Equinox FA and other History

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Messages 1 - 41 of total 41 in this topic
Josh Higgins

Trad climber
San Diego
Topic Author's Original Post - Nov 6, 2007 - 01:43pm PT
What is the history of this awesomely beautiful line? I just tried it last Sunday for the first time. A few hangs and a small whip got me to the top on my first attempt and I'd love to redpoint it this winter.

Who found this stellar line? Was it originally an aid line? Who got the FA? I heard Croft tried to onsight solo it and backed off? Any other tidbits?

Josh
Russ Walling

Social climber
Out on the sand.... man.....
Nov 6, 2007 - 01:46pm PT
from the orange guide:

original name: et tu, done on aid by Dennis Johnson c.1972

FFA: TR by John Bachar, 5/78

rated in the guide F15

Quick story: When Largo and Geroge Meyers were doing that video, the Art of Leading, they wanted Kauk to do Equinox. Having never seen the route, he decides that he will need a lap on it so the next day when they film it, he will not have any problems. Me and him go out there one morning.... he literally takes off his Levi jacket, puts on a rack and starts up the thing, no warmup, no nuthin'..... He does it so easily, that when he gets to the top he asks me if he should rap and clean it.... Seeing how casual it looked, I say, "I'll just follow it", and started up. 61 hangs and 4 mutilated cuticles later I wobble onto the top. No need for me to go back..... I think he did it about 3 or 4 times for the video.
Josh Higgins

Trad climber
San Diego
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 6, 2007 - 01:48pm PT
Bachar... should have guessed!!! Did he ever solo that one? Bachar, you post here, got any stories? How long did you have to work it? Who got the first lead? What the hell is F15?
caughtinside

Social climber
Davis, CA
Nov 6, 2007 - 01:56pm PT
didn't Yaniro get the first lead?
F10 Climber F11 Drinker

Trad climber
e350
Nov 6, 2007 - 06:25pm PT
This is out the the Red guide



Computer retard at the controls, rotate your screen if you are having trouble
Melissa

Gym climber
berkeley, ca
Nov 6, 2007 - 06:29pm PT
What did the F mean?
F10 Climber F11 Drinker

Trad climber
e350
Nov 6, 2007 - 06:37pm PT

F comes from the NCCS National Climbing Classification System

This system was commonly used at JT in the first several guidebooks

Tarbuster

climber
right here, right now
Nov 6, 2007 - 06:50pm PT
It pre dates the Yosemite Decimal System.
Gerry Roach was still using it in his 80's publications.
Mike Bolte

Trad climber
Planet Earth
Nov 6, 2007 - 07:22pm PT
Anyone who has not seen that classic "Art of Leading" should try to find it just to see RK casually cruising equinox when they did film it. It is inspiring. All the goofiness in the video is kind of fun too.
Jaybro

Social climber
The West
Nov 6, 2007 - 07:34pm PT
I've got a copy, if I can figure out how to make it go from VHS to DVD...
Hardman Knott

Gym climber
Muir Woods National Monument, Mill Valley, Ca
Nov 6, 2007 - 07:39pm PT
"SLAAAAAACK!!!!"
euro-brief-guy

climber
mountain view, ca
Nov 6, 2007 - 07:49pm PT
JL: "Yeah, dwindling greenbacks 5.12e......"
euro-brief-guy

climber
mountain view, ca
Nov 6, 2007 - 07:52pm PT
JL: "head left at little cheops over narrowing terrain......she's narrow!
Ammon

Big Wall climber
El Cap
Nov 6, 2007 - 07:53pm PT

"NO, THE BLACK IS IN THE CRACK"!!
euro-brief-guy

climber
mountain view, ca
Nov 6, 2007 - 07:55pm PT
RW: "The pot licker...all he needed was a couple of these!!"
euro-brief-guy

climber
mountain view, ca
Nov 6, 2007 - 07:56pm PT
RW: "You couldn't get a pool cue in here...."
matty

Big Wall climber
Valencia, CA
Nov 6, 2007 - 08:01pm PT
Elcapinyoazz

Social climber
Joshua Tree
Nov 6, 2007 - 08:09pm PT
Hey Josh,

Hopefully you brushed off my GHEY™ tick marks on that rig from a week or so ago. I was so gassed after working on it in sections, I forgot to brush the bottom half off.

