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nature
climber
Flagstaff, AZ
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Topic Author's Original Post - Apr 2, 2005 - 01:32am PT
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Well I finally made it out for my solo of spaceshot. I'm sure my timing could have been worse but I'll ponder how another day. I was third in line behind the trainwreck of three and then two other cool folks. The party of two blasted off an hour before I did - I took the Alpine start while they groveled the 5.5ish. I ended up on their tail the rest of the day. Meanwhile Trainwreck INC managed to finish pitch three and four (they fixed two the day before) and deploy their red portledge at the top of four. We arrived at the top of three right after dark and were immediatley greated by a shower of pastatio shells from above. How thoughtful we all thought.
Now it should be noted that Trainwreck INC was armed to the hilt for this climb. Three bags and Two ledges would see them to the top no matter what!
It became pretty apparent rather quickly that the next day would be a painful crawl at best. I set my bivy on the ledge, hopped into my bag, cracked my oil can, ripped open my tasty bites and whipped out MY NEW BIGWALL SPOON. Joy set in. Oh yeah... and the little phatty didn't suck either.
The brothah and sistah in the other party did mostly the same. We bitched and moaned about the party above. What else was about to rain down on us we wondered...
I thought I might be able to get up early and try and blast by the folks snoozing in their ledges above. Dawn:30 hit and I could barely open my eyes - the brutal work weeks prior kicked in. Toothpicks were required to open my eyes. The trainwreck was moving slowly but managed to get a guy on lead and finish the 5th before noon. We were doomed. I lead the fourth after deciding bailing was the only smart move. After that Alex (from other party) lead the same pitch - they also decided to bail. I had my line still fixed so I jugged it and snapped some good shots of his lead.
We watched as one of the guys took about a fifteen foot almost-factor-1 on the fifth. He mumbled something about the crack being wet. Did I mention we were doomed?
Here's the kicker. Alex reports that Trainwreck INC stopped in the middle of the 7th and set a belay - hammering in a few pins in the process. If anyone does this route any time soon I'd like to know if there are apparent pin scares on this pitch. So much for reading the back of the Wilderness Permit, huh?
In the end I'm not really bumbed. I got to test out my soloaid (and me likey!) as well as MY BIGWALL SPOON! (me really likey). I'm into it now. No going back. Even with the added work and the sometimes pain in the butt rope management it's worth it. Your partner can never bail on you and you never have to wait while some else climbs. No arguements and all that. It's a ton of fun and I had a blast climbing half the damn route.
Next I just need to find a route where I won't have anyone above me to piss on me (cuz that happened too).
Picts to come later...
Doug
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akclimber
Trad climber
Eagle River, AK
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I have noticed on this site that on about every trip report the party above is always a bunch of bumbling idiots.
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OW
Trad climber
Patagonia
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"I have noticed on this site that on about every trip report the party above is always a bunch of bumbling idiots."
It's all in the timing. A few hours of difference and Doug woulda been in the driver's seat.
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akclimber
Trad climber
Eagle River, AK
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It just seems that everybody here is an expert and everybody they come across on the stone is somehow beneath them in ability. When I did The Nose, there was an incredibly slow party ahead of me above The Great Roof. They were dropping stuff and getting frustrated, etc. I thought, cool, those dudes are going for it. Gotta hand it to them, might be their first wall. It is just that there is an attitude around here that is elitist when it comes to other climbers.
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nature
climber
Flagstaff, AZ
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 2, 2005 - 02:05pm PT
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I'm not being elitist. Alex talked to them before they blasted. For two it was their first wall. The leader was experienced. One guy from the team rapped to the ledge to fold up his portaledge and talked to us. He was cool. He said we could pass. But they had the 5th consumed for many hours - in the comical sort of way I have to call it a trainwreck. I don't see how I could have passed (Alex/Ashley had already told me I could pass). I have a problem though with tossing trash on us, nailing a crack that has NO reason to be nailed and pissing on us (pee bottle?).
Alex was with his younger cousin Ashley and it was her second wall. They were taking the approach of being safe and trying to learn. I was on her tail most of the start and offered advice on techniques. It was sorta fun to chat.
I'm the loser that decided on a trade route. I've no one to blame but myself. Next time i'll find a more obscure route. Had I had more time I could have waited. I seized the moment and it almost work.
OW is right though... a few hours earlier and I'd have been in the drivers seat.
Mike. - thanks. I think I'll be looking back at zion for the next solo attempt. Probably getting on tribal with a partner May-ish. I think I'll gear up for both Sheer Lunacy and Lunar Ecstasy and try the one w/ no line.
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yo
climber
NOT Fresno
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There's fast cool folks and slow cool folks.
Then there's fast dicks and slow dicks.
Sweet work, Nature. Next time.
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akclimber
Trad climber
Eagle River, AK
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Okay, I understand your point.
Awesome pics!
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WBraun
climber
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Hey nature
I know exactly how you feel about that train-wreck scenario. You should be commended for handling that situation so well. What a pro with composure and patience you’ve displayed. I once was watching someone do spaceshot from moonlight buttress it looks very steep?
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OW
Trad climber
Patagonia
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Werner said:
"I once was watching someone do spaceshot from moonlight buttress it looks very steep?"
