Warbler Appreciation

Kevin was one of the friendliest of the Valley regulars in the 70s.

CMAC and RJ don't make sense, from the standpoint of valuing historicity and respect of rational discourse.

can someone explain how a disappearance like this really goes down? is it actually what everyone is saying? they just deleted him and all his posts?

I don't even care if the user asks for it to be deleted, it's here and some momentary sour grapes shouldn't have us throwing out the good with the bad.

so the history won't be entirely lost.

I don't believe Chris et al would wipe out the entirety threads that contain valuable information.

The Warbler

climber
the edge of America

Dec 17, 2006 - 11:10am PT
Mark and I didn't have much ice experience to draw from when we decided to try to do the Widow's Tears. We had a whole lot more afterwards, that's for sure. Myself, I had only done the top of Sentinel Falls with Mark and Jim Orey, Mark had some time on ice before that.

We were the first climbers to winter in Camp Four that I know of, and to spice things up we took to the frozen waterfalls. Sentinel Falls got us excited about it and we turned our attention to the big one down the Valley with the ominous name. The Widow's Tears had drawn the attention of many of the few top ice climbers in America. Chouinard was interested we heard, Porter made an attempt, and we met Mike Weis and Jeff Lowe for the first time on the road below the Tears one day when were they drove by as we were scoping it.

The first time we went up there just to get a look up close. The Widow's Tears ampitheater is an awesome place, stunningly beautiful in every season I've been there, and in winter the sparkling white ice against the dark stone draws the eye up to the sky and stirs the deepest of climbing urges. The line falls in a gentle spiral turning 90 degrees from top to bottom in over a thousand feet. It is broken into three almost equal length sections by two ledge systems that sweep from one buttress to the other, adding to the symmetrical architecture of the ampitheater. We convinced each other we could climb it.

What we lacked in experience we made up for in free time. We were able to wait and wait until the thing was climable, if only barely. I think we did the approach six times before we got up it. One of our efforts was especially memorable...

Frank Brown (Jr.), longtime Broiler Room waiter, climber and all around good guy wanted to share in our adventure and offered to help us carry loads. He sweetened the deal with a loan of some ice screws and we couldn't say no. We all did the approach and stomped out a bivy platform in the snow near the watercourse so we could conveniently fill our bottles. At 2 AM we awoke to freezing rain and by 3 it was a full on snowstorm and we decided to bail. Thought we lost Frank at one point on the descent when he busted through a snow ledge and disappeared down the slabs into the darkness. He stopped about forty feet down on a ledge and was rattled but OK. We got back to the car in a rainstorm just before dawn.

That afternoon we were dismayed to see that a hundred feet of the route was gone. Fortunately, immediately after the storm there was a cold snap and in a few days it had reformed and looked doable again. When we hiked back up for another go (without Frank) we were met by a sobering sight when we reached the slabs below the snow bowl. Big ice chunks were strewn around in the forest, remnants of the section that fell, and when we gained the snow bowl we realized that the icefall had scoured the fall line down to rock in a thirty foot wide swath taking our bivi platform with it.

That night we bivied well to the side of the watercourse and walked to fill our bottles.

The next morning we finally started climbing. The first pitch was my first lead on ice, and I found my way up on the thin, sometimes seethrough ice slowly. I only placed one screw, straight down into the thick ice on a ledge, mostly I placed pins where I could and ran it where I couldn't. I finally reached a nice ledge on the right side of the flow with one bolt from a previous attempt by someone. Mark led quickly up the last steep section and found a belay in the back of a hanging snow bowl with rock anchors. Our excitement turned to disappointment though, when we discovered one of Mark's crampons had lost some allen screws and was useless. Another descent, this one especially frustrating due to the perfect conditions we finally had.

We returned that night after scrounging some screws on the Valley floor, and the next day climbed to the high point of the first traverse ledge by about one o'clock. We crossed the ice flow and pondered the next section from an alcove on the right side of the ice. The next pitch was the steepest of the route, twenty feet of 90 degree ice slowly easing to 75 degrees over its length. As I psyched for it though, ice chunks began raining down sporatically and we realized what was happening. As it was already March, late in the season, the afternoon sun was melting ice on the rim, and as it fell it was finding its way to the fall line- our route. We made our first smart decision and set up a bivy in a cave with a good view of the next day's climbing. The bivy was wet and plagued by a small but incredibly aggressive mouse, but we had a decent night's sleep.

The next morning I cast off on the steepest ice I had climbed. When I went to place the first screw I nervously fumbled it and it fell to stop bridged between the toes of my Super Guides. I set a pick and carefully reached down to retrieve it. Which brings up a factor I haven't mentioned- our gear selection was pathetic. Five or six screws and a few warthogs, which made the one I dropped real important. One 80 cm axe, one 60 cm Chouinard piolet, and one Chouinard alpine hammer. The leader had to lower the tools for the second to use following. All wool clothing- no pile, no gortex, no helmets, no headlamps.

My lead deteriorated into 80 degree frozen snow plastered in a corner, and the rockclimber in me pushed me close to the possible pin placements on the edge of the waterfall. Axe shafts to the hilt and kicking steps got me slowly higher, along with laybacking the edge of the ice where it met the rock. After what seemed like hours I reached a spot where I could belay and brought Mark up. The steps I had kicked blew out on him several times, but we were past the steepest climbing. He moved out onto the open ice on the next lead, and found good screw placements. His belay put us within an easy pitch of the second traverse ledge.

Upon reaching the ledge we realized we were threatened by the same falling ice situation as before and we didn't think we could top out before dark anyway, so we decided on another bivy. As we only planned on one night on the route we had little to eat and our down bags were wet. We saved a small cube of cheese for the following day and settled in for what was a long grim night for a couple of California rockclimbers.

The first pitch of the next day was the funnest of the whole route. Good solid ice, moderate angle, exhilarating exposure as the steep part of the waterfall lay just below. I was feeling good on my points and strung the rope out between screws, it was starting to look like we were gonna pull it off. I reached a belay with rock anchors sheltered below a small overhang and Mark followed.

His lead was the steepest on the last day and I was glad he had to deal with it. When he started up it the ice was different and we soon realized that it was because it was the section that had recently fallen and reformed. The whole thing was hollow, thick enough, but hollow, with the sound of running water underneath it. Mark was gripped but making progress and I had resorted to slumping over at the belay to protect my head from the shrapnel he was creating with his tools. I was rudely jolted from my isolation when I felt a sudden blow to my shoulder. The blood rushed out of my head and for a second I thought I was going to black out from the adrenaline rush. A big chunk of ice had just missed my head and the impact combined with the lack of food and my exhaustion momentarily overwhelmed me. I snapped back just in time to hear an utterance from above followed by the sound of jingling hardware, and the rope jerked taut banging my head into the roof of my belay station.

Mark had taken a good twenty footer, but was OK. I was afraid he might hand me the sharp end, but he just got mad and got back up there and sent it. When I followed his lead I was shocked to look through holes in the ice and see it separated from the rock by a foot in places. The hollow horrorshow ended at an ice roof that crossed the waterfall where the section had detatched previously, and a different challenge presented itself.

The next pitch entered what is really a steep gully with the left side being nearly vertical for 150 ft to the rim. The back of the gully is lower angle but was filled with honeycombed frozen water, unprotectable by screws. I set off kicking steps searching with my picks for anything that would hold them, mostly they just bottomed out and raked down the rock. I put falling out of my mind and carefully moved up on my feet, leaving Mark behind and climbing without protection for forty or fifty feet. Finally I got some protection pins in rock ribs that emerged from the crunchy white stuff, and worked my way to a good rock belay putting us within a short lead of the rim. Mark quickly was up to the top. It was just getting dark when I summited and we collapsed in the snow to watch an especially serene full moon rise over Yosemite Valley.

The epic wasn't quite over. After packing up our gear, we wallowed upwards through waistdeep snow to the forest on the Valley rim, then west to a steep couloir. An hour of sliding, groveling and semi controlled falls brought us to the road at the Wawona tunnel. We had no car, so we walked nearly to Sentinel before someone came along and gave us a ride. We collected all the change we could find when we got back to camp and spent it on junk food in the vending machines at the Lodge at 3AM.

The section of ice that Mark fell on fell off again three days later, and the climb never reformed that season.

The Widow's Tears is an ethereal creature, demanding patience, good timing, and determination from her suitors. When it's set up it offers a real alpine experience right in Yosemite Valley. Doing it in a day is the way to go if you're an experienced ice climber, we were happy to just survive and get up the thing. Let's hope global warming doesn't make the climb even more elusive.

The Warbler

climber
the edge of America

Dec 18, 2006 - 11:44am PT
Hey Peter- how bout that Bridwell? He was the master of sending wide eyed innocents out on dicey terrain. He always had a good reason for not doing it himself, and he knew we all were anxious to win approval in his Valley. It sure made a kid push himself.

Are you talking photos of Lynda and friends nude sunbathing or the Widow's Tears? I'm sure most of these fellers would rather see the latter, but alas, I have neither, Mark might have both. I'm hoping he'll post up with his perspective on the Tears.

I always wished the Valley would get a winter that made all the incredible possibilities there doable.

So bust out a tale of the Strand solo for us! That route's got a lot more steep on it than her sister, I remember seeing Mike Graham hobbling back to camp after pitching off the first lead on a FA attempt, can't recall who he was with. What's up with the solo idea?!

it’s here and some momentary sour grapes shouldn’t have us throwing out the good with the bad

That's the part of it that just seems wrong: he rarely, if ever used foul language or invective.

really don't give a f%$K what the guy ever climbed or climbs now. Does anyone really still think it matters to anyone but the person doing it?

this is what some of us don’t understand: why ..

This is a spare the rod and spoil the child lazy tactic (actually the reverse).
CMAC & RJ just don’t want to moderate in the conventional sense ..

I climbed the second ascent of the Smith Crawford. It shares the 11c crux of Mother Earth. I remember that 11c being full on 12a, with terrible bolts. Basically 12a x. Kurt was happy to follow and I was scared to death.

The area the two climbs goes up, is well featured, and has lots of places for some good gear. Me and the Kid thought the climbing to be some of the best we had ever done, still do.

We wanted to come back and do Mother Earth but after the bad bolt's on Space Babble and Mother Earths cruxs, we opted out.

I always wanted to go back, great hearing of the old adventures, and the photo's are killing me.

Thanks to all involved in replacing the bolts.

Seeing those photos again reminds me of a wild experience I had in those parts a couple of years ago...

I don't get up to the Valley much lately, between the house, the kid, and the climbing in my backyard. But I did bust loose for a week or so and checked a few things out.

We left San Diego at around 9 PM and bivied off the side of I5 in the hills north of Newhall. We woke up on a little dirt road that obviously served as the local dump site. My buddy, Dave found a Fergie disc and an Eminem disc in the bush that morning, and we split our ghetto bivi rockin to "My Humps".

Our goal was to arrive in the Valley in time to hike up the gunsight and summit Lower Rock that afternoon. Have a little look around.

We parked along the river under Beggars' Buttress around 2:00. Our packs were already packed, so we got right on it. I wanted to walk the base of Lower and check out the Mecca routes I had heard so much about. I expected more bolts per pitch, as the routes were always described to me as sport climbs. But they looked pretty sporty to me, and good.

