Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
Gary
climber
Desolation Basin, Calif.
|
|
|
Dec 20, 2007 - 12:40am PT
|
Nice thread, happie. It's a fun read all right.
Hard to tell what the best moment for me was this year. It was a very stellar year, although certainly nothing spectacular happened. Just a great time all around.
Like our trip to Baboquivari in February. Barely fifth class, but a magical day.
Our trip to Birch Mountain was a fiasco in some ways, but it's a fond memory.
Likewise, Mt. Abbot is nothing to spray about but we had fun with our friend Ron, and we got to have beer for breakfast at Tom's Place!
People think the summit register on Black Kaweah is old, but it's not as old as these ferns we found a little below the summit.
Most Tacoans would yawn at the thought of Clarence King, but it was a beautiful day indeed, and more fun than we deserved. For a special bonus, find the blatant FISH plug in this pic.
Watching your girlfriend lead a 5.9 is a hoot!
For that matter, watching a friend head out on his first lead is too!
|
|
nutjob
Trad climber
San Jose, CA
|
|
|
Dec 20, 2007 - 01:24am PT
|
Right now my overall favorite (maybe because it's so recent), was rapping off of Bongs Away and Reed's in the twilight in the middle of last week. A gorgeous sickle of a moon faced the dying rays of muted winter sunset, as stars began to pierce the deepening indigo night. I closed my eyes through the mechanical motions of threading the rope through the ATC, trusting the feel of my fingers, and then briefly cursing the broken romance of using my headlamp to spot-check my work. But in seconds I was back in the dimmest twilight, staring at a panorama that proves the existence of god, or at least a divine principle in the natural ordering of the universe. I had one of those half smiles that belies more inner peace and harmony than a wide-mouthed grin ever could.
And I'd like to acknowledge the role that SuperTaco played in the creation of this and many other wonderful moments this year. While the sublime moments of solitude in climbing are special, I think they're even better when we experience them with others who recognize the same beauty. With some partners it kind of goes gruffly unspoken, with others we discuss it openly. But it's a common thread I think we all share. Supertopo has connected me with such people, and deeply enriched my life.
Thank you to supertopo folks I've climbed with over the last few years, and I look forward to meeting more of you!
But for now, time to focus on the next big thing: 30 hours from now, I'll be making the most of early light on the shortest day of the year, doing my duty to have more TR-worthy adventures so we can get that political crap off the front page.
Cheers!
|
|
Fletcher
Trad climber
Varied locales along the time and space continuum
|
|
|
Dec 20, 2007 - 05:38am PT
|
Finally getting on Matthes Crest. It was the best of moments and also the worst of moments since it was one of the few times I got out this year. There's always plenty to beotch about, but in the end, even the nasty moments seem to just get better with age... or at least they turn into a good story... this one included some of the most amusing whining I've encountered in a long time. Mostly, it was a fun time in the hills with a great pardner, 10b4me... that's for sure.
Mostly, my kids climbed on me and that is always a best moment.
Great thread.
Fletch
Edit: just to be clear... it was definitely not 10b4me doing the whining... not him! Not me either! Any whining from the leader and he gets an extra five feet of slack immediately!
|
|
rlf
Trad climber
Josh, CA
|
|
|
Dec 20, 2007 - 09:22am PT
|
Doing FA's and drinking beer with Tucker, Steve Swan and a host of other degenerates on rotten rock.
Not dying as a result of the afor mentioned activites.
rlf
|
|
happiegrrrl
Trad climber
New York, NY
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Dec 20, 2007 - 09:36am PT
|
It IS a nice thread. Some really wonderful stuff has happened to the Taco, collectively, this year!
Gary - I would be so awed to come across those fern fossils. wow. And the Iris Road is gorgeous.
|
|
paganmonkeyboy
climber
mars...it's near nevada...
|
|
|
Dec 20, 2007 - 10:19am PT
|
I'm going to have to call it a tie between belaying my sister's first lead in the uintas and the facelift...watching nature get sandbagged by the pancake man was a great moment in sports.
The Fishers with Riley is up there too...call it a three way...
|
|
cowpoke
climber
|
|
|
Dec 20, 2007 - 10:24am PT
|
I climbed less this year than any other (so glad to see it go), but three highlights when my partners went out of their way for me:
Wife and kids playing good sports while I searched and searched for boulders in Ireland.
Chiloe and Tarbuster giving me the pitch I had not yet led on a classic.
Jeremy and Sarah centering my short trip to Moab on the routes I was psyched to climb.
Thanks guys!
|
|
mojede
Trad climber
Butte, America
|
|
|
Dec 20, 2007 - 10:51am PT
|
Getting to tie-in with my ol' Santa Barbara partner Joel, who moved to Norway to finish school and work. Fourteen years later, and it felt like yesterday.
|
|
Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
|
|
|
Dec 20, 2007 - 11:12am PT
|
Chiloe and Tarbuster giving me the pitch I had not yet led on a classic.
That was a pretty good day. Here ya go again, laybackin' into the summer sun:
|
|
mooch
Big Wall climber
The Immaculate Conception
|
|
|
Dec 20, 2007 - 12:06pm PT
|
Sweet post up, Dave!
