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Dave Davis
Social climber
Seattle, WA
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I've counted fourteen (BFD)
E.Ridge Bugaboo
N.Face Edith Cavell
Liberty Ridge
W.Ridge Forbidden several times
N. Ridge Stuart- complete x3
Liberty Crack x2
N. Ridge Grand Teton
Castleton Tower
L.A. Tip
Steck Salathe x2
East Butt. M.C.R. x4
Nose x2
Salathe Wall
Fairview Dome
I think I've done most of the routes on Shuksan, but the Price glacier. I'm now at the age where just typing this list makes me tired.
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hamie
Social climber
Thekoots
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I believe that the current leader in this quest is Nancy Hansen, a Canadian who lives in either Banff or Canmore, with 42. Her recent attempt on #43, the east buttress of Middle Triple Pk in the Kichatnas, failed as the entire first pitch had fallen off. She plans to "Go back with rivets." Unlike some other 'questers', she is not a publicity hound, and does not solicit funds to pursue her personal goal. Good luck, Nancy!
Whatever one may think of the merits of the climbs chosen, '50 Classics' is a great read. Uncle Fred's more recent '100 Favourites' is less so, but still makes another fine to-do list, if you can't create your own. Both books give you lots of outstanding suggestions.
Go Nancy!!
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Ben Emery
Trad climber
Australia via Bay Area via Australia...
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An ex-library copy of the 50 classics is one of my more prized books (from Joliet, Illinois, of all places - it doesn't look like it was checked out all that often).
Just 5 for me, though:
-Royal Arches
-East Buttress of Middle Cathedral
-The Nose
-North face of Fairview
-Traveler Buttress
Currently a little hampered in doing more due to living on the other side of the world. Would love to get up Lost Arrow Spire, the Steck-Salathe and the Northwest face of Half Dome during my rare visits back to California, though.
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10b4me
Ice climber
dingy room at the Happy boulders hotel
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As I said previously, I have two. It looks like there a couple I can still get up though.
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Dec 22, 2012 - 12:34am PT
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I posted on Sept 4 2011
I have done 4 so far.
1 Liberty Ridge 2011
2 Travelers Buttress 2011
3 East Buttress of Middle Cathedral 2011 (just a few days ago)
4 Fairview Dome 2011
Done a few more since than:
5 Mt Stuart (Full north ridge with gendarme as a dayhike via mountaineers creek)
6 East ridge of Bugaboo Spire
7 Beckey Chouinard on South Howser
8 Clyde Minaret SE Face direct day hike
9 Charlotte Dome South Face
10 Mt. Whitney East Face day hike
11 Royal Arches
12 Castleton Tower-Kor Ingalls
13 Lost Arrow Spire (as LASD)
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GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
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Dec 22, 2012 - 12:52am PT
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Tick Lists are peculiar entities. Humans have some weird natural fascination with grouping, listing, and ordering... the number 50, is arbitrary. The routes are arbitrary (and some, not possible to climb). The difficult is arbitrary (A few of them I could solo under an hour in shorts, many would be a pinnacle of a climbing career).
We are like voles collecting shiny baubles, convinced of their importance.
I know that climbing is all silly and pointless sometimes (don't you know you can just walk up the back???) which is perhaps why I find the idea of 'ticking all 50' even sillier. If you've had an illustrious career and like the idea of completing a set, I guess I can understand that. To plan a career around repeating routes deemed classic 40 years ago? To each their own, I guess.
As far as the smileys go, seem cool enough. Watching the videos you kind of wish the guy wasn't such a dick head to his lady, but maybe that's because I've never been invested that much in a climb to have it affect the relationship I have with the person I'm with at the time. Good on them for angling it for some gear and sponsorship, seems like a silly goal if you haven't done the Hummingbird or the Cassin... kind of like climbing the highest peak in each state but leaving CO, ID, CA, UT, WY and AZ till the end. But hey you got Florida and Ohio...
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Dec 22, 2012 - 01:01am PT
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I've coincidentally done 12 of the 50, with no idea they were on the list. Did a few of 'em before the list was created.
