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ruppell
climber
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Jan 29, 2014 - 09:41am PT
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A lot of routes on the north side of Fairview Dome come to mind. As far as the generation thing goes it's BS. There are plenty of younger guys doing scary stuff in the 10-11 range. You just don't read about it because it's not "newsworthy". It is however worthy of a beer from your buddies. Spend some time at actual climbing areas, not armchairing from the net, and you'll see for yourselves.
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Rudbud
Gym climber
Grover Beach, CA
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Jan 29, 2014 - 09:44am PT
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contived 5.11 slab Thats a new one
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Rudbud
Gym climber
Grover Beach, CA
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Jan 29, 2014 - 09:50am PT
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Hey Vitaliy
Does head game mean cutting off noob heads when they retrobolt stuff?
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slabbo
Trad climber
colo south
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Jan 29, 2014 - 09:51am PT
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Burnin' Down the House in the Meadows..runout AND Hard...
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ncrockclimber
climber
The Desert Oven
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Jan 29, 2014 - 10:49am PT
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Why is everyone talking about THIS generation? Climbing is not a youthful athletic activity that is discarded once you enter the job market and start a family.....climbing is a lifelong pursuit spanning generations.
Climbing has become segmented, a natural extension of it's huge growth via indoor gyms and the prevalence of sport climbing. That's great but, as i've said before, all paths have merit and no path diminishes the others.
The athlecticisim of Sharma and Ondra is jaw dropping as is the boldness of Honnold. Equally impressive are the feats of alpinists like Steve House and Vince Anderson who spend days on horrendous alpine faces where rescue is out of the question.
In the end what makes climbing a lifetime activity for many is it's individualisim. What matters is the experience YOU are having and not the number attached to it. It matters not if you express climbing via bouldering, the gym, sport climbing, trad, ice, alpine or peak bagging.
I leave for Patagonia tomorrow....a six week respite.
This is a great post. A lot of the "old school" guys posting here should set their egos and dogmatism aside for a few minutes and really think about what JD is saying. Peace.
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bigbird
climber
WA
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Jan 29, 2014 - 10:50am PT
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Bob Scarpelli "Jihad" in the Vedauwoo's,
its "only" 5.11D but repeaters have claimed it in the range of 5.13ish...
Pamela Pack recently repeated it....
it looks epic...
[Click to View YouTube Video]
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tarallo
Trad climber
italy
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Jan 29, 2014 - 01:03pm PT
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10 d flare chimney on hotline....
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Jan 29, 2014 - 01:06pm PT
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Why is everyone talking about THIS generation? Climbing is not a youthful athletic activity that is discarded once you enter the job market and start a family.....climbing is a lifelong pursuit spanning generations.
In the end what makes climbing a lifetime activity for many is it's individualisim. What matters is the experience YOU are having and not the number attached to it.
So than every individual has their own test-pieces.
Other than that there are a few classics that climbers at a moderate level can look up to and achieve, but pros could also be proud of completing. In Yosemite it is the Rostrum and Astroman (for bellow 5.12). Ribbon Candy, Ho Chi Minh Trail, Windchill to Windfall are a few that would be on that list if more people do them and they get popular.
For more advanced climbers test-pieces include free climbing Reg NWF of HD and Freerider on El Cap. For crème of the crop it seems like The Prophet is the free climb to repeat. And I am talking only about Yosemite.
Maybe Levitation 29 or Inti Watana to Resolution arête are the climbs to do in RR (those are the big two I have on my list at least). And Grand Wall in Squamish?
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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Jan 29, 2014 - 02:11pm PT
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Testpiece doesn't necessarily or always mean runout or death route IMO, but I think it should be physically, mentally or technically demanding for the grade. Or all 3.
The grand wall at Squamish is a mega classic climb IMO, one of the best around- but not an 11a testpiece as the 11a bits are brief, well protected & straightforward. 5.10- climbers get hauled up there all day on the reg. it's a trade route. A true testpiece should be taken with a grain of sand I'd say & the reputation alone should keep the climbers away for which the grade is within their limit Other signs of a testpiece: moderate grade, easy access, but no info or rarely climbed. Brooding.
Problem is many testpieces are being lost to grade inflation, around here at least. Fight retrograding! Keep the stout ones stout!
A few other Squamish multi pitch testpieces sub 5.12 (for ur list, whenever u come visit Vitaliy).
 squeamishness 5.10+ 4p, Squaw left (regraded @ 11a- 1 move)
liquid gold 5.10+ 4/5p, bulletheads (regraded @ 11a)
Unfinished symphony 5.11- 6/7p, apron
Dancing in the light 5.11- 6p, apron
the Gauntlet 11c 10p, dihedrals
original milk run 10d 4p, lower tantalus wall (regraded @ 11a)
Agonal 11c 3p, Malamute
Others on the radar I haven't done yet
-Alaska hwy 11d 6p, north walls
-tantalus wall 11+ 8p, tantalus wall
-roman chimneys 11a/d 4p, grand wall
pipeline 5.10+ 4p, main Squaw
freeway 11d 11p, dihedrals (heard may be soft for grade so not sure if true testpiece....yet)
Edit- that 11d in the vid above looks like a true testpiece!
