Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
|
|
|
Jul 26, 2008 - 02:22am PT
|
Chris,
Thanks for explaining all those old mysteries! ("bolt ladder", over/underrating via the Galibier Contact shoes).
Thanks also for describing the break from the older style of at most 2-3 bolts per pitch.
|
|
Mike Bolte
Trad climber
Planet Earth
|
|
|
Jul 26, 2008 - 01:34pm PT
|
hey cc -
great entries into these history logs. I remember a lot of pretty serious slander going around about the route, about you and about bruce. When Jonny's article came out, it set to rest (I thought) all the "never climbed it" and "worthless slab route" talk, but the hangerless bolts always seemed hard to figure.
thanks
edit: this has me remembering those days. You guys (CC&BM) were putting up some nice stuff over there on the Apron and it was hard. You must have been really dialed into that kind of climbing. I got completely shut down on green dragon (is that the right name?) and your other routes around there were rated even harder.
|
|
Russ S.
climber
|
|
|
Jul 26, 2008 - 03:58pm PT
|
Chris, Back is the early 80's I was an occasional visitor to the valley - frankly, with the history et.al. I was pretty intimidated by the place.
Anyway, on one brief trip we did the first pitch of Misty B, Anchors Away, Apron Jam, Mr Natural and Greendragon. I've never bothered to look up who put those route up (or long forgotten), but from this thread see that you put up the last two.
Great work man, thanks for those memories!
|
|
ghostfromthepast
Social climber
oakhurst ca
|
|
Excuse my blog manners! I didn't say HI to everyone. It's really cool to hear from so many old friends, do we use our monikers or real names ?
|
|
Paul Martzen
Trad climber
Fresno
|
|
Hello Chris,
Really nice to hear some of the details of that fascinating climb and to hear a little bit about yourself. We never roped together, other than top roping probably, but some of my fondest memories of the valley are from the early '80s, hanging with you and Sue, Larry and Becky, having supper together, swimming and trying to keep up with you guys. Larry still drags me out occasionally. Leaves me thrashed as bad as ever, maybe worse than ever. But it is good spending time with him.
Thanks for posting up.
|
|
Roger Brown
climber
Oceano, California
|
|
|
Oct 26, 2008 - 12:37pm PT
|
All bolts from the top of pitch five down were replaced this season. Dry Variation not worked on.
Roger Brown
|
|
Jaybro
Social climber
wuz real!
|
|
|
Oct 26, 2008 - 01:30pm PT
|
Thanks all!
|
|
drljefe
climber
Old Pueblo, AZ
|
|
|
Mar 13, 2009 - 01:56am PT
|
BUMP
Must...fight...the....wideness
|
|
scuffy b
climber
just below the San Andreas
|
|
|
Mar 13, 2009 - 12:28pm PT
|
The wideness and the slabness are perfect complements
|
|
Batrock
Trad climber
Burbank
|
|
|
Nov 26, 2009 - 12:04pm PT
|
When I was a budding climber of 14 in 1981 I dreamed of one day doing this route. Did any of the route get destroyed by rockfall in the last 10 years?
|
|
Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
|
|
|
Nov 26, 2009 - 10:30pm PT
|
> Did any of the route get destroyed by rockfall in the last 10 years?
4 posts up, Roger explained that he replaced the bolts on the lowest 5 pitches in summer 2008.
The big rockfalls since the second ascent in 1992 missed Hall of Mirrors.
1996 "Happy Isles" (L of The Cow) was too far left
1998-99 "Curry Village" (Punch Bowl) were too far right
However, there was a smaller rockfall in May 2009 which impacted some of the lower pitches and may have done some damage.
I don't know exactly how much damage.
I observed a pulverized ledge when rapping down from The Mouth this summer.
And Ron Skelton noticed a damaged bolt on Flakey Foont (p2?).
|
|
Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
|
|
|
Nov 27, 2009 - 04:06am PT
|
The route looks OK from rockfall in the first 8 pitches anyway.
One exception. A big flake fell down and came to rest on "the Hang" ledge on top of pitch 7.
It's in the way of some bolted anchor but there's another set of bolts on the left edge of the ledge. The flake looks like rope could get hung on it when you pull your rap lines but we got lucky
Peace
Karl
|
|
Jingy
Social climber
Flatland, Ca
|
|
|
Nov 27, 2009 - 09:54pm PT
|
The "Zappa" dude.. in that photo.....
Classic pose!!!
I can't tell... does it look to you like he os picking his nose? or smokin' a "j"?
Clarification please?
Locker?
What say you?
|
|
Matt M
Trad climber
Alamo City
|
|
|
Aug 26, 2010 - 03:58pm PT
|
Reviving this old but great thread to see if anyone has ventured on up for a 3rd ascent?
|
|
survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
|
|
|
Aug 26, 2010 - 04:51pm PT
|
I miss Burke....