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hamie
Social climber
Thekoots
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Dec 22, 2012 - 03:00am PT
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Nancy Hansen has now done 44. Getting close.
Go Nancy!
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jaaan
Trad climber
Chamonix, France
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Dec 22, 2012 - 03:58am PT
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Out of curiousity, what was her 44th? Which ones has she yet to do?
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Edge
Trad climber
New Durham, NH
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Dec 22, 2012 - 09:54am PT
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Operating out of New England has been a bit of a disadvantage for ticking the original 50, but I have done a couple:
Regular NW Face, Half Dome
Royal Arches
East Buttress of Middle Cathedral
On the Grand Teton I only did the Upper Exum, and on Halletts I did the Culp-Bossier. Years ago I was hiking in RMNP with my family (Flat Mtn?) and looking straight across at the face of Halletts when the entire first pitches of Northcutt/Carter peeled off into the talus before my eyes. Pretty wild thing to witness, complete with that sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach when I realized that there could have been parties on it at the time. Fortunately, there wasn't.
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Roadie
Trad climber
Bishop, Ca
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Dec 22, 2012 - 01:21pm PT
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I've done 14 so far. It was the first climbing book I ever read. Later I realized it included some truely awful routed. And excluded some obvious gems, no Naked Edge! Huh?
H-bird and Shiprock always confused me. Done once? and closed to climbing? Respectivly.
Been thinking of my own list, interesting thread.
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Chaz
Trad climber
greater Boss Angeles area
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Dec 22, 2012 - 01:25pm PT
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Nobody climbs any of those anymore, they're too crowded.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Dec 22, 2012 - 01:28pm PT
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The Hummingbird Ridge on Mount Logan seems to be the hurdle for what otherwise are pretty moderate and safe routes.
A real accomplishment would be to do every route in Mark Kroese's "Fifty Favorite Climbs."
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bhilden
Trad climber
Mountain View, CA
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Dec 22, 2012 - 01:33pm PT
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I believe the title of the book is "50 Classic Climbs of North America". Obviously, the term 'classic' means different things to different people, but 'classic' doesn't mean 'deadly' or 'extreme' in most people's minds.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Dec 22, 2012 - 01:38pm PT
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I never said that it did, I understand the meaning of classic. The Humming Bird Ridge is extremely deadly.....should it have been in the book? Oh, i forgot, one of the authors did the first ascent.
edit: I also have never understood the list approach to climbing: all of the Fourteeners in Co., the Seven Summits, the 14, 8000 meter peaks etc. I just pointed out another more difficult list for those so inclined.
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JLP
Social climber
The internet
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Dec 22, 2012 - 02:01pm PT
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Looks like a banner year for Vitality.
I would like to see anyone but the Smileys be first to get all 50. Nancy seems like the real deal.
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Dec 22, 2012 - 02:32pm PT
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Was a good year. Only 2 FAs though :(
Where can I find out about progress of this Nancy person?
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Dec 22, 2012 - 02:37pm PT
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California
Half Dome--Jerry Coe.
Salathe Wall--Doug Ross.
Fairview Dome--the Rev.
EBMCR--many
Royal Arches/North Dome (a better "classic" by far than just RA)--many
Snake Dike should be on list--Jim shirley
and the E Ridge of Bugaboo--the Rev.
Any list of classics should get updated. Several of the fifty are wrecked by changes in their routes, etc., so substitutes are in order. The list should evolve as routes "die off."
Gene, that's one hell of a list. What's on it besides them, I'll probably find out. Again, are you up for The Balls this year? Madera County.
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Stevee B
Trad climber
Oakland, CA
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Harrowing account of an attempt by the Smiley's, Jed Porter, and Reiner Thony.
Hummingbird Ridge.
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Brian in SLC
Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
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A few of us around the campfire a number of years ago at the City of Rocks, chatting about the "classics". One of the folks, Inez (from the wreck.climbing daze...ha ha) commented she'd just climbed Devil's Tower. I mentioned that I'd heard the Weissner was more classic than the Durrance, and, who'd ever pick the Durrance as the classic? Allen laughed and said, "yeah, who was that guy?"
Fun stuff.
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