The Gunsight was a kick, as always. I love the way the rock structure up there allows you to climb unroped up steep intimidating sections that would be crazy on most Valley rock. The walls on both sides of the Gunsight are amazingly beautiful - so much color and texture.

As we scrambled up the backside of Lower from the Gunsight proper, we stopped often to gawk at the huge wall of MCR that Mother Earth climbs. So much rock, so many features.

The fast paced hike had made us sweat hard, and we were both shirtless as we made our way higher. During our climb, a huge dark storm had formed over the crest of the Sierra, and in our distraction with the terrain in front of us, we hadn't noticed until we almost reached the summit of Lower Rock.

With the afternoon sun on our backs, and not a cloud in the sky over the Central Valley, the wind began to howl in our faces, and big, cold raindrops began splattering all over our bare skin. All of Tenaya Canyon and Half Dome was being engulfed in dark roiling clouds. A rainbow appeared arching over the summit of Lower.

As we neared the summit I was amazed to see the rainbow double and then triple up, and when standing on the highest point, even more amazed to see the rainbows making nearly a complete circle, with the only missing section being where the narrow shadow cast by Lower Rock broke the spectrum. The pointy top of Lower's shadow where we stood was dead center.

The southern end of the arc plunged into the Merced at the base of the DNB, and the North end into the center of El Cap meadow. The Salathe Wall was shining with warm gold light, and the spectrum above the meadow blazed down through the center of the deep black shadow cast in the NA Wall recess by The Nose, just to make it more dramatic.

The rain continued to splatter in our faces, and the sun beamed on our backs as we beheld what was maybe the most spectacular scene I had ever witnessed in Yosemite.

Then, the wind became more intense, and suddenly it seemed that all the deciduous trees along the base of the North Face Apron and up the Gunsight gave up their autumn foliage at once, thousands of giant leaves began rising on on the updrafts between us and Middle Rock, swirling and fluttering like a huge flock of yellow birds, climbing up the giant wall that Mother Earth climbs, over the top of Middle, and away.

It was truly an incredible experience, heightened by the fact I hadn't seen Yosemite for a few years. From the ghetto bivi in the morning to that outrageous display of nature in the afternoon... it was sensory overload. I felt that I had been welcomed back in a big way.

Mother Earth is the perfect name for that buttress...

(Some of you youngsters outta get on it!)

KW

Mark,

Those are some nice shots of Max on the second pitch. One of the coolest things about the route is that every pitch up to the seventh kicks up a degree or two more than the previous one. That makes the climbing generally harder, more continuous, and it gives you a nice view down the face to the ground. After all four of us had climbed it, you could see just about every chalked hand hold all the way down to the ledge atop the first pitch you took that picture from.

Back then, before the Smith Crawford was done, there were no other routes anywhere near where we were climbing, so the route felt extra adventurous. I've mentioned a factor about all the climbing on MCR before, or most north facing walls for that matter - the routes look real licheny, grungy even, from the base because you're seeing only the undersides of all the roofs and scoops on the wall. But after climbing a pitch you look down and see the true colors of the rock appear on all the upward facing texture which has been scoured by weather for eons. The foreboding lead you stepped out on, looks instead like a mosaic of bright colors and generous, clean holds. It's always a kick to watch your partner negotiate the pitch from above.

Speaking of the Smith Crawford, I bet a day that started with the first seven pitches of Mother Earth, and then continued up the Smith Crawford would be a good one. I'm sure nobody's done that. More pitches out on the open face - the corners leading to the ledge on ME are easy (after the leap) and pretty dirty.

KW

Sep 14, 2006 - 12:16am PT
Talkin' shop on the net sure beats those nights in the smoky mountain room bar or some funky smellin' camper. Roger - those
days on Middle were the best- the adventure, the virgin eversofine stone, that cheshire cat grin on Meyers' face! Kathy, what's a
'69 D18 in OK condition worth for a trade-in? Mike - you've reminded me that on Free Blast we were on a youthfully idealistic
mission to raise the free climbing standards above all (we should have kept going!). Mr. Nay, Blitzo - all you guys - thanks for the
warm welcome.

Sep 14, 2006 - 12:27am PT
On Quicksilver, the second pitch. WTF were you guys thinking back then. I could've died from that run out.
It didn't happen, and look where we ended up.
Here?
Bawhahahaha ..... oh man.

Sep 14, 2006 - 12:41am PT
Sorry Wonder Brawn. Ask Vern, he led the second pitch. I think we were thinkin we'd run out of bolts if we placed too many and we
didn't have the scatch to buy more. Besides, when's the last time you fell on a 5.9? or a 5.10? or a 5.11 for that matter?

Sep 14, 2006 - 12:45am PT
Kauk told me to lead that pitch because it's the "easy one".
Sh#t .........

Sep 14, 2006 - 12:51am PT
What was that Chappy quote about Kauk's stretching program? something like "the only thing he stretches is the truth"! har har!

Aug 15, 2008 - 08:25pm PT
Hi Roger,
I sensed you left Tales and SR out deliberately, as they were done later in the seventies, and you do have to draw the line somewhere in doing a
mini history. It seems you moved on from the Valley scene somewhere around '76 or so, ending your first hand recollections of climbing evolution
there.
Those two routes, from my perspective, seem to be at the end of an era of Valley climbing that is fairly distinct, whether you call it the Stonemaster
era, or whatever. A few factors signaled the end of that era, and the start of another, in my mind. One of those factors was the use of Friends, and
the routes put up by their inventor, Ray Jardine. Phoenix, The Cringe, Elephant's Eliminate, A Dog's Roof, Hangdog Flyer - all were as hard or harder
than the routes done by the core Valley crew you talk about.

Jardine was very quiet about how he did those routes, and always kept to himself around the Valley - definitely not one of the boys. In retrospect,
part of that was his desire to keep his Friends secret for business reasons, at least at first, but it also gradually became apparent that he had been
using them to hangdog his projects, and that style of climbing was just not acceptable or even considered as an option by the Stonemasters.
Friends were invented, in a way, to facilitate hangdogging.
The appearance of Friends coincided with a tightening up of regulations in Camp 4, which limited the sense of community there had been for a
decade. Sportclimbing was catching fire in Europe, and the next thing the Valley crew knew, The Stigma was being openly worked on by Todd
Skinner, using hangdogging methods. Unabashed dogging, right at the base of what is perhaps the premier crack climbing crag in the Valley, was
probably the final event in the Stonemaster era.
Or the opening event of the next.
From my perspective, the 80's and 90's witnessed the Valley and it's climbers fall from their position at the cutting edge of climbing - I can't flesh
out the details as I wasn't there. Basically, IMHO, there was a strong resistance to sportclimbing's components - rap bolting and hangdogging - that
led to bitter feuds and a fractured, unfocused freeclimbing scene.
I'd love to hear an historical perspective of Valley freeclimbing from somebody who was there in the 80's and 90's
Free ascents of El Cap routes have put the Valley on the map again. Long new free routes, more FFAs using sportclimbing methods, speed climbing,
and long free route linkups might keep it there.
KW

Friends were invented, in a way, to facilitate hangdogging.

phylp said it best.

Say your piece but don't expect an eternal red carpet to be rolled out due to former glories.

I don't know why those types of women don't concentrate the energy they waste writing about it and just go out and do their thing.

Aug 16, 2008 - 02:07am PT
Roger, Kevin and Roy…great read. I think it’s important to see the building blocks of free climbing through a respectful eye toward those who
brought the sport to the next level in our prior generations. Roger your words were very thought provoking and seemed to hit the nail on the head
for the mid-seventies era. I remember climbing with CF one day on this little 5.9 overhanging lie-back (Kat pinnacle???) that was by the days
standards easy. Chris mentioned that the first free ascent was protected with pitons placed on the lead. As I pondered this, I was extremely
humbled. Even though my climbing ability was several grades higher at the time, I really couldn’t picture leading it and hanging in there to place a
pin, draw the hammer, beat it into submission, replace the hammer, clip it and then continue on to do this all over again several times while steadily
getting pumped on the overhanging lieback.
Fast forward to the first prototypes of friends that Ray graciously lent us on several occasions and the doors they opened. Protection went from a
fairly intricate ordeal that needed a strategic, well thought out plan to…blam, it’s in. So of course the standards were pushed but what really struck
me at the time was how many more climbers stepped up to the plate and were doing hard routes for the first time. Were the standards pushed
proportionally or was the learning curve just shortened for the masses?
Now enter the tactic of hang-dogging. Although it seemed like an insult to the purer styles of the day, the reality was that many of the harder routes
were “worked” repetitively before they were sent. The difference was that traditionally they were not worked section by section but from the ground
up. Butterballs was tried numerous times by many prior to Hot Henry firing it off. Does that imply a decline in aesthetic style? Within just a couple of
years of the first ascent it had been done by perhaps hundreds and in good style with essentially the same gear for pro. In fact it was hard to
imagine why some of the more talented climbers of Yosemite didn’t do it first after it became a well traveled climb. What changed? Perhaps it was
only the vision of what was possible.
Hang-dogging IMHO was nothing new to the mid 70’s if you broaden the definition to include top-roping (Short-Circuit, Bad-ass Moma and
numerous other technique-inspiring climbs of the day) and working to free bolt ladders (The Calf & several TM classics). Tales of Power and
Separate Reality were certainly worked repetitively prior to completion by Ron and same thing with the Cosmic Debris when Bill did it. The one
difference with Ray’s routes was that he was rather secretive about his ascents tactics and that really didn’t set well at the time with the Yosemite
boys. Most of the harder bouldering problems were certainly worked but again, from the ground up.
But then, John Bachar and Peter Croft made many of the classic hard routes... into mere boulder problems!
Enter the era of sport climbing. Although I checked out of climbing for years due to physical reasons when I was able to get a glimpse again of
where climbing had gone, I was stoked about the quality and sustained nature of climbs that were being done both in the sport and trad venues. My
first introduction to modern sport climbing was walking into an ancient Roman stadium in Nimes France where instead of gladiators pitting their
skills against lions, there were masterfully-set artificial climbs set for a competition being televised on French TV with the same enthusiasm as our
Superbowl. It was a very surreal experience.

