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Oso Flaco
Gym climber
Atascadero, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Sep 8, 2016 - 01:47pm PT
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Hi Gentlemen,
I recently climbed Sacherer Cracker, 5.10a, at the base of El Cap and found it to be probably the hardest 10a I've encountered. I looked up the FA and it was done in 1964 by Frank Sacherer. What's the history there? I'm blown away that this was free climbed without climbing shoes, cams, nuts, or other modern equipment. Anyone have any details or stories of the first or early ascents?
My imagination shows a climber hanging by a thin hand jam, hand-placing an angle pin, whacking it into the crack single-handedly while smearing the wall with lug boots, a hemp rope dangling below, shirtless while wearing knickers...
Thanks! AF
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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There were climbing shoes and nylon ropes in 1964....
He climbed lots of 5.10s that year.
Probably in Kronhofer shoes, which were not great for thin cracks,
but they were quite good for face climbing and friction.
There used to be a fixed angle piton at the crux, too.
You should still be able to see the rust stains where it was.
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deuce4
climber
Hobart, Australia
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I believe it was one of the first climbs, and the first thin crack route, to be clearly harder than the top o' scale 5.9 at the time.
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Other than the hemp rope, you're on target. The lack of modern wide protecting gear was doubtless why Roper described it in the 1971 guide as "difficult to protect."
John
Edit: I should add that Frank was notorious for running it out.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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skill sets at the time were more well developed across the community such that one's protection was their technique.
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Levy
Big Wall climber
Calabasas
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Protection used to be better back then for the top section, there was a slung natural chockstone that is now gone.
It does feel stout for 5.10a though, it always has.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Outside the Asylum
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When I first did the route (1976?) there were two fixed angles at the crux thin hands section, which were quite handy. They might have been left there by some hapless second, although as one rappels the route that seems unlikely. Perhaps they were deliberately placed around 1970, before good hexes became available?
Slack Centre was done in 1958, and in the 1970 guidebook Sacherer Cracker (not named) is only mentioned as "A variation of its first two pitches". But perhaps during 1958 - 64 people had climbed Slack Centre, and rappelled down Sacherer Cracker, or even aided some or all of Sacherer Cracker.
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Oso Flaco
Gym climber
Atascadero, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 8, 2016 - 02:47pm PT
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Awesome history, thanks guys! I did the route last Friday and there is still a chockstone at the bottom of the OW with a couple slings around it. Saw some other posts about a missing chockstone. Maybe there was more than one?
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Levy
Big Wall climber
Calabasas
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Oso- yes, there used to be 2 chockstones up there and the 1st allowed you to mount the 2nd more easily. Now it's harder for sure to get into the wyde part. ;)
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jgill
Boulder climber
The high prairie of southern Colorado
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I believe it was one of the first climbs, and the first thin crack route, to be clearly harder than the top o' scale 5.9 at the time
Maybe in that locale and for thin cracks, but in general 5.10 levels of difficulty go back to 1910.
For example, from Clint's list:
6b (5.10c) 1949 Goodro's Crack Wasatch (UT) Harold Goodro
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BruceHildenbrand
Social climber
Mountain View/Boulder
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Back in the mid-70's(AKA before SLCD's, hexes only) there used to be a fixed angle about 30 feet up the hand crack section where you could actually get a good jam.
You did the first 30 feet or so up to the ledge where the crack started; got a rest; looked up at that pin which seemed a long ways away and just gunned it to the jam where you could clip the pin.
A friend of mine fell just before getting to the pin and took a 60' ground fall. He called his mom up from the Yosemite Hospital and told her he had slipped while hiking.
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clinker
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
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The man was Frank and he freed some serious sh#t in his day.
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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There used to be a fixed angle piton at the crux, too.
Hey gang, the fixed pieces on el cap must be replaced with bolts. Woot!
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Mike Sherrick is around at various gatherings, he's listed on the FFA...
but I'm not sure he follows STForum... or if he does, what his username is...
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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the 5.10a is the thin hands section in the middle...
the OW at the top is a test piece, if you have good technique it is very easy (and Sacherer had that technique in spades), if you don't you will flail and fail...
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clinker
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
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the OW at the top is a test piece, if you have good technique it is very easy (and Sacherer had that technique in spades)
I was told that when it got wide enough Sacherer swung his cojones in for a no hands rest.
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Bushman
climber
The state of quantum flux
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Proud route, stoker!
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Oso Flaco
Gym climber
Atascadero, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 8, 2016 - 08:40pm PT
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I was told that when it got wide enough Sacherer swung his cojones in for a no hands rest.
You mean...his jockstones
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Tom
Big Wall climber
San Luis Obispo CA
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The first time that the Valley Giant VG12 was used in anger, it was at the top of the Sacherer Cracker.
Before then, REAL men didn't need a big cam.
"Our technique is our protection" - Chuck Pratt
Nowadays, the paradigm is sometimes this:
"My protection is my technique" - Tom Kasper
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