Cragman
Trad climber
June Lake, California....via the Damascus Road
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Topic Author's Original Post - Feb 9, 2012 - 06:10am PT
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If anyone was wondering how Flanders (aka Chief Knucklehead) is doing these days, a year after a stroke and heart attack felled him, I am here to testify.
We had gone into Lee Vining Canyon last week, warmed up on some fat ice up the middle of the Main Wall, then set our sights on The Fischer King (M3/WI3+), a spicy mixed line left of The Spiral Staircase. (FYI, this route named after the late, great, John Fischer)
My experience with this level of mixed climbing is fairly limited, especially with the new-fangled tools...BD Cobras. Leashless climbing on ice is one thing....on stone, a whole nother level of spice! That all being said, I was MORE than pleased to send Flanders out on the sharp end.
The conditions were thin that day, but that first pitch was a kick in the pants, with ice 1/2 to 2 inches thick, and plenty of tool placements in fine crack.
The second pitch proved our undoing....1/4 inch of glaze on a 50 foot slabby section right of the belay, and no pro....we rapped a V thread and called it a day.....til yesterday.
No warm-up ice yesterday....we went straight to the business, albeit with a variation. We could see that the conditions on the second pitch had not improved, so rather than getting into the classic first pitch corner system, we chose a direct line up the wall that would keep us right of that impossible slab, albeit mostly on dry-tooling ground.
Enter Flanders. I've been climbing with this guy for nearly 24 years, and have had opportunity to see him do some pretty cool leading, but what he pulled off on this first pitch was really special. They call this mixed climbing, but in the case of this pitch...a bit of a misnomer. Not a single screw was placed in 200 feet.
While I held my breath, Doug masterfully weaved a series of pins, cams and pick jams into a stealthy lead, all sewn together with nerves of FRIGGIN STEEL! I was so focused on an attentive belay, I did not get many pics of him....here are a few....
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The pictures above do NOT do this lead justice....it was pure HUEVOS GRANDE! I had the priviledge of following the gem! Doug's pictures below should give a much better perspective....
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Off and on in our lives, if we are so lucky, we have the opportunity to bear witness to something truly special.....witness the greatness of someone in their element, doing things that are the result of hard work, vision, and years of dedication to a craft.
Yesterday, I got to be the witness....as well as the benefactor, of what I consider to be one of the greatest leads I have ever seen.
Like I said earlier, the Flanders man is back, climbing strong as ever, and has nerves like FRIGGIN STEEL!!!
And all I could do was nearly shyte myself.....
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eKat
Trad climber
BITD3
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BEAUTIFUL, Crag and Chief Knucklehead!
My heart is on wing!
KEEP THAT MAGIC ALIVE!
oxoxoxoxo
eK@
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Brian in SLC
Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
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Looks scrappy and thin...
Nice!
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Barbarian
Trad climber
New and Bionic too!
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Wow!!! That does look thin! So glad to see Flanders back in form...tell him hello for me.
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Dingus Milktoast
Gym climber
And every fool knows, a dog needs a home, and...
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Lots of beautiful things there in the least year cragman but if you'll forgive my forwardness, the renewed friendship between the two of you is the most beautiful thing of all.
Rock on.
Cheers
DMT
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eKat
Trad climber
BITD3
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Lots of beautiful things there in the least year cragman but if you'll forgive my forwardness, the renewed friendship between the two of you is the most beautiful thing of all.
Therein lies the REAL MAGIC, eh?
ox
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Ice IS nice!
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Cragman
Trad climber
June Lake, California....via the Damascus Road
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 9, 2012 - 07:24am PT
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Thanks Ding and Kath...
You're right.....except.."...friends don't make friends shat themselves!"
:)
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Dingus Milktoast
Gym climber
And every fool knows, a dog needs a home, and...
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Cragman its been a lesson for me, one I need to work on.
Cheers
DMT
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Great pics....Bravo!!!!
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Studly
Trad climber
WA
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It appears that Flanders is back, and KICKING ASS!!!
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Cragman
Trad climber
June Lake, California....via the Damascus Road
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 9, 2012 - 07:57am PT
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^Yeah.
Mine.
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Jan
Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
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Wonderful to read this.
Truly amazing what determinatiuon and good friends can do.
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mctwisted
Social climber
paradise
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good job guys, that mixed climbing is pretty hairy stuff, not like you can have pro where ever you decide you want it, thats the real deal. way to go
my adrenaline seeking friends!
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WML
climber
Biggest Little City, NV
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Burly lookin' line! Great job!
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Dick Erb
climber
June Lake, CA
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Thanks Dean, that's a post I'm glad to see. Way to go Doug, the spirit lives on.
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Johnny K.
climber
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Really awesome,what an inspiration Doug is!
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dee ee
Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
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sweet!
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