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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Nov 16, 2005 - 03:53am PT
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A few Sundays ago Gary, Aaron and I were finishing up the day beating ourselves up on Generator Crack, trying to become masters of the wide. We pulled into the power station driveway and there looked to be quite a crowd. Anyway, we took a peek around the corner and there was no one around! Strange, but we felt lucky and put a rope on it, lucky us.
Aaron went first and got a very good workout... his first time grappling in that slot, trying to unlock the secrets.
Next was Gary, who has got the middle to top sections pretty well down by now. While Gary was inching his way up a young woman came round looking for her friends, "no one around when we got here" and off she went. A bit later she returns with her gear, "couldn't find anyone", "would you like a ride?" and she said yes.
In the conversation that took place while Gary was finishing up, we learn that Lisa had only been on Generator Crack once and that she felt it was very strenuous. Gary gets lowered and Lisa ties in. Part of her prep is to shed her pull over and pull on her mocassins... not the "standard" offwidth equipment. Then she ascends... not fast but in great control. The whole pitch. Some where in the first third she is resting and states "gee, this is strenuous", but she isn't out of breath, she isn't sweating, indeed, she doesn't seem to be working very hard at all. Lisa is making this look very straightfoward and easy.
Quite an inspiration!
I was next and she watched until I came out the first time, then she had to leave... her friends, who had found us in the meantime, where off to Crimson Cringe and she was psyched to do that. Off she went...
If anyone knows her she might want to look at the pictures and arrange to get some copies from me...
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Holdplease2
Big Wall climber
Yosemite area
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Nov 16, 2005 - 11:02am PT
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Ed:
You will likely never find Lisa, as it seems that you have encountered the "generator crack angel". You lucky soul, it is a rare appearance, indeed.
She is the maifestation of the tortured soul every young climber girl who has been taken to the base of the Generator Crack by some dude who has toproped it into submission (nothing wrong with that) over four grueling years and then brings his "young miss" to see him at his finest. He then pretends to go for the onsight.
Next, of course, he cheritably offers her "a ride", just to show what a burly manly man he is because, like, the climb is so hard.
Anyway. I'm surprised she showed up in photos at all. Usually we just see a rope and a locking caribiner dangling in the crack.
So nice shots.
:)
-Kate.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 16, 2005 - 11:18am PT
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possibly so, but instead of wings she drives a Subaru stationwagon with Utah plates and is, by her own account, hanging out in the Valley ("until the weather changes").
But you may be correct... on our account (and I am being a bit defensive here):
1) a better description of Gary is "grizzled" and of me "Jerry Garcia teddy bear", not burly;
2) we are the submitted, Generator Crack has resisted our attempts to send it clean and has scraped more than a pound of flesh from each of us in the proceess (I know, a gross image, but I started taping my ankles because my partners objected to climbing up in my blood);
3) I offered Lisa a ride before me in the hopes she would depart before seeing just how un-elegant my technique is in it, I was in no rush to get on the bastard, however, and this indicates your angelic hypothesis may have some legs, she stayed for my attempt and actually shouted encouragement as I musculed my way up the bottom part of the crack, and only left after my fall (not from grace for sure, my feet stuck, her parting encouraging words: "great foot jams Ed!").
I do feel lucky to have got the pix though... and if anyone sees her about the Valley, I'd be happy to give her copies.
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TradIsGood
Trad climber
Gunks end of country
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Nov 16, 2005 - 01:49pm PT
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Hard to disagree with Kate, but I believe hers is a very nice fairy story. If Lisa where an angel, her wings would be pretty apparent in the two photos.
The kind words for Ed before her departure suggest very strongly that the apparition in question is the goddess of off-widths. I am sure if Ed posts the pictures in an appropriately reverent location in his home, his crack climbing will surely improve. With sufficient and frequent practice and continued humility, there is surely a good chance that he will soon meet this goddess again.
Oh, and Ed, you did not mention that you had her sign the normal model release before her departure. Of course, if she is in fact a goddess, that does not matter, since she has no legal rights.
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Nov 16, 2005 - 02:57pm PT
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sigh, the offwidth angel, I've searched for her, my whole adult life.
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Trashman
Trad climber
SLC
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Nov 16, 2005 - 03:27pm PT
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hehe, that ain't no angel, just another rat. the faded red shoes are a dead giveaway.
not only are they dangerous on off-widths, but beware the invitation to ". . take a lap on this great hand crack" especially if you're in indian creek and she's not wearing tape.