Aug 17, 2008 - 04:04pm PT
Hi Dave,
You make some good points, but I beg to differ on a few...
"Now enter the tactic of hang-dogging. Although it seemed like an insult to the purer styles of the day, the reality was that many of the harder
routes were “worked” repetitively before they were sent. The difference was that traditionally they were not worked section by section but from the
ground up. Butterballs was tried numerous times by many prior to Hot Henry firing it off. Does that imply a decline in aesthetic style?.....Hangdogging
IMHO was nothing new to the mid 70’s if you broaden the definition to include top-roping (Short-Circuit, Bad-ass Moma and numerous
other technique-inspiring climbs of the day) and working to free bolt ladders (The Calf & several TM classics). Tales of Power and Separate Reality
were certainly worked repetitively prior to completion by Ron and same thing with the Cosmic Debris when Bill did it. The one difference with Ray’s
routes was that he was rather secretive about his ascents tactics and that really didn’t set well at the time with the Yosemite boys. Most of the
harder bouldering problems were certainly worked but again, from the ground up."
I think it's important not to blur the line between "hangdogging" and "working" or toproping a route, at least when discussing history/evolution of
Yosemite freeclimbing. First of all, we didn't use the term "working" to describe the pre-dogging method - it was called "yoyoing". Also, I don't think
you can "broaden the definition (of hangdogging) to include toproping" - toproping an unclimbed lead was a different sort of ethical compromise.
Before dogging became accepted, toproping a new climb to prepare for leading it was also considered cheating, and like hangdogging, just wasn't
done, at least openly.
By the earlier ethical standards, a failed lead attempt was followed by immediate lowering of the leader to the belay or a no hands rest - repeatedly
doing this was "yoyoing". After pulling the rope, the sharp end was usually then handed to the other climber, and he gave it a go while his partner
belayed and rested. I think, and it seems we all thought at the time, that it was certainly a compromise of style to resort to yoyoing, but resting on
the rope, or hangdogging, wasn't a compromise that was acceptable.
The ethic of not using the gear to rest on to repeatedly attempt a section, usually the crux of the pitch, and often a section arrived at after many
forearm pumping moves, was the critical ethical dividing line between hangdogging and yoyoing. Adhering to that arguably small ethical distinction
had the effect of slowing down the evolution of upper end crack pitches, especially because it went hand in hand with the challenge of fiddling with
hexes and stoppers, on lead without hanging, usually on very parallel sided cracks.
Ray's potent, and initially secret, combination of dogging and Friends was, therefore, a doubly "revolutionary" approach to crack climbing, giving the
leader a huge new advantage, and IMO defines the end of an era.
KW

Aug 17, 2008 - 11:36pm PT
Kevin... good points...you know I'm really just a yoyo yahoo at heart!
(-;

Aug 17, 2008 - 11:58pm PT
Dave,
I didn't mean to be judgmental in any of that, towards you, Ray or anybody really. Just trying to follow through on Roger's OP theme as I saw
things back then.
I like the positive attitude that runs through your perspective, I try to look at all of climbing's evolution with an open mind also - more now than
back then - it's easier to do from a firsthand retroperspective (how bout that word) gained by many decades in the game. The end of an era is the
beginning of a new one.
I'm psyched to see some incredible new freeclimbing happening recently in the Valley, particularly on El Cap, after the long slow spell that followed
the period we discussed above.

Supertopo doesn't have free speech. That sounds like a bad thing, until you have free speech. Voat (http://voat.co/);; is an example of allowing people the full freedom of expression, and it's not everything one would think.

"We were wrong, terribly wrong. We owe it to future generations to explain why." — McNamara, writing in his 1995 memoir, In Retrospect, on the management of the Vietnam War

Aug 21, 2008 - 11:24am PT
interesting to look at the next 5 years
Notable FAs and FFAs from 1980 to 19 85
Alien 5.12b FA 1980 Tony Yaniro
Controlled Burn 5.11a FA 1980 Do n Reid Grant Hiskes
Cosmic Debris 5.13b FA 1980 Bill Price
Energy Crisis 5.11d FA 1980 Bill Price R andy Grandstaff
Goldfingers 5.12a FA 1980 Chick Holtkamp Eric Zschiesc he
Mary's Tears 5.11b FA 1980 Bill Price Mike Borris
Pegasus (East Quarter Dome, North Face) 5.12 FA 1962 Yvon Chouinard Tom Frost FFA 1980 Max Jones Mark Hudon
Quarter Dome; North Face (Pegasus) 5.12 FA 1962 Yvon Chouinard Tom Frost FFA 1980 Max Jones Mark Hudon
Crest Jewel 5.10a FA 1981 Dan Dingle Michael Lucero
Soul Sacrifice 5.11c FA 1981 Werner Braun
Essence 5.11b FA 1983 Werner Braun Don Reid
Lost Arrow Tip 5.12b FA 1946 Fritz Lippmann Jack Arnold Anton Nelson Robin Hansen FFA 1984 Dave Schultz
Autobahn 5.11d FA 1985 Charles Cole Rusty Reno John Middendorf
The Crucifix 5.12b FA 1973 Jim Bridwell Kevin Worall FFA 1985 Pete r Croft
The Rostrum, The Regular North Face Route FA 5.11c 1962 Glen Denny Wa rren Harding FFA 1985 Ron Kauk John Yablonski Kim Carrigan

Aug 21, 2008 - 11:36am PT
Yet another good route collection, Ed.
I would add the FFa of the Rostrum (to the roof) in '77 by Ron and Yabo.
It seems like new freeclimbing development slowed considerably after that period - I know stuff was happening in the Meadows, but it would be
interesting to see a breakdown of the Valley evolution through the 80's and 90's to present while we're at it.
The focused surges of freeclimbing that I can think of after Ed's list are the Mecca area, El Cap, and bouldering.

Aug 22, 2008 - 10:22am PT
It is interesting to see the slowdown of new route exploration in the 80's laid out like that. I think for purposes of looking at trends or evolution, the
term "notable" needs to be defined. The first free ascent of The Rostrum, for example, or what most parties call The Rostrum, was done in '77, most
likely ground up, and avoiding the last roof pitch by climbing a different easier pitch to the top. Kim Carrigan freed that roof pitch in 1985, almost
certainly by approaching it from above, and likely after checking it out on rappel. The ground up approach to freeing the route in '77 versus the top
down (if in fact that was the method) in '85 is notable as far as evolution is concerned.
Those two different steps forward each were notable, but had different significance as far as the evolution of Yosemite free routes goes.
To really analyze what was happening, new routes need to be put into two categories. A "notable" route should be one that was at or near the outer
levels of difficulty and/or boldness when it was first done, the a FFA or FA of a major line, or a route that pioneered freeclimbing in an area of the
Valley that went on to become popular.
First ascents that were not notable by that definition are relevant, and essential information for a meaningful analysis, but only when juxtaposed
with the notable ones. For example, the FA of Controlled Burn in 1980, wouldn't be notable compared to the FA of it's neighbor, Cosmic Debris, the
same year.

Aug 22, 2008 - 11:10am PT
there are inherent problems with any selection of climbs as "notable"
I have used a rather simple criteria: is it a climb I know about.
Further, I have used only documented climbs, and the rather limited identification of "First Ascent" or "First Free Ascent." Climbs that are not
identified as such are not a part of the selection process. So significant free climbing projects, such as the West Face of Sentinel a long time,
unsolved free climbing project are not represented.
However, given the state of communication regarding climbing, it is difficult to use any other method. For instance, Sean Jones has put up about
100 new climbs in the Valley, I can name only two: Gates of Delirium and Growing Up, are any of the others notable?
So when I look at the list of Yosemite Valley climbs by year I have to think whether or not I have heard mention of it. Don Reid asks the FA teams
that submit climbs for a "star rating," so just looking at the stars is of dubious value, who wouldn't think their climb is a "137.75 star dick wrenching
mega-classic"?
What seems to have happened is that Yosemite Valley ceased being a place to develop higher standards and more a place to train. The style
developed in the Valley, rapid ascents of long technical routes, has been applied to many other regions. The proximity of long technical routes, the
simple logistics of visiting the Valley and the ease of getting there make it a natural place to train for climbing projects elsewhere in the world. An
ambitious climber will get more mention of pushing a new wall on some Baffin Island fjord than squeezing another line onto the already crowded
walls of the Valley.
The additional constraints imposed by the now enforced rules limiting time in the Valley have also greatly reduced climbing activities.
Finally, the magazines, in their quest for satisfying their reader's thirst for "the new" have long ago moved beyond the Valley, relegating it to
"museum" status, where they feel that there is nothing of interest to the current equipment-buying generation of magazine readers... after all,
every young Valley first timer complains that the route ratings are incomprehensible, they can pull 5.12 at their local gym yet get shut down on a
5.7 in the Valley, what is there to spray about to the local gym crowd.
Bouldering in the Valley has a long history, I haven't delved into Reid's new bouldering guide, I'm not sure it has the historical information
necessary to attribute dates and FAs, though bouldering was a notoriously solitary activity when done seriously back in the day, sort of in the mold
of Gill. When done socially then, I suspect it wasn't serious, more like party games to establish hierarchies, and something that could be dismissed
as "just training" or "just trickery" but not "real climbing." Those days have passed, and we find climbers who are in the Valley just for the
bouldering. It still boggles my mind, but there you have it.
A history of Valley bouldering is probably still possible, but as it continues to be an oral tradition, the stories should be captured before the primary
historical sources cease to be. Gill has done some of this, but the Valley scene is most colorfully rendered by the Stonemaster set.
Then there are the numerous stories of excellent climbers coming in from far away places, like Wyoming, who have a quite different point of view of
climbing in the Valley. The parallax they offer is quite refreshing, as the stock Valley stories told from the Valley local perspective can be cloying at
times. These voices are aging too, and cultural inhibitions have prevented them from providing their stories in the past, after all, they didn't really
"know" what was going on, did they? But their stories adds a richness to the history, and they were often more aware of the currents of the times
than the locals, who were caught up in that fast moving stream, the world is different if you arrive at it from the banks than if you are in the
current.
ANYWAY, it would be wonderful if a lot of this could be captured. Most young people will yawn, just as we did, but they will be as appreciative as we
are when they get to be our age.
It doesn't really matter in the sweep of history whether or not this story gets written. But it will most assuredly be lost if it does not. Many of you
will have spent a large fraction of your life living this story, it must have had some importance to you, perhaps important enough to communicate to
those who might follow your path.

Aug 23, 2008 - 02:28am PT
Ed,
I feel I have to address some statements you made in your last post - I know you have a strong interest in the history of Yosemite, but my
perspectives on a few of the things you talked about are a lot different.
"there are inherent problems with any selection of climbs as "notable" ...
I have used a rather simple criteria: is it a climb I know about."
When discussing freeclimbing history or evolution in the Valley, "notable" has to mean more than that. Unless notable means you are able to put
notes in your guidebook about the route because you've done it or know about it. When I see the word associated with a particular ascent in the
context of Valley history, to me it means significant, exceptional, groundbreaking, visionary, ahead of it's time, standard raising - that kind of thing.
And those kinds of routes have shaped and continue to shape the history of freeclimbing in Yosemite.
"What seems to have happened is that Yosemite Valley ceased being a place to develop higher standards and more a place to train."
It seems to me the free ascents of El Cap routes in the last decade are on the cutting edge of big wall free climbing standards, and among the most
challenging freeclimbs in the world. Interesting the advancements in that arena have not been made by Valley locals. Valley rock just isn't
conducive to sportclimbing like other areas, and I agree with you that Valley sportclimbing is not generally high standard, but it's not a great place
to train for sport either.
"The additional constraints imposed by the now enforced rules limiting time in the Valley have also greatly reduced climbing activities."
Very true, and I believe probably the factor having the most negative effect on the momentum of Valley freeclimbing advances. Even more
damaging than the sport vs trad feuds.
"bouldering was a notoriously solitary activity when done seriously back in the day, sort of in the mold of Gill. When done socially then, I suspect it
wasn't serious, more like party games to establish hierarchies, and something that could be dismissed as "just training" or "just trickery" but not
"real climbing." Those days have passed, and we find climbers who are in the Valley just for the bouldering. It still boggles my mind, but there you
have it"
Bouldering was more of a social activity BITD if you mean early to mid 70's. Of course guys would wander off alone to boulder, but usually it was a
group activity, or at least two guys at the end of the day. Many were quite serious about bouldering too - Dale Bard, Mark Chapman, Mike Graham,
Yabo, Werner, John Long, Bachar, Kauk, Ed Barry, Wunsch, Bates, all were into bouldering as "real climbing", and were quite good at it. It was a
way to improve fitness for the routes, but it was more than just training, for sure. There was a definite element of horseplay involved, but I think
you are mistaken about the attitude toward bouldering of Camp 4 residents in that era. The passion you see for bouldering today in the Valley is the
offspring of the spirit of Camp 4 bouldering in the 70's.
"ANYWAY, it would be wonderful if a lot of this could be captured. Most young people will yawn, just as we did, but they will be as appreciative as
we are when they get to be our age."
I'm trying to capture it accurately here, not criticizing your perspective. You're absolutely right - when you're history, you have a greater
appreciation for it ;>). Werner was there. How was it in your eyes Wonder Brawn?
"It doesn't really matter in the sweep of history whether or not this story gets written."
History is written stories. No stories - no sweep of history.
KW

