Hollywood Hans on yet another meaningless speed record

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Jaybro

Social climber
wuz real!
Jun 27, 2008 - 09:01pm PT
Nobody can climb the same climb twice. Who cares about different parties' climbs on the same bit of rock! Unless it's fun, and motivates those involved to 'pull harder' and do something in a just little bit cooler way than they might have, wihtout the comparisons?
Fluoride

Trad climber
Hollywood, CA
Jun 29, 2008 - 07:21pm PT
So how did they do today?

This is second to the Germany/Spain Euro match for me.


On a side-note, the "Hollywood Hans" thing, please please please let that nickname die a quick death. For people like me who work, shop, drive, exist in the real Hollywood, it's insulting. REALLY f$cking insulting. Cause Hollywood life is NOTHING like the awesome Yosemite West lifestyle he has and having Yosemite/Tuolumne outside your driveway. He's livin' the dream and more power to him.

HOLLYWOOD life is 5 hours away and not nearly as pretty. Hans, take on a new moniker cause the transgender hookers have moved from Western and Santa Monica all the way to Highland and Santa Monica. It ain't pretty. They cleaned up Hollywood Blvd for the tourists but there's always the wonderfully dirty underbelly. You deserve a nickname better than what this town has to offer. :)
Ed Hartouni

Trad climber
Livermore, CA
Jun 29, 2008 - 07:52pm PT
posted on the other thread...

they had a good climb and got down safely before noon. I was at the bridge when they came by... I'll let Tom fill in all the details as I was off looking to climb something and decided it was too hot for that project, climbed a little thing and then left for hom.
TomLambert

Social climber
Yosemite, CA
Jun 30, 2008 - 07:21pm PT
>>My understanding is that Yuji is doing most, if not all, the climbing.

I think you mean leading? Well, as they do it, the Nose is only a one-pitch climb after all, so yes, Yuji leads the first pitch and Hans follows it ;-).

But I don't think you don't understand how speed ascents and simul-climbing work. Hans actually jugs only a tiny portion of the route and simuls most of it.

They are both playing to their strengths. True, Hans can't do what Yuji does (onsight 5.14b on his best day), but Yuji can't do want Hans does (climb fast while keeping track of 17 things).

Yuji said there is nobody else he could do the record with, because Hans is literally the only one he trusts to
1. Keep things moving fast while at the same time
2. Keep things safe.

That lets Yuji think about blasting up while letting Hans worry about ropes, belays, etc etc., all while climbing the Nose in under three hours.

When simul-climbing, the second absolutely, positively should not fall, so Hans aids or jugs a lot more than he would if he were leading and Yuji takes more risk than he would if he were seconding. It's sort of backwards from climbing when pitching everything out.

I've climbed with Hans a little bit on some easy climbs. When we went up the East Buttress of Middle, I led most of the way. Trust me, it wasn't because Hans can't lead those desperate 5.7s, it was that I can't manage 100 feet of slack, around obstacles while climbing, cleaning and belaying and keeping up with a partner who's not stopping to let you sort that stuff out. I was trying to watch to see why things never got snagged up, but I still don't know how he does it even after climbing with him.

I think it's one of the cool things about their partnership - they are both so amazing at one thing, but not the other. Two Yujis or two Hans would be much slower than one Yuji and one Hans. I think that's a really cool partnership to watch.

To me, speedclimbing is a "modern" pursuit, like sport climbing and competition climbing, but unlike those two, it harkens back to climbing of yore because it's the team that matters. The reason that Hans and Yuji have a different strategy from the Hubers is that they have a different team. And yet both of those teams work so well together. Again, take either of the Hubers and team him up with Hans or with Yuji and I bet that as a team they would struggle to break three hours. And yet two Hubers together or Hans and Yuji together and it's just awesome.


>> the awesome Yosemite West lifestyle

Sadly, Hans lives in Lafayette, California and works a full-time job in the city. As I understand it (could be wrong), he got his nickname waaayyy before he was famous simply because he lived in Hollywood at the time. Since he hasn't lost it in 20 years or so since he left Hollywood, I don't expect he'll lose it soon. It just has too nice a ring to it for people to ever give it up completely.
TomLambert

Social climber
Yosemite, CA
Jun 30, 2008 - 07:36pm PT
>Certified observers on the bottom with atomic chronometers,
>in Satelite phone contact with the sanctified videografer
>on the summit whose other job is stretching the finishing
>line tape across the predetermined, notarized, stopping
>point, as well as numbered bibs W/GPS for each aspirant,
>is pretty much the Norm.

Do you remember the name of the accounting firm that's certifying the results this time? It always slips my mind.
scuffy b

climber
watching the flytrap
Jun 30, 2008 - 08:39pm PT
How can Hans jug without pulling Yuji off?
tolman_paul

Trad climber
Anchorage, AK
Jun 30, 2008 - 08:52pm PT
One would assume Yuji reaches an anchor, pulls up slack, fixes the line, Hans jugs while Yuji starts climbing above the anchor. When Hans reaches the anchor, he unties from the anchor and either puts Yuji on belay, or continues simul-climbing.

