LAID TO REST: on the back of Half Dome

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Sean Jones

climber

Apr 21, 2009 - 01:20am PT

You know when the whole 1/2 Dome thread came up ......the big epic thread. I knew about super topo but never even knew the whole chat / thread thing existed. Never had time to even know it was there. Still don't have time !!!!

Anyway, someone told me about it and said I better have a look as I was getting pounded there. I looked, I got sucked in and we all know the rest....

Have only ever chimed in a couple times since then on different topics as my fast life has only gotten faster.

The other day, Doug Robinson sent me an email and told me about this one. Said I better chime in and tell what Laid to Rest was all about.

I'm glad to be on this. It's been a great experience to share this story and to see and feel the responses and interaction.

Of course things flow alot smoother when you do something like "Laid" and everyone is happy with the style.

But even more important than the whole climbing thing, just the cool interaction with you all. Even passing kind words back and forth with some of the same people that I was in the ring with before....throwing blows. This is good !!!

I have a whole host of other epic adventures that I now am very inspired to throw on super topo. I'll throw these stories down as I can find the time.

The first one that comes to mind is a route called "Sky People"
This a a huge...2,000 plus ft line out of the back left corner of Ribbon Falls. Went all trad and all onsight at burly 5.11c and no protection bolts on the FA. Laid to Rest is nothing compared to this route that almost noone even knows about. Surely no second ascent. This thing is WAY ominouse. I do have a great topo for this in VT. I'll get the topo and full story out when I get back. You all will dig this one.

To think after all the action in all the valley years gone by....we could just walk up there and do an all free ascent on a 2,000 plus ft untouched line all in one epic push. no bolts no falls. epic day. This had to be one of the most epic days ever for me in the valley. There is plenty more of this in the valley. you just have to really want it and hike some.

Sean.

Salamanizer

Trad climber

Vacaville Ca,

Apr 21, 2009 - 01:43am PT

Yeah, I was pondering a passage through that section as well. Up looked like the only way, but epic as hell. I wouldn't say it'll never go free though. Way despirate!

About those pins. I figured that's what happened to them. I always knew Half Dome was alive. Turns out it was breathing as hard as I was, ha.

I regret not having enough time to finish the route. We didn't have enough food, no beer and just ran out of time. Our attempt was blitzkreg style, figuring two days on the route. We were going for ground up, onsight or at least as best we could. Most of the pitches went free, at least by one or the other of us. Some absolutely amazing, splitter cracks up there. Seemed like every pitch was thin, right side in brutal and relentless liebacking. You would have to be seriously bad ass or have to know the route like the back of your hand to knock this route off in one day. I can't wait for the first ground up, one day, onsight (at least what can be) car to car send of this thing. It will happen, but who's it gonna be?

I've heard this thing called Astroman on steroides...
Sh!t, this thing is so far beyond astroman. 12 pitches of near or well beyond 5.12 climbing backed up by 7 pitches of hard .10+ to .11 with only two pitches coming in at or under 5.10. Way beyond!!!

Gotta get those pictures....

msiddens

Trad climber

Mountain View, CA

Apr 21, 2009 - 02:04am PT

great read and as always, thanks for the share

wildone

climber

GHOST TOWN

Apr 21, 2009 - 07:33am PT

Salamanizer- Please get those photos! I'd love to see a different perspective. And now that you describe 13 more (and Sean) I know I didn't do it that way, I was thinking of the downclimb pillar/ dike traverse, which I did in approach shoes. Not that desparate 13!

climber

Apr 21, 2009 - 10:14am PT

Great stories. Thanks for posting Sean. Good luck house hunting!

Karl Baba

Trad climber

Yosemite, Ca

Apr 21, 2009 - 02:52pm PT

Onyx wrote

"Yawn....."

Are you trolling or do you have an explanation of why this on-topic, on-location, first person history climbing thread deserves a yawn?

If so, what do you expect and what do you contribute toward that expectation?

Not flaming here but just curious cause I don't understand

Peace

Karl

Peter Haan

Trad climber

San Francisco, CA

Topic Author's Reply - Apr 21, 2009 - 03:14pm PT

Referring you guys to my separate thread I just put up that has all the images of the back of Half Dome that I could muster up currently. Since QITNL asked.

http://supertopo.com/climbing/thread.html?topic_id=841420

And, good one Karl as always. Just keep in mind my favorite dictum, "Don't teach a pig to sing; it irritates the pig and wastes your time".

climber

Apr 21, 2009 - 03:33pm PT

Bump. Cool. You might be able to get various freaks from camp4 to help you carry stuff down if you post or leave a note - although maybe that's what you tried before...

Nate D

climber

San Francisco

Apr 21, 2009 - 09:21pm PT

Sean - no rush on the little topo request from me. Good heavens - get yourself and the fam moved to CO and put some cucumbers on your eyes for at least 5 minutes!