Aug 23, 2008 - 11:47am PT
There seems to be a lot that is misunderstood about the culture of 70s bouldering. To talk to many younger climbers, one might gather that
bouldering was invented in the early 90s.
Bouldering culture during the mid-to late 70s was very much about a group dynamic and was heavily pursued both as a means to training and as an
end in itself. When getting to know an area, often bouldering was the litmus test to understanding the stone and a gateway to mastering the
subtleties required of that particular style of rock.
Bouldering could be used as an introductory medium to bring a visiting climber up to speed and to test that climber’s prowess; to quickly assess
strength, aptitude, and technical maturity.
Having arrived on a scene, blending into the bouldering culture helped an aspirant to get one’s bearings. In some sense, the routes would take care
of themselves, because they were well known, listed in the guide, and ascents would slowly accrue in accord with long-term commitment. But the
bouldering experience belonged to a discrete and fervent oral tradition.
In my first full-time season in Yosemite, 1980, Bachar took me on a tour of the boulders at Camp 4. This was an introduction and a nod to goodwill
on his part; clearly he occupied a class above mine on the surrounding walls, yet he could quite easily provide the initiate with a valuable tour of the
standard problems. I remember the Titanic, Blockhead, Ament’s Prow and others. (don’t believe for a second that I actually topped out on those
things). As we moved through the circuit, John would divine sequences, tell stories related to the personalities engaged in the earlier ascents.
Mark Chapman graciously did the same on the other side of the Valley, one afternoon taking me through the standards among the Sentinel Boulders and a couple of other areas on that side; Housekeeping Boulders I recall. I remember the stiff mantel of the Purple Barrel most vividly. He gave me
a look at the Amazon Face (just a look, haha).
In the Eastern Sierra that spring, it was Vern Clevenger at Dead Man's Summit. In Southern California we would often boulder in our running shoes,
thinking that the deficit would help us to build up our finger strength. As I was fiddling about on the welded tuff at Dead Man's, Vern said to me:
"You should put on your EB's and get more serious with your footwork on this stuff..."
In May of 1980 heading up into the Sierra Nevada, on the way to Mammoth Lakes, I stopped at Wheeler’s boot repair, where Al Bard seemed to
stand as an emissary of sorts, holding forth in his signature white cap, happily dispensing directions to the storied Buttermilk Boulders. This is a
bouldering haunt I returned to many times; a particular day during that summer a bunch of us from Mammoth Lakes, Vern, probably Claude Fiddler,
Bob Finn, Marco Milano and others went down and scattered about among the problems, had a picnic, hung out and soaked it all in. That evening
we got together with bishop locals Bob Harrington, Rick Wheeler, and more Bishop locals. This was (and still is) a fairly tight knit yet sociable group
of itinerant high country regulars. Bouldering was just such a handy means to affect a casual gathering.
Midsummer in Tuolumne Meadows, Katherine Besio, "KB", showed me around The Knobs and Tenaya Boulders.
These introductions also served to provide an avenue of autonomy; to know a circuit intimately was to possess knowledge of something akin to a training apparatus which one could then pursue in one's own time, training alone as needed to fill the solitary down time which would naturally arise
over a season's course.
I enjoyed a similar experience with Yabo, although his introduction characteristically involved something more fringe, although not necessarily
uncommon: some late evening ascents and attempts on boulders out behind Camp 4 …this was done without any light whatsoever, snatching holds
on difficult problems, silently cloaked in the black of night.

Aug 23, 2008 - 12:30pm PT
Thanks for fleshing out my point about bouldering, Roy.
Bouldering really is a huge part of the Yosemite climbing experience and it's evolution. After the freeclimbing doldrums of the 80's, I felt it was
bouldering in Camp 4, particularly problems like The Dominator, that could ignite the smoldering fire in the Valley and help push Yosemite back to
the forefront of America's climbing scene.
I concluded in Rocking the Cradle, an article about Camp 4 bouldering I wrote for Climbing in 1994 -
"Yosemite is the cradle of American climbing and the undefeatable spirit that was nurtured here is as strong as ever among the boulders of Camp 4.
The new extreme problems hint at the possibilities on the countless boulders that litter the Valley floor. And what's happening now on the boulders
points to just how many routes lie waiting on the massive walls of Yosemite Valley. The recent activity in Camp 4 could well foreshadow the
awakening of a sleeping giant."

Hardman Knott, March 6, 2012 6:45 PM PT
As Chris made clear in his video, no single poster should affect the flavor of the forum so disproportionately.

Simple as that, really.

Aug 23, 2008 - 01:36pm PT
Certainly an interesting perspective on bouldering. It seems true that the skills developed by hard bouldering have been applied to big routes. I'm
less sure of the direct connection of Yosemite bouldering to freeing the big Yosemite routes, the prevalence of bouldering has raised the level of
climbing everywhere.
As far as "notable climbs," I agree that these should be everything The Warbler said, but it is difficult to label a climb as "notable" if no one knows
about it, or understands just why it is notable.
Below is the list of 1986 First Ascents. Perhaps the only one that could be termed "notable" is Phantom, but I'd like to know if there are any others?
There are a couple of Kauk climbs in there, but I'm not sure if they make the list.
Alamo 5.11a
Amoeba, The Right Side 5.11c
Anal Tongue Darts 5.10c
Apathy Buttress 5.9
Arete Butler 5.10a
Astro Spam 5.11a
Avalon 5.10b
Back to the F uture 5.12d
Bark at the Moon 5.11b
Beat the Clock 5.10c
Boogie with Stu 5.10 d
Brainbucket 5.10d
Breathalizer 5.10b
Butthole Climber 5 .10c
Catch a Wave 5.11d
Chicken's Choice 5.1 0b
Combustable Knowledg e 5.10d
Crazy Train 5.10c
Creeping Lethargy 5.10d
Crying for Mama 5.10a
Dale's Pin Job 5.13
Dancing in the Dark 5.11c
Danger Will Robinson 5.10 d
Dark Star 5.10b
Deaf, Dumb and Blind 5.10a
Delicate Delineate 5.11c
Destination Zero 5.11a
Doggie Submission 5.10 b
Draw the Line 5.11b
Eraser Flake 5.11a
Extra Credit 5.10d
Famous Potatoes 5 .11b
Fast Lane, The 5.11d
Fire Drill 5.10d
Fist Puppet 5.1 1a
Fistibule 5.11c
Flight Attendan t 5.10c
Follying 5.11c
Free Clinic 5.1 1b
Full Steam Ahead 5.11d
Grokin' 5.11b
Groundhog 5. 11b
Guides Route 5.6
Guru Crack, Right 5.10a
Heading for Oblivion 5.1 0
Hobknob 5.8
Holidays 5.8
Isoceles Rev isited 5.10b
Israeli Bomber 5.10c
Joe Palmer 5.11b
Karma 5.11d
Ken's Dream 5.10a
Kids are All Right, T he 5.7
Krovy Rookers 5.10b
Lay Lady Lieback 5.1 1a
Local Motion 5.11d
Looking for Lichen 5.10b
Loyd's Lolly Pop 5.9
Lycra Virgin 5.11d
Lynnea's Birthday Surprise 5.10a
Marvin Gardens 5.10
Minor Kinda Unit 5.9
Mirror, Mirror Right 5 .9
Moe, Larry, The Cheese 5.10c
My Rhombus 5.10a
Nanbeeb 5.10b
Neil Down 5.11 c
No Teats 5.10a
North by Northw est 5.11a
Nothing Good Ever Lasts 5 .10d
Nothing on the Apron 5.11c
On the Waterfront 5.9
Panther, The 5.11d
Permanent Waves 5 .10b
Phantom 5.13a
Pimper's Paradise 5.11d
Pit Stop
Poker Fa ce 5.10b
Prime Time 5.9
Princess, The 5. 9
Psychic Energy 5. 11b
Public Opinion 5.10c
Punch Line, The 5.10 d
Rambler, The 5.10d
Remnant, The, Cent er Route 5.12a
Rock Neurotic 5.11b
Roller Coaster 5.8
Run With Me 5.10a
Same as it Never W as 5.11b
Sons of Yesterday 5.10a
Stay Free 5.11b
Stroke (My Erec t Ear Tuffs) 5.10c
Sylvester's Meow 5.11a
Tapestry 5.9
Tennessee St rings 5.12a
Thin Line 5.11c
Through Bein' C ool 5.10c
Ticket to Nowhere 5.11c
Tooth or Consequences 5 .11b
Valley Syndrome 5.11c
Violent Bear It Away, T he 5.10c
Walk of Life 5.10d
Water Babies 5.11 a
Way Lost 5.9
Weird Scenes in the Gold Mine 5.10a
White Dike, The 5.10d
Wicked Jones Crusher 5.10b
Yosemite Pointless 5.9

Aug 23, 2008 - 01:51pm PT
Some climbs are immediately notable, some are so far ahead of their time they are only notable when looking back years later. A notable route is
not always a popular one.
Thanks for posting that list - I hope to read some opinions from different climbers as to which are notable.
As for bouldering's effect or influence on freeing El Cap Routes - it is mostly an ephemeral link, the thing they share is the drive to climb harder and
harder - something that's fueled by the power of Yosemite's grandeur, and it's climbing history.
All out effort, vision, ascents of things thought to be impossible in the boulders is inspiring to climbers in general, and opens eyes to possibilities on
the walls those boulders fell from.

EDIT: at first glance, I would say Karma, Phantom, and Punchline are notable on that list. A route that generates a lot of controversy is probably
notable, albeit in a different way.

