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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 29, 2016 - 04:06pm PT
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POWERPOINT
I was six years out from a frostbite injury to the fingers of both my hands. Over those years, I'd recovered about as well as I ever would. I wouldn't enjoy a robust sport climbing renaissance with my peers. But I was still on-sighting long free routes, often doing most of the leading, and without falls. And all of that is what mattered most.
Billy Russell and I climbed Powerpoint together in June of 1990. I used one point of aid and Billy used one sixpack of Old English malt liquor. I led everything except the seventh pitch. Billy had dibs on this 11a off-width, and he followed or jumared everything else. That's just how he wanted it.
For a lot of us, the route harbored bad feelings. Eric Goukas had died leading one of the lower pitches. He was running it out. Why he came off no one knows. Unsure of the location of his fall, I was very careful in these lower sections. I remember laybacking portions of rock that were booby-trapped with powdered lichen.
*Read the AAC accident report:
http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13198704102/print
When we got to it, the corner holding the wide crack looked a thing of beauty. The crack itself was a consistent challenge. Billy tackled his lead in little bites and took his time, but he rarely stopped moving. I'm telling you, Bill chowed that OW like a Degnan's hoagie.
Etched high into the towering buttress of Higher Cathedral Rock, the namesake Powerpoint showed itself to be a bouldery section of holds leading over a bulge. I had led out right from the large right facing dihedral, which extended up for another pitch above the off-width. The traverse getting way out right to the bolt didn't protect well, if at all. I backtracked and looked for supplementary protection but couldn't find any. This was a problem for me. The bolt was crap.
Scott Cosgrove, quoted from Alpinist:
I drilled too shallow, leaving a quarter-inch button head, overdriven and hanging halfway out of the hole.
I couldn't see any useful options for footholds. It looked like the bolt protected a short passage of campus board. Stout 11c crimping was something I was good at. This looked a notch harder. I knew if that bolt failed, I would likely die from impacting the dihedral. I chose life, and weighted the bolt very carefully to get onto the upper holds. Kevin Fosburg and I recently discussed this crux. He assessed it at solid 12a.
Scott, excerpted from Alpinist:
I found a flat edge, matched hands, cranked hard. Like magic, another series of handholds came into perfect position, spaced to fit my body.
And the route is named for the crux ... Cosgrove from Alpinist:
Kauk's words rang in my ears, Focus on your power-point. Put all your energy to the single move, clear every thought...
Higher on the next very exposed pitch I enjoyed a beautiful section of jamming. The adventure really began to sing at a switching of cracks where the two elegant splitters sliced parallel through the sterling silver granite. Exiting left from that position felt truly wild. It wasn't hard climbing but I was happy not to blow it. I felt I was out there in the crow's nest, swaying atop the great mast of Higher Cathedral Rock, my heart billowing like a sail against the cerulean sky.
I was feeling pretty worked at this point. Very little power left. Billy and I made the transition to the Crucifix route, where I also needed a few points of aid to overcome the 11d Ear section of the Crucifix finish. I had been up there twice before, having led all the pitches of the Crucifix both times, and each time I was confused about what to do or just too gassed to try anything.
As before, I French-free climbed the smooth bulge, surmounting the flawless three-quarter inch crack which goes straight up out of the stance. Don't do it! When you get to the Ear, bust out left and grapple with that sucker!
Best thoughts for Goukas and Cosgrove!
Berg Heil!
Roy McClenahan
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CLICK HERE, for a MUST READ SCOTT COSGROVE account of the Powerpoint FA inside Alpinist Magazine:
http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web16a/newswire-remembering-scott-cosgrove
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From Don Reid's Yosemite Climbs: FREE CLIMBS
The only annotation made by Scott Cosgrove is the bolt for the crux.
If you look closely, he moved that further to the right, which underscores its crucial nature.
Powerpoint is listed in Reid's guide as a free variation to the Pratt Kelsey.
It is not listed as an FFA.
I believe this is because it deviates to the right where Pratt Kelsey stays left and goes over some roofs.
The road to Powerpoint!
1990 was a good year for me. Highlights from a six week period listed below.
Except for Powerpoint, these routes were all done on-sight, no falls. (I had on-sight flashed Rostrum years earlier)
Digital Extraction, Devils Tower, w/Nancy Prichard, led first 2 pitches, on-sight, no falls.
North Face, Castleton Tower, w/Nancy Prichard, led all pitches, on-sight, no falls.
