micronut
Trad climber
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Topic Author's Original Post - Apr 12, 2012 - 10:23am PT
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Yo. The Regular Route is proud. No matter what you've climbed or where, this route is one of the best you'll ever do...or want to do....or never do but wish you could. It captivated me for years and always seemed like a "someday" route, but last fall we pulled it off with a rainstorm threatening. What pure joy. One of our best days on the rock ever. Steep, long, committing, amazing position and great history. I think she deserves a thread of her own on this dreary, drizzly work day.
TO QUOTE THE SUPERTOPO GUIDE: The Regular Route of Fairview is listed in 50 Classic Climbs of North America—“routes which ambitious climbers dream of doing.” There is no doubt that it is one of the climbs to dream about in Tuolumne Meadows.
I agree. Please post up photos and stories here.
Macronut took these pano shots. They'd look good blown up on a wall someday.
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bhilden
Trad climber
Mountain View, CA
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Apr 12, 2012 - 10:30am PT
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First did it in 1976 when there was no guidebook to Tuolumne. My partner and I just went up there and figured out where to go. Pretty fun and unlike these days, no one else around, at all. Them's were the days.
"There's supposed to be a climb in the Meadows called the Dike Route. Look over there. That looks like a dike. Let's climb up a ways and see if there are any bolts. I think I see a bolt. We must be on (a) route."
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Mike Bolte
Trad climber
Planet Earth
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Apr 12, 2012 - 10:36am PT
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no, no - this route is a pile. If you haven't done it, don't bother. The approach is long, there are loose death blocks everywhere, no way to protect most of it, lightning strikes the top regularly. Stay away for sure.
EDIT: OK - people saw right through this. Might be my favorite route. Don't know when I first did it, maybe 1978 or 1979. Did it every year after that for about 20 years. Have seen the first pitch (below the crux) get more and more slippery. I wonder if it is the thousands of rock shoes bit-by-bit removing the little bumps that make for friction there.
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micronut
Trad climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 12, 2012 - 10:38am PT
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Our film of the climb. A Black Coffee Production.
Straight Thuggin' Da Meadowz
http://vimeo.com/29179323
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
the crowd MUST BE MOCKED...Mocked I tell you.
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Apr 12, 2012 - 10:41am PT
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I'm with Bolte on this one. Especially since I haven't done it and I'm going to this year.
Would everyone mind staying off this route terribly? Say until August?
Cool, glad that worked out for us all. thx!
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Texplorer
Trad climber
Sacramento
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Apr 12, 2012 - 10:51am PT
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. . . don't forget the wet first pitch. . . er I mean ice on the first pitch.
Actually a really fun line. I remember looking up and thinking that roof couldn't be sub 5.10 terrain.
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Dr. F.
Ice climber
SoCal
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Apr 12, 2012 - 10:53am PT
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Are we allowed to talk about how many times we soloed it?
The wet pitch is problematic.
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Apr 12, 2012 - 10:58am PT
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I was first on it in 1972, and we had the route to ourselves. I came back in 1990, and we had to wait in line for three other parties, with a party behind us!
Even with the crowds, it was still a very satisfying climb, though I haven't been inclined to revisit because I prefer relative solitude.
JOhn
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Apr 12, 2012 - 11:00am PT
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Everybody luvs a gud conga line. I don't know why a three pitch climb is in 50 Classics.
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Cosmiccragsman
Trad climber
AKA Dwain, from Apple Valley, Ca. and Vegas!
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Apr 12, 2012 - 11:11am PT
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I've done the Regular Route about 8 times, but not in the last 20 years.
next time I go to Facelift, that is on my LIST!
Probably not this year because of my shoulder injury, but next year after I heal up.
It is INDEED a classic!
COOL video, Micronut!
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mooser
Trad climber
seattle
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Apr 12, 2012 - 11:13am PT
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I'm with you, Micronut. I've always enjoyed this climb, and look forward to the next time I'm down that way to do it again.
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ontheedgeandscaredtodeath
Trad climber
San Francisco, Ca
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Apr 12, 2012 - 11:13am PT
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Did it a couple of summers ago, we were the only parties on the route (two teams of two). Super fun.
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micronut
Trad climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 12, 2012 - 11:30am PT
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Apr 12, 2012 - 11:55am PT
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Did it with a good friend last summer. It was my first 5.9 OS lead (1st pitch). Thank god there was only a few moves of 5.9, or I would be screwed.
New Beckey book came out (100 favorite climbs). Regular route is not in it, but another route from Fairview is. So happened that it was on my list for next year. Would be nice to progress and do "Fairest of All" some day. I sold my bivy bag to a dude who was on a FA party, which was kind of surprising.
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tolman_paul
Trad climber
Anchorage, AK
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Apr 12, 2012 - 11:57am PT
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I've been on it twice, topped out once. Unfortunately I didn't carry a camera either time. I think an early experience on a multipitch route carrying an SLR in a pack swore me off carrying a camera as hauling a pack sucks.
By far one of my best climbing experiences. First time I went up to the meadows for a weekend with my partner and we were lolligagging that trip. Did a selection of short stuff the first day, and left the RR for the second day. We got a late start, and there were 2 or 3 parties on the route. We did the first two pitches, but the 3 dopes on a rope ahead of us were dropping gear and otherwise clogging up the route. I knew if we stayed on the route we would be descending in the dark, with no flash lights. Wisdom overcame valor so we rapped off the top of the 2nd pitch.
Next summer I came back on a mission. Different partner, single 10mm X 55m rope vs. the twin 50's and cut the gear to a minimum to move as fast as possible. This was 90 or 91, so back when 50m was std and a 55 fairly specialized. We got an early start and were first on the route. I had my partner simul-climb a couple moves to combine the first two pitches, and than ran as many following pitches full rope length as possible. We climbed fairly quickly and smoothly. Up high on the route the roof move and the ledge traverse are cool features. But then before you know it you've topped out.
Can't wait to get back on it.
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Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Apr 12, 2012 - 10:12pm PT
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'71(?) with Luke.
I think I have one B&W print of the descent
that I matted onto board;
else it was just burned into my mind.
It was difficult for me, and I'm not sure I did it clean, but
christ it was a good climb, and I descended happy.
My arms cramped while I pulled up the rope.
Hey, it was a long time ago.
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Donald Thompson
Trad climber
Los Angeles,CA
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Apr 12, 2012 - 10:47pm PT
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First time we did it in perfect weather.
Next time ,a few years later I partnered with someone I didn't know who decided to wear only shorts and a t-shirt against my advice. A few pitches up we were hit with that sudden drop in temps and full out buckets of rain. We had to bail after his lips started turning blue.
Rappelling on the bottom pitches the water ran over the tops of my shoes, like wading in a fast moving stream.
Beautiful route. WORD
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mcreel
climber
Barcelona
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Apr 13, 2012 - 12:08am PT
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It's a good route, but for a similar rating and length I like E.B. Middle Cathedral better.
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martygarrison
Trad climber
Washington DC
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Apr 13, 2012 - 06:37am PT
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have done it a number of times from the mid 70's on. I like the route but not on any high all time list or anything.
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