Big Rock - a little history

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Ed Bannister

Mountain climber

Riverside, CA

Aug 17, 2009 - 05:26pm PT

Who put up "No Hope Without Rope?
Traverse touching the first bolt of each climb,
never saw it in a guide, Royce Carlson repeated it, but who put it up?

gunsmoke

Trad climber

Clackamas, Oregon

Aug 17, 2009 - 06:07pm PT

Phil,

I forgot about "The Virgin". Funny story: One afternoon we had done a bunch of routes and were ready to leave when someone suggested knocking off every route in a day (EHG excepted, since we couldn't do it clean). We finished as darkness was setting in. While packing up at the picnic table, our happiness collapsed at the realization that we forgot about The Virgin. ... I was groping about at the crux in almost total darkness when my foot happened upon an unseen and unseeable bolt hanger. I escaped to the summit at 5.9 A0.

dogtown

climber

Cheyenne,Wyoming

Aug 17, 2009 - 11:59pm PT

Ok, I’ll throw this photo in. 80’s something. Check out the hair. Shezzz!

neebee

Social climber

calif/texas

Aug 18, 2009 - 12:46am PT

hey there say, sandsnow... not sure if your're still lurking here, but wow---great diagram of the big rock that you posted...

also, phil G, very nice slides...

say, the only thing i seemed to have missed, and most likely cause i have only so much time to read all this neat stuff, and some are very long, is this:

what is the damn that was built, that took away ?access or
?covered these rocks up, or ?whatever...

i saw that this was LA, or southern calif, unless i bungled that too....

was just curious... it looked like a great spot---i DID see the neat photo of it... well, thanks for some more detailed info, since my reading skills were set to "glean" tongiht...

god bless to all... :)

Chaz

Trad climber

greater Boss Angeles area

Aug 18, 2009 - 01:15pm PT

Back in the day when we were young n00bs (as opposed my current status as an old n00b), my partner Bob and I were sitting on top of the rock getting loaded and eating oranges we poached from somebody's grove on San Timeteo road, when Bob says he can sink one in the trash can at the base (we had the place to ourselves that day).

I bet him he couldn't.

First orange he threw was all net. Dead-center, right in the can.

I bought the beer on the way home that day.

HighGravity

Trad climber

Southern California

Apr 13, 2010 - 06:55pm PT

Here's some photos from today. It was perfect weather!

EdBannister

Mountain climber

Apr 13, 2010 - 07:18pm PT

still asking who put up no hope without rope???

And Richard, I saw you do that 30 feet, back in '78 I think?

My first lead was also at Big Rock, Africa Flake.

Gary

climber

Desolation Basin, Calif.

Apr 13, 2010 - 07:46pm PT

A big crowd was at the picnic tables Saturday. Lots of people. And what comes along but a 3 foot red diamondback. Crawls right through the crowd and under the tables. WTF was he thinking?

A ranger pumping toilets came along with a makeshift hook and got him into a trash bag. He was hooking this snake, and the snake was totally casual about it.

Much excitement.

EdBannister

Mountain climber

Apr 13, 2010 - 07:53pm PT

I remember Rick Carlson loading Jeff Bosson onto his shoulders and slapping chalk high on boulders where no chalk han been before...

and, another new thread is due.

Mungeclimber

Trad climber

sorry, just posting out loud.

Apr 13, 2010 - 07:59pm PT

chalk sand bagging

evel

Cannon

Trad climber

Murrieta, CA

Apr 16, 2010 - 04:07pm PT

hey highgravity, that was me on that other team working on Left and Right Cracks, it was one of the other guys first trad lead and the other guy is pretty new too. thanks for not taking pictures of the cluster f that persued after they got the rope stuck while rapping. they worked it out ok. they will get there. it was a great day out there.

by the way does anyone know what the bolts between Boogaloo direct and Wedunett are? they arent a part of either route

Alan Rubin

climber

Amherst,MA.

Apr 16, 2010 - 04:31pm PT

Made my second ever, and first in over 30 years, visit to Big Rock one beautiful afternoon in Feb. Hadn't done much friction in a while, so it was a bit of a relearning curve. Very pleasant place to spend a day. Glad there were no rattlers about, I'm a bit phobic!!! And, Gary, that snake was thinking, "WTF are these people doing in my territory?" I've heard, on here I believe, that the Mojave Greens are breeding with other rattler species, so we may be seeing more aggressively territorial (and more venemous) snakes in that area.

Chaz

Trad climber

greater Boss Angeles area

Apr 16, 2010 - 04:40pm PT

I don't think I've ever seen a rattler out there, but I saw a gopher snake tumble down the rock once. We were sitting at the picnic table tying our shoes when he came sliding and rolling down The Trough. He landed on his back, rolled over and slithered off toward Rat Crack.