Lightning Bolt Cracks, North Six Shooter, w/Nancy Prichard, led all pitches, on-sight, no falls.
Freestone, Geek Towers, w/Sue Bonavich, swinging leads, on-sight, no falls.
Butterballs, Nabisco Wall, w/Karine Croft, led on-sight, no falls.
North Face, Upper Rostrum, w/Kevin Fosburg, swinging leads, no falls. (same day as Butterballs)
Powerpoint, HCR, w/Bill Russell, led all pitches except OW, no falls, 1 point of aid. (+ several at the Ear)
The Naked Edge, Eldorado Canyon, w/Deanne Gray & Scott Miller, led 3 hardest pitches, on-sight no falls.
Yellow Wall, The Diamond, w/Steve Connelly, swinging leads, on-sight, no falls.
*Everything except Yellow Wall was done in the span of a month.
Yellow Wall came two weeks after the Naked Edge, separated by an orgy of Eldorado classics.
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Four challenging Yosemite routes with Cosgrove annotated topos
The Affliction, Higher Cathedral Rock
http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/2788402/THE-AFFLICTION-FA-Walt-Shipley-Scott-Cosgrove-July-1990
Thin Line, Ribbon Falls Area
http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/2788427/THIN-LINE-FA-Werner-Braun-Scott-Cosgrove-Sept-1986
Ribbon Candy, Ribbon Falls Area
http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/2788451/RIBBON-CANDY-FA-Johnny-Woodward-Scott-Cosgrove-May-1988
Return to the Stone Age, Bridalveil Falls Area
http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/2623375/Return-to-the-Stone-Age
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fosburg
climber
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Mar 29, 2016 - 05:16pm PT
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Thanks for posting this Roy, Powerpoint is a great route! That off-width corner has gotta be one of the Butt Rustler's proudest leads ever, one of the most obvious features in the Valley.
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Mar 29, 2016 - 05:27pm PT
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Ugh, all I can think of is Doug telling me the story one day as we hiked in the mountains.
Good job fellas, and thanks Roy.
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BLUEBLOCR
Social climber
joshua tree
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Mar 29, 2016 - 05:29pm PT
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Yeah thanks for posting these up Tarbuster
that was a good run you had in 90!
i always wanted to do both of those on Higher. We went up there and looked at'em, in 91. Beauties!
Cool to be learning more about Scott too
:)
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Mar 29, 2016 - 06:54pm PT
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Andrew Marquart and I did an early ascent of PowerPoint m, at Scott's suggestion, in '87 or '88. We were barely out of the car upon arrival when he insisted we go do it. Among other things, he wanted verification of the rating of the wide pitch ( did we do the second?), but hello thought we'd dig it!
And we did!
I lead the wide pitch which seemed suitably graded, to me. But that did not prepare edit the adventure of the .11ccruxpith. Dru leader,bad bolt and all! When I followed itiwassared to death! I clipped the bolt and took a ride. Scary exposed overhanging shit!!
The rest was easier but still incredibly wild!
A five star, fun, scary route!
We specialized in long hard (for us) free routes that trip; Freestone & Astroman,were part of the lineup and I swear every inch of PowerPoint stands out!
Superb route!
Thanks Scott! & you too Werner!!
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steve s
Trad climber
eldo
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Mar 29, 2016 - 08:15pm PT
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Roy ,thanks for posting these stories. Brings back great memories of the 80's and early 90's. Fun times for those there and pullin down.....or not! Peace from Eldo. Steve Sangdahl
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WBraun
climber
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Mar 29, 2016 - 08:49pm PT
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When I first saw Power Point I told no one until I was ready to do the FA.
I knew Coz would be the perfect partner at the time.
But Croft also had his eye on it unbeknownst to me.
Luckily we went before he showed up as he surely would have done the FA.
Croft at that time was probably one of the best crack climbers in the world ....
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le_bruce
climber
Oakland, CA
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Mar 30, 2016 - 12:43am PT
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Has the bolt been replaced?
Great stuff, Tarbuster, thank you
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bradL
Trad climber
Lake Tahoe, NV
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Mar 30, 2016 - 07:34am PT
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Are the first few pitches of 5.8 and 5.9 worth climbing by themselves and then rapping off? I guess you'd have to be ready to leave a hand full of stoppers and slings. But is the climbing worth it?
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drljefe
climber
El Presidio San Augustin del Tucson
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Mar 30, 2016 - 08:09am PT
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Thanks Tarbuster.