In addition to the speed of the actual climbing, having a partner that one is so in tune with that you can do this sort of rope work with minimal commands and both being aware of exactly what is going on is really impressive.

The detractors haven't a friggin clue, and are just the wee bit jelous.

Ottawa Doug

Social climber
Ottawa, Canada
Jun 30, 2008 - 09:09pm PT
These guys (Hubers, Hans and Yuji) are way above the rest of the field in this specific discipline and I believe that they are each others greatest chearleaders. Let them have fun with their competition within this specific form of climbing. Having watched one of their speed runs of 3:30 I can tell you that what they do is indeed very impressive even if you don't believe in this sort of climbing.

Cheers,

Doug
TomLambert

Social climber
Yosemite, CA
Jun 30, 2008 - 09:33pm PT
In addition to short fixing, in a couple of places, Yuji puts a Rocker on a solid bolt so that Hans can free climb or jug without having to worry about pulling Yuji off.

If I'm not mistaken, on the Huber's Zodiac ascent, I think there was one spot where one of them pendulumed off the other who was just wedged in and holding on for all he was worth. I might have that wrong, but I seem to remember something crazy like that.
shipoopoi

Big Wall climber
oakland
Jun 30, 2008 - 09:48pm PT
i pay my highest respects to alex, thomas, hans, and yuji for their daredevil acts on el cap. freaking entertaining stuff, they are badass in my book.
i've seen hans dissed for not leading anything, but logistically, as tom says, yuji is not that great with the jumars and is a far better leader than follower, while hans is the best bottom feeder in the business, able to feed slack to a speeding yuji while hanging off a 5.9 handjam. try it sometime, it ain't that easy.
good luck to the boys on their wednesday effort. shipoopoi
rick d

climber
tucson, az
Jun 30, 2008 - 09:53pm PT
I can't help but think that a 39 yr old and a 44 year old can't be beat by some 26 year old fast climber. If someone knew Hans' tricks, a younger party could do this thing in under 2 hours.

that being said, I like aid on virgin rock (loose) and don't care about speed. I just hate falling and drilling holes.

...have fun you guys.
tolman_paul

Trad climber
Anchorage, AK
Jun 30, 2008 - 10:18pm PT
I don't know that a 20 something crew could master the rope handling skills. Making something look smooth and effortless often takes decades of practice.

There is so much more involved in pulling off such a climb then the technical moves on the rock. And some things can only be learned via doing and developing the skills.
Betelnut

Mountain climber
No. California
Jun 30, 2008 - 10:32pm PT
I think they could have climbed faster with their shirts off.

Nice try Hans & Yuri!
Svennordic

Social climber
Seattle Washington
Jun 30, 2008 - 11:57pm PT
Seems like a beautiful climb. Why the rush? If you have it that dialed, go find yourself a harder route.

Sven
Matt

Trad climber
primordial soup
Jul 1, 2008 - 12:24am PT
re: "If someone knew Hans' tricks"



hans' tricks aren't a secret-
he'll tell, or show, anyone who asks!
























...perhaps what you meant was, "if someone had hans' skills..."


TomLambert

Social climber
Yosemite, CA
Jul 1, 2008 - 02:32pm PT
>>If someone knew Hans' tricks, a younger party could do this thing in under 2 hours

So before people keep slamming rick_d...

Yuji said thinks that the Nose record will go under two hours, and possibly before not too long.

Hans will show his tricks to anyone, so it is true that they aren't secrets, but it's one thing to know *what* they are (everyone knows that, even me) and another to know *how* to copy them. Theory versus execution.

I think rick_d is right. If a couple of really strong, really fit young bucks put the time in to really learn Hans and Yuji's system/tricks, they'll drop the time under two hours.
Alexey

Trad climber
San Jose, CA
Jul 1, 2008 - 04:46pm PT
Wish to Hans and Yuji luck tomorrow. I did see them on Sunday - it was very impressive. I did not understand watching them how Yuji belay himself after short-fixing. Did he use self belay device, or just free soloing intil Hans finish juggung ant take him on belay?
Matt

Trad climber
primordial soup
Jul 1, 2008 - 04:52pm PT
that's not free soloing pal
Lambone

Ice climber
Ashland, Or
Jul 1, 2008 - 05:00pm PT
Alexey,

I'm not exactly sure but most likely Yuji wasn't self belaying with a belay device. He was probly just climbing with a mega loop of slack. Big whip if he fell, but he doesn't...
TomLambert

Social climber
Yosemite, CA
Jul 2, 2008 - 05:43pm PT
Hans' most trick techniques are mostly given pitch-by-pitch in his book (should be on Amazon). It's putting them into action in 2:43 that's tricky ;-)

Also, there was huge video coverage today. Kosuke Abe was shooting from the top, Eric Perlman (of Masters of Stone fame) and Ivo were shooting from the midpoint (around Boot to Great Roof).

I'd bet that the craziest stuff will be in the Masters of Stone VI
Messages 61 - 80 of total 83 in this topic << First  |  < Previous  |  Show All  |  Next >  |  Last >>
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