Royal Arches -- the rotten log!

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J. Werlin

climber
Cedaredge
Topic Author's Original Post - Dec 1, 2006 - 11:55am PT
Anybody out there have memories of that hollow, spongy beast?

Or the story behind its demise in 1985 or '86(?)?
Toker Villain

Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
Dec 1, 2006 - 12:03pm PT
Demise was in '84.

I remember climbing up it thinking it was not going to remain in place but being more mortified at the idea of being the guy who caused it to fall.

I'm surprised it lasted another 8 years.
Ksolem

Trad climber
LA, Ca
Dec 1, 2006 - 12:03pm PT
I climbed it in 1984 (edit, maybe it as '83?). It was very sketchy - barely there. My parter was completely gripped and required a serious coaching session to get her to follow (and getting gripped was not her usual style, I should add.)

I recall, after getting down the gully descent it was a little late, and now I was gripped for fear the store would close and there would be no beer. I went ahead fast through the woods, got off route but kept going, and suddenly emerged (draped in ropes and gear) into a private wedding ceremony taking place on a lawn of the Awanee. I was as surprised as they were, and I charged on through the french doors into the hotel, through the dining room and out the lobby. Made the store on time too.
burp

Trad climber
Salt Lake City
Dec 1, 2006 - 12:11pm PT
LOL!!
Forest

Trad climber
Tucson, AZ
Dec 1, 2006 - 12:14pm PT
Well, some of us were only 9 years old in '84. Can anyone explain exactly where the log was? I've gotten the impression that it was after the traverse post-pendulum. That it somehow let you skip the bit of climbing up to and through the oak tree that is basically just held together by its bark now?
soaring_bird

Trad climber
Cheyenne, WY
Dec 1, 2006 - 12:32pm PT
The effect of climbing it was always a lot like climbing a big loose flake or block. Sometimes you just had to make the decision to take the risk and not dwell on it. If you just envisioned yourself levitating while quickly and smoothly scampering like a chipmunk up the log, it would all be over rather quickly. It did make you think twice, however. Perhaps the funniest and scariest part about the legacy of that log was that some parties actually girth hitched it at the mid- point, clipped in the lead rope, and used as a "natural" protection placement! Those were the folks who were truly "taunting Darwin."
Toker Villain

Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
Dec 1, 2006 - 12:36pm PT
Seems to me I recall a Chouinard equipment catalog that recommended that when people use a rurp for aid they should "think pure thoughts".
soaring_bird

Trad climber
Cheyenne, WY
Dec 1, 2006 - 12:40pm PT
I always thought Charlie Porter was a very devout holy man with giant cajones to survive the FA of the Triple Cracks.
TKingsbury

Trad climber
MT
Dec 1, 2006 - 12:41pm PT
Anyone with pictures of the log??

PMS

climber
Woodland Park, CO
Dec 1, 2006 - 12:53pm PT
I thought JDF was going to manufacture 2 logs, and hang the other one off his new bolt on "Double Cross"........
Patrick Sawyer

climber
Originally California now Ireland
Dec 1, 2006 - 12:53pm PT
First climbed RA in 1973 and the log looked very dodgy then. I sure didn't like crawling on that thing. Hairy to say the least.
TKingsbury

Trad climber
MT
Dec 1, 2006 - 01:42pm PT
I googled for it and came up with this...yikes!



photo by: Philip Cobbin
from: http://www.cobbin.com/climber.htm

From the site:
Photograph was taken in spring of 81 +/- and we lost the name and address of the climber. If anyone can identify him and give us an address we would like to send the individual a copy of the print. The individual was in a party of two behind us who had planned to do "The Cobra" route after getting traffick'd off Half Dome. The climber in 1980's was from around the Los Angelus area.

some other cool shots on that site BTW....


Cheers,

Tom



Rick L

Trad climber
El Dorado Hills, CA
Dec 1, 2006 - 01:57pm PT
I first climbed the route in @ 1966. The "Rotten Log" spanned the R facing, relatively low angle, open book just after the old "second pendulum". As I recall, it was about 20-30 feet long. The base was anchored somehow on a ledge- perhaps where it originally grew- I forget. The (very thin)tip simply leaned against the top of the vertical L wall of the open book. It looked pretty damned old then and we were mindful that it was called the "Rotten Log" when the route was first climbed in the 1930's. The thing would bounce as you climbed it, was polished and very slick. Relatively easy tree climbing but plenty spooky. If you and/or the log came off, you would be in for a brutal ride. The issue of whether to "protect" the log was a topic of debate. The pros and cons were pretty obvious. If you somehow fell off with no pro, you would drop onto a steep slab and then take off toward the Ahwahnee. If you slung the Log and fell, then the issue was whether you would take the Log with you- not a pretty picture. If you slung the Log and it came off, well...The most amazing "Darwinian" episode I ever saw was a group of Sierra Clubbers placing Salewa "corkscrew" ice screws in the Log, in effect drilling holes in an already suspect piece of wood. I can also remember another "Three Stooges" episode where the leader got mid-span and feaked out. The more he shook, the more the Log vibrated- setting up a rather nasty harmonic wave. He eventually calmed down and decided that it was easier and safer to keep going. We always treated it as tree climbing with no pro.

The Rotten Log was a classic example of the concept that you rarely get hurt on the hard stuff. It's the easy ground- the "class 3" approaches and descents and "easy 5th class" that gets you. The route is now much safer although some of the spice is gone. I never heard of anyone actually falling off the Log but I would imagine someone has.

Rick
Chicken Skinner

Trad climber
Yosemite
Dec 1, 2006 - 01:58pm PT
Nice photo T Kingsbury. Brings back memories. Here is a photo from the other side though not a very good one. It was taken around 1972 or 1973.


Ken
Clint Cummins

Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
Dec 1, 2006 - 04:21pm PT
From the "route with longest section of tree climbing" thread, posted by thedogfather:

Roger Breedlove

climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
Dec 1, 2006 - 04:32pm PT
Great post and stories Rick.
thedogfather

climber
Midwest
Dec 1, 2006 - 05:34pm PT
Found 2 more of the log from May of 1976

It was my first out of town (Kansas City Area) climbing trip (had never been on a climb rated by anyone other than myself). I had swung leads on Snake Dike the day before and as chance would have it, the tree happened to be my lead too!
Landgolier

climber
the flatness
Dec 1, 2006 - 08:04pm PT
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.html?topic_id=165828

The JDF log 2.0 project thread
RazFrew

Mountain climber
Llanrwst
Sep 25, 2016 - 09:14am PT
Jock Pirrie and I climbed Royal Arches the morning after the log fell. We met a stoned solo climber retreating who could only repeat "the logs gone man, its F*** gone. We continued and saw the broken stump and remains below. So we completed the first ascent without the choice of the log, a bit of a tick. I must say at the time i was disappointed that we had missed an opportunity but hey that's life, and to be honest everyone I spoke to who has sat on it said it was a terrifying experience.
cheers
kunlun_shan

Mountain climber
SF, CA
Sep 25, 2016 - 09:33am PT
Rather amusing "I Plan to replace the rotten log with a fiberglass replica!" link re. Juan. Hadn't seen that before :)
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