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Nov 16, 2005 - 04:12pm PT
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"". . take a lap on this great hand crack" especially if you're in indian creek and she's not wearing tape.""
People use tape in handcracks in Indian Creek?
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Trashman
Trad climber
SLC
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Nov 16, 2005 - 04:17pm PT
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people use tape on face climbs in indian creek. you're not even allowed to camp in the bridger jacks anymore w/ out tape gloves on, they've got a LEO and everything
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Nov 16, 2005 - 04:22pm PT
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Damn rangers
My scar tissue thanks GAWD I never camped at bridger Jack.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 17, 2005 - 12:14am PT
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TIS - no commercial interest - however, if I ever do communicate with Lisa and she doesn't want to have her image public I will certainly comply.
Schmutz - to quote Leonard Cohen from Sisters of Mercy
"And you won’t make me jealous
If I hear that they sweeten your night
We weren’t lovers like that
And besides it would still be all right"
All I needed out of our encounter was the inspiration to send the crack in the same style as she did... she was good.
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Edge
Trad climber
New Durham, NH
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Nov 17, 2005 - 09:20am PT
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So how tall is Generator Crack? I did it once in the early eighties, and have no recollection even though I still consider it my proudest highball send. Thanks.
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mynameismud
climber
backseat
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Nov 17, 2005 - 11:13am PT
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That is just one of the Generator Crack Angels. I climbed Generator Crack with another one. Then went home with her, well ok I tried. She sent me on my way. So I stalked her untill her will weakened. She made me a beautiful dinner last night. She is mine now and you cannot have her. PPPHHHHHHTTTTTTT.
That is all. Have a nice day.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 18, 2008 - 02:11am PT
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bump for WideWednesday™ chatter....
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Jan 18, 2008 - 02:21am PT
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hahaha, didn't see the mynameismud post before. too funny
good bump
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Trusty Rusty
Social climber
Tahoe area
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Jan 18, 2008 - 02:59am PT
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Women Ninja the generator crack and dudes thrutch & punch the anchor. I don't know how much blood you shed in there, but each time I've topped out, I coulda starred in any Sam Pekinpaw film.
The mysterious budding porn star is gone Ed, she's bunking with Jon Krakauer somewhere in Port Alexander. I hear their writing a new crime novel based on the Laci Peterson murder. Who knows, maybe John Travolta will direct it?
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elcap-pics
climber
Crestline CA
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Jan 18, 2008 - 10:53am PT
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Yeah good stuff.. I climbed it back in 71 when it was rated 5.9 and it was pretty stout for the grade... seemed that doing it in the RR blue boots made it even more fun... of course that was 60 less pounds and many years ago! Don't think I will be going back.....
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rgold
Trad climber
Poughkeepsie, NY
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Jan 18, 2008 - 11:39am PT
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I tried it once or twice in 1970, and concluded that I would need several pints of plasma on hand right there at ground level in order to make it back to Camp 4. I don't think a full King Tut tape job would've spared me.
I'd like to plead EFI (Eastern Face-climbing Ignorance), but unfortunately I was in the presence of, well, not exactly a crack angel, but the next best thing (from a climbing perspective, mind you): Peter Hahn, who was kind enough, after demonstrating just how easy the whole thing is, to lavish praise on my "sophisticated" (meaning ineffective) footwork and "creative" (meaning wrongheaded) body positions.
Oh, I know, it was those damn Robbins Shoes...
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susan peplow
climber
www.joshuatreevacationhomes.com
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Jan 18, 2008 - 12:37pm PT
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Cute blonde dusts up WideCrack Rock Stars like Hartouni wearing a sports bra and moccasins.
Normally I'd claim Urban Legend, but there are the photos! Good on ya Lisa the Angle of GC.
Nice report. As for her not being cold...hard to get cold while doing the W I D E.
~Susan
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spyork
Social climber
A prison of my own creation
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Jan 18, 2008 - 12:39pm PT
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Still cant get up that frickin thing. I'm gonna blame something, just give me a minute to come up with it.
Never saw any angels myself, just sweaty bleeding self. But maybe I wasnt looking hard enough!
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TradIsGood
Recently unshackled climber
the Gunks end of the country
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Jan 18, 2008 - 12:42pm PT
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Sports bra. check. Moccasins. ok, better eye for shoes.