These recollections and tributes to Cosgrove are the only thing that matters to me on supertopo right now.
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MikeL
Social climber
Seattle, WA
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Mar 30, 2016 - 08:16am PT
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Thx, Tarbuster. The Alpinist article has some good writing. I especially liked Cosgrove’s words describing his experience at the top of Powerpoint, and crazy eyes:
I felt the presence of those who'd sat on this ledge before us and long since vanished. No one who has been there would ever doubt that something more powerful surrounds us...
and then . . .
And now I have the eyes, too, the crazy eyes that look right through bullsh#t, that have stared down death hundreds of times, but they are kind, not crazy; they took a lifetime to earn and a moment to make.
Maybe not crazy eyes, but crazy wisdom.
R.I.P.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 30, 2016 - 08:46am PT
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bradL,
No, I do not think the opening pitches are worthy in and of themselves.
They are good for the feeling of physical exercise and for getting you up into position for the main event.
Reid's topo shows six in all. I don't remember any fixed belays.
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WBraun
climber
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Mar 30, 2016 - 08:53am PT
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Didn't Donini and Bragg originally attempt this route.
We found their retreat left behind hexes laying at the base of the start of the off-width pitch.
The hexes were crushed and flattened from the earthquakes.
If one is climbing a long hand crack in Yosemite during a severe earthquake one might have their hands crushed?
I've seen the cracks spit out my cams during the severe earthquakes many years ago here.
Luckily I was at the belay and my partner had not yet started to ascend when it started.
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Mar 30, 2016 - 10:43am PT
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Thanks for these threads, Tarbuster! With comments from a member of the FA party and Jaybro's story of an early (second?) ascent, not to mention your excellent writing, this thread disproves the tired contention that the ST forum isn't worth it.
John
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fosburg
climber
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Mar 30, 2016 - 11:47am PT
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When I was up there a few years back with a famous climber I noticed a cool memorial plaque for Eric Goukas attached to the wall above the crux. I wonder if that was something Coz installed?
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NutAgain!
Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
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Mar 30, 2016 - 01:32pm PT
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I remember looking over longingly at this route from NEB HCR. If/when I get my climbing up to 5.11 this will be on my shortlist (even if I need a bit of pulling on gear to get it done).
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shylock
Social climber
mb
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Mar 30, 2016 - 10:06pm PT
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Have always been drawn to this route. In certain light, that corner freakin glows. The crux face climbing sounds so wild.. Love where the name comes from, will try and keep that in mind on some routes..
Very sad to read that Eric Goukas accidnet report. History like that always gives a route a particular mood..
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Mar 30, 2016 - 10:12pm PT
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Brad L, I on the other hand would say yes, for sure! I loved those pitches!
I remember Coz talking about going up to mount the plaque sometime after we climbed it.
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E Robinson
climber
Salinas, CA
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This was one of my favorite routes in Yosemite...such a beautiful line. Greg Murphy and I went up there not too long after Erik Goukas passed in summer 1986. I have a vague memory that on the first ascent of the upper pitches Coz and Werner did the first pitches on the NE Buttress to get up there. Then after Erik's death they went back up to do the whole thing with the independent start. Don't know if that memory is completely baked or not. Greg and I went up sometime later that summer at the urging of Coz. I made the mistake of packing a Mountain Dew and Pepperidge Farm jelly cookies for lunch. After downing ny lunch, I did the wide corner. It was still fairly flaky in places and was pretty pumpy for me (can't remember if we scrounged up a 2nd homemade #5 friend or not). Got to the belay without falling, but couldn't keep the Mountain Dew and cookie mix down. Tried my best to keep it out of the crack, but alas Greg couldn't completely avoid it when cleaning. (Felt a little shitty about that.) He then led through the classic set of moves out to the Arete cleanly without falling. I remember on 2nd just how beautiful and incredible that position was...it was reachy and at the edge of my ability...but powered through no falls too. Higher Cathedral is such an incredible, powerful place and Powerpoint always struck me as something like an Astroman with lots and lots of gusto. Here's to Coz and Werner for their vision on that route.
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G Murphy
Trad climber
Oakland CA
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Yup, when I did this with Elliott, it felt like a huge step up for me. Consistently burly and spectacular climbing. The OW is awesome as is the power point pitch. Arm bar-ing through Elliott's lunch on the OW was memorable and probably added a letter grade due to slickness and smell! As a little hint, you can heel hook across the power point move to take a little weight off your fingers. Did it again with Chan Harrell.
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