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North
climber
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Topic Author's Original Post - Nov 12, 2012 - 09:29pm PT
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Ok, fess up. Who's done it? How did you like it? What was deal? That's our next go next fall. So....
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Mark Hudon
Trad climber
Hood River, OR
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Nov 12, 2012 - 09:32pm PT
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You and "Dancing Portaledge Tupper"?
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hoipolloi
climber
A friends backyard with the neighbors wifi
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Nov 12, 2012 - 09:51pm PT
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I did SS to PO. I think it is the way to go. SS is pretty spectacular and fun climbing through an amazing section of wall. The True PO being just right, while a more obvious and direct line from the ground, I have heard the SS offers better climbing. Then you join PO for some great pitches and good location through the top half of the route.
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Mark Hudon
Trad climber
Hood River, OR
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Nov 12, 2012 - 10:22pm PT
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I agree, SS to PO is way better than the PO proper (and not anywhere near A4 either).
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Gagner
climber
Boulder
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Nov 12, 2012 - 10:44pm PT
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Did the PO with Chris Bellizzi in 1980 - around the 10th ascent I think - not sure. Island in the Sky is a cool place to bivy, and I think the Bering Straits pitch is cool just due to location. Haven't done the South Seas start, but BITD the pitches below the Continental Shelf were pretty sweet - pretty beat now I'd imagine....
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Double D
climber
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Nov 12, 2012 - 10:47pm PT
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PO rocks!
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Mark Hudon
Trad climber
Hood River, OR
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Nov 12, 2012 - 10:55pm PT
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If you could take Tribal Rite and put it on top of the South Seas, you would have one of the most beautiful routes on El Cap.
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North
climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 12, 2012 - 11:09pm PT
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Yeah Mark, "Dances with Ledges Tupper" and I are on it next fall. Hadn't thought about SSPO. Either way, it's El Cap.
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mongrel
Trad climber
Truckee, CA
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Nov 12, 2012 - 11:18pm PT
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You can if you want, Mark! Isn't there a girdle traverse, it would have to go somewhere mid height or so, it would get you there. :)
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Crump
Social climber
Lakewood, CO
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Nov 13, 2012 - 01:09am PT
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Enjoyed it, but it was a long time ago...
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MarkWestman
Trad climber
Talkeetna, Alaska
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Nov 13, 2012 - 01:52am PT
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Did this in 2001. Get ready to clip a LOT of fixed heads on the lower part. Be ready to do some significant nailing if you blow it. We were lucky, it was well fixed and nothing ripped on us. We only put in one head on the route, a circlehead. Elsewhere, you'll find some sections with challenging clean aid or easy nailing. The Nothing Atolls pendi is the real deal, send the rack back down and prepare yourself. The Continental Shelf is a rad bivi. The Central Latitudes takes you to the junction with SS and is exciting for both the leader and follower. Back clean it thoughtfully if you care about your second. Lots of great pitches above this, make sure to bivi on the Island in the Sky. Watch out on the last pitch, the hauling is absolutely hideous. A great route, though I hear many say South Seas is a more aesthetic start.
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Double D
climber
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Nov 13, 2012 - 03:13pm PT
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Captain...or Skully
climber
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Nov 13, 2012 - 03:19pm PT
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We did the South Seas start (myself, Linus Platt & Keith Bischoff).
Lennox led the first pitch. Wild route.
Edit: Say there, "Frank", it was Aug 98.
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FrankZappa
Trad climber
Hankster's crew
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Nov 13, 2012 - 03:31pm PT
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^^^^ Hoo hooo, zee Captain sailing the South Seas. Think I was around then...
Did neither SS or PO in '95. Big storm came in at base of rubber band, did one huge swing over to PO, tied all of our ropes together and they just touched down.
Came back a week later and couldn't make the swing back, so went straight up PO to the top. I got to link both of the A4 pitches below continental shelf in one long lead (gaaaahhhh!!!)
Mr. Way was waiting for us at the bridge to inform us of our ethicly impure, flawed ascent and to inform us that we didn't climb either route. I tried to persuade him by telling him that we had, however, done the cruxes of both routes... but no way!
Classic route. Might as well get on it!
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Nov 13, 2012 - 04:41pm PT
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What Mark Westman said exactly. I did this in '95, supposed after it had been cleaned up. Miles of fixed heads (at least on the lower portion of the route) with an occasional spicy section in between. I really enjoyed the location and features. Not really hard I thought, but interesting throughout.
We skipped SS in part because I remember as an impressionable teen reading Greg Child's Mountain mag article (issue 64 or 65 I think) about the second ascent. Ever since, the names of the pitches and features just became places I had to visit. No regrets about skipping SS, but if I had to do it again that'd probably be the way I'd go.
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MarkWestman
Trad climber
Talkeetna, Alaska
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Nov 13, 2012 - 04:41pm PT
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Mr. Way was waiting for us at the bridge to inform us of our ethicly impure, flawed ascent and to inform us that we didn't climb either route. I tried to persuade him by telling him that we had, however, done the cruxes of both routes... but no way!
I can just hear it..."it didn't have a first ascent, name and date...why bother? That's jive...."
I endured one of those rants after doing the RNW of Half Dome because I took the bolt ladders above Thank God instead of the downward left traverse. He said I "didn't climb the northwest face of Half Dome". I asserted that I climbed the face of Half Dome that faces northwest, therefore I had in fact climbed the Northwest Face of Half Dome. He got quiet smirked and, sort of, conceded the point.
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crunch
Social climber
CO
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Nov 13, 2012 - 04:45pm PT
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Climbed the PO with Matt Dancy, fall, 1983. Epic. Surely the slowest ascent, ever. Eleven days. Ran out of food two or three days from the top, dumped several gallons of water on the summit. Which tells something of the weather we encountered.
Fantastic experience, superb route. I could post up a full-on trip report.
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MarkWestman
Trad climber
Talkeetna, Alaska
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Nov 13, 2012 - 04:47pm PT
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Fat Dad- exactly! The place names alone and the history drew me to the original route. That, and a few people telling me that with my 195 lbs I was "screwed" on some of those head pitches. Neither my partner nor I fell, but I'm not sure how much of it was skill vs. luck. The Nothing Atolls pitch, before the pendi, had me questioning my need to tempt fate. I was also glad the previous lead (linking two pitches of entirely small fixed heads, bad dowels, and hooking) was not my lead!
The route has all the exposure and position of Mescalito but generally sustained at a slightly harder grade. Do it North, you'll be psyched!
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MarkWestman
Trad climber
Talkeetna, Alaska
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Nov 13, 2012 - 04:53pm PT
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Also what's cool is that much of the final three pitches go fairly free, it's a welcome break from standing in slings. Oh and the anchor at the base of the last pitch had some jingus rings attached to the hangers which were bent to oval shape and couldn't be clipped around if I recall. WTF. However you can back up this b.s. with natural pro.
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North
climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 13, 2012 - 04:55pm PT
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Mark W. thanks for the info. We did the NA Wall last year with loads of pendulums, lower outs, etc. Really looking forward to the PO Wall. Probably due the original start and do the SS later.
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