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Holdplease2
Big Wall climber
Yosemite area
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Oct 31, 2007 - 01:15am PT
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Thank you, Bill.
I'm already looking forward to pics from your next TR, so you guys better dial in another photogenic fright show for the spring!
-Kate.
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Levy
Big Wall climber
So Cal
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 31, 2007 - 01:30am PT
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Kate- you're welcome!! BTW - nice job on your send this summer! I'll have to put Reticent on my list. It takes a cool swath of stone.
Steve- What great stories! Your tales give a more thorough understanding of what you & Charles went through up there. IMHO- this was a visionary, cutting edge route and you guys did a most proud job. You guyus must have really strecthed the rope on those pitches with a 165' because both Erik & I spoke about this last night & we feel 200' ropes mandatory for this route. The rope must've been seriously tight if you had to down jug the rope on the Doubloon pitch. How did Charles manage to pull up the rope against so much stretch? Did he extend down the belay with runners?
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Oct 31, 2007 - 02:51am PT
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Other than climbing all the way up to the top of the station to maximize the available rope which was a common technique back then, no other tricks were employed. I recall the lower out on the Gold Doubloon pitch being exactly half of a ropelength at 80' and being about 40' out from the back of the Heart Recess! I thought about it for a minute before I let go of that rope end to be sure.
Thanks for the praise. We knew it was a great line and when Xavier Bongard soloed it and the Wyoming Sheep Ranch and confirmed the difficulty of the JR, I think it was as hard as anything ever done at the time because none of the difficulty was manufactured with chisel or drill. We filled every hole and the route kept its old school A-5 rating for a very long time.
When Team Arctic Sea came down from their little misadventure on Half Dome, in order to create a smokescreen for a generally chiseled and botched route (confirmed by the second ascent), they drastically under rated several pitches with respect to the rating system then in place. Things were slow at the Deli and soon Shipley and company were fairly frothing at the concept of "New Wave" ratings that were absolutely unfounded and inaccurate. This stupidity led John Middendorf to propose his unfortunate "comprehensive" rating compression foolishness and the Personalized Rating System (PRS) was off and running to the detriment of all. Sorry Deucy, but with all due respect, that move was a poor one historically and has led to nothing but confusion world wide. But that is another thread entirely...
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Oct 31, 2007 - 10:22pm PT
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As the classic Fishprods ad queried "Big Wall Pete- Fact or Fiction?!? You be the judge....
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Oakville, Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Oct 31, 2007 - 10:36pm PT
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Um, hi. I'm the wimp. Above that pinnacle was probably the hardest hook move I've ever made, as described above. I was sure if I blew it, I'd hit the pinnacle and get hurt. I was pretty scared.
"A5 with a bad landing, the real deal and my best lead ever on aid. No less frightening working a bunch of deadheads with beaks for you guys! Yikes!"
Concur! Might have been my best lead [it's hard to remember 'em all] however at least I felt in control on that one and not too scared. I ended up finishing in the dark which may have lessened the exposure and hence the fear. But I've felt a lot more scared on other leads!
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T2
climber
Cardiff by the sea
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Oct 31, 2007 - 11:01pm PT
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This is the best thread in a long while. Thanks Levy!
Steve: It is really cool to hear your detailed stories on establishing such an elite (feared by most) route.
E: "Yea Bro" thanks for speaking up sharing your thoughts and notes and not just being a lurker
Walleye: Did Epi and crew get plucked from Sunkist? I kind of recall this, please refresh my memory and tell more.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Oct 31, 2007 - 11:04pm PT
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I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.
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Levy
Big Wall climber
So Cal
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 31, 2007 - 11:09pm PT
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Steve- WORD! You said it best. Thanks again for the stories of when it was all going down.
T2- Thanks bro! Can you believe that E finally posted up? 'Bout time!!
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Oct 31, 2007 - 11:23pm PT
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Pete- I was way too focused on keeping that claw from skating off to pay any mind to what would happen afterwards. Didn't feel the gom jabbar lurking. Best not to let the imagination run wild in the calculus anyhow.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Oct 31, 2007 - 11:25pm PT
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Great thread! With both the modern trip report with digital pics, and the details on the original ascent (and the early repeat attempts) by Steve! Thanks for sharing this great stuff. Clearly still a classic testpiece.
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Oakville, Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Steve - you're right! I probably didn't get scared until after I was back on safe ground, and looked down.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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I'll have to see if I can get Charles to participate in the fun. We have never met to exchange slides from our climbing together and it is long overdue. I will dig mine up and post when I get the time and I know that he has some great shots. Where does the time go?
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Walleye wrote:
> Little Big Wall and Perrin jugged out of there on Eppersons lines and never finished the route.
To elaborate slightly, there was a big rainstorm and the exit chimney/face turned into a waterfall. So they chose to self-rescue on Epperson's fixed lines. Story in Climbing magazine a few years back.
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Minerals
Social climber
The Deli
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Bump… for WOW factor!
Super-cool thread with great photos!
It’s neat to see pics of features like the Golden Doubloon after looking at a line in the guidebook for so many years. So THAT’S what it’s all about…
Thanks guys!
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mojede
Trad climber
Butte, America
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Good archive bump--fine read with tasty visuals, thanks for giving the front page something of substance that deals with the issues sans soundbites and links.
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Lost Arrow
Trad climber
The North Ridge of the San Fernando
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Man you guys rock. What I would give just to get up the Big Stone again.
Juan
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tolman_paul
Trad climber
Anchorage, AK
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Awesome tr, and thread! I was just reading my wall guide last night and for some reason got the Jolley Roger into my head as a route I'd want to do. And now I read this.
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L
climber
Malibu, baby....in a Cheetah shirt
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I'm with mojede--good bump.
Great photos, William! Man, that looks fun...and scary as shite!
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marky
climber
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Unreal. The photos are astounding.
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MZiebell
Social climber
Prescott, AZ
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Bump
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