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Tomcat
Trad climber
Chatham N.H.
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Topic Author's Original Post - Oct 4, 2008 - 11:38am PT
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Well,it was really Paul's trip,Tradchick and I spent two days climbing with Tom's old friend Paul.
When Tomcat first moved to NH in 1983,he was partnerless,so relied heavily on partners from the old country coming to visit.During one such winter visit conditions were not suitable for actual ice climbing,so I dragged my buddy to the North End to rock climb one dreary rainy February day.Armed with what little rock gear we were packing we climbed some easy stuff in big boots,but were not alone...
Paul also had a visitor,and was engaged similarly when we ended up sharing a belay and some gear,and a great friendship was born.
That spring was one of the best of my climbing life.Paul and I climbed almost every day after work.By June you can do some pretty big climbs after work,and we wailed relentlessly at Cathedral and Whitehorse.
After a year or two,Paul moved West,eventually settling down with his sweetheart Kay in Washington State.Work obligations led Tomcat astray to fishing,but on a visit to Paul and Kay's,they did the right thing and made me rope up at Beulo Point.Following a route there I realized how much I missed climbing,and took it up right away when I got home.The next year they invited me to Moab,which really opened my eyes to the desert.
So Paul is one of those life friends.You don't see him for a year or two,meet at the cliff,or the Big Bend Boulders,get a hug and it's like you were out together last week.
After a long wet summer,Tradchick and I were anxiously awiting Paul's arrival,and the weather gods smiled upon us.We met Paul at Cathedral.He is one of those easy going people who just brought a pair of shoes,can fit out with our spares,and off he goes.He and Kay spend their time new routing in Washington and Oregon,mostly sport,so he was eager to some tradding.We headed down to Tomcat and Tradchick's perrenial favorite,the Seventh Seal/Loose Lips combination.
With a little beta,Paul fired the fine finger crack on Seventh Seal...
We followed,and Paul racked up for Loose Lips.Heh.I can't start this route without giggling.You stand as high as you can,and with one foot pasted across the void,have to lurch,lunge..jump for the first hold.Once established on the wall there are sequential 10a face moves on perfect white granite.Here's Paul about to jump...
And here's the fine face moves...
The rest of this route surfs along above an overlap with increasing exposure.It starts with a wacky foot traverse,then steps into a diagonaling finger crack.Da business is getting some gear for the 5.9 part at the beginning.After that it gradually gets easier by about half a grade every few feet,until you are cruising above the void on great holds to a hanging belay.Here's Paul cruising...
And here's the Tradchick following Paul...
After rapping we headed over to Total Recall's first pitch.This is a stellar pitch at 11b,with sustained climbing and great pro.Paul fired the climb with a little shenanigans at what Tom calls the "meatball",which describes a faint bump at the crux which you have to get established standing on.
Paul on Total Recall.
And a little higher in the kitchen with the meatball...
After we all got a lap on the Total Recall we used the same anchor to toprope Children's Crusade,anothe Whitehorse classic.Then off to Last Tango,11c.Paul led this after a few attempts at the very thin fingery crux.Tomcat and tradchick got to our traditional highpoints,tantalizingly close.
OK,getting dark now...so off to see the wizard,hike out,beer store,Thai food.We brought it all home,had a feast,drank two bottles of Cover Drive Cabernet and voila it was midnight!Yikes !
Next day Paul had designs on Sundown.In the spirit of tradding we started out on the fabulous Bon Temps Roulee,which is listed as a varition to the easiest route at Sundown,Stiletto.Graded 5.9- I can think of about 50 5.9's that are easier to lead...lol.It's a long continuous pitch up a steep face,all on gear.I think sometimes it is the best single pitch of 5.9 in the Whites.Tomcat followed,then Tradchick,bit of free space on the rappel.
Thus warmed up,Tomcat went ahead with an attempt on the very classic Vultures.I led this onsight in 1984 after climbing up and placing a wire at the crux and climbing down for a rest one time.At the time the smallest cam I owned was a #1 Friend.It's been all downhill since then.Paul has soloed it....yikes!
Anyway don't be decieved by this next shot,I hung all over it...I'm "projecting" I mean....
Here's a shot of Paul on it.Tomcat did manage to answer the question"how do they get the rope up there anyway"...lol.What a line huh?The climb I mean...
