Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
|
|
|
Jul 13, 2007 - 10:01pm PT
|
"By then I had nearly 30 years in climbing, mostly free routes. I will never forget walking up to the Captain that morning. We had the first few pitches fixed and were going to blast off. I felt something I had not felt in years, that intense feeling of anticipation, where every breath drawn is precious. Guess I was scared or something.
WOW! well put, dude. when you've got so many decades under your belt, the old "butterflies in the stomach" thing becomes a feeling to be treasured. it transports us back to our earliest days of climbing, when every day on the rock was a life-altering adventure. i'm right there with ya, bro. keep on keeping on!
great pic, too. luv the shades.
|
|
Todd Gordon
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 3, 2007 - 12:43am PT
|
Over 100 El Cap ascents and THIS is what I get in return?
|
|
Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
Otto, NC
|
|
El Cap never looks so big as when you finally walk up to actually climb it for the first time.
I miss it.
Rob
Trip, Sean, 1994
Salathe, Shaggy, 1997
2 bails (partners lost mojo).
|
|
nature
climber
Flagstaff, AZ
|
|
Lurking Fear in '92 with Floatin' Fred
Lunar Eclipse in '95 with Floatin' Fred
The Trip in '96 with Floatin' Fred
The Trip in '04 with Ludwig
East Buttress a few years ago
Bailed off of The Salathe after leading The Hallow Flake.
Pretty good success ratio
|
|
the kid
Trad climber
fayetteville, wv
|
|
Gerbbie is the man when it comes to el cap- Han's speed ascents are cool but....generic after the 30th time.
first route was west face free with HB from Australia. too much fun climbing with that guy! 1984
salathe with Mike Corbett- the undisputed king of el cap in the 80's. learned off-widths and how to haul from the master. 1985
lurking fear with ken ariza. nothing but fun on this one. dropped my shoe near the top and had a nasty walk off in fire's! 1985?
nose- with rick lovelace. he taught T2 and myself how to climb.
rick and i got on a roll in 86 and did 4 in a row. i think we had the good connection cause these walls were fun. 1986.
zodiac- with lovelace. three days after doing the nose. 1986
shield- with lovelace after 4 days off. 1986
mescalito- with lovlace- couldn't get enough of suffering and good green buds and did this route after 4 days rest...
muir wall- yes that muir wall. i had been looking at this line since 1986, and by 1994 i as ready. cosgrove and eppie joined the fun and the rest is his-tory. best crack climbing anywhere! 1994
zm- after my divorce it was time to solo el cap. was always in awe of ZM and the stories behind it. scared the crap out of me! best 9 days of my life. two whippers put me on edge for the whole route. 1995
so it's been too long since my last route... time for another one... T2 you game?
ks
|
|
wayne w
Trad climber
the nw
|
|
Had solid partners for what would have been my first ascent in 83. Getting hit by a car on my bicycle changed those plans. In 85 a crazy driver in rush hour traffic in S.F. set back my recovery dramatically when he changed lanes into me on my motorcycle. I finally did Zodiac in 1990 with Larry Zulim and Sheldon Wilcox for my first. The following Spring I suffered major injuries which left me able to walk only very short distances, with much difficulty.
By 94 I had recovered sufficiently enough to get back up there and did Lurking Fear with my old friend Steve Schneider. I cleaned all but the two traverses (for expediency, Steve back cleaned them in a few minutes each). Paralytic Polio when I was nine months old left my right leg severely atrophied. By the time we topped out I had totally overused the bit of quadriceps I had then from carrying the rack as I cleaned. Crawled to the top of Zodiac where we spent the night. I couldn't have been any happier in spite of same. Felt the elation of my first ascent all over again. Powerful stuff.
The following year Steve and I had plans to do the west Face in a push. That changed when I was injured by a knucklehead partner the week before on the way down the Muir after he decided to bail. The only time I haven't finished a route I began on El Cap. Torn muscles bilaterally took 3 months to heal, no workouts during that time left me starting all over again. The following summer I tried to do a push of Half Dome during a major heat wave. My partners made it 7 pitches up before deciding they had suffered the oppresive heat for long enough...my left knee was injured again as I was lowered too quickly. It wasn't until the following fall that it was solid enough to attempt another wall. Did Lunar Eclipse with the host of this site and Erik Sloan.
In 98 Kevin Thaw, Russ Mitrovich and I did Tangerine Trip, and a week later I did Native Son with Chris Mc Namara and Todd Offenbacher. That Fall I finally got in my first ascent in a push, Bad Seed with Hans Florine and Brian Mc Cray (in 19:12).
