University Wall, second free ascent

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bmacd

Social climber

100% Canadian

Oct 3, 2011 - 05:18pm PT

Hamishes logic for the minimal rack was sound, that's 5 pieces for protecting the Sword, and the Pillar hand crack was no problem for him, with Ed Coopers two original bolts. What was always questionable in my mind was if he had the first bolt clipped on Merci me, yet, while I was taking the RP out of the crux on Apron Strings. Sometimes the last pitch was not fun to follow, but we figured it out eventually.

One of the more memorable trips up Grandwall was with Randy joining us. Hamish dragged the three of us up the Daily Planet in the morning and then after lunch we 3 manned Grand wall. Randy was blown away with the runouts going on ... and how fast we got to bellygood

A big part of Hamishes regime was doing Perry's nefarious No Name Road at Pet wall, before it was retro bolted. Hamish perfected his runout head space on it every time we went to Pet Wall ...

Sorry for the thread Hi Jack Perry !

Good times in Squamish .... 25 years ago

Relic

Social climber

Vancouver, BC

Oct 3, 2011 - 08:36pm PT

I feel guilty about thread drift. Hope this puts us back on course...

Relic

Social climber

Vancouver, BC

Oct 3, 2011 - 10:08pm PT

arr matey prepare for the knee bar!

Holy flying armbars I want to get on this thing again!

bmacd

Social climber

100% Canadian

Oct 3, 2011 - 10:48pm PT

Matt and Nathan really kicked ass in Squamish this year, also climbing Darryl's envisioned line left of the Negro Lesbian, a major first ascent on the main wall done in a single push

Andreas Taylor

Trad climber

Squamish

Oct 4, 2011 - 12:09am PT

Thanks for the story, brings back a lot of memories of my own experience on this route, which I have to say I agree is probably one of the best routes anywhere. I climbed the lower "Shadow" pitch with Tim Crawshaw in late summer 1998, which we believe was the second ascent. I had climbed the variation pitches earlier in the summer and on our descent we decided we should check out the stem moves just for a look see, no serious intentions of course, as it was mostly considered another impossible to repeat Croft route. To our surprise, it was quite do-able. A ground up ascent would be quite a different story though. We returned in August for an attempt and manged to succeed on the main corner. I remember well the feeling of leaving the already difficult lower corner and moving into the main corner, like a different dimension, disorientingly steep by comparison and not too much gear. The upper pitches are also amazing, most of which I think would be five star in their own right, some of them quite scary. For me, the crux of this route was believing that it could be done. A

bmacd

Social climber

100% Canadian

Oct 4, 2011 - 01:19am PT

Well done Andreas ... thats very cool "news", hot off of the press, 13 years later, major contribution to U wall's history, but I' thought some Americans got up there early on too ?

Big Mike

Trad climber

Oct 4, 2011 - 03:30am PT

Wow! Thanks again to Jim for the bump.

Perry, Amazing work! Very well written. You guys definetly paved the way for the next generation but your achievements far exceeded what most mortal climbers will ever crank.

Tell us more stories of exacto racks! I for one would be glad to hear them, if this is not the place then perhaps my Squamish Stories and Photos Thread.

Nice photos guys! Nice to see this stuff re-surface!

MH2

climber

Oct 5, 2011 - 02:17pm PT

^^^

What Sig Isaac called, "The sting in the tail?"

It is good to see Andreas Taylor post. And Relic.

Years ago I heard that a classmate of one of my kids had taken up climbing. In the gym.

That's nice, I thought. Maybe I'll offer to take him up to Squamish sometime.

Next I knew, he had repeated The Shadow.

Anders mentioned him in a related thread, and Chic Scott's Pushing the Limits has a picture of him labeled 3rd free ascent, the third picture down this blog page (photo by Rich Wheater).

http://blog.daum.net/leehvaro/19

So it was 13 years after Peter, and then 2 repeats the same summer, and now 13 years later it gets a fair amount of attention.

I remember hearing that U Wall was Devon's favorite route and he did it at least 5 times that 1998 summer.

bmacd

Social climber

100% Canadian

Oct 5, 2011 - 04:33pm PT

- Devon Girard -

Relic

Social climber

Vancouver, BC

Oct 16, 2011 - 07:31pm PT

Bump for Luke. Great stories in here.

thekidcormier

Trad climber

squamish, b.c.

Oct 16, 2011 - 10:07pm PT

Thanks for the bump relic, but I had already read perry timeless trip report a few times now..

Andreas Taylor; Did you use work for Rommel Homes? My girlfriend says she knows you and told me you used to commute to work in whistler from squamish on your BICYCLE!

Now thats just ridiculous.. haha

BTW Aislinn says hello!

Relic

Social climber

Vancouver, BC

Oct 18, 2011 - 11:28pm PT

Bumpin

bmacd

Mountain climber

100% Canadian

Nov 14, 2011 - 03:25pm PT

Add one hour to any times I have quoted in my above post's, regarding ascents of grandwall. My memory didn't serve me well, must be my age.

MH2

climber

Nov 14, 2011 - 11:29pm PT

If your memory knocked an hour off your times I'd say it served you well. It looks like your conscience might be your enemy, though.

thekidcormier

Gym climber

squamish, b.c.

Sep 14, 2012 - 12:04am PT

Hello Perry and all for that matter.

Luke here.

I post inquiring the date of the date of your ascent. I just met a fellow at the base of the wall who sent it free in august of 86...

Chief

climber

The NW edge of The Hudson Bay

Topic Author's Reply - Sep 14, 2012 - 12:26pm PT

Luke,

As detailed in my posted account, I had previously climbed U Wall free to Dance in 85 making what many might agree, the second free ascent at that time.
However, like Peter and Hamish, I felt that climbing the whole route with the Roman Chimney finish was the real deal as this constituted a free ascent of the entire "Grand Wall" of the Chief.
I led all of U Wall and the Roman Chimneys free in early July of 86 taking one fall on the 10c lieback above the tree, ironically the easiest pitch on the route.
I don't know the details or chronology of subsequent ascents or whether people climbed the Chimneys finish.
U Wall with the Chimneys finish, climbed free or with aid is bar none, the finest route in Squamish.

PB