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slabbo
Trad climber
colo south
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Jan 29, 2014 - 05:24pm PT
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One could say EVERY Scarpelli route is a testpiece
Muscle & fitness anyone ?
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Evel
Trad climber
Nedsterdam CO
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Jan 29, 2014 - 05:37pm PT
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And to the east there's;
@ Seneca Rocks:
Changeling
Spocks Brain
Terra Firma Homesick Blues
@ the Gunks:
Yellow Wall
Creature Feature
Kligsfields Follies
to name just a few...
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cultureshock
Trad climber
Mountain View
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Jan 29, 2014 - 06:30pm PT
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I think that people in this thread have many different definitions of "testpiece".
There are routes that are scary, that are insecure or require very specific techniques. I'm going to assume that we are trying to point out routes that are hard for the grade.
But that is a very subjective thing. Personally I find routes with cryptic movement or widely spaced gear to be far harder than steeper routes that require strength.
Hidden Arch is mentioned up thread as a testpiece but I strongly disagree. Sure it's a hard route, but if you just pull a little harder then the crux is short and simple. In my opinion that makes it a fitness climb and a great route, but not a testpiece.
Plenty of test pieces sprinkled throughout ALL the grades, in ALL the styles of climbing, a fact that eludes narrow thinkers.
For me Vahalla is a milestone climb in relation to it's history with the Stonemasters. But as a slab climb I don't think it is a testpiece. Perhaps it is a testpiece for 11a. It has a reasonable amount of bolts and I think people climb it all the time.
The real reason that I don't think these two routes are test pieces is that I didn't have to go above and beyond to climb them.
I would hope that we define testpieces as routes that require us to broaden our skill set, that require some local mojo or straight up cause people to fail, be frightened or back away.
Moreover my definition of testpiece would be a route that I would have to wait to climb, to build up for and have to learn about the local area. But even this definition fits too many climbs.
At least this idea of specificity translates well to crack climbing. The difference in "difficulty" is most easily shown by off-widths and captured well in this quote:
I think, though, that while my generation still thinks of OW's like Twilight Zone and Cream as testpieces, the younger ones may just see them as pointless grunts.
I think that most modern (read younger) climbers don't see the need to be an all around climber. In most places outside Yosemite you have to actively seek out the wide. Why develop OW techniques that will not help with the majority of your climbing. It's sexy to climb 5.12 and that is much more easily done clipping bolts than doing some heinous inversion offwidth.
The same goes for the in between crack sizes which is so easily highlighted at Indian Creek. 5.10 for some will feel nearly impossible for others. Hand size rules all and only those who work at it will understand how that "5.10" could feel easy.
Enough babbel time for more photos!
Luke
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Jan 29, 2014 - 07:00pm PT
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Alien Roof and Hotline are both 5.12 Luke. Photos are disqualified! Please more photos of sexy 5.11s! :)
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cultureshock
Trad climber
Mountain View
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Jan 29, 2014 - 07:08pm PT
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StahlBro
Trad climber
San Diego, CA
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Jan 29, 2014 - 07:08pm PT
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Test pieces force you out of you comfort zone, regardless of the grade.
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Rudbud
Gym climber
Grover Beach, CA
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Jan 29, 2014 - 08:20pm PT
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this has been covered ad infinitum on other threads, but here goes:
putting up X 5.11 routes, but making 5.12 safe, as WAS the case the 80s, is contrived.
the heroes of yore 'challenged' the grades until the grades were too hard, then suddenly there were a lot more stances to drill bolts.
highball bouldering, sparse gear placements like the Peak District are challenges NOT contrived by the whim of an individual ego.
turns out, NO bolts at all has stood the test of time.
Sounds like more California bullshit to me, but im sure it makes total sense to you. Ive only lived in CA for 4 years so im sure at some point ill be totally gone too.
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Rudbud
Gym climber
Grover Beach, CA
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Jan 29, 2014 - 08:28pm PT
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The power of eating 5.11d, Owl Tor. Definitely a Test piece. It will go on natural gear too, bring your tricams.
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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Jan 29, 2014 - 08:49pm PT
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If 11d is allowed then so should 12a as it is usually much easier!
Good post Luke, is Freeway a testpiece? Shud I be s-s-s-scared??
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Double D
climber
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Jan 29, 2014 - 09:18pm PT
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10 d flare chimney on hotline.... ...Amen
Space Babble
Black Primo
Chounard Herbert on Sentinel... oops that's now a bouldering route!
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