Cute? Ed said "young".
But what do we see in the picture to support cute?
uh huh. OK.
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Jan 18, 2008 - 12:44pm PT
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I saw a fallen angel there once
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clustiere
Trad climber
Rock Ridge/ Oakland CA
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Jan 18, 2008 - 01:40pm PT
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Yeah yeah, I met her and she let me take off the halter top. She likes me more thann youuu , she like me more than yyouuuu.
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billygoat
climber
3hrs to El Cap Meadow, 1.25hrs Pinns, 42min Castle
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Jan 18, 2008 - 03:13pm PT
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I'm pretty sure that's the Lisa that was Ivo's girlfriend for a bit. She's really nice, and pretty strong too. I'm pretty sure she worked ski resorts in Utah in the winter and bummed around the valley and what not in the summer.
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JuanDeFuca
Big Wall climber
Stoney Point
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Jan 18, 2008 - 03:16pm PT
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Nefarius
Big Wall climber
Fresno, CA
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Jan 18, 2008 - 05:07pm PT
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For anyone wondering... The pic in the article above is of BadAss Momma. Great, steep OW climb!
Where's the rest of the article, Juan?
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, Ca
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Jan 18, 2008 - 05:27pm PT
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One of my old climbing partners was quite a practical joker. He knew some of his buddies were heading over to the Generator Crack, so he got there early with an effigy of himself he had made by stuffing his usual climbing outfit including his always present hat. He suspended said effigy near the top of the crack, and when his buddies arrived they thought it was him topping out free solo. Then of course he cut the dummy loose...
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Nefarius
Big Wall climber
Fresno, CA
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Jan 18, 2008 - 05:52pm PT
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hahaha That's just wrong, Kris!
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Jan 18, 2008 - 08:54pm PT
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sent it first try with muthafukkin (c)bone-crushing authority.
american legend, bisshes.
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Lost Arrow
Trad climber
The North Ridge of the San Fernando
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Jan 18, 2008 - 09:03pm PT
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Sorry, I will have to scan the extra pages Tue.
Juan
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Jan 18, 2008 - 09:09pm PT
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Now, that's not what I meant, Clust, you quick wit. When are coming to wide wednesday?
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 21, 2011 - 10:43pm PT
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ow-angel bump
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Alexey
Trad climber
San Jose, CA
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I went once with a friend who hadn't been there before. While parking the car she looked
out at the crack on the side facing the road: "That doesn't look so bad!" it is true- it does not look so bad if you have big gear, quart of RedBull, headlamp and long summer day to summit
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mucci
Trad climber
The pitch of Bagalaar above you
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Left side in on that side.
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
the secret topout on the Chockstone Chimney
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Guess you got that 6 out finally.
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jstan
climber
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Would you believe in the early seventies I never went down to look at this crack? Still have never seen it.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Rhodo-Router,
> Guess you got that 6 out finally.
Yes, Alexey's #6 is out of Blind Faith and back with him, although I don't know if his photo of Generator is new and if he has more than one #6:
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=1903416&msg=1912893#msg1912893
I got to meet Alexey last Saturday night for the cam return, what a nice guy. The next day, I found another big green Camalot, all by myself this time, and got it out in 10 minutes also. It was a good 3 weekends for getting (4) big cams unstuck!
[Edit:] it was on Edge of Night, and it was an old style #5.
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le_bruce
climber
Oakland, CA
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Where did you find the second #6, Clint? What luck!
The easiest cam "recovery" I ever had was a single-stem BD #5. Dead of winter, trod through snow to get to the climb, and there it was, clipped to a bolt at a 3rd pitch anchor on the SW base of El Cap. How it got left there I'll never know.
I put up a note in Camp 4, made a post here, and asked around at the gym... nada. Now me and Nutjob share that cam back and forth as needed. What a mystery.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Isn't there still a girl fixed at the crux from a couple of Facelifts ago???
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Michelle
Trad climber
the f*#king peninsula.
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I hate you Generator Crack. The days I spent thrashing. vomiting. failing. good for humility.
I met these dudes in the Valley one day and said, hey, lets go climb this, its pretty stout. dudes are like, no prob, we need a warm up for the Shield anyways (uh, what? ok). Dude 1, thrash, thrash thrash win. me, not pretty. dude 2, less thrashing, still win. dude 3, float. I think that was the last time I tried to climb that bastard.