It feels steeper than it is. P1-3 are fairly low angle (to near vert if you do the Alpine start). From P4 up to Earth Orbit Ledge is high angle slab with a little bulge here and there. Then you do the easy little roof off of Earth Orbit to get back on another high angle slab. But the way the route leans to the right and has the arete nearby gives it excellent exposure once you get to P5.
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WBraun
climber
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Thanks for the info OW, this route looks very beautiful .... I can see why it has such popularity.
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John Vawter
Social climber
San Diego
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bumbling idiots, noun. (Old Valley English) A party above on the same route that does not move at least as fast as you do.
JV
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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In trip reports, the party above are often bumblies because you don't catch up with the party above very often if they aren't.
Also, folks go wall climbing over their heads (pun almost intended) more often than they do free climbing. In wall climbing, folks often do a few practice aid pitches then jump on the wall and flail away. In freeclimbing, they work their way up through a wider range of routes first.
Not trying to be judgemental, that's just the way it is. I do think folks should spend more days aid climbing before jumping on popular walls. Trade routes have become too frequent victims of constipation because there always seems to be a party creeping up with little hope of success.
Peace
Karl
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nature
climber
Flagstaff, AZ
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 3, 2005 - 03:25pm PT
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I never called anyone a bumbling idiot. That's not how I view it. They were slow but that doesn't make them bumbling. At the same time they did toss trash on us and (if true) nail a crack that should NOT be nailed. Other descriptives come to mind.
Thanks for the kudos, Werner. Not sure I deserve them to that extreme...
Karl - you've got a good point but I'm not sure how to totally agree. My first wall was Lurking Fear. Prior to that I had practiced aiding on a short bolt ladder at the local beach crag. You gotta start somewhere so the attraction to trade routes is obvious. I chose a trade route for my first solo. Trainwreck INC chose it for two of three in the party for their first wall. In many ways I don't see the difference.
Heck, maybe I kept a cool head because Alex did enough of going off for the both of us. He was close to Tilt.
Lunar Ex it is...
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Yeah, sometiimes stuff happens and you have to just accept reality. The only reason for my posting was to encourage folks to hone their knowledge and systems better before heading out to popular routes.
Nothing wrong with being a gumbie as such. Just better if we encourage folks to approach wall climbing in a way that works for climbers best as routes become more and more popular.
Peace
karl
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Spinmaster K-Rove
Trad climber
Stuck Under the Kor Roof
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"Also, folks go wall climbing over their heads (pun almost intended) more often than they do free climbing. In wall climbing, folks often do a few practice aid pitches then jump on the wall and flail away. In freeclimbing, they work their way up through a wider range of routes first. "
Yeah I was always wary of this even though my friends weren't and it always did me well. It makes me that much more bummed when I am behind someone who is flailing though. Having a hard time is fine, but not knowing what you are doing and pretending like you don't isn't. Too many people head up the South Face of the column without knowing how to clean an overhang or jug over a lip. It's the equivalent of free climbing a large multipitch route without knowing how to take out a cam or clean a nut.
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up2top
Big Wall climber
Phoenix, AZ
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Great photos, Doug. As for the traffic, you knew a CF might be a possibility before making the choice and it sounds like you took it in stride. Four pitches up Spaceshot is better than a weekend of sitting on your ass in Flagstaff.
Without the traffic, where do you think you would have fixed to on the first day? Would you have gone to P4? Do you think reaching the top the second day would have been pretty cruiser with no one above you?
Ed
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John F. Kerry
Social climber
Boston, MA
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"Your partner can never bail on you"
Well, actually he can, but you can only blame yourself when it happens.
Regarding other parties on the wall, I like George Carlin's analysis of other drivers on the road: "everyone going slower than you is an idiot, and everyone going faster than you is a maniac!".
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T2
climber
Cardiff by the sea
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Nature you don't have to say I will. "Those guys ARE bumbling idiots" They deserve nothing less than verbal abuse just for using pins on a route like this alone.
I am planning on doing the Nose soon, anyone got some stovelegs I can use.
Good job Nature.
Tommy
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yo
climber
NOT Fresno
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Yeah, my solo partner turns yeller all the time. He's a pussy.
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nature
climber
Flagstaff, AZ
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 4, 2005 - 11:03am PT
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Thanks Tommy...
To be fair to the party above here is story. I neither heard it nor witnessed it. I'm going on what Alex told me directly right after they got off the wall. It worked out like this. Alex and Ashley decided to lag around and do the 4th pitch so she could get practice jugging/cleaning a clean pitch. They got off the wall as it got dark. Prior to it getting dark TR INC were on the 7th pitch and moving slowly. Alex estimates they were half way through the pitch by dark. About that time he heard the distinct sound of a piton being nailed and originating from that party. As he put it "you know the sound of a piton being hit. There's nothing like it." He states that without a doubt that's what he heard. He's 100% sure that's what transpired - a belay or loweroff point mid pitch 7 on pins. I have every reason and a few more to trust him on this.
I really would like to know if anyone saw where this party was on Friday morning - April first.
Ed - I would have fixed at least the bolts on the 4th pitch and would have topped out the rest of the pitches the next day. I had enough water for an extra day to bivy on top incase it was dark (to not do the raps in the dark). I was motivated, not hesitating and moving efficiently. I don't think I can solo this route in a day, however.
I guess deuce needs to get those portaledges on ebay soon - supposin' I'll need a single for LE.
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