What an amazing thread!
|
|
Scott Cole
Trad climber
Sunny California
|
|
|
Aug 27, 2010 - 01:50pm PT
|
There is a lot of confusion and missinformation about HOM.I was involved with establishing HOM for two years and can guarantee that the route was never freed before Woodward's ascent.
I was there when the traverse on the "unfinished 9th" was "freed": With one move of aid off the double bolts! I was also there when the ladder on the 13th was established. The sequence was step on bolt and drill, toprope with tension, aid up on bolt, stand on bolt and drill, toprope with tension, aid up on bolt, etc. The 13th was never freed on the supposed F.F.A.!
Cantwell and I had a falling out over the definition of "free climbing" and descended, leaving the ropes fixed. When Cantwell and Burke went to complete the route they used the fixed lines to reach the high point, therefore the route was not done free.
Chris was a great slab climber, but I think he was obsessed with the HOM and did not recognize the fact that he never freed the moves.I'm glad to hear that bolts have been replaced, and that the route has seen some traffic.
As has been previously mentioned, there are obvious possibilities for a varition to the right which would avoid the ladders. Both Austin and I repeatedly suggested moving right where the climbing was easier, but Cantwell insisted on the "line of strength" I have always thought that the natural line was to the right, and the ladders an unnecessary deviation.
|
|
Zappa
Big Wall climber
|
|
|
Nov 17, 2010 - 12:27am PT
|
Talk about a stealth post. No one will read this because the thread is so old. So, here is some history of the route.
It used to be called Misty Beetohoven, two pithes, but information was sketchy. I climbed the first two. Insane glass. Someone had told me there was a third pitch, so I kept going. 130 feet later I found a crack and put in a belay. Not so hard, every move was 10A, but the run out was kind of nuts. Back in Camp 4 I caught major flack from some of the Stonemasters for the run-out (Go figure!).
Anyway, I had just done the FA on the third pitch. To avenge the runout, I went back veered right on to the sheet of glass, drilled a couple holes and got to a nice spot to drill anchors. Above was glass. Every move 10D and no place to stop, abosolutely no holds whatsoever, just glass and friction. I backed off in fear.
A week later I climbed higher on other routes to look down for a place to stop and drill. A white dike looked perfect.
So, I went up with Chris Cantwell and ran for the dike, 70 feet off the belay. Boy was I a sucker. There was nothing, just some white rock and a 10C "rest". I couldn't even reach for the damn drill. But the fear was pure and electric. There was no way I was going to take that dump. Feet on glass, drill in one hand, hammer in other, barely there at all. Tap. Tap. Tap. Once it was in 1/4 inch things got better. Then the bolt was in. I finished the pitch inwardly transformed.
Chris was jazzed. Bruce Morris signed on. We took helacious falls one after another. The comedy was lots of - tap, tap, WHOOSH! We developed team belaying techniques to suck in coils and coils of rope before the falls stopped. Wild.
We stopped up high when the climbing got too hard or we were too fried or both. Can't really remember. The next year I went up with Chris on his upper pitches. His vision was not mine. I left it to him. I had El Cap routes to do.
By the way, we were almost killed on this route. On a high ledge, the inner voice screamed DANGER. I looked up to see an executioner rock slicing our way. I gull-winged my arms and slammed all three of us flat agains the glass as the stone whizzed through where we were standing a split second before. Chris and Bruce were shocked at the rough treatment, but happy to avoid decapitation. They never saw it. So much of climbing is like that.
The strange thing about this route was the raw fear it generated in so many. The Stonemasters flatly refused to go up on it. We weren't so tough or talented, really. Certainly not in Kauk's or Bachar's league. Far, far from it. The route scared the hell out of us, but the beauty was so intense that we lived with it to have our amazing experience. For pitches there was simply nothing to grab; no dime, no crimper. That is why the route got a rep; nothing for big arms to do. Plus all the odd things done after pitch 9 added to the mystery.
So, if anyone reads this stealth posting, here are some memories to flesh it out a bit.
|
|
survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
|
|
|
Nov 17, 2010 - 12:44am PT
|
Great post Mr. Zappa!
I remember you from BITD, but wouldn't know how to tell you to remember me...Remember the Oregon Bong Team?
|
|
Delhi Dog
climber
Good Question...
|
|
|
Nov 17, 2010 - 03:48am PT
|
This whole thread is an amazing bit of valley history.
Thanks for the honesty from all sides and the story behind the climb.
Living in the valley back in those days...it was quite the topic at times.
Cool how time seems to move things on though and "polish mirrors".
Cheers,
DD
|
|
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!