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pickle chops
Trad climber
UK
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Topic Author's Original Post - May 3, 2007 - 03:35pm PT
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I was interested to hear of peoples experience on MEscalito if they managed or got anywhere near a hammerless ascent. I'm hopin over the pond to Yosemite later in the year and have time for a couple of quick walls or a mini epic and had my sights set on Mescalito
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crackfiend
climber
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was on mescalito last summer. I nailed two pins. one was a beak into a head that had the cable snap on me and the other was merely for my own state of mind, not mandatory, I just wasnt willing to crater into my belayer. My partner nailed two pins on the c3r pitch up high. somewhat bad fall but once again not mandatory, just peace of mind for punters like us. I think it very reasonably could be done with less than 5 spot to nail in. just get ready to cam hook your head off and use tons of offset hb's
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Ksolem
Trad climber
LA, Ca
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Rob Brown and I did it about 5 years ago. I think we placed two pins over the course of the route. It has been done without more than once. Take camhooks for sure. Like was said above, you better at least have what you need to fix a head or a rivet in the haul bag.
It is a really fun route.
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ontheedgeandscaredtodeath
Trad climber
San Francisco, Ca
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I concur w/ the above. I did it several years ago and placed a pin or two and used a hammer to replace a head (after I took a whipper when the cable snapped). I am sure it has been done hammerless but, in my opinion, it would be crazy to go up with out one. It's a great route- enjoy.
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billygoat
climber
3hrs to El Cap Meadow, 1.25hrs Pinns, 42min Castle
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Send Lunchbox an email. He did it a few weeks ago. I know they hammered, but I'm not sure how much. Also, be aware that there is free attempt in progress. Fixed gear could potentially get removed...
Good luck.... Mescalito is on my 2007 tick list as well.
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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I believe Texplorer and a friend did it clean a couple of years back and weren't grizzled wall veteran's at the time...
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Ksolem
Trad climber
LA, Ca
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A free attempt on Mescalito..? Yikes.
There are some pretty significant sections of featureless rock up there where the old rivet ladders are (were?) I know that over and over again climbers have come out looking silly for saying something could not be done, but freeing Mescalito by anything close to it's original line seems pretty futuristic.
Who's making the attempt?
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Matt
Trad climber
places you shouldn't talk about in polite company
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the guy you'd think would have the best crack at something like that.
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Lambone
Ice climber
Ashland, Or
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I think parties regularly do Mesc clean. When we were on PO we saw the guys ascross from us on Mesc replacing a head right off belay 8 or 9. And it sounds like some rivets up high need replacement.
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Texplorer
Trad climber
Las Vegas
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Yes, We did it clean a couple of years ago. It was my partner's first wall too.
Bring a double set of offset friends (extra style points for dimple marked ones). It's an interesting and fun route with some spice on it but nothing too serious.
On our ascent the hammer never came out of the bag
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Mimi
climber
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Awesome Tex.
Beautiful route. Definitely on the list.
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pickle chops
Trad climber
UK
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Topic Author's Reply - May 4, 2007 - 07:18am PT
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Guys/Gals,
thanks for the heads up (no pun intended.) That pretty much concurs with what I'd heard and read so far. Better buy a second set of offsets and dial those cam-hooks.
Have a great summer
P
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pickle chops
Trad climber
UK
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Topic Author's Reply - May 4, 2007 - 07:19am PT
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Guys/Gals,
thanks for the heads up (no pun intended.) That pretty much concurs with what I'd heard and read so far. Better buy a second set of offsets and dial those cam-hooks.
Have a great summer
P
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Pick up a few Yates Aid Screamers to help boost your confidence. Play around with the cam hooks, especially the micros, before you head on up. They can be a little spooky with all of the flexing! Should you leave the hammer on the ground, a piece of coat hanger wire might be a compromise in case a drilled placement fails and you need to reach past. I am no advocate of cheater sticks while aid climbing but they may have a place in reserve. Lots of options to keep the adventure factor high if that's your aim.
Mescalito was breifly named the Endall Wall. It was the first real venture into the realm of the steep, flat and microfeatured. No big corners to hide in. The route was also a milestone with respect to living aloft. The first ascent party spent some time just hanging out up there for it's own sake rather than worrying about speed or escape. The experience was just as valuable as the accomplishment, which was a novel perspective at the time.
I tried to solo Mescalito long ago. I was setting up for the night at the top of pitch four, when my Vertical World Systems prototype portaledge suddenly shifted. One of the double swaged corner loops had failed leaving an already tricky ledge on the verge of failure. I spent the night and decided to bail the next morning.
For this voyage, I had decided to add Tang to my main 5 gallon jug. As I poured it out, the wide swath of orange snaked downwards and I began to have qualms about leaving such a strange calling card behind.
Once I was down, I packed up and left the Valley because I had a ride out. As I looked back towards the Valley from The Meadows, an enormous thunderhead was building. The first big storm of the season was brewing. And with its arrival, my regrets of bailing prematurely vanished. My little orange streak of indiscretion would also vanish with the cleansing rains........
Have fun up there youth!
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Highlander
Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
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Did the route last Summer, early June. There were a lot of heads that were blown, and there was a rivet that was missing on one of the pitches higher up (I think 2 before the bizmark) that took us a while to figure out. We took three sets of alien hybrids, and did not nail but a few pins. I would take a hammer and some heads, and a small assortment of pins from La's to sawed angles.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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There was an ASCA work crew up there a long while ago. Did their activities extend beyond belay anchor replacement based on what you experienced? Clearing off deadheads and other mank would seem to be a priority if you are there with the time and tools. Just curious about the state of the route right now. It is still on my list too.
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billygoat
climber
3hrs to El Cap Meadow, 1.25hrs Pinns, 42min Castle
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The free attempt in progress is by one the the approximately 5 people who have the credentials to possibly succeed. Sorry, but if that person wants to be known, then I'm sure they will say it their self. From what I've heard, this isn't something that's going to be complete anytime soon.
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Lambone
Ice climber
Ashland, Or
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Does that mean there is going to be fixed lines all up and down it this year? That sucks...
It'd be pretty sick though!
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Ksolem
Trad climber
LA, Ca
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A couple shots from Mescalito.
Rob Brown, Captain of The Bismark:
Climbing up under The Molar:
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Michael Hjorth
Trad climber
Copenhagen, Denmark
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And some more.
Pich 6:
Pich 7:
Pich 8:
Pitch 15:
The Bicmarck:
Pich 24:
May 1994 / 7 days / w/Magnus Nilsson (Sweden)
Michael
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