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john hansen
climber
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Topic Author's Original Post - Dec 31, 2012 - 12:52am PT
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I was wondering who first climbed up to the base of half dome by this route.
A historical question.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Dec 31, 2012 - 12:57am PT
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from Roper
Half Dome -- from Mirror Lake
II, class 3. First ascent unknown.
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the Fet
climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
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Dec 31, 2012 - 01:18am PT
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Legend has it...
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Dec 31, 2012 - 02:22am PT
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There was this time, quite a long time ago:
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Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
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Dec 31, 2012 - 02:31am PT
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Peter that looks like some sort of monster's back end who is bending over.
The Fet, as with Peter's image, well done.
Kevin, you did the FA? I knew you were old, but not that old. ;-)
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Dec 31, 2012 - 02:46am PT
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Interesting Rohrschach result, there Patrick. Anyway, The Warbler will make his claims, but we ALL know that it went down differently. This is how the whole shebang was formed and what was going on before the Dome went to halves.
Babe the Blue Ox and her buddy, Paul Bunyan. A real American triumph. They formed lakes, valleys, hills and rivers. They were v. busy, you see, back then. But they did get to the Death Slab business eventually. All when Werner was in fact still a nice boy. Young and polite, like he was raised. And the Warbler was only just beginning to roost in the Valley.
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karodrinker
Trad climber
San Jose, CA
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Dec 31, 2012 - 11:03am PT
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3rd class my ass. Without the fixed lines that is some treacherous terrain.
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east side underground
climber
Hilton crk,ca
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Dec 31, 2012 - 11:15am PT
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almost got the chop from rockfall a few years back while on the fixed lines... no where to hide...that place scares the sh#t out of me
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Dec 31, 2012 - 11:56am PT
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Once I almost surfed off a major drop on a slab that cut loose! Jumped off at the last second.
Once had a partner that refused to do a couple sections without a rope. I didn't blame him.
Then there are a few tricky route finding spots. Don't know, it may be marked better now.
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Ihateplastic
Trad climber
It ain't El Cap, Oregon
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Dec 31, 2012 - 12:45pm PT
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Peter, you gave me a boner!
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Dec 31, 2012 - 03:36pm PT
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An interesting variation of the question might be when it started to be the standard approach to the Northwest Face. I encountered a party topping out on the Regular Route in 1968, and they used the trail. I used the trail in the early 1970's, but I know that Robbins and Dorworth used the Death Slabs on the first ascent of Arcturus.
Any thoughts?
John
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Dec 31, 2012 - 04:10pm PT
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An interesting variation of the question might be when it started to be the standard approach to the Northwest Face.
I believe it is STILL not the standard. I think way more parties still hump the long road.
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guido
Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
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Dec 31, 2012 - 04:13pm PT
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Wee history on the Death Slabs:
Feb 28, 2009 - 02:38pm PT
I think it was the summer of 1965, when Steve Hickman arrived in Yosemite to take over the Search and Rescue aspect for the NPS. Steve was a well known Colorado climber and a permanent ranger. He also was a fine individual, had a wonderful sense of humor and loved having a good time. All ingredients for a life long friendship.
I was hired by Rick Anderson, then District Valley Ranger, as Hickmans assistant, as Steve had little experience with Yosemite climbing. Rick had hired Jeff Foott the previous summer for the same position, but Jeff and gone off to the Tetons to work for Exum. I guess you could say Foott was the first “Climbing Ranger” in Yosemite and I was the second.
Steve and I did a number of climbs together and participated in far too many rescues and recoveries for the next two summers. To lighten the psychological baggage, we eventually named ourselves the “Alpine Body Snatchers” as we seem to deal with an unusually high number of deaths those two summers.
I may have the dates incorrect, but I believe it was the winter of 1964-5 that two Stanford students, Green and Hermann disappeared on a climb from Mirror Lake up to the NW face of Half Dome.
Numerous attempts were made to locate them but to no avail. In early summer, Chris Jones, while on the NW face noticed two bodies uncovered by the melting snow.
Five of us spent three long days getting the water logged bodies from the “Death Slabs” up to the saddle and then by horseback down to the valley. We had the use of a small, gasoline powered winch system, but it failed early on. Why, we did not use a helicopter I don’t recall. Certainly would have made things a lot easier and safer. I have always had a great fear of horses after getting thrown off one when I was young. As they slipped and slide down the rocky trails, I would take my foot out of the downhill stirrup on big dropoffs, ready to jump to the safer uphill side. Cowboy I am not.
The term ‘Death Slabs” is certainly appropriate but I don’t recall it being used back then? Not a place you want to hang out during the winter. Roper took a 600 ft fall in this area while “teaching” the finer aspects of crampon style to his partner Sacherer, who wanted a rope but Roper told him no, because he didn’t want to be pulled off if Sacherer fell! I remember smuggling bottles of red wine into Roper while he convalesced in the Yosemite Hospital for several weeks.
The odd thing about this entire experience is that Green was the son of my Physics Professor at San Jose State. I had such a horrible rapport with his father that I could never bridge the gap and communicate with him about the death of his son.
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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Dec 31, 2012 - 04:30pm PT
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3rd class my ass. Without the fixed lines that is some treacherous terrain.
Maybe, then, it was Norman Clyde who did the FA and called it class 3?
(:
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Dec 31, 2012 - 07:44pm PT
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Pretty cruisey approach. If you think it's knarly DO NOT do the approach to the N. Face of Poincenot.
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WBraun
climber
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Dec 31, 2012 - 11:02pm PT
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Went up the "Death Slabs" this October with Merry and left the the main trail way to the left where no one ever goes.
We came to a really dicey traverse across this slab and Merry slipped on some ball bearing gravel.
She was barely hanging on by the time I ran back to grab her.
She almost went for the 1000 foot ride.
"Death Slabs" for sure ......
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10b4me
Boulder climber
Somewhere on 395
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Damn Werner. Glad Merry came out of it ok
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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the full description from Roper (1971 "Green" guide)
Half Dome -- From Mirror Lake
II, class 3. First ascent unknown. Barriers of cliffs and slabs block easy access from below, but those with good routefinding ability can find ropeless passage. In general, keep to the left. From the base of the 1,800-foot northwest face, walk up and left over talus and brush to the trail. Allow four or five hours to reach this point.
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pyro
Big Wall climber
Calabasas
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This piture was taken after it took me and steve 4days to get lines fixed and bags at base of tissasack. I belive the slabs add to the routes rating
Death slabs for sure!
I bet the base of stoney has seen about the same amount of ju
mpers.
Nice work guido. Must have been tuff.
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