Guess that makes me a raging hypocrite because I bitch about people leaving them.

Hopefully it didn't interfere with your onsight attempt. That thing is hard and painful.
Jaybro

Social climber
The West
Nov 6, 2007 - 08:14pm PT
Critical taping beta.

Crowbar use, too!
SamRoberts

climber
Bay Area
Nov 6, 2007 - 08:49pm PT
Ho Daddy- Look at that loop!
cultureshock

Big Wall climber
Wall Climber Wannabe
Nov 6, 2007 - 08:56pm PT
What about First Female Ascent?

Isn't the top especially hard for those with smaller fingers?

Did Lynn Hill ever send this back in her J-tree days?

 Luke
HighDesertDJ

Trad climber
Arid-zona
Nov 6, 2007 - 10:22pm PT
Russ wrote: Quick story: When Largo and Geroge Meyers were doing that video, the Art of Leading, they wanted Kauk to do Equinox. Having never seen the route, he decides that he will need a lap on it so the next day when they film it, he will not have any problems. Me and him go out there one morning.... he literally takes off his Levi jacket, puts on a rack and starts up the thing, no warmup, no nuthin'..... He does it so easily, that when he gets to the top he asks me if he should rap and clean it.... Seeing how casual it looked, I say, "I'll just follow it", and started up. 61 hangs and 4 mutilated cuticles later I wobble onto the top. No need for me to go back..... I think he did it about 3 or 4 times for the video.


We used to show that video to Basic Rockclimbing classes at Prescott College (prolly still do) and I can still remember gaping in awe at the ease that Kauk climbed it. I assumed that he had done it zillions of times and its even more amazing now that it was only his second lap. I seem to recall that he also had a toothpick in his mouth. Toothpicks and crowbars were common props in those videos....not to mention cornballs.

"Slack....slack on black..."
steelmnkey

climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
Nov 6, 2007 - 10:23pm PT
What a classic...sorry about the quality of the pics...this is from a 15+ year old VHS tape.


"This ain't it. Dead end babe."

"No way babe, we're not backtrackin' twelve miles!"
"There it is, right there!"

"Where?"

"Right there! You can fit through there."

"Where?"

"Right there babe. If you can fit through there, I can"

"No way! You couldn't get a pool cue through here!"


"I dont' think it's gonna work!"
"It's gonna work...now inhale!"


"Hey! I think I'm gettin' stuck!"
"I know I'm stuck!"

"Easy babe, I'll get ya outta there!"


"Just relax for a bit babe, I got just the thing to get you out of there!"

"What the hell's that?!?!"


Gurgling noises... "No! No! No!!!"


Arrrhhhhhhh!!!! Waaaaaaaa!

WBraun

climber
Nov 6, 2007 - 10:27pm PT
Hahahahaha ..... LOL To fuking funny
Mighty Hiker

Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
Nov 6, 2007 - 10:57pm PT
"F comes from the NCCS National Climbing Classification System. This system was commonly used at JT in the first several guidebooks."

"It pre-dates the Yosemite Decimal System."

Nope - the NCCS was an invention of climbocrats, in the late 1960s. Endorsed by the American Alpine Club, used in the American Alpine Journal, in an attempt to make U.S. grades consistent with U.I.A.A./European standards. As Steve Roper put it in the 1970 Yosemite guide, about as desirable as Esperanto, and as likely to succeed - "A fine, doomed idea." as he pithily put it.

You mean the Tahquitz Decimal System, maybe? Developed in the early 1950s?
susan peplow

climber
www.joshuatreevacationhomes.com
Nov 6, 2007 - 11:59pm PT

He's all mine ladies, all mine!