HighGravity

Trad climber

Southern California

Apr 16, 2010 - 06:08pm PT

Cannon, we've all had those days, so no worries.

There's a good looking OW up the hill I may go check out this weekend.

NML81

Trad climber

N Lake Tahoe

Apr 16, 2010 - 06:56pm PT

I just climbed there on Sunday by chance, good fun. The bolts could of been placed a bit better on the routes I did, but then again I wasn't the driller.

MentalEnergy

Trad climber

Riverside, California

Apr 29, 2010 - 12:14pm PT

Hello Rock CLimbers

My name is Derek Starr ( AKA 'Roy Naasz' ).

SURVIVAL, on SuperTopo.com on "The Chick History Thread", where this message was first posted earlier, said:
"You need to start your own Climbing Recollections thread, and get off this chick history thread,,,, "
( Dated: Apr 21, 2010 )

I agreed with her, and deleted that message, on "The Chick History Thread", she was referring to.

So I am now posting that message, on this "Big Rock - a little history" SuperTopo.com Forum thread, because several climbers, who have posted messages on this thread, apparently knew both me and Andy Embick, at one time.

This has turned into a long message. Sorry! First, I just want to say something about Andy Embick, one of my earliest climbing partners, who died in a very, very suspicious way, in 2003! I just do not think Andy Embick committed Suicide at all! I am still not comfortable with the accounts of his 'Suicide'?! I think I will talk more about his 'Suicide'(?), in another message.

But now, onwards....

I met Andy Embick, while I was a student at UCLA, around 1968/1969. As everybody knows, Andy Embick did not attend UCLA. He was a premed student, at the Claremont colleges, in Pomona. I do not remember how I first met him at all, but we became climbing partners, quite quickly. We started climbing, at Tahquitz Rock, above Idyllwild, California.

We soon did a couple of Yosemite Valley Grade V's - "The South Face of the Washington Column" and the "Leaning Tower". I remember, I led the first pitch, an overhanging bolt ladder, of the "leaning Tower". It was sort of spooky, standing on a dead tree, at the very first bolt, over looking a 300 or 400 foot vertical drop, below me. But that "Leaning Tower" route, is definitely fun! Warren Harding, did an incredible job, putting in all the bolts, on that overhanging route! I later did the "Leaning Tower" again, when I was living in Yosemite Valley, in 1972/1973, with Sibylle Hechtel. I wonder if she remembers me! I have not seen her, or heard from her, in 35 years!

I learned a couple of things about Andy Embick, when I rock climbed with him. That guy never would waste a moment! When we traveled by car, from UCLA and Claremont Colleges, to Tahquitz Rock, he would always study his University textbooks in the car, while we were driving! I am very intelligent, but the last thing I wanted to do, was look at my UCLA mathematical textbooks, while we were driving to Tahquitz Rock!

Andy Embick, was also very physically fit. He participated in several different sports, including rock climbing, as well as water polo and running. I am not homosexual at all, but when I was in his college dorm room, one day, he took off his shirt. Andy Embick had ripples of muscles, all over his body! That guy was in shape! Only the famous rock climber, John Long, could match Andy Embick's muscle tone!

Andy Embick also worked in a University Chemical lab, while he was a undergraduate student at the Claremont colleges. He was also a very bright student! He was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship, upon his graduation from the Claremont colleges!

Everybody seems to already know this, but Andy Embick and I decided to climb the "Lost Arrow Direct" in Yosemite Valley, during his winter semester break, in January of 1970. UCLA was on the quarter system, but at that time, during the VietNam war period, I had decided to enlist in the U.S. Air Force. I was not attending UCLA, in January of 1970. I had passed some tests that a Los Angeles area, Air Force recruiter gave me, in December 1969, but the recruiter said I had to wait a few weeks, before I could actually join the U.S. Air Force. So I decided it was the perfect time to do the "Lost Arrow Direct", with Andy Embick, even though it was officially the Winter Season in Yosemite Valley ( If I remember that date correctly! ).

When we arrived in Yosemite Valley, to do the "Lost Arrow Direct", we started to scramble up Sunnyside bench, early in the morning,to get to the base of the "Lost Arrow" wall, to start the climb. We were soon roped up, and doing the aid climbing, necessary ( At that time anyway! ) to get ourselves up that "Lost Arrow" wall. Our first bivouac, was about halfway up the climb, on a fairly large ledge. Our second bivouac was right next to the "Lost Arrow" notch.

