably Numb, 5.9 at Shyterock, Alabama has a section of 40-50 feet or so, where the only good pro is a little more than halfway up. At this point you (well I did anyway) realize that you just pro the crap out of the pigeon shyte rest ledge (pun intended) since the rest of the placements all suck just like the ones below, and head for the top. The climb is only 90 or 100 feet but the exposure is good and you can look out over the whole valley (sand rock is on top of an apalachian foothill).
Anyway it doesn't get led much, which is a pity. The bottom half is a little run out too, so people top rope. Sometimes folks gather to watch if someone leads it.
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Tom Bruskotter
Trad climber
Seattle
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Jan 12, 2005 - 05:57pm PT
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Red Bullet pitch on Magic Mushroom. Step out of aiders after A3 for sweet finger locks. Climb the ever widening crack using all kinds of jams. Leave your #4 Camalot as you chicken wing, then chimney to a tiny stance 2000' off the deck. Sweet!
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DavisGunkie
Trad climber
Republic of Davis
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Jan 12, 2005 - 06:47pm PT
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basically any 5.8 at the gunks will have the exposure...add thin slabs direct to the list...while technically i think 5.7+ its an out there traverse with 3 crappy pins to protect yourself to a sit down rest.
some say the dangler at the gunks is also 5.8+
High E is way overrated.
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Jan 13, 2005 - 07:21pm PT
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"PS: Jay, I bet you're the only ST'er who's climbed with my man Dan M...unless the original Scary Larry is lurking. Cheers. "
Could be, probably the only other one with Scary Larry, you don't have any contact info for him, do you? I have a ten year old address from the east.
The first time I climbed with Larry we did a new route in Sedona, and he insisted that when I topped out on the last pitch I yell "Legalize it! shoplift Goldwaters!" -what the hell! on the way down we dropped the drill holder and had to drill a 3/4" hole with just a bit and hammer.
Another time Larry broke his pelvis following me on the last pitch of the LA Chimney, never slowed him down a bit.
We had a Larry party at Paradise Forks once to celebrate Larry's birthday we all wore horn rimmed glasses with tape on them and called each other "Larry". He was only mildly amused.
-Larry from (now) Reno, did you ever meet this Larry? he was originally from Meteetse, Wyo. About our age, etc.
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atchafalaya
Trad climber
California
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Jan 13, 2005 - 07:41pm PT
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I have always associated an "out there" pitch with being desperate. Like eyes wide, tunnel vision, quit breathing, leg shaking, but still going up, kinda climbing...
Granite mountain has several great "out there" 5.8s. Probably because I learned to climb there, and frequently epic'd on pitches over my head.
Bleak Streak, rated 5.7+ at the time i lead it was definately out there...
Coatimundi Whiteout 5.8+ was another, probably cause we climbed it in a snowstorm on a sunny day.
The third pitch of Kingpin (5.9) is one of the most "out there" pitches on Granite Mountain or anywhere I have climbed. If you have done it, then you know why...
Magnolia TP never seemed out there because it was so secure that it seemed impossible to fall out of, stem the whole way to a no-hands rest under the roof, followed by sinker jams. Protection the entire way.
Another out there arizona 5.8 would be The Mace in Sedona. Really high value for 5.8...
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atchafalaya
Trad climber
California
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Jan 13, 2005 - 08:09pm PT
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Yea Mike, we whimped out in the snowstorm, climbed the 5.8 pitches, up to the roof where we rapped Waterstreak. Which reminds me, ever climbed Cinnamon Girl? I was lucky enough to watch a couple leaders whimper on that, from a distance. Sounded like out there 5.8 from the moans and wails the leaders were making.
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Elcapinyoazz
Mountain climber
Anchorage, Alaska
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Jan 13, 2005 - 08:20pm PT
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I don't recall exactly the rating, but the last pitch of Ancient Art is pretty "out there". Not run out or hard, but attention getting for sure.
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atchafalaya
Trad climber
California
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Jan 13, 2005 - 09:22pm PT
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High Exposure Exit was great for testing your fledgling leader abilities. I led it a number of times. Friends of mine used to third class it, which I never had the sack for. Beaver Cleaver was a huge step up from High E, pucker factor of 10++
Is the 82 guide the Lovejoy guide, or the dark red cover with the climber above an agave freaking? I still have the old Granite Mountain Topo by Rand, which is similar to the El Capitan wall posters. I will have to pull it out of retirement tonight to relive the early days of terror.
5.8+ for CG???? Any route with a plus at GM meant prepare to die.
Cinnamon Girl had a well deserved reputation. I remember climbing Waterstreak, and having a leader on CG yell for me to look for the next 1/4 inch bolt which he could not see. He was at least 20+ feet above the second bolt. If I remember right, there were only three on the first pitch, and the climbing was loose flakes.
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Jan 13, 2005 - 10:19pm PT
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Mike, Gunsmoke has been done a few times that I know of. I did it with Manny Rangel and I heard that John(?) Byrne(the wired bliss guy) did it.
Beta-it's worse to follow than it is to lead.
You're right, though, Largo needs to tell us the story on that one.
In an effort to compensate for thread drift, I will go on record as saying I still think the last pitch of Ancient art is what this thread is all about.