~Sooze
Tarbuster

climber
right here, right now
Nov 7, 2007 - 12:08am PT
Nope Anders, I was just wrong, thanks for the out tho! haha.
bachar

Trad climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
Nov 7, 2007 - 01:09am PT
Largo first showed me that crack. He said" Ho man, you gotta see this thing". We thought he was nuts but Richard Harrison knew about it too. He gave me the look and said " yep" and off we went.

Long also brought this young girl with us out there. She just started climbing and could only do 5.10c on a toprope. Anyway when we finally got there my jaw dropped.

We set up a top rope and Harrison asked the girl if she thought she could do this thing. She said, "Oh yeah, no problem". She went first and started laybacking the initial fingercrack section and actually made it past the first crux! Our eyes popped out. She actually laybacked the slightly offset finger crack start. Her name was Lynn.


Anyway, I remember we all tried it and I top roped it that day
James

climber
A tent in the redwoods
Nov 7, 2007 - 01:33am PT
John Schmid on Equinox. I've always wanted to do this thing. Tried it one day with a posse-Lucho, Max Hasson, John Schmid, Jessica, Ryan... Max and Lucho, the thin fingered hardmen, hiked it while their sausage fingered counterparts (namely me) flailed hard. Really good route. Alex Honnold onsighted this thing.
John Schmid
bachar

Trad climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
Nov 7, 2007 - 01:36am PT
Nice pics James!
Jerry Dodrill

climber
Bodega, CA
Nov 7, 2007 - 01:45am PT
Kevin Jorgeson's first week trad climbing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJLl1Id_lM8
Jaybro

Social climber
The West
Nov 7, 2007 - 03:07am PT
The Crowbar AND the toes! somebody must envy you, sooze!

that Kevin guy has some moves, no sense of immediacey, though, ha ha.
caughtinside

Social climber
Davis, CA
Nov 7, 2007 - 03:10am PT
wow! that was smooth.
Watusi

Social climber
Newport, OR
Nov 7, 2007 - 10:53am PT
Ahh Equinox! One of my all time favs in Josh to be sure! I've done that one many times over the years...
Durabone

climber
Santa Cruz Mountains
Nov 7, 2007 - 01:18pm PT
If I recall, the 11d around the other side
"Elephant Flake"? isn't half bad either.
Jerry Dodrill

climber
Bodega, CA
Nov 7, 2007 - 01:33pm PT
Smooth is right. You wouldn't know how pumped he was by watching. I guess that last piece, a yellow alien, was was tipped out, and he was too pumped to stop and put in the red, so kept going.
Josh Higgins

Trad climber
San Diego
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 7, 2007 - 01:45pm PT
Nice video of a send!

I used to have that old video with Kauk on it. I don't know what happened to it though. I probably tossed it when I moved and realized I didn't have a TV or a VCR so why would I keep a video...

So, who got the first lead? Any other good stories out there?

Lynn liebacking the start.... that would be brutal!

Josh
klinefelter

Boulder climber
Bishop, CA
Nov 7, 2007 - 02:17pm PT
First lead was Yaniro, if I recall, though tainted by TR rehearsal.
klk

Trad climber
cali
Nov 7, 2007 - 03:02pm PT
I tried to lead Equinox in 82 or 83. Yaniro had led it,, but I'm not sure who else-- this was before Moffatt's big trip. I made the first crux and trashed my fingers fiddling in tiny hexes on perlon. When I went back years later, I didn't even bother-- just did it on a t.r.

It would be a pretty bold solo--

I remember an awkward section near where the crack bends up high-- my hands sweat just thinking about Michael on that thing.
Ed Bannister

Mountain climber
Riverside, CA
Nov 7, 2007 - 04:10pm PT
Interesting how if anyone else had led it after toprope preview they perhaps would have received credit without the taint.

Meanwhile, issue 100 of Climbing has a classic pic of a guy with very pumped guns, the caption reads something like Tony Yaniro after a lap on Equinox, the truth? after SEVEN straight/consecutive laps on Equinox.
scuffy b

climber
The deck above the 5
Nov 7, 2007 - 09:41pm PT
Are you saying that Tony Yaniro gets held to a higher standard
than all other climbers?
Messages 1 - 41 of total 41 in this topic
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