3rd Ascent of Southern Belle

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Karl Baba

Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
Nov 3, 2010 - 01:02am PT
As always, reports lamenting the lack of trad boldness in the younger generation of climbers haver proved to be the mutterings of ol Geezers.

There's always some wild and talented hardmen out there (even if they look like video game champions!)

Peace

karl
bmacd

Trad climber
100% Canadian
Nov 3, 2010 - 01:13am PT
The lack of over sized bulging muscles and ripped definition worthy of Olympians on these superstars is simply amazing. I just dont get it ... The head space is clearly where its at.
Peter Haan

Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
Nov 3, 2010 - 01:25am PT
I don't know Pilgrims. Alex has a superb strength-to-weight ratio--- a really modern climber:

Mungeclimber

Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
Nov 3, 2010 - 01:45am PT
I've never climbed an armchair - is it harder than the regular chair traverse?


yeah, but only by two letter grades. hahaha :)
Mighty Hiker

climber
Vancouver, B.C.
Nov 3, 2010 - 01:48am PT
Doesn't it depend on whether one does the sit down start?
2 l l

Sport climber
Rancho Verga, CA
Nov 3, 2010 - 02:04am PT
It now seems strange that Croft/ Shultz were rebuffed on thier attempt(s).
Roxy

Trad climber
CA Central Coast
Nov 3, 2010 - 02:10am PT
awesome, cheers to Honn-bold
MisterE

Social climber
Bouncy Tiggerville
Nov 3, 2010 - 02:25am PT
Great shot, Walleye.
Clint Cummins

Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
Nov 3, 2010 - 02:48am PT
> "It's just like Snake Dike but more extreme."

haha, good one!

Not true, though.
Yes, it's *runout* like Snake Dike.
But you can't get lost on Snake Dike, once you get onto the Dike.
You can easily get off route on Southern Belle, since there are hardly any bolts to find and no big dike to follow.
mcreel

climber
Barcelona
Nov 3, 2010 - 06:59am PT
Adamame

Big Wall climber
Santa Cruz
Nov 3, 2010 - 12:42pm PT
I think this an awesome and proud send of a bold and beautiful line. Will and Alex get a lot if respect for stuff like this. But I would like to ask the question, does your view of the ascent change if you knew this team used fixed lines to mini-traxion and rehearse the upper pitches. Would that be against the rules considering the controversy next door and the aura of The South Face. Does this reduce the route to a lower level or is it equally proud send either way?
Peter Haan

Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
Nov 3, 2010 - 01:02pm PT
Rock + Ice has this now:

Alex Honnold and Will Stanhope made the third free ascent of Half Dome's notoriously run out Southern Belle (5.12d) yesterday (November 1). The pair had worked out the first five pitches the week before and then started at 5 a.m., going for the one-day send. According to James Lucas, who talked to the climbers, "On one pitch a knob that Honnold had slung came off as he climbed 10 feet above it on 5.10 terrain. He was looking at a 120-foot fall if he didn't make it to the next bolt." The climbers were so dehydrated when they topped out that they drank out of puddles on the summit.

Southern Belle consists of 14 pitches, four of which are 5.12, with six pitches of 5.11. The route was established (and almost freed) by Walt Shipley and Dave Schultz in 1987 and freed the next year by Schultz and Scott Cosgrove. Dean Potter and Leo Houlding made the second free ascent 18 years later in 2006.
10b4me

Ice climber
Happy Boulders
Nov 3, 2010 - 01:11pm PT
pretty impressive
survival

Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
Nov 3, 2010 - 01:14pm PT
does your view of the ascent change if you knew this team used fixed lines to mini-traxion and rehearse the upper pitches

I don't get it. I hadn't heard of someone doing this. Is this a hypothetical question? Sounds pretty specific.
Mighty Hiker

climber
Vancouver, B.C.
Nov 3, 2010 - 01:21pm PT
The upper pitches, from about the fifth onward, apparently involve serious route-finding. Rehearsing them would remove a lot of the challenge. The first 4 - 5 pitches are mostly cracks, so whatever else, there aren't route-finding issues.

It's hypothetical, given that W & A only rehearsed the first five.
k-man

Gym climber
SCruz
Nov 3, 2010 - 01:36pm PT
MH, I'm not certain we know all the specifics of how long the team took to do the route and the methods involved.
I've also heard reports of MiniTraxion, so I'm wondering how much was onsight?

Still a super proud send.

And James, your OP is kinda odd--Stanhope fell on TR, but then had to wander through "unchalked" holds? Something's funhny there.
bmacd

Trad climber
100% Canadian
Nov 3, 2010 - 02:15pm PT
Stanhopes caption to the facebook picture states "First Attempt" dated Oct 28th, rephrasing that as a "rehearsal" is hardly fair. They had both the Cosgrove topo and the original Shipley/Schultz topo. Critics as yet do not have a claim made by the climbers to criticize. Its not an FFA it's a repeat of an existing line.
k-man

Gym climber
SCruz
Nov 3, 2010 - 02:18pm PT
I don't think anybody is trying to criticize. You climb SB, that is proud.
Period.



As is natural, folks will be curious about the details of the ascent. I know I am.






Also, would love to see a copy of the original topo! CMac said he'd post it on the SB route page, but it ain't there!
bringmedeath

climber
la la land
Nov 3, 2010 - 02:29pm PT
http://www.supertopo.com/topos/yosemite/half-dome-southern-belle.pdf
k-man

Gym climber
SCruz
Nov 3, 2010 - 02:41pm PT
Now that is cool, thx.




FWIW, I heard Stanhope took (& used) three sets of micros on the seam pitch. Frickin' Wild!!
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