In 99 Chris, Erik and I did Zodiac in half a day with a 9:00 PM start to avoid 100* temps. Erik, Ian Wren and I did The North America Wall later that Summer, and that Fall Erik, Todd Offenbacher and I did Eagles Way.
In June of 2000 Hans and Jacqueline Florine and myself did a 15 hour ascent of Zodiac, my first CTC in under 24 hours, barely.
In May of 2001 Chris, Erik and I did Triple Direct in 17 hours. 34 days after I had a double hernia repair done.
In June of 2002 Hans, Nick Fowler and I did Zenyatta Mondatta in just under 29 hours
In 2003 I fell hard, which resulted in a bone bruise to my tailbone that took forever to heal. Had to cancel plans for a fall ascent. Rained out in 2004, but did get up the Chief that year, as well as 05.
2006, the Nose, with Hans and Tico Alulee in 22 hours. My top jug started sliding on the rope not long after sickle. Made things interesting to say the least. Not to mention really slowing me down.
2007, a March ascent of the Trip with Erik and Jean Reedle.
To be continued...
|
|
Buggs
Trad climber
Eagle River, Alaska
|
|
Survival has ten I think, surprised he hasn't chimed in and listed.
I've looked at it alot.
Then pissed myself...
|
|
survival
Big Wall climber
arlington, va
|
|
I just got done reading the WHOLE thing!
Wow, there are some truly bad a## people out there.
Thank god there weren't so many back in the day, I might've gotten discouraged and given up.
Here's my (hopefully) unfinished list.
*The Nose, 78 with Rob Lesher
*Pacific Ocean Wall, (9th ascent?) 80 with Bob Williams, John Dale
*Tribal Rite, New Dawn start, 3rd ascent 81 with Lesher and Chris Friel
* North America Wall, 81 with Keith Royster and Chris Friel
*Half of Mescalito, 82 with Lesher and Jay Kerr
*Lurking Fear, 83 with Keith Royster
*The Shield, 84 with Doug Macdonald
* Salathe, 85 with Rob Lesher
* West Face, 1 day, 87 with Scott Burk and Jim Cambell
* Excalibur, 96 with Keith Stevens
They were ALL soul changing, just when I needed it. Thank you El Capitan, our spirit stone.
|
|
'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Oakville, Ontario, Canada, eh?
|
|
Well, since someone bumped it, I can add Horse Chute last fall and come up to 33 routes.
|
|
Watusi
Social climber
Newport, OR
|
|
12 aid routes, 13 ascents, most memorable...Cosmos with Mike Corbitt and Scott Cole in '82...Aquarian with German Michael Brauser in '82 (he had been climbing less than 6 months!) But I could go on as it seems in retrospect that every one was memorable...As far as free...I got to do the West face with Eric Erickson in '82, which was cool!!
|
|
TYeary
Mountain climber
Calif.
|
|
Three walls, most notable, Zodiac w/ dissapear'in Don in '85.
Enough for me. Went on to big mountains. Much easier than walls!
Tony
|
|
Gary
climber
Desolation Basin, Calif.
|
|
Zero. Is that wrong?
I have no aid skills, and none of my partners have aid skills. Should I hire a guide?
|
|
Anastasia
Trad climber
|
|
None!
Three bails all because of little ole' me.
:( AF
|
|
Jaybro
Social climber
The West
|
|
8, I understand that E butt and West face don't count.
|
|
Mark Hudon
Trad climber
Hood River, OR
|
|
13 ascents, 9 routes, 19 attempts.
in order
The Salathe with Peter Cole in 1974 (our first route together)
The Nose with Max Jones in 1976 (our first route together)
The Tower Start to the Dawn Wall, with Peter Cole and Rainsford Rouner in 1976
The North America Wall with Eric Sanford in 1977
The Magic Mushroom, 3rd ascent, with Peter Cole and Mark Richie in 1977
The Mescalito, 5th ascent with Max, 1977
The Zodia, with Max, 1977
The Salathe, free attempt, with Max, we led and followed every pitch (even the aid) 1979
The West Face, 2nd free ascent with Max, 1979
The Nose with Max, we led and followed every pitch (even the aid) 1979
The Tangerine Trip, with Rainsford Rouner in 1979
The West Face, led the whole route with Shelly Presson, 1984
The West Face, with Bill Wright, 2001
Hopefully I'll do the West Face again and the Nose in a day before I die.
|
|
WBraun
climber
|
|
Why is El Cap so important?