Those, especially Twilight Pillar, are climbs I've wanted to get on for years as well. Dark Star has been calling my name since I laid eyes on Temple Crag.
|
|
Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
|
|
|
Dec 20, 2007 - 01:06pm PT
|
I didn't get on real rock as much as I'd have liked this year, and I barely got to climb w/ J. So only two climbs that I did (or tried to do) this year stand out as 'big adventures'. The first one only was especially adventurous b/c I got lost on the way down and we ended up enjoying the full moon till the sun came up. When you're only getting out every couple of months, a forced bivy on a mild night can be blissful in its way. It helps if your partner doesn't want to kill you for authoring the epic too.
My best single moment of actual climbing (not the warm-n-fuzzy stuff that surrounds it) was probably flashing my 'hardest' pitch ever in Indian Creek last month. It has tons of asterices, but I'm happy w/ it for what it was.
Best development of 2007...I took up bouldering in the gym. And I'm lovin' it! I may even get a crash pad and try it outside.
|
|
Brian Boyd
Trad climber
Scottsdale, AZ
|
|
|
Dec 20, 2007 - 01:10pm PT
|
I started and ended 2007 with separate injuries. All of the time in between was pretty good. Highlights:
Taking a friend on his first day outside, and seeing the dopey grin on his face as he toppped out on a trad 5.6.
Making it back to the Valley and Joshua Tree after a decade-long absence from both. Led a ten at both, which was one of my goals for the year.
Met some highly idiosyncratic people, many of them SuperTopians.
Watching Kuan eat my food and borrow all sorts of things after mocking me for bringing so much crap to Flagstaff SushiFest.
Getting caught in the bottom of Paradise Forks during a torrential rain and lightning storm. The walk out was miserable and scary, but fun in an odd sort of way.
Leading my first 5.12 sport route.
Getting pummelled by an offwidth.
Started bouldering outside again. Climbed my first V3 in 17 years -- I hope that I don't have to wait as long for the next one...
|
|
Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
|
|
|
Dec 20, 2007 - 03:17pm PT
|
One of the best moment of a very frustrating year (at least in terms of progress) happened at the very beginning of the year when Gary, Jaybro and I played on Gollum. This place under the Southeast wall of El Cap has always been a special place for me, it was one of the first places I visited in the Valley, however, its attraction to my spirit is greater than just the "imprinting" of that formative meeting.
That day we finished in the dusk and walked down to the Alcove to meet Jill and Luke. I've known Jill since she was 14 years old and I consider her a dear friend, I have known Luke for less time, he is a kindred spirit. To have everyone together sitting in that wonderful spot in that wonderful setting at that time of day was one of the best moments, and though not climbing, it was because of climbing.
Later in the year I took Debbie up there on her birthday to botanize under Horse Tail falls, she had never been up there. We stopped off under the famous "drip" and watched the individual drops catch the sun's light as they carved long streaming arcs blown by the wind. I told her that she should take my ashes and put them in the fire pit there after I die, my remains could be where I would like to be the most, and in the company of other climbers.
Perhaps too romantic a sentiment to ever be reality, but those times under the Captain were special this year. And if it does or doesn't ever happen it will be beyond my time to care.
the Valley view from the base of The Gollum January 2007
|
|
eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
|
|
|
Dec 20, 2007 - 06:04pm PT
|
Well, my worst moment was, maybe say halfway to two-thirds of the way down my 75-foot headfirst hurdle in the Black Canyon. No, I take that back...that was fun for me.
My best moment was probably topping out on the Flakes in the Black Canyon with George Lowe and meeting up with Mike Pennings and Jonny Copp who had just done an FA on the same wall.
The Woodson Shindig and the two Vedauwoo Bugaloos were notable runners-up.
|
|
Jaybro
Social climber
The West
|
|
|
Dec 20, 2007 - 11:20pm PT
|
That evening in the alcove, in January, was unforgetable, it wasn't even cold.
What route, Melissa?
|
|
Paulina
Trad climber
|
|
|
Dec 21, 2007 - 01:51am PT
|
The best moment in 2007: waking up on the Awahnee (sp?) Ledge on Leaning Tower in October. Even though we ended up bailing (first big-ish wall attempt). One of the best moments in my life altogether.
A good year.
|
|
Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
|
|
|
Dec 21, 2007 - 02:51am PT
|
Jaybro...Sacred Cow. The astrices are that I was on TR and that the route was downgraded from the plaque in the guide and I'm sure someone will downgrade it for me further 'cause I'm a girl. I'm not sure it was really the hardest I've ever felt like I was climbing, but it's probably the closest to flashing 'that grade' that I'll ever come!
|
|
Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
|
|
|
Dec 21, 2007 - 03:40am PT
|
never thought of the campfire ring as a final resting spot. kind a cool idea. where the fire side chats are and all that good stuff.
then again as a kid I used to pee in the fire rings at night.
i know better now, but still can't quite bring myself to think that's where I'd want to spread out after I'm gone.
|
|
hossjulia
Trad climber
Eastside
|
|
|
Dec 21, 2007 - 10:05am PT
|
My best moment, even though I felt like sh#t and did not lead any of it, was getting up Hair-Raiser Buttress with Finn.
Climbing with the incredible Bob Finn in 2007 was, well,
Incredibly terrifying! Wish we coulda done more.
|
|
happiegrrrl
Trad climber
New York, NY
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Dec 21, 2007 - 10:16am PT
|
Mike didn't read the first sentence in the first post....
|
|
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!