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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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Jan 14, 2005 - 12:44am PT
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It was written: "On the upper end of the scale, we used to gawk at Gunsmoke. 4" straight-up horiz crack...whoa. Maybe JL can fill us in on the FA of that. Has it been repeated? I'd bet not many times, if ever."
Damn, I'd forgotten about that route, but it's all come back to me now.
We went to Granite Mt. to free Coatamundi Whiteout, which we thought was going to be horrendous, but turned out to be not so bad 5.11 but with scant pro (at least back then). I remember leading that had traverse getting out to the roof crack with almost nothing but a few tied off pins. We spotted the Gunsmoke arch on the way down the trail and went for it that day but ran out of light after getting up to that arch. We came back the next day but had problems because we only had a few friends and both Lynn Hill and I exhaused ourselves (smoked our guns) trying to hang onto that undercling and wiggle in Hexes. I ended up getting a good Friend out toward the end of the arch and just going for it--and the crux is a weird sequence at the very end. We had a third climber with us you popped (following) from the middle of the undercling and took a wicked sideways whipper.
That's a really stout lead, as I recall.
JL
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Michelle
Boulder climber
below the spraydar
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Jan 14, 2005 - 12:50am PT
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The Beautiful 10. easy chimney to weird ballet moves gaining a pointy pinnacle. More ballet moves and entering the hand crack is wild! amazing location too. alternately, the left side is spicey and involves praying the loose dirt clods don't break and crapping your pants, wishing you weren't soloing while at the same time thinking life couldn't get any freaking better than this, then onto the same pinnacle and hand crack. the best thing: the beer, uh, car, is parked not 100 feet away from the top out.
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j_ung
Social climber
Charlotte, NC
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Jan 14, 2005 - 10:01am PT
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Air Show, Moore's Wall, NC
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dirtineye
Trad climber
the south
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Jan 14, 2005 - 11:39am PT
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Sticking to 5.8, Mescaline Daydream at Talullah, GA, is a two pitcher that has a few 'interesting' moves and for a two pitch climb, there is good exposure at the crux of both pitches. This climb is a must do if you ever go there, but it's old school 5.8-- not modern day watered down 5.8.
Tallulah means something like, "terrible gorge", in the language of the natives who named it. The approach also has some 'interesting' moves, haha.
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GOclimb
Trad climber
Boston, MA
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Jan 14, 2005 - 12:15pm PT
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Having done most of the Gunks 5.8s mentioned, I have another East Coast climb that felt headier to me than any of the above. In fact, it's just one move, but what a move. The climb is "Three Birches" on Cathedral Ledges, in NH.
The last move on the last pitch of the climb is an awkward friction-ey mantle of a topout "protected" by small gear that almost certainly wouldn't keep you off the ledge 15 feet below your dangling behind, but would at least keep you from tumbling the additional few hundred feet of air whispering behind you. Other than that one wonderful/terrible move, the climb is not (IMO) worth doing.
GO
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scottie_c
Trad climber
Burlington, VT
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Jan 14, 2005 - 02:56pm PT
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the Northeast Ridge of Pinnacle Gully ( Mount Washington, NH ) has a 5.8R variation that will surely get your heart pumping -- a few hundred feet of air, damp, mossy edges, rusty pitons, huge fall potential, and full conditions in an alpine setting made this the most memorable 5.8 to date for me.
GO - I'd have to disagree, 3 birches is a great climb ( trick moves on both pitches )! especially when linked with the Book of Solemity . it provides an ascent of Cathedral Ledge that has fun and varied climbing on every pitch.
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GOclimb
Trad climber
Boston, MA
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Jan 14, 2005 - 03:14pm PT
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Scottie, the first pitch "trick move", so far as I can tell, just involves resigning yourself to stick your hand into that slimy hole in the undercling, and refusing to allow your feet to cut loose from the glassine surface until you can get the good finger pocket. Not particularly pleasant, but clearly YMV.
GO
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Jan 14, 2005 - 03:14pm PT
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Back t o the Gunsmoke, subthread.
When we did it it was late enough chronologiclay that we had a more than adequate cam rack, which I largely burned through on the first half of the arch, subsequently running it out on the second half ( It was still like overhead pro, for me, though.)
Manny followed me wearing a big-brimmed cowboy hat. As he got past the mid point of the arch he went slower, obviously concerened, That's when I realized I should have place more pro on that part.
"Crank it Tex!" came a scream from below (the late Scotty Hynz, I believe)
Manny went for it, made some desperate moves,sketching in the sun, and then,( eerily similar to what John said,) took the swing of his life.
Fortunately Manny is a good sport and we are still friends.
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onbelay_osu
Trad climber
Stillwater, OK
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Jan 14, 2005 - 05:29pm PT
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there is an insane 5.7 on upper mount scott in the wichitas called Mild and Wild. It is an ultra classic one pitch crack, only 50 feet, but it has a really technical lie back that is really commiting, and you are usually 5 feet from your last piece with a ledge about 15 feet below you. not to mention you are in a funky dihedral. I LOVE IT!
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montgomery wick
Boulder climber
Baltoro Glacier, Pakistan
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Jan 21, 2005 - 05:05pm PT
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Thank God Ledge pitch...walk like a man
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