Aug 23, 2008 - 02:08pm PT
Ed wrote:
“It seems true that the skills developed by hard bouldering have been applied to big routes. I'm less sure of the direct connection of Yosemite
bouldering to freeing the big Yosemite routes”
This would be an interesting point to debate. Perhaps subjective; perhaps not so. Given the amount of bouldering that Kauk, Dale, Bachar, Long and
others entertained, it may be difficult to sequester bouldering from the greater achievements.
I for one, though not in any way a seminal figure, definitely leveraged my self-knowledge as attained through bouldering to freeclimb some big routes. In
June of 1980, a Colorado climber, Dan Michael, approached me to partner with him on Astroman. Prior to that, my Yosemite CV from the 70s was
nothing particularly so aggressive, things like Steck Salathe, The Nose, English Breakfast Crack, first pitch of New Dimensions, Waverly Wafer and a
smattering of 5.10.
But I reasoned that the East Face of the Column, done free, would technically comprise lots of endurance 5.10, and that my bouldering skills would
get me through on the 5.11, (on things such as the “boulder pitch” for instance, down low), this given that I could retain the necessary stamina by
staying mentally cool. We swung leads and I fell only once, while leading the weird bottomless lie back which is the pitch after the Harding Slot.
That was sort of bouldery! -As is the mantle getting into the changing corners pitch. Shortly after this, Kim Carrigan and I made a free ascent of
Hotline. Although we walked across the hand traverse, no doubt dropping the grade below 5.12, that was a fairly bouldery section.

Mind you I was almost a professional.

Aug 23, 2008 - 02:19pm PT
I thought about Karma, and after the Growing Up thread you could argue that it was a visionary line, but perhaps not yet a visionary climb.
When I say I considered climbs I knew about, I wasn't referring to popular climbs, while I also know about those, I have made a point of going and
at least looking at many climbs that are projects, some potentially visionary. I don't claim any special knowledge.
I'd be interested to hear about Punchline...

Aug 23, 2008 - 02:42pm PT
"I enjoyed a similar experience with Yabo, although his introduction characteristically involved something more fringe, although not necessarily
uncommon: some late evening ascents and attempts on boulders out behind Camp 4 …this was done without any light whatsoever, snatching holds
on difficult problems, silently cloaked in the black of night."
Yabo and Tarbuster invent an entirely new genre of bouldering: the night-time start. As opposed to or in combination with the sit-down start.

Aug 23, 2008 - 02:52pm PT
I think nighttime bouldering was invented in Joshua Tree a few years before that.

Aug 23, 2008 - 02:52pm PT
Karma is one of the more noteable (to me) adventure routes in the Valley. Unrpeated still?
SOY is noteable as the valley's most popular 10- and probably one of its best 5.10's. That a moderatish 5 pitch hand crack was right next to an
already popular line unclimbed was visionary in its own way, IMO.

Aug 23, 2008 - 02:55pm PT
Thanks, Kevin - I suppose if we delve into it, it will turn out that Oscar Eckenstein invented the night-time start, on his eponymous boulder in
Llanberis Pass. Or possibly Moses.

Aug 23, 2008 - 03:07pm PT
I’d say by 1979 through the early 1980s, in Yosemite, a time of consolidation and wider access to the standards ensued, largely due the advent of
friends. As it turns out, most all the hard 5.11 things that you could do on site, (plus a good deal of the yo-yo’d 5.12s), were established with nuts,
prior to the advent of friends. The camming devices made it easier for those of us following that act to work through the standards. The next leap
was probably not one but two steps forward.
The early/mid 80s was characterized by some stagnation, inextricably linked to the advance and controversy over sport climbing. This is
characterized by the route so titled: “Valley Syndrome”, a climb named after an article by Jeff Smoot, which was controversial as it somewhat
accurately purported stagnation and xenophobic attitude in Yosemite.
Bachar’s The Phantom, Moon Germs, and like climbs pushed the ground up envelope in terms of technical difficulty along with boldness, while
Karma pushed it in terms of adventure, yet for many, the new frontier relied upon sport climbing tactics. Things like The Punchline and Crossroads
are notable in that regard.
In the early 90s, I would visit Chappy, and invariably he was somewhat distraught at the lack of international focus on Yosemite as there had once
been: he was quite supportive of visiting climbers and would accommodate and introduce to us the likes of the talented Sean Miles & Johnny Dawes.
Most of this is quite well covered in Ed’s link posted on the Bates/Klemens thread. That is an excellent history and well worth the read; I’d guess
that was penned by Don Reid?

Aug 23, 2008 - 03:09pm PT
Yes, I started climbing in Joshua Tree about 1975 and nighttime bouldering was one of the many tasty treats on the menu! -But it was most often,
though not always or necessarily aided by either moon or lamplight.

Aug 23, 2008 - 04:20pm PT
That quote from Dale is funny to me, because I followed him up the third pitch of Windfall the first day he used Friends, and they were so buried in
the crack and over compressed that I had to hang repeatedly to extract them.

Aug 23, 2008 - 04:35pm PT
To my mind, two articles from Mountain 66, March/April 1979, exemplify the free climbing movements of late 70s valley climbing.
"The Art of the States" & "States of the Art".

Aug 23, 2008 - 04:36pm PT
Windfall is one of my all-time favorites Kevin.
As I've said before, you and Chapman really bagged some nice stuff.

Aug 23, 2008 - 05:10pm PT
No surprise a rambler like you would see the beauty of that route. Most climbers just gripe about the approach. Thanks for mentioning it.
It is one of my favorite Valley crack routes, not just for the climbing, but for its position, topout and obscurity.

Aug 23, 2008 - 05:11pm PT
And just as we might try to be inclusive of bouldering's part in all of this,
Although this isn't meant to be just an article on Yosemite, as it showcases leading free climbing activity throughout the states, as Ament might say, one has to consider the broader context...

Anybody who was seriously active in Yosemite during the late 70s, had either been to or had solid intentions of going to these places:

Aug 23, 2008 - 05:55pm PT
Tower of the Cosmic Gods, Windfall,
FA by Mark Chapman and Kevin Worr all, May 1976
Mark confided to me that it in those days (early/mid 70s), doing these harder climbs with hexes, you just were not allowed to get pumped; so
before any crux section, one needed to place maybe a couple of good pieces, sack up and run it out, staying in control rather than struggling with
protection.
(I was at that time ('76) struggling with nuts on leads up to 5.9 at Joshua Tree & Tahquitz -often getting through the crux but pumping out and
wipping off near the end of the pitch!)
Yabo exclaimed likewise that leading 5.11 with stoppers & hexes was a flat out effort, sometimes entailing a life or death experience. (Keep in mind
this is Yabo who said this; and many people found him to exist in a space beyond normal limits, so to my mind this double qualifies the dramatic
assessment).

(Windfall topo was placed here)

These pictures are from an ascent in 1982; my partners were Tom Gilje and Mari Gingery.
The second pitch moves over a perfectly horizontal roof,
Sporting an unforgiving exit out into a tight hand crack above:

(my photographs of Windfall were placed here)

The third pitch, a superb double overhanging fist crack shown here,
Finishes with a thrilling & vertical tight hand crack, travelling upward through the corner above and out of sight:

(more Windfall photographs)

The last pitch, a beautiful 5.10 hand crack which traces a sinuous curve to the top of the buttress:

(last Windfall photograph)

Aug 23, 2008 - 06:24pm PT
Wow those pics really stir it up!
Thanks for posting those Roy. Werner sent the huge loose flake on the topo long ago. The waterstreaks on that overhanging pitch really tell the
story - one of the steepest 5.11 pitches in the Valley.
Ed,
Punch Line basic story -
It was one of the first sport routes in the valley, bolted by Kauk and Chapman. It ascends the buttress left of Entrance Exam at Arch Rock,
5.10/5.11, an obvious weakness for climbing, and a quality sportroute. Just too steep to stance drill.
Bachar chopped it to make a statement about rapbolting, an action that reinforced his hero status to many at the time. When confronted by an
angry Chappy afterward in the Camp 4 lot, JB responded to Mark (paraphrased) "Yeah, so what are you going to do about it?"
Mark's response gives the route it's name. And reinforced his hero status to many at the time.
A good metaphor for the tone of the 80's, and therefore a notable route.
EDIT: Ed, is that last list all routes done in '86, or from several years before and including '86?

