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dee ee
Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
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Topic Author's Original Post - Nov 7, 2012 - 12:07pm PT
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It took me 3 tries before the weather, partner, psych and the stars aligned for a successful ascent. By then I had a good number of grade fives under my belt.
I wonder what percentage of climbers just walk up to the Big Stone and send?
Did you send on first try?
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Mark Hudon
Trad climber
Hood River, OR
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He'll, aren't there a number of people who've soloed their first El Cap route? I know I read a TR. about someone doing that on the South Seas.
I got it on my second try. Weather. But my second ascent took two more attempts.
I'm on my best streak ever right now, eight ascents with no failures.
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Alan Bard and I walked up to the base of the Salathe Wall and climbed to the top in 3 days and a few hours in the about 1972/3. Beginner's luck. The remaining tries--the West Face solo (lack of will), and the Nose with a client (too hot)--both failed.
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jcory86
Big Wall climber
Grass Valley, CA
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I soloed three pitches of the nose and bailed on my first attempt. took a nice inverted whipper and after regaining composure and setting up my ledge to chill for the eveningI unloaded my haulbag all over the thing, didn't clip anything in, climbed onto the poorly set up ledge and promptly had it slide up the wall dropping all my stuff cell phone included. Bailed that aft/eve. Had a pity party all night then sacked up and soloed the prow in 2days starting the very next day. Sent the Nose on my next try with a partner, then sent Salathe with two partners in three fun packed days. Shooting for zodiac in a couple weeks.
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Not me lol.. I only had eyes for the captain, no mentor, only knew crevasse rescue ascending techniques and aiding with one daisy. I never did a smaller wall.. and just kept banging my head on the Captain until I figured it out and got up the Salathe for my first success after 3 to 5 tries depending how you count.
Does getting a pitch up Lost in America as a belay slave for a party that quickly decided they did not want a guy who cleaned every head while ascending crevasse rescue style count as an attempt? .. My first try on getting up the Captain..
Great trips each and every one.
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
sawatch choss
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I remember the Captain had never looked so big as the day we walked up to actually climb it.
Nonetheless, we sent on the 1st go. Tangerine Trip, 1994.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Did the usual SFWC first then bagged the Nose with Georges Bettembourge and Dave Cheesmond.
Slam dunk despite bad weather.
But shouldn't this thread address past wall experience as well?
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j-tree
Big Wall climber
Classroom to crag to summer camp
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Def haven't made it up yet, def have tried more than a few times (~8 tries I think)
Reasons for not making it up include:
-Partner wigging out
-Me wigging out
-Equipment failure
-Weather
-Time constraints
edit:
past wall experience:
tried without ever trying anything else first
tried after successively getting up baby walls
tried after soloing baby walls
edit2:
Have never tired it with anyone of equal or greater wall experience than myself.
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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I've had good stats on El Cap because I go there with my betters and don't have the delusions about how fast I'll be moving that I seem to suffer on smaller formations. I think the short approach helps too. You end up climbing before it gets to be too big of a pain in the ass.
My bail rate elsewhere is a truly pathetic.
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briham89
Big Wall climber
san jose, ca
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I'll let you know in the spring...
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RP3
Big Wall climber
El Portal/Chapel Hill
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First try was the Nose with no wall experience. It took 3 days to get to El Cap Tower, after which we bailed! WOOHOO!
Funny to look back at how ill-prepared we were...aiding the stovelegs and such. I guess everyone has to get their feet wet before they can dive in!
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Don Paul
Big Wall climber
Colombia, South America
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I got up the nose my first try but had a good partner. Then bailed off two routes with people I met in Camp 4 both of whom freaked out, one dropped half the gear, the other just had a breakdown. Then I did Zodiac which seemed like a cruise. jcory you will cruise zodiac, I thought it was actually easier than the nose.
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SicMic
climber
two miles from Eldorado
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Nose first try.
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matty
Trad climber
under the sea
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Zodiac first try with one bivy one the wall and one on top...but I had just soloed leaning tower as my first wall and teamed up with another soloist so we had our sh#t dialed in....but I have failed several times since due to weather and partners who were still wet behind the ears.
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can't say
Social climber
Pasadena CA
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my very brief wall CV goes something like this; the Prow, Electric Ladyland then one failed attempt on the Zodiac in 81 when I first dropped the dope and then my hammer at the top of the Black Tower pitch.
Right after bailing I met a guy from WA who wanted to do the Zodiac on the C4 bullentin board. We managed it with few issues.
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Roger Brown
climber
Oceano, California
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Made it a week or so ago with Doug. My first attempt and his first major commitment since the stroke/heart attack last year. 2 days fixing then 4 days on the route. The West Face Route. We were really slow, but then again we are a little older than a lot of you. Oldest West Face Team at 127 years?
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crunch
Social climber
CO
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Dave Houchin talked me into doing the Salathe Wall. I had no real interest in big walls at the time. We did a quick saunter up the Prow first (first ever aid, first ever wall), then El Cap. After years of trad climbing in UK, with small RPs and other tricky gear, aiding seemed easy. So, no drama, lot of fun. Opened my eyes to the crazy places aid climbing could take you!
Nose, Shield, PO Wall, Tangerine Trip, plus runs up West Butt and East Butt. Came close to bailing from PO Wall but we elected to keep going despite terrible weather. Climbed Salathe a second time with girlfriend. That was also first time success for her.
Big thanks to Dave Houchin for getting me started!
One hundred percent record back in the 80s.
A more recent attempt on Lunar Eclipse ended 6 pitches up. Not sure why, I was not so hungry, maybe, less in tune with the rock. It was kinda wet and dripping, but still.... I should have understood that before starting, that was careless.
I hate bailing.
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John M
climber
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I soloed three pitches of the nose and bailed on my first attempt. took a nice inverted whipper and after regaining composure and setting up my ledge to chill for the eveningI unloaded my haulbag all over the thing, didn't clip anything in, climbed onto the poorly set up ledge and promptly had it slide up the wall dropping all my stuff cell phone included. Bailed that aft/eve. Had a pity party all night then sacked up and soloed the prow in 2days starting the very next day. Sent the Nose on my next try with a partner, then sent Salathe with two partners in three fun packed days. Shooting for zodiac in a couple weeks.
This is a classic tale. Way to go.
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