And this is also an unabashed bump. Great to hear details of this wild adventure.

Clint Cummins

Trad climber

SF Bay area, CA

Apr 21, 2009 - 09:35pm PT

Sean,

I think you can hire (real) mules to carry that stuff out. Check at the stables for rates if you are there when they are working.

dickcilley

Social climber

A cova Dos Nenos

Apr 22, 2009 - 09:42am PT

Jay bro doesn´t know it yet.But we´re on Call of the Wild and Laid to Rest in the Fall.Thanks for the inspiration Peter.

Peter Haan

Trad climber

San Francisco, CA

Topic Author's Reply - Apr 22, 2009 - 10:13am PT

Dick, stoked to have been of service--- that was my whole purpose and it makes me feel good too.

When you and Jay go up on Call of the Wild, it will be dry in autumn. July it was still running with ice water if you can believe that. At least in 1975.

Anyway the first pitch is really pretty hard right off the batt and the taller you are the better. You are on kind of a ledgie sort of thing just above the ground trying to get into the roof at arms' length above you. Bragg is like 6-4 or something, I am 6-1. You are well protected there, bring a few large cams as you are going to be fisting the roof and underclinging it at the same time for a few feet and around the corner. We of course used a bong. Making it around the corner and just above it is the hardest section. It is 5.10d and is size-dependent. But it is not for very many feet thankfully. I am not sure if a really short climber could do it or someone with tiny hands. Having hiked all that way, one could resort to aiding the few feet of the crux of course just to get the climb done, I suppose too. Above this first and shorter pitch the next one is 5.9 and it goes down to 5.8 I remember for two more leads. The climb is safe, it's a unique location and vantage point and the rock is great.

And once completing the climb, you can hike up to the main trail that leads to the cables.

Chicken Skinner

Trad climber

Yosemite

Apr 22, 2009 - 10:37am PT

We were able to find water in July, not sure about the Fall. We found three small seeps coming out of the rock to the right of the Tiger's Belly before you traverse left on the bench above to approach Karma. They were close to each other and through creative use of pine needles we were able to direct all three seeps into a plastic lined catch basin. Every morning there would be three to four gallons of cold water collected. This was during very hot weather.

Ken

dickcilley

Social climber

A cova Dos Nenos

Apr 22, 2009 - 10:40am PT

Jay and I are midgets with small hands.But we're big on teqnique.No aid for us.

wildone

climber

GHOST TOWN

Apr 23, 2009 - 11:39pm PT

I really hope you guys do our route. I am so proud of it. It was probably my best day out. I really hope you'll enjoy it too.

deuce4

climber

Hobart, Australia

Apr 23, 2009 - 11:43pm PT

"Jay and I are midgets..."

Yet Giants in our minds...

(When you're a jet...)

JesseM

Social climber

Yosemite

Apr 27, 2009 - 09:59pm PT

Hey Sean,

I saw you during Spring Fling in El Portal this weekend, but didn't have a chance to catch up. Wish we could have talked. I've been back and forth from the Valley with trainings etc, and missed this very interesting thread until a couple of days ago.

I'm psyched to read about more of your adventures on the S. Face, especially with Montoya (a good buddy of mine). I remember those scabs well...

I understand your intentions to remove the rest of the gear from GU. Sounds like you did a lot of planning and paid good $ to finish the job. However, and I'm trying not to be sarcastic here, it is 2009 and GU etc was a 2007 climb right? As a pro climber its part of the job not just to lead the way with inspiring ascents, but with inspiring ethics and LNT practices. I'm definitely not talking about the style of the ascent here, that's already been belabored (and I don't have a strong opinion one way or the other).

I have a lot more to say, of course, and this is not the venue for that conversation. Please give me a call or email me ASAP with your plan for the removing the rest of the associated gear, etc. I appreciate your honesty (and anger) over the whole situation, and I'm sure you'll be good to your word for removing the stuff while you are here. Let me know if myself or any of the other wilderness staff can be of assistance.

Jesse McGahey
Lead Climbing Ranger
Yosemite NP
jesse_mcgahey@nps.gov
(209) 372-0360

'Pass the Pitons' Pete

Big Wall climber

like Ontario, Canada, eh?

Apr 22, 2010 - 12:16am PT

IMPORTANT: What's the scoop here?

As if rap-bolting the South Face of Half Dome wasn't bad enough, these guys ended up leaving - unintentionally it appears as the people they paid to help keffled out on them - a huge and monumental pile of trash further desecrating the place.

So WTF guys, did you go and clean up your sh|t AS YOU PROMISED YOU WOULD, or knott?

If so, why did you not say you did? And if knott, why knott?

Jesse, what is the status of this all-time Yosemite Cluster-fukc, please?

Is it possible, Sean and [my one-time hero whose first name I have now entirely forgotten] Mr. Robinson, that you could have done a worse job at what you did?