Sep 6, 2008 - 12:17pm PT
An update on the aid climbs.
I went back and made the da tabase more consistent in reporting the "FA rating" separate from the "modern rating" (the one that shows up in the
most recent guide books) and the "FFA rating." Most of these I extracted from Roper's 1971 guide. However, there are still climbs there that have
the "FFA rating" only, and I suspect there was no formal YDS rating of some of these climbs, being done in the time before the uniform ratings were
applied. There aren't many of them, though, about 54 climbs, 12% of all documented "Aid Climbs."
I haven't released the newest spread sheet yet (I'll post when I get it ready), I've corrected a few names, etc, and I've added references to the
American Alpine Journal (AAJ) as I searched for information on poorly reported climbs (see list below). Some of you could actually help with dates,
etc... but I understand memory lapse at old age...
Included here, the new table of frequency of "Graded" aid climbs by 5 year period. And a plot that shows how this is build up.
Not an elegant table, but STForum doesn't allow for horizontal spacing formats (e.g. tabs):
year, all, all "Graded", VI, V, IV, I,II,III, III, II, I
up to 1935, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
1936 to 1940, 3, 3, 0, 0, 0, 3, 0, 1, 2
1941 to 1945, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 0, 0
1946 to 1950, 10, 8, 0, 1, 1, 6, 3, 1, 2
1951 to1955, 12, 12, 0, 1, 3, 8, 4, 3, 1
1956 to 1960, 42, 35, 3, 5, 8, 19, 11, 6 , 2
1961 to 1965, 81, 72, 8, 14, 15, 35, 14, 16 , 5
1966 to 1970, 49, 44, 7, 16, 6, 15, 9, 6, 0
1971 to 1975, 33, 25, 19, 5, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0
1976 to 1980, 27, 20, 19, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
1981 to 1985, 42, 31, 22, 9, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
1986 to 1990, 50, 44, 36, 8, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
1991 to 1995, 25, 24, 20, 4, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
1996 to 2000, 25, 25, 20, 3, 1, 1, 1, 0, 0
2001 to 2005, 11, 11, 9, 2, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
Of 412 aid climbs, 355 have "Grades", here's a simple table:
all; 413
all "Grad ed;" 355
VI; 163
V; 69
IV; 35
I, II, II I, 88
III; 43
II; 33
I; 12
Not much has changed on the plot, more information (maybe too much) but probably a better time distributed representation. The major
conclusions are the same.
climbs used in this accounting:
Sunnyside Bench, Waterfall Route 5.7 A3 FA 1935 Dave Brower William Van Voorhis
Grizzly Peak, South Gully 5.5 A1 II FA 1938 Dave Brower Morgan Harris
Split Pinnacle, Regular Route 5.7 A2 I FA 1938 Jack Reigelhuth Raffi Bedayan Dick Leonard Muir Dawson
Kat Pinnacle via Tyrolean Traverse 5.7 A1 I FA 1940 Devitt Allen Torcom Bedayan Robin Hansen
West Arrowhead Chimney 5.7 A3 III FA 1941 Torcom Bedayan Fritz Lippmann
Lost Arrow Tip 5.8 C2 FA 1946 Fritz Lippmann Jack Arnold Anton Nelson Robin Hansen FFA 5.12b 1984 Dave Schultz
Salathe Route 5.7 A3 IV FA 1946 John Salathe Anton Nelson FFA 5.10b R 1964 Frank Sachere Bob Kamps Andy Lichtman
Lost Arrow Chimney 5.8 A3 V FA 1947 John Salathe Anton Nelson FFA 5.10a 1964 Chuck Pratt Frank Sacherer
Higher Cathedral Spire, Steck Route 5.9 A1 FA 1948 Allen Steck Fletcher Hoyt Willima Hoyt
Rixon's Pinnacle, South Face 5.8 A2 III FA 1948 Chuck Wilts Ellen Wilts FFA 5.11d 1974 Tobin Sorenson John Bachar
Sentinel Rock, Northeast Bowl 5.8 A1 III FA 1948 John Salathe Anton Nelson
Harris' Hangover 5.7 A3 II FA 1949 Oscar Cook Bill Dunmire Bob Swift
Penny Pinnacle; West Face 5.4 A1 I FA 1950
Phantom Pinnacle, Outside Face 5.9 A3 III FA 1950 Bill Dunmire Bob Swift FFA 5.10d 1957 Rich Calderwood Mike Borghoff
Pulpit Rock, from the Notch 5.7 A1 I FA 1950 FFA 5.10 1960 Royal Robbins
Dinner Ledge 5.6 A2 I FA 1952 Don Goodrich Dave Dows FFA 5.10a 1966 John Hudson Chris Fredricks
Eagle Peak - Southeast Face 5.8 A2 III FA 1952 John Lindberg Ron Hayes
El Cap Tree, Regular Route 5.6 A2 III FA 1952 Allen Steck Will Siri Bill Dunmire Bob Swift
Yosemite Point Buttress, Direct Route 5.8 A2 IV FA 1952 Allen Steck Bob Swift FFA 5.9 1964 Frank Sacherer Don Telshaw
El Capitan, East Buttress 5.7 A2 IV FA 1953 Allen Steck Will Siri Willi Unsoeld Bill Long FFA 5.10b 1964 Frank Sacherer Wally Reed
John's Other Chimney 5.4 A1 II FA 1953 John Ohrenschall Marry Ann Corthell
El Capitan, East Ledge Traverse 5.6 A1 II FA 1954 Allen Steck Bill Dunmire Jim Wilson
Middle Cathedral Rock, East Buttress 5.9 A1 IV FA 1954 Warren Harding Jack Davis Bob Swift FFA 5.10c 1965 Frank Sacherer Ed Leeper
Middle Cathedral Rock, North Buttress 5.7 A2 V FA 1954 Warren Harding Frank Tarver Craig Holden John Whitmer FFA 5.10a 1964 Frank Sacherer
Jim Bridwell
Middle Cathe dral Rock, North Face Traverse 5.8 A3 III FA 1954 Dick Long George Mandatory Jack Davis Bob Skinner
Thirsty Spire A2 II FA 1954 Dick Long Bob Skinner FFA 5.11a 1989 Clint Cummins Joel Ager
Obscurity Traverse 5.6 A2 III FA 1955 Bill Loughman Don Goodrich
East Arrowhead Chimney (Nagasaki My Love) 5.8 A2 III FA 1956 Mark Powell Warren Harding FFA 5.10d 1988 Elliot Robinson Steve Annecone
Kat Pinnacle, Northwest Corner 5.7 A2 FA 1956 Mark Powell Don Wilson
Liberty Cap, South Face 5.8 A3 IV FA 1956 Mark Powell Royal Robbins Joe Fitschen
Lower Cathedral Rock, East Buttress 5.8 A3 IV FA 1956 Mark Powell Jerry Gallwas Don Wilson FFA 5.10c 1965 Steve Thompson Chris Fredricks
Nagasaki My Love (East Arrowhead Chimney) 5.8 A2 III FA 1956 Mark Powell Warren Harding FFA 5.10d 1988 Elliot Robinson Steve Annecone
Ahwiyah Point Northwest Buttress 5.8 A2 III FA 1957 Wayne Merry Warren Harding
Bear Rock, Bolt Route 5.3 A1 I FA 1957 George Sessions Mike Schuler Wayne Simpson Noel Shirley
Bridalveil East 5.8 A2 III FA 1957 Mark Powell Warren Harding FFA 5.10c 1964 Frank Sacherer John Morton
East Arrowhead Buttress, Overhang Route 5.8 A2 III FA 1957 Mark Powell Wayne Merry
Half Dome, Regular Northwest Face 5.9 C1 VI FA 1957 Royal Robbins Jerry Gallwas Mike Sherrick FFA 5.12 1976 Jim Erickson Art Higbee
Liberty Cap, Southern Buttress 5.7 A3 FA 1957 Mike Loughman Dick Armstrong
Lower Cathedral Rock, North Buttress 5.8 A4 V FA 1957 Mark Powell Bill Feuerer
Lower Watkins Pinnacle A3 II FA 1957 Mark Powell Herb Swedlund Wally Reed George Sessions Merle Alley
Powell-Reed 5.7 A3 IV FA 1957 Mark Powell Wally Reed FFA 5.10c 1964 Bob Kamps Tom Higgins
El Capitan, East Ledges, East Side 5.5 A3 II FA 1958 Henry Kendall Gerry Czamanske
Lower Brother, Southeast Face 5.8 A1 III FA 1958 Wally Reed Charles Raymond
Lower Cathedral Rock, Roof, The 5.7 A3 II FA 1958 Tom Frost Henry Kendall
Nose, The 5.9 C2 VI FA 1958 Warren Harding Wayne Merry George Whitmore FFA 5.13b 1993 Lynn Hill
Penny-Nickle Arete 5.7 A2 III FA 1958 Chuck Pratt George Sessions Krehe Ritter
Slack, The, Center Route 5.8 A1 III FA 1958 Charlie Raymond Wally Reed FFA 5.10d 1967 Pat Ament Larry Dalke
Split Pinnacle, East Arete 5.8 A1+ FA 1958 Chuck Pratt Krehe Ritter FFA 5.10c
Ahwahnee Buttress 5.8 A2 IV FA 1959 George Sessions George Whitmore Jerry Dixon Merle Alley FFA 5.10d 1989 Dave Sessions Tucker Tech
Beverly's Tower 5.4 A1 I FA 1959 Gerry Czamanske Waren Harding FFA 5.10a 1973 Roger Breedlove Alan Bard
Higher Cathedral Rock, Northeast Buttress 5.8 A2 IV FA 1959 Dick Long Ray D'Arcy Terry Tarver FFA 5.9 1964 F rank Sacherer Jeff Dozier
Lower Yosemite Falls, West Side 5.5 A3 II FA 1959 Herb Swedlund Errol Bohannon
Merry Old Ledge 5.9 A3 IV FA 1959 Warren Harding Gerry Czamanske
Middle Cathedral Rock, North Face 5.9 A4 V FA 1959 Chuck Pratt Bob Kamps Steve Roper
Rixon's Pinnacle, West Face 5.7 A3 III FA 1959 Tom Frost Bill Feuerer FFA 5.10c 1971 Pat Ament
Rostrum, The, West Base Route 5.8 A3 IV FA 1959 Gerry Czmanske Larry Wood FFA 5.10c 1960 Chuck Pratt John Fiske
Washington Column, East Face (Astroman) 5.9 A3 V FA 1959 Warren Harding Glen Denny Chuck Pratt FFA 5.11c 1975 Jo hn Bachar John Long Ron
Kauk
Wash ington Column, East Face Route 5.10 A2 V FA 1959 Warren Harding Glen Denny Chuck Pratt
Arches Direct 5.8 A4 VI FA 1960 Royal Robbins Joe Fitschen
Camp 4 Terror 5.8 A4 V FA 1960 Bob Kamps Dave Rearick
Camp 4 Tree (Dynamo Hum) 5.5 A1 II FA 1960 Mort Hempel Bob Kamps FFA 1975 Tobin Sorenson John Long
Fifi Buttress 5.8 A3 III FA 1960 Dick McCracken Steve Roper
Inconsolable Buttress, The 5.7 A3 III FA 1960 Mark Powell Beverly Powell Dave Rearick