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Salamanizer
Trad climber
The land of Fruits & Nuts!
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That cam on Edge of Night was in there last year. Did you replace the anchors on that rig??? The anchors on the second pitch of Chopper are total crap... Just FYI.
Generator Crack is way harder than Cream... which is 5.10b tops.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Chad,
Yeah, the axle ends were getting a little light rust stains, but not too bad. Alexey found a description on Mountain Project where a guy mentioned it was in the crux in March this year. Looks like it could be hard to climb around it. It was very helpful to be on ascenders to remove it.
Roger is replacing the bolts on the routes in the vicinity, mainly the sport routes below it. There are 2 old bolts on Edge of Night about halfway to the chockstone. Only 1 bolt was shown in the 1982 topo, so I wonder if it was a protection bolt from back in the day, and a second one was added. Not sure.
I believe the only standard anchor on Edge of Night are the rap slings around the tree on top, which are good. There is also a sling around the chockstone belay; not needed for rapping if you have 2 ropes.
We will do all the anchors, including Chopper. I figured out how to bushwhack to the top of the crag, by reversing the descent on the right end of the crag. It's loose and dirty; I don't recommend climbing up or down it (there are rap slings on a tree above it for routes that top out), but think I can get up it a couple more times.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Just out of curiosity are you guys going to replace the blind reach bolt on Chopper Flake if it is even there any more? One of the weirdest clips anywhere and likely not necessary since cams came along.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Steve,
I'm not familiar with the blind reach bolt on Chopper - is it at the spot with xx in the 1994 topo, or somewhere else?
Generally, as you indicate, replacing bolts on wide cracks that were first done before cams is a tricky question, as gear often makes them unnecessary.
If the bolt was not original but has been there for awhile, then I believe the rule Roger uses is to leave it in place and not replace or remove it.
If it's original, the answer is harder; maybe also leave it in place.
If added recently, remove it unless something changed and made it badly needed (example: if only protection was in a flake that came off).
Tough question. Usually we don't like to deal with these cases - prefer obvious rebolting tasks where bolts are original and need replacement even with modern gear....
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 26, 2018 - 09:35am PT
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update for broken image links
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Alexey
climber
San Jose, CA
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Jul 26, 2018 - 12:13pm PT
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is my feeling correct that old ST treads started long time ago much more interesting and have nicer communications than what is going on now , even on climbing treads?
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Jul 26, 2018 - 12:32pm PT
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I honed my wide crack skills there. One very wet spring day in the early 70’s we paraded down to Generator Crack as it was one of the very few dry places to climb.
We were young and eager and the fact that it kicked our butts did nothing to deter us. The rains continued as did the pilgrimages.
With endless repetition came hard earned skill...first left side in, then right. Climbing shoes gave way to sneakers and then came the inevitable solo.
The rains relented and some of Yosemite’s first 5.11 wide cracks fell victim to our new found skill.
A few years ago i took some bored looking young climbers from Boston who were festering in the cafeteria on a rainy day down to generator crack. I recounted my story of that rainy spring years ago. It was pouring as I set up the top rope. Thinking of past glories, I was trying to decide which side in and whether or not to wear climbing shoes...the solo would come later.
Discretion rulled and clad in rock shoes and left side in up I went....but not nearly with the effortless grace I remembered. In fact it became a real battle whose outcome was in doubt until I eventually found myself in the squeeze chimney.
“Wow...that was harder than I remember,” I exclaimed to the young Boston climbers who had already given their all which had not been enough.
Memories of past glories and present realities rarely dovetail.
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tom woods
Gym climber
Bishop, CA
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Jul 26, 2018 - 09:23pm PT
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Alexy- I think you are right. I've also noticed that this site is turning into memory lane and not enough new stuff is being posted. I think we are getting old, not Donini, but maybe the rest of us. His story is about right. Generator is harder than we remember.
Maybe too, everyone knows the legends now. In the past we would have to hear stories of generator crack, and head down to find it. Now we all know where it is, so why talk about it? The internet is a crazy thing. Maybe knowledge was more fun when it was harder to get.
Are we watching Supertopo mature? I remember when people talked trash about it because it gave all the details away. Too much information was the complaint.
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Alexey
climber
San Jose, CA
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Aug 15, 2018 - 04:47pm PT
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to succeed on Generator you need stronger top rope partner and need to learn a command "up rope I am not moving!"
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