If you done one you've done them all. They're all the same.
|
|
Mimi
climber
|
|
Werner, stop being a wall bigot! LOL!
Alas, the Zodiac was next, but I left the Valley.
Never Never Land, Nadime and Plunket (86)
Lurking Fear, Scott Cole (87)
Salathe' to the Hollow Flake, S. Cole (87)
Shield, Spike Davis (87)
|
|
Ammon
Big Wall climber
El Cap
|
|
Yeah, Steve is a class act. I remember watching him and Stowe on some of their push ascents when I was first learning how to wall climb. I dreamed of the day I could be confident enough to walk up to The Captain, start climbing and keep going until I was on top. He was one of the biggest reasons I went in the direction I did with climbing. I was even more impressed that he took time to talk to me (a nobody) and answer a few questions that I asked him
. eeers to em!
Ok, put your gortex on:
53 Ascents, 39 Routes, 29 Push Ascents, 22 Speed Records, 20 Current Speed Records, 19 One Day Ascents, 10 First One Day Ascents, 8 Solo Ascents, 1 First Ascent Variation (only a couple of pitches)
and never climbed the Salathe and only The Nose twice.
Here's my list (a little incomplete):
North American Wall - solo: 97 (9 days/first wall)
Mescalito w/Captain Kirk: 98
Iron Hawk w/Joe Auer: 98 w/Cedar Wright (30:42): 04
Tangarine Trip w/Sara Sharpsteen:98 w/Cedar Wright (10:24): 02
The Shield w/Sam Shannon & Scott Thelan: 98 w/Kathy Dicker: 99
Sea of Dreams - solo: 99 Third Solo Ascent
Tribal Rite w/Kevin Conti: 99
Shortest Straw solo: 99 w/Ivo Ninov & Austin McNeely (26:00): 04
Zodiac 2 solos (sub 24): 02&03 - w/Cedar (8:43) : 99 w/Alexandra Arnel: 00
Zodiac w/Alex Huber (6:15): 02 w/Nick Fowler(5:57): 02 - w/Don Perry & son: 99
Lurking Fear w/Jon Blair (8:55): 00
Lost in America w/Kathy Dicker: 00 w/Brian McCray (18:04): 04 - FOD
Zenyatta Mondatta solo: 00 w/Ivo Ninov & Keven Jaramlio (22:56): 05 - FOD
The Heart Route - solo: 00
Eagles Way solo: 00 w/Brian McCray (9:08): 04
New Dawn w/Jose Pereyra: 00
Bermuda Dunes/Heart w/Andrew: 01
Plastic Surgery Disaster (21:07): 01 w/Brian McCray - FOD - Fifth Ascent
Lunar Eclipse w/Jose Pereyra & Chongo (19:58): 01
Born Under a Bad Sign w/Chris Van Luevan & Eric Walden 22:22): 01 - FOD
Get Whacked w/Brian McCray (12:49): 01 - FOD - Second Ascent
The Nose w/Dan McQuade (18:00): 02 w/Thomas Huber, Ivo Ninov & german friends Klaus & Oulie: 05
New Jersey Turnpike w/Brian McCray (14:00): 02
South Seas w/Gabriel McNeely: 02
Jose Memorial w/Gabriel & Austin McNeely: 03
Never Never Land w/Chris McNamara (16:00): 04 - FOD
Sunkist w/Brian McCray (19:57):04
Horse Chute w/Chris McNamara (20:39): 04 - FOD
Wall of Early Morning Light w/Brian McCray (23:43): 04 - FOD
Atlantic Ocean Wall w/Brian McCray (23:38): 04 - FOD
Pacific Ocean Wall w/Ivo Ninov (33:02): 04
Pressure Cooker - w/Ivo Ninov (23:41): 04 - FOD - Third Ascent
Jolly Roger w/Cheryl Seger: 05
Magic Mushroom w/ Ivo Ninov & Keven Jaramillo (55:15): 05
Space w/Cedar Wright, Sean & Timmy ONiell: 05
Virginia w/Ivo Ninov & Gabriel McNeely (17:24):05
Native Son w/Ivo Ninov (23:53): 06 - FOD
The Reticent Wall w/Ivo Ninov & Dean Potter (34:57): 06
Surgeon General - solo: 07 - Fourth Ascent
|
|
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!