Kat Pinnacle, Southwest Corner 5.7 A3+ FA 1960 Yvon Chouinard Tom Frost
Liberty Cap, West Corner 5.8 A2 FA 1960 Dick McCracken Steve Roper
Mt. Broderick, South Face 5.8 A3 IV FA 1960 Bob Kamps Joe Fitschen Chuck Pratt
Nevada Falls, Left Side 5.6 A4 II FA 1960 Royal Robbins Lin Ephraim
Pulpit Rock, East Face 5.7 A2 FA 1960 Dave Rearick Tom Frost FFA 5.10c 1986 Don Reid Ken Yager
Sentinel Rock, West Face 5.12b A0 FA 1960 Yvon Chouinard Tom Frost
Aid Route 5.6 A3 II FA 1961 Joe Oliger Steve Roper FFA 5.11b 1967 Lloyd Price
Black Wall 5.9 A1 III FA 1961 Glen Denny Al McDonald
El Cap Tree Direct 5.9 A4 IV FA 1961 Glen Denny Frank Sacherer
El Capitan, East Ledges, West Side 5.6 A2 II FA 1961 Henry Kendall Bill Pope
Fin, The 5.7 A2 II FA 1961 Les Wilson Glen Denny FFA 5.11c 1974 John Long Jay WIlson
Half Dome, North Ridge 5.9 A2 III FA 1961 Chuck Wilts Royal Robbins FFA 5.10d R 1989 Walt Shipley John Harpole
Higher Cathedral Spire, North Couloir 5.8 A3 IV FA 1961 Dick Long Jim Wilson Ray D'Arcy Wally Reed
Higher Cathedral Spire, Northwest Face 5.8 A3 V FA 1961 Tom Frost Royal Robbins
Koko Ledge, Left 5.7 A1 I FA 1961 Bill Amborn Bob Klose FFA 5.10a 1968 Kevin Bein
Leaning Tower, West Face 5.7 C2F V FA 1961 Warren Harding Glen Denny Al Macdona ld
Little John, Center 5.10d A3- FA 1961 Tom Frost Harry Daley
Lunch Ledge Direct (Space Case) 5.8 A4 IV FA 1961 Yvon Chouinard Wally Reed FFA 1976 Ray Jardine Linda McGinnis
Nevada Falls, Center Route 5.5 A2 II FA 1961 Bill Amborn Tom Naylor Steve Roper
Salathe Wall 5.9 C2 VI FA 1961 Royal Robbins Chuck Pratt Tom Frost FFA 5.13b 1988 Todd Skinner Paul Piana
Serenity Crack 5.7 A2 II FA 1961 Glen Denny Les Wilson FFA 5.10d 1967 Tom Higgins Chris Jones
Slab Happy Pinnacle, Center 5.9 A4 III FA 1961 Royal Robbins Tom Frost Harry Daley FFA 5.10d 19 74 Vern Clevenger George Meyers Tom Carter
Space Case (Lunch Ledge Direct) 5.8 A4 IV FA 1961 Yvon Chouinard Wally Reed FFA 5.10c 1976 Ray Jardine Linda McGinnis
Swan Slab 5.6 A3 II FA 1961 Joe Oliger Steve Roper
Swan Slab Aid Route 5.6 A3 II FA 1961 Joe Oliger Steve Roper FFA 5.11a 1967 Loyd Price
West Corner 5.8 A3 III FA 1961 Bob Kamps Dave Rearick
Bear Rock, Southeast Face 5.4 A4 I FA 1962 Jim Harper Tony Qamar
Bishop's Balcony 5.5 A3 FA 1962 Frank Sacherer Gary Colliver
Chockstone Chimney 5.6 A2 IV FA 1962 Les Wilson Wolfgang Heinritz Andrzej Ehrenfeucht Leif Patterson FFA 5.9 1976 Ray Jardine Mark Moore
Chouinard-Herbert 5.8 A2 V FA 1962 Yvon Chouinard TM Herbert FFA 5.11c 1976 John Long Pete Minks Eric Erickson
Delectable Pinnacle, Center Route 5.3 A3 I FA 1962 Art Gran Eric Beck FFA 5.11c R 1975 Dale Bard
Dihedral Wall 5.9 A3+ VI FA 1962 Ed Cooper Jim Baldwin Glen Denny
Diving Board - Sunshine Buttress 5.8 A1 III FA 1962 Dick Long Al Macdonald Jim Wilson
Flue, The 5.8 A2 III FA 1962 Warren Harding Bob Kamps FFA 1989 Elliot Robinson
Green Strip, The 5.7 A2 II FA 1962 Al Macdonald Les Wilson FFA 5.9 1965 Tom Higgins Mike Dent
Hanging Boulders, The 5.6 A3 III FA 1962 Les Wilson Wolfgang Heinritz Andrzej Ehernfeucht
Hourglass, The, Left Side 5.8 A4 FA 1962 Bob Kamps Joe McKeown FFA 5.11a R 1971 Peter Haan Rick Linkert Mike Farrell
Koko Ledge, Continuation A4 FA 1962 Glenn Denny Frank Sacherer
La Escuela 5.5 A2 II FA 1962 Yvon Chouinard TM Herbert FFA 5.11b 1973 Steve Wunsch Mark Chapman
Limbo Ledge 5.8 A3 II FA 1962 Jim Baldwin Steve Roper FFA 5.10b 1975 Pete Livesey
Lower Cathedral Spire, Lower North Face 5.7 A2 IV FA 1962 Les Wilson Wolfgang Heinritz
Lower Cathedral Spire, Upper North Face 5.9 A3 IV FA 1962 Galen Rowell Al Macdonald
Maxine's Wall 5.7 A3 II FA 1962 Les Wilson Al Macdonald FFA 5.10c 1973 Pete Livesey Andreas Maurer
North Dome, West Face Route 5.7 A2 II FA 1962 Art Gran Steve Roper FFA 5.8 1972 Peter Barton Mark Chapman
Pegasus (East Quarter Dome, North Face) 5.8 A3 V FA 1962 Yvon Chouinard Tom Frost FFA 5.12 1980 Max Jones M ark Hudon
Quarter Dome; North Face (Pegasus) 5.9 A2 V FA 1962 Yvon Chouinard Tom Frost FFA 5.12 1980 Max Jones Mark Hudon
Ribbon Falls, West Buttress 5.8 A3 IV FA 1962 Frank Sacherer Bob Kamps
Rostrum, The, The Regular North Face Route 5.9 A2 V FA 1962 Glen Denny Warren Harding FFA 5.11c 1985 Ron Kauk John Yablonski Kim Carrigan
Sentinel Rock, Direct North Face 5.9 A3 V FA 1962 Royal Robbins Tom Frost FFA 5.12a
Slab Happy Pinnacle, Left 5.8 A3 III FA 1962 Royal Robbins Jack Turner FFA 5.10d 1974 Mark Chapman Art Higbee
Turret, The 5.8 A2 IV FA 1962 Bob Kamps Mark Powell FFA 5.11 1973 Jim Donini John Bragg
Wendy 5.7 A1 II FA 1962 Frank Sacherer Bob Kamps FFA 5.9 1970 Kim Schmitz Marty Martin
Bridalveil Falls, East Buttress 5.8 A3 III FA 1963 Royal Robbins TM Herbert
Calf, The 5.8 A2 II FA 1963 Joe McKeown Jim Harper FFA 5.11c 1974 John Long
Carbon Wall, The 5.7 A3 III FA 1963 Glen Denny Roger Derryberry
El Capitan, West Buttress 5.10 A3+ VI FA 1963 Layton Kor Steve Roper
Half Dome, Direct Northwest Face 5.10 A3+ VI FA 1963 Royal Robbins Dick McCracken FFA 5.13c/d 1993 Todd Skinner Paul Piana
Hidden Chimney 5.7 A2 IV FA 1963 Les Wilson Wolfgang Heinritz Andrzej Ehernfeucht
Lost Brother, Northwest Face 5.7 A2 IV FA 1963 Al Macdonald Jeff Dozier Dave French Gary Westernof FFA 5.10c 1972 Barry Bates Rik Rieder
Lower Cathedral Rock, West Face 5.8 A2 III FA 1963 Frank Sacherer Wally Reed
Misty Wall 5.11d A0 V FA 1963 Dick McCracken Royal Robbins FFA 1991 Walt Shipley Kevin Fosburg
Perhaps 5.10d A4 FA 1963 Bob Kamps Andy Lichtman
Pterodactyl Terrace, Right 5.5 A3 I FA 1963 Glen Denny Eric Beck FFA 5.11b 1975 Vern Clevenger
Rappel Chimney, The 5.7 A3 III FA 1963 Wolfgang Heinritz Les Wilson Leif Patterson Andrzej Ehrenf eucht
Ribbon Falls, West Portal 5.8 A3 IV FA 1963 Chris Fredericks Steve Roper
Rixon's Pinnacle, Direct South Face 5.11d A1 FA 1963 Glen Denny Gary Colliver
Rixon's Pinnacle, Far West 5.11 A1 FA 1963 Royal Robbins Dick McCracken
Sentinel Rock, Kor-Denny Route 5.9 A3 V FA 1963 Layton Kor Glen Denny
Slabs, The 5.6 A2 II FA 1963 Wolfgang Heinritz Andrzej Ehrenfeucht Les Wilson
Upper Yosemite Falls, East Side 5.9 A4 VI FA 1963 Dick McCracken Royal Robbins
Folly, The, Left Side 5.9 A3 FA 1964 Layton Kor Jim Bridwell
High Arc, The (Positively Intoxicated) A3 I FA 1964 Tom Cochrane FFA 5.11d 1981 Peter Mayfield Augie Klein
Mt. Watkins, South Face 5.8 A4 VI FA 1964 Warren Harding Yvon Chouinard Chuck Pratt FFA 5.13 Brooke San dahl Steve Sutton
Negative Pinnacle, Left A3 FA 1964 Gary Colliver
North America Wall 5.8 A2 VI FA 1964 Tom Frost Yvon Chouinard Chuck Pratt Royal Robbins
Washington Column, South Face 5.8 C1 V FA 1964 Layton Kor Chris Fredericks
Bacchigaloupe Wall 5.9 A2 III FA 1965 Pete Spoecker Steve Herrero FFA 5.9 1981 Don Reid Greg Sonagere Alan Bartlett
Book of Revelations 5.9 A2 II FA 1965 Gordon Webster Chuck Ostin FFA 5.11a 1974 Bob Finn Chris Falkenstein
Flying Buttress Direct 5.9 A3 V FA 1965 Chris Fredericks Layton Kor
Gold Wall 5.10 A3 V FA 1965 Layton Kor Tom Fender
Inspiration Buttress 5.8 A3 IV FA 1965 Joe Faint Mike Borghoff
Min-Ne-Ah (Yosemite Point Southeast Face) 5.9 A3 V FA 1965 Gordon Webster TM Herbert FFA 5.11d 1990 Scott Cosgrove Walt Shipley
Muir Wall 5.9 A2 VI FA 1965 Yvon Chouinard TM Herbert
Rattlesnake Buttress 5.8 A2 III FA 1965 Layton Kor Fred Beckey FFA 5.11a 1982 Werner Braun Rick Cashner
Salami Ledge 5.7 A2 IV FA 1965 Les Wilson Wolfgang Heinritz FFA 5.10 1989 Tucker Tech
Yellow Corner (Turning Yellow) 5.7 A4 IV FA 1965 Layton Kor Tom Fender FFA 5.12a R 199 2 Walt Shipley Tucker Tech
Yosemite Point, Southeast Face (Min-Ne-Ah) 5.9 A3 V FA 1965 Gordon Webster TM Herbert FFA 1990 Scott Cosgrove W alt Shipley
Cobra, The 5.9 A2 IV FA 1966 Mark Powell Bob Kamps FFA 5.11a R 1975 Tobin Sorenson Tim Sorenson
Direct Assistance Route 5.7 A4 IV FA 1966 Layton Kor John Hudson Dick Williams
Midwall 5.9 A4 V FA 1966 Tom Fender Kim Schmitz
Nevada Falls, Right Side 5.8 A1 II FA 1966 Al Steck Jim Wilson Dick Long
Psychedelic Wall 5.8 A4 V FA 1966 Ken Boche Dennis Hennek
Bad Wall 5.8 A4 V FA 1967 Jim Madsen Kim Schmitz
Crack-a-Go-Go 5.8 A2 II FA 1967 Harvey Carter Pete Pederson FFA 5.11c 1974 Pete Livesey Ron Fawcett
Dinner Ledge Direct 5.7 A4 IV FA 1967 Jim Madsen Kim Schmitz
Easter Egg, The 5.7 A1 FA 1967 Rob Foster Greg Schaffer
El Capitan, West Face 5.9 A4 VI FA 1967 TM Herbert Royal Robbins FFA 5.11c 1979 Ray Jardine Bill Price
Great Slab Route 5.8 A4 V FA 1967 Layton Kor Jim Madsen Kim Schmitz