At that time, at the notch, at the end of our second day on the climb, we both noticed some fixed climbing ropes, coming down from the top of the granite rim wall, not from the "Lost Arrow" itself, at all! We both thought other climbers had fixed the ropes, and were planning to come back later, and do the "Lost Arrow Spire" from the notch where Andy and I were bivouaking.

Andy and I, had a little discussion the next morning, about whether to finish the climb, by going up the fixed ropes, or go up by aid directly to the Salathe Ledge above us, and actually finish our climb by standing on top of the "Lost Arrow Spire".

I definitely remember, Andy saying he wanted to finish our climbing efforts, by going up the fixed ropes to the rim. I remember telling Andy, that I wanted to climb, by aid, directly to the top of the "Lost Arrow Spire". To me, that seemed a classier, and more beautiful way, to finish our climb.

That morning was 40 years ago, but I seem to remember, that our discussion, was a little heated! Andy, did not seem to want go to the top of the "Lost Arrow Spire". But, I convinced him about the merits, of going directly up the Spire, and he gave into my request. I started leading off our ledge, by the notch, I climbed up a small pillar above our ledge, to a single bolt you could clip into, by standing on top of that pillar. That pillar climbing was easy. I did not know it at the time, but the crack I had to aid, above the bolt and pillar, was rated A4! And that crack was going to be difficult for me to place my large Chouinard angle pitons inside of that crack ( No camming devices available at that time! )

I started to aid that very difficult crack. The crack was bottle shaped, wider inside the crack, than on the outside of the crack. I started to put pitons in that crack. The first angle piton, was difficult to place in the crack, and so were the second and third piton placements. I simply did not trust any of those three piton placements, but I felt I had no choice, but to keep on aid climbing upwards. I was standing in my aid slings, on the third piton placement, and trying to place a 4th piton, when my whole body started shaking! To this day, I wonder why I was shaking, on that piton! Then the piton placement I was standing on, came out, and I started falling!

I distinctly remember, looking at the top of pillar I was falling towards, and desperately trying to figure out a way to avoiding hitting that pillar top! All my mental activities, were in hyper-warp drive! I remember every single split second of that fall! I raised my arms as I was falling, thinking I could push away from that pillar top ledge, just before I was going to hit that pillar top ledge.

Everyone knows, my efforts did not work! I hit that pillar top ledge hard! I broke my right leg femur and my right ankle. At the exact moment I hit that ledge, an intensive, white light flash came into my brain! Instantly, I knew I had broken my leg! I was in intense pain! The old bolt I had clipped into, above the pillar, did not break! That bolt stopped my fall! If that old bolt had broke, I would have fallen another 50 - 75 feet! With my broken leg!

I was hanging from the end of my climbing rope, desperately telling Andy, my belayer, that I had broken my leg! Andy, who was below me, on our belay ledge, started to lower me, to him! Somehow, I got turned upside down, as I was lowered, and my broken leg was above me! I was in incredible pain, as my broken femur bones, moved against each other, as I was lowered to Andy's ledge!

I finally was lowered to Andy's ledge, and Andy helped me sit on that ledge! I was tremendously lucky, that our belay ledge was big enough for me to sit on. I put my broken leg straight out in front of me, completely supported by that ledge! And incredibly, as soon as I was sitting on that ledge, my broken leg stopped hurting! It was 9:30 A.M., in the morning on the third day of our climb.

Andy, since he was a premed major, had some pain pills he gave me, right away! Then we both decided, that Andy had to solo aid the crack, I had just fallen out of, and get to the Salathe ledge! We both also decided, that Andy had to place bolts, to safely solo, up that A4 crack. We were carrying a bolt kit with us. Once Andy got to Salathe ledge, he could lower himself to the Lost Arrow Notch, and ascend those fixed ropes to the rim.

Everyone knows what happened to us next. Andy, solo aid climbed to the Salathe ledge, ascended the fixed ropes to the valley rim, and ran down the Yosemite Falls trail to get help.

I sat on that belay ledge all day, while I waited for a rescue helicopter to appear in the sky. I knew, once I saw that helicopter, rescue was on it's way to me. I kept looking at the Yosemite Valley floor, from my ledge. I saw the tourist cars far below. I could even see most of the Yosemite Falls trail, from my ledge. I think, I saw Andy running down that trail, in the middle of the day. And then in the late afternoon, I definitely saw a whole bunch of people running up the Yosemite Falls trail. And then, about the same time, I heard and saw a helicopter. I knew my rescue was happening!

People ask me if I prayed, while I was on that ledge all day, with a broken leg. No, not once! I did not even think of any God, at all! Even though I had just, severely broken my leg, I felt like I was just a part of the whole Yosemite Valley! I think, I did cry a few times, during the day, but mostly I just kept observing the Yosemite Beauty around me. In case, it is not obvious, I have always loved rock climbing. I do not think I have ever loved a girl, as much as I have loved rock climbing at Tahquitz, Suicide Rock, Joshua Tree and Yosemite. I feel very lucky that my parents moved to southern California, when I was 13 years old.

My rescue was underway. I had never met him before, but Wayne Merry, the head of the climbing school in Yosemite, rapelled down to my ledge, about night fall, and asked me if I wanted to be rescued right away. I told him, my leg was not hurting, as I sat on my ledge, and that I could wait until the morning, to be raised in a metal rescue stretcher, to the valley rim.

Wayne Merry, rapelled down to me, 2 more times, during the night. He gave me a shot of the pain killing drug, Demerol (?), and brought down food and water to my ledge. I definitely have good memories of Wayne Merry! Believe it or not, I actually worked for Wayne Merry, when I first arrived in Yosemite in 1972. I cleaned his class's XC skiis from their wax, at the old Curry Village mountain shop.

The morning of my 4th day on the rock, my rescue started! Wayne Merry rapelled down to me, and told me the Yosemite rangers and dozens of Yosemite rock climbers would be lowering a stretcher, and that two climbers would be with that strecher to help me get into it, and be with me as the stretcher was raised to the rim.

Then in a few minutes, I saw the stretcher coming down, with a person on each end. Guess who those climbers were at each end of that stretcher? I could not believe it! Jim Bridwell was at one end of the stretcher, and Kim Schmitz (?) was at the other end. I had only read about those two climbers! They were climbing super heros! I never thought I would ever meet them in person!

When that stretcher got to my ledge, those two, and Wayne Merry, helped me get into the stretcher. My broken leg, definitely caused me pain, when everybody helped me, sort of roll into that stretcher.

Then, the whole ranger/climber crew started raising the stretcher the valley rim. Jim Bridwell and Kim Schmit were fun to talk to, as I and my stretcher, were slowly raised up to the valley rim. As a beginning climber, those two guys were definitely my heros! They both had very nice personalities. Those two, and Wayne Merry, made my rescue esperience very pleasant and fun! And even though I do not know their names, I want to thank all the rangers and climbers, who helped in my rescue, that day!

When I and my stretcher arrived at the Valley Rim top, I saw all the climbers and rangers who were rescuing me. I felt like I was in another world at that moment! Again, I want to say how much I appreciated the help of each of those rangers and climbers! Then, they all helped me and my stretcher, get strapped to the outside of a helicopter rail.

All you guys think rock climbing is fun, but wait until you are carried by a helicopter to the Yosemite Valley floor, strapped to an outside rail! It is a very spectacular experience, to look at the beautiful Yosemite Valley floor and surrounding rock walls, as your helicopter spirals in circles, downward to it! Bev Johnson, that fantastic woman, died in a helicopter crash, but she knows exactly what I am talking about!

Then my helicopter arrived at a valley meadow, for landing. I could see dozens of people around me, when the helicopter was finally sitting on the grass. Then, Dr. Sturm (?) and the tremendous nurses, who worked at the small Yosemite Valley hospital, were there at the helicopter, to look at my broken leg and see that I got to their hospital safely.

I guess my rescue experience message is almost over. But I want to say a couple more things. All the nurses, and Dr. Sturm, at the Yosemite Valley hospital were great, in how they treated me. But I definitely remember a small nurse, nicknamed 'Mouse'. She was really fun to talk to, and very cute! And I appreciated the visits of the climbers, that came to my bedside to talk to me, while I was laying in bed, with my broken leg in a traction pulley system. And there is one visiting climber in my mind right now, I just can not remember his name. He had long curly hair, and was quite a character. I think he came to my bedside, half a dozen times. He was fun to talk with. Anybody know his name? 'Dennis' maybe.

This has been a very long message. I hope I have not bothered any rock climbers viewing this message! Please let me know if this message, does not belong on this SuperTopo Forum thread.

Good-By!

Derek Starr

PhilG

Trad climber

The Circuit, Tonasket WA

Apr 29, 2010 - 01:10pm PT

Derek
I remember you! Although I remember you as 'Roy Naasz.'
I definitely remember the rescue. I believe it was the first rescue in Yosemite where the climbers got paid.
Your post is a great story, and very interesting climbing history. To answer your question it definitely belongs on Supertopo. I believe it would be better in a different thread 'cause it's not really about Big Rock (even though you and Andy were well known and respected Big Rock climbers). Your story really should be it's own thread because it would be of importance to those interested in early Yosemite rescue history.
Regardless, good to hear from you and know your doing well.
Phil Gleason