Meanwhile Paul has been stalking bigger game,so ropes up to fire Eyeless in Gaza.This is one of the classic sport routes at Sundown,weighing in at 12b.Only Paul did this one,which was fun to watch.I'm saving myself....
Here's two of paul on Eyeless.
It's getting late,but in the spirit of the day we went over to Lost Horizon.I've done most of the routes over here,it's chock full of 9's and 10's.So I settled on Putting the Past Away.Recently upgraded to 10a,and it looks like 5.5.How bad could this little route be?
Here's Tomcat and Tradchick at the bottom.You can see how viciously steep it is.
And her's Tomcat like five feet higher,crying about not being"on here by much !!!" Waaaaaaaaaaaa!
A little higher on actual holds...but I fell off the last move higher up.Action packed these little gems at Lost Horizon.
OK,well that was that.A fine hike out.Sundown and surroundings in full autumnal glory,a darkening trail with your best friends,a couple beers and things,doesn't get any better than this.Grilled Rosemary chicken,more wine....clunk.
Can't wait for next time.Thanks for visiting,Tomcat and Tradchick.(and Paul who doesn't know)
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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Those routes look sweet!!!
Rainy day today in the Bay Area...wet sandstone.
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Yep, Bon Temps Rouler is a nice no-star surprise. Have you folks done Thwarthog
or Flight of the Falcon, out that way? I like Sundown trad climbs though the adventure
level always wakes you up.
Your TR breezed through a lot of fine routes. Paul had one high-quality visit.
cheers,
L
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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hey there tomcat... say, very nice trip report... as usual, my computer is slow, so i must came back later, when i have more time to wait it out and see all the pics...
say, i do not know either of you, but i sure am glad that you got to climb with an old friend....
cheers to you both! and god bless for more such good times...
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Dr. Rock
Ice climber
http://tinyurl.com/4oa5br
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Thats crazy.......hey you there.....
Get down off of there, you could get hurt up there.
You have a box of bandaids and some neoporin, I hope?
crissakes, anything for kicks, Get down from there!
You could be killed!
jus kidin, rock off, rock on.
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John Moosie
climber
Beautiful California
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Tomcat, I like the way you write. I know what you mean about friends who you don't see for a long time and when you see them, its just like they never left.
Great trip report. Thanks.
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pcousar
Sport climber
White Salmon, WA
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Hey Tomcat and Tradchick!!
A great two days of climbing and hanging out with folks who just love to climb, and love to climb with their *spouse*!
I really enjoyed getting back to whitehorse, and leading cracks with double ropes! And I even managed to time it right to get some leaf-peeping done as the maples had nicely changed colors.
And fun getting on routes without any chaulk too - aka total recall and last tango. And boy oh boy, that last tango is a *tough* 11c - cough sandbag cough !
The trad routes at sundown were also super fun, and nice to belay from the top of a crag, a change from lowering off all the time doing that sporto thing. What a great view, I especially liked the towering white pines, about 30% taller than the surrounding maples and beeches and such.
It was especially nice to finally meet tradchick! her running commentary while she climbed was a hoot! Can't wait to get back there in the winter and have her drag me up some steep ice!
Cheers Tomcat and Tradchick!!
Paul
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Zander
Trad climber
Berkeley
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Hey Tomcat,
Thanks for the TR. Looks like fun!
Zander
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Tomcat
Trad climber
Chatham N.H.
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 5, 2008 - 08:37am PT
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Hi Paul: Glad you enjoyed the trip. How was that hike in Evans notch? Last Tango is 11d in the Handren guide, but I've seen it at 12a too. Nice job!!
You sure picked a good time to come, the leaves were at peak.
Chiloe: We've looked at Flight of the Falcon but I'm too spent after the Vultures pick me clean. Looked up Thwarthog, is that a good one? Do tell....
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Looked up Thwarthog, is that a good one? Do tell..
Leslie and I had a fine day climbing Thwarthog last fall. I'd recommend it
with caution, though. The two 5.9 cruxes both have neat moves (wild exposure on P2)
and good pro. The easier parts of both pitches involve some hollow rock and this-
ain't-Cathedral moments, but we were smiling at the end of the day.
We had zero beta (except the guidebook), which also was fun.
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