Higher Cathedral Rock, East Face Route 5.10 A4 V FA 1967 Jim Bridwell Chris Fredericks
South Central 5.10a A2 V FA 1967 Jim Bridwell Joe Faint
Will-O'-The-Wisp 5.5 A1 II FA 1967 Jim Chamberlain Bob Grow
Firefall Face 5.8 A4 V FA 1968 Galen Rowell Warren Harding
Good Book, The (Right Side of the Folly) 5.8 A3 IV FA 1968 Warren Harding Tom Fender FFA 5.10d 1973 Dale Bard Jim Bridwell Kevin Worrall Ron
Kauk
Highe r Cathedral Rock, North Face 5.9 A4 V FA 1968 Chuck Pratt Dennis Hennek Yvon Chouinard Bob Kamps
Lost Arrow Spire, Direct 5.11 A3 V FA 1968 Warren Harding Pat Callis
Mosstrum, The 5.8 A3 III FA 1968 Bob Bauman Chuck Pratt Bruce Kumph
Nickel Pinnacle, East Face 5.8 A2 III FA 1968 Chuck Kroger Kep Stone
Shadyside Bench 5.8 A1 II FA 1968 Alan Gillespie Bill Nelson
Bircheff-Williams 5.8 A2 V FA 1969 Phil Bircheff Steve Williams FFA 5.11b 1973 Kevin Worrall George Meyers
Gobi Wall 5.8 A4 V FA 1969 Chuck Pratt Ken Boche
Half Dome, Northwest Buttress 5.7 A3 IV FA 1969 Andy Embick Bob Jensen
La Escuela Direct A4 FA 1969 Eric Beck Steve Williams
Liberty Cap, Southwest Face 5.10 A3 VI FA 1969 Galen Rowell Joe Faint Warren Harding
Moratorium, The 5.8 A2 III FA 1969 Bruce Price Bill Griffin Bob Edwards FFA 5.11b 1975 Pete Livesey Trevor Jones
Mud Flats 5.8 A3 II FA 1969 Kim Schmitz Don Peterson FFA 5.11d R 1984 Roger Greatrick Carl Jonasson
Nevada Falls, Slot Machine, The 5.5 A2 II FA 1969 Scott Baxter Lee Dexter
Prow, The 5.6 C2F V FA 1969 Royal Robbins Glen Denny
Symphony, The 5.9 A1 FA 1969 Chuck Ostin Tim Fitzgerald
Tis-sa-ack 5.10 A4 VI FA 1969 Royal Robbins Don Peterson
Triple Direct 5.8 C2 VI FA 1969 Jim Bridwell Kim Schmitz
West Quarter Dome, North Face 5.8 A3 IV FA 1969 Phil Koch Dave Goeddel
Arcturus 5.7 A4 VI FA 1970 Royal Robbins Dick Dorworth
BHOS Dome 5.8 A3 III FA 1970 Doug Scott TM Herbert Don Lauria Dennis Hennek
Galloping Consumption 5.9 A1 III FA 1970 Chuck Pratt Steve Roper FFA 5.11a 1987 Don Reid Alan Roberts
Half Dome, South Face Route 5.8 A4 VI FA 1970 Warren Harding Galen Rowell
Heart Route, The 5.9 A4 VI FA 1970 Chuck Kroger Scott Davis
Higher Cathedral Rock, Northeast Corner 5.8 A3 V FA 1970 Chuck Pratt Joe Kelsey
Higher Cathedral Spire, Southeast Side, Southeast Face 5.8 A3 III FA 1970 Keith Edwards Fred Cady FFA 5.10d 1989 Keith Reynolds Alvino Pon
In Cold Blood 5.8 A4 V FA 1970 Royal Robbins
New Dimensions 5.11 A1 III FA 1970 Mark Klemens Jim Bridwell FFA 5.11a 1972 Barry Bates Steve Wunsch
Parkline Slab; Direct Route 5.6 A3 III FA 1970 Jerry Anderson Bruce Price John Yates
Renegade, The (Stigma, The) 5.13 A3 FA 1970 Dennis Miller Brian Birmingham FFA 1986 Alan Watts
Stigma, The (The Renegade) 5.13 A3 FA 1970 Dennis Miller Brian Birmingham FFA 1986 Alan Watts
Teeter Tower 5.7 A1 III FA 1970 Jack Delk Bill Sorenson
Vain Hope 5.7 A3 V FA 1970 Royal Robbins Kim Schmitz Jim Bridwell
Via Sin Aqua 5.10 A2 V FA 1970 Rick Sylvester Bugs McKeith
Aquarian Wall 5.9 A4 VI FA 1971 Jim Bridwell Kim Schmitz
Eggplant, The A3 FA 1971 Kent Stokes John Svenson FFA 5.10b 1989 Walt Shipley Xavier Bongard
Fight or Flight (Lower Yosemite Falls, Right Side) 5.7 A3 FA 1971 John Svenson Kent Stokes FFA 19 89 Kevin Fosburg Walt Shipley
Geek Towers, Right Side 5.10a A2 FA 1971 Mark Klemens Jim Bridwell
Heart Woute (Son of Heart) 5.10 A3+ VI FA 1971 Rick Sylvester Claude Wreford-Brown
Lower Yosemite Falls, Right Side (Flight or Fight) 5.7 A3 FA 1971 John Svenson Kent Stokes FFA 1989 Kevin Fosburg Walt Shipley
Route of All Evil 5.9 A4 V FA 1971 Matt Donohoe Cliff Jennings
Wall of Early Morning Light 5.7 A3 VI FA 1971 Warren Harding Dean Cadwell
Watermelon Rind 5.9 A3 V FA 1971 John Svenson Sharon Young Kent Stokes Bob Schneider
Abazaba 5.11c A3 FA 1972 Charlie Porter Walter Rosenthal FFA 1986 Scott Cosgrove Walt Shipley
Coffin Nail A3+ FA 1972 Charlie Porter
Cosmos 5.8 A4 VI FA 1972 Jim Dunn
Fatal Mistake 5.11a A1 IV FA 1972 Charlie Porter Walter Rosenthal FFA 1975 Dale Bard Werner Braun
Keel Haul 5.10 A3 VI FA 1972 Charlie Porter Walter Rosenthal
Magic Mushroom 5.10 A4 VI FA 1972 Hugh Burton Steve Sutton
Nashville Skyline 5.8 A3 V FA 1972 Charlie Porter Gary Bocarde
Sheba A4+ FA 1972 Charlie Porter
Shield, The (Salathe Start) 5.7 C4F VI FA 1972 Charlie Porter Gary Bocarde
Zodiac 5.7 A2 VI FA 1972 Charlie Porter FFA 5.13d 2003 Alex Huber Thomas Huber
Comedy of Folly 5.9 A4 V FA 1973 Rik Rieder
Mescalito 5.8 A3 VI FA 1973 Charlie Porter Hugh Burton Steve Sutton Chris Nelson
Miscreant Wall 5.9 A4 V FA 1973 Bruce Hawkins Keith Nannery
Tangerine Trip 5.8 A2 VI FA 1973 Charlie Porter John-Paul de St. Croix
Eagle Roof A1 FA 1974 Dave Diegleman Bill Price Augie Klein
Grape Race 5.9 A5 VI FA 1974 Charlie Porter Bev Johnson
Horse Chute 5.9 A3 VI FA 1974 Charlie Porter Hugh Burton
New Dawn 5.8 A3 VI FA 1974 Charlie Porter Yvon Chouinard Chuck Pratt Dennis Hennick Chris Jones
Electric Ladyland 5.10a A4 VI FA 1975 Gib Lewis Rick Accomazzo Richard Harrison
Excalibur 5.9 A3 VI FA 1975 Charlie Porter Hugh Burton
Lost World 5.10 A3+ VI FA 1975 C. Folsom Dave Anderson Mike Warburton
Mother Earth 5.11c A4 VI FA 1975 George Meyers John Long Kevin Worrall Mark Chapman Ron Kauk
Pacific Ocean Wall 5.9 A3 VI FA 1975 Jim Bridwell Billy Westbay Jay Fiske Fred East
Waterfall Route 5.10b A4 VI FA 1975 Daryle Teske T. Polk
Eagle's Way 5.8 A3 VI FA 1976 Mark Chapman Mike Graham Jim Orey
Lurking Fear 5.7 C2F VI FA 1976 Dave Bircheff Jim Pettigrew FFA 5.13/A0
Mirage 5.9 A4 VI FA 1976 Jim Bridwell Kim Schmitz Jim Pettigrew
Bushido 5.10 A4 VI FA 1977 Jim Bridwell Dale Bard
Dorn Direct (to Shield) 5.9 A4 VI FA 1977 Tony Yaniro Ron Olevsky
Hockey Night in Canada 5.10 A3 VI FA 1977 Darrell Hatten Bill Stern
New Jersey Turnpike 5.10 A4+ VI FA 1977 Bruce Hawkins Ron Kauk Dale Bard Hugh Burton
Skunk Crack 5.11b A1 FA 1977 Ray Jardine John Lakey
Wet Denim Daydream 5.6 C3F V FA 1977 Darrell Hatten Angus Thuermer
Bob Locke Memorial Buttress 5.11 A4 VI FA 1978 Jim Bridwell Ron Kauk John Long Kim Schmitz
Dorn's Crack 5.10c A0 FA 1978 Jack Dorn Jim Beyer Bob Sullivan
Hook, Line and Sinker 5.10 A3+ VI FA 1978 Mike Munger Angus Thurmer Steve Larson
Iron Hawk 5.9 A4 VI FA 1978 Dale Bard Ron Kauk
Negative Pinnacle, Center A4 FA 1978 Jim Beyer
Never Never Land 5.9 A4 VI FA 1978 Bruce Hawkins Mark Chapman
Sea of Dreams 5.9 A4 VI FA 1978 Jim Bridwell Dale Bard Dave Diegelman
Sunkist 5.9 A5 VI FA 1978 Bill Price Dale Bard
Tiger's Paw 5.10a A1 FA 1978 Don Reid Rick Cashner
Tribal Rite A4 VI FA 1978 Walter Rosenthal Tom Carter Dale Bard
Yosemite Point Buttress, Czech Route 5.10 A1 VI FA 1978 Jan Porvazik A. Behia
Zenith 5.8 A4 VI FA 1978 Jim Bridwell Kim Schmitz
Born Under A Bad Sign 5.10 A5 VI FA 1979 Bill Price Tim Washick
Derelict's Diagonal A4 FA 1979 Chuck Goldman Mathew Moore
Jolly Rodger 5.10 A5 VI FA 1979 Charles Cole Steve Grossman
Plume, The A2 FA 1979 Don Reid Chuck Goldmann
South Seas 5.8 A4 VI FA 1979 Bill Price Charlie Row Guy Thompson
More Balls then Brains A3- FA 1980 Dana Brown
Aurora 5.8 A4 VI FA 1981 Peter Mayfield Greg Child
Bulging Puke 5.9 A4 V FA 1981 Bill Russell Chris Friel
Chinese Water Torture 5.11 A4 VI FA 1981 Karl McConachie Jay Smith
Colony of Slippermen 5.11+ A1 FA 1981 Chris Cantwell Mark Grant
Mad Pilot 5.11b A1 FA 1981 Rob Rohn Peter Croft
Pink Banana 5.10d A1 FA 1981 Chris Cantwell Bruce Morris Mike Hernandez Donald Cantwell FFA 1987 Greg Murphy Nathan Robinson Elliot
Robbinson
Sunblast 5 .13a A2+ FA 1981 Don Reid Grant Hiskes FFA Dave Schultz
Wings of Steel 5.10+ A4 VI FA 1981 Richard Jensen Mark Smith
Zenyatta Mondatta 5.7 A4 VI FA 1981 Jim Bridwell Peter Mayfield Charlie Row
Higher Aspirations 5.8 A3 V FA 1982 Rik Derrick Steve Bosque
Lunar Eclipse 5.7 A4 VI FA 1982 John Barbella Steve Schneider
Mischief 5.8 A2 FA 1982 Marshall Ravenscroft Tim Kemple
Old A5 A3 FA 1982 Peter Chesko
Pacemaker 5.9 A4 VI FA 1982 Steve Bosque Mike Corbett Murray Barnett Jim Siler
Pink Pussycat A1 FA 1982 Don Reid Greg Sonagere
Silent Line 5.10c A1 V FA 1982 Rick Cashner Werner Braun
Squeeze Play 5.10 A3+ VI FA 1982 Mike Corbett Gary Edmondson Rich Albuschkat
Unemployment Line 5.9 A3 FA 1982 Alan Bartlett Jim May Steve Gerberding
Arctic Sea 5.10 A4 VI FA 1983 Tom Cosgriff Duane Raleigh
Buried Treasure 5.11a A0 FA 1983 Steve Schneider Rob Oravetz
Die Schweine Von Oben 5.11 A3+ VI FA 1983 Bill Russell Paul Fiola
Mideast Crisis 5.8 A4 V FA 1983 Steve Bosque Mike Corbett
Rainbow 5.10