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deuce4
climber
Hobart, Australia
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jan 27, 2009 - 04:29pm PT
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Apologies in advance for lack of color correction, lack of sequential ordering, lack of captions, and high bandwidth. Cheers!
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Jordan Ramey
Big Wall climber
South Pasadena, CA
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Jan 27, 2009 - 04:42pm PT
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Those pictures are rockin'
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Danielle Winters
Trad climber
Alaska
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Jan 27, 2009 - 04:43pm PT
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WOW ~ That last pitch coming over the " visor "looks like a monster!!!
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Jan 27, 2009 - 04:51pm PT
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Cool pictures, John.
What is the move out of the horizontal bombay chimney? It doesn't look like anything is in.
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deuce4
climber
Hobart, Australia
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 27, 2009 - 05:05pm PT
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Roger- Walt hiked way up into that chimney (the monster aka the elephant) placed a rivet (he only had a foot or so to work with between the chimney walls), then lowered off and did a wild hooking sequence of moves out at the lip.
Danielle-yes that final visor was truly rockin'! All natural placements on that one on the FA.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Jan 27, 2009 - 05:05pm PT
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I am so small. That wall is so big.
kick ass JM!
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Gene
climber
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Jan 27, 2009 - 05:09pm PT
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Wow!
Thanks John.
gm
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Thorgon
Big Wall climber
Sedro Woolley, WA
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Jan 27, 2009 - 06:05pm PT
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Yes, that visor looks wild,
and these are incredible shots
on any bandwith!
Thanks for the post!
Thor
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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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Jan 27, 2009 - 06:11pm PT
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That's a hell of a roof.
JL
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pyro
Big Wall climber
Calabasas
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Jan 27, 2009 - 06:19pm PT
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Wow!
The Vampire fangs!
Wonder if Walt felt like that section of rock was going to release itself during his nailing rivets session?
Love all these post about your rock climbing adventures John M.
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Mr.T
Big Wall climber
topanga
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Jan 27, 2009 - 06:41pm PT
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Thanks!!!! I love to see some of the history invovled with these inspirational routes. How about some stories?
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noshoesnoshirt
climber
I don't even know anymore
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Jan 27, 2009 - 06:49pm PT
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sweet
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yo
climber
I drink your milkshake!
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Jan 27, 2009 - 06:57pm PT
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That doesn't really look like Snoopy...
And yeah that roof is SICK.
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deuce4
climber
Hobart, Australia
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 27, 2009 - 07:16pm PT
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Mr T-
in October, 1989 I showed up in the Valley after having hightailed it in 1986 with my big wall tail between my legs after our rescue on the SOuth Face of Half Dome, and there I bumped into Walt in the Lower Pines campground. He had just hiked down from the base of Half Dome and was carrying a huge haulbag.
"I've had it with that route. It's f*#king hell up there" he told me. He had been spending the last month or two fixing pitches on a new route, solo. But it was clearly burning him out, and he had just bailed, leaving five pitches fixed for perhaps another go the following Spring.
What happened next, I can't recall all the details, but we spent the next few hours in the River's campground, drinking lots of beer purchased on numerous runs on his old 10 speed at the nearby Curry store next to the Mountain Shop. Like termites out of woodwork, soon a bunch of people were hanging around, playing hacky, cooking up coffee on the tailgate of an parked pickup truck, that sort of scene. Some dope appeared no doubt.
The next thing ya know, Walt and I are discussing going back up there to finish the route. For me, I couldn't believe what was happening. I hadn't climbed a wall since the rescue three years before, and frankly, I never thought I would ever again. Just the thought of it terrified me. But who better to be reinitiated into the vertical campworld than sir Walter Bipley. Yeah!
I believe we spent seven days on that climb. With every cloud, every bit of breeze I was sure it was the beginning of the end, but all in all we had spectacular weather (of course it was pretty cold on the north face in October). We listened to a Cream cassette over and over again on Walt's custom hanging walkman and speaker set up. He was obsessed with the White Room, the song that inspired the name of his other new route on Half Dome with Sean Plunkett, and that tune still reminds me of our climb too.
In a white room
With black curtains
Near the stations
Blackroof country
No gold pavements
Tired starlings
Silver horses
Ran down moonbeams
In your dark eyes
Dawn-light smiled
On you leaving
My contentment
I'll wait in this place
Where the sun never shines
Wait in this place
Were the shadows run from themselves
You said no things
Could secure you
At the station
Platform tickets
Restless diesels
Goodbye windows
In walked into
such a sad time
At the station
As I walked out
Felt my own need
Just beginning
I'll wait in the queue
When the trains come back
Lie with you
Where the shadows run from themselves
At the party
She was kindness
In the hard crowd
Consolation
For the old wounds
Now forgotten
Yellow tigers
Crouched in jungles
In het dark eyes
She's just dressing
Goodbye windows
Tired starlings
I'll sleep in this place
With the lonely crowd
Life in the dark
Where the shadows run from themselves
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hoipolloi
climber
A friends backyard with the neighbors wifi
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Jan 27, 2009 - 07:40pm PT
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Really inspiring John. I love seeing these photos and hearing your stories. I think the way wall climbing panned out for you is incredible, the way things went in the mid 80's and then how hard you bounced back at it.
Did you ever imagine that in only 3ish years you would be headed for the biggest (right?) wall in the world? (yeah "only" right? I am starting to understand the immensity of change that can take place in 3 years). Ive watched your Great Trango Tower slide show, its damned impressive..talk about a huge wall...
Really awesome, thanks for sharing, keep it coming.
Dave
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nature
climber
Tucson, AZ
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Jan 27, 2009 - 07:49pm PT
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om namah shivaya
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Levy
Big Wall climber
So Cal
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Jan 27, 2009 - 07:54pm PT
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Great story & pics John!
Even after all these years have gone bye, it is still hard to fathom Walt's demise. The valley hasn't felt the same ever since.
I've always been interested in doing the Kali Yuga & now my desire is much greater than ever. I'm gonna hit up Eriksson & see if he wants to do it too.
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WBraun
climber
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Jan 27, 2009 - 08:53pm PT
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John & Walt are some of the best guys to climb and hang out with.
Climb big wall with John and you're having fun.
Walt's gripped and intense, so you laugh at him all day.
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deuce4
climber
Hobart, Australia
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 27, 2009 - 08:59pm PT
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Thanks Werner! You're the best partner, I felt pretty lucky to have gotten to go up with you for your once-in-a-decade aid climb.
Levy, I think the whole bottom part of the route is in boulders in the skree slope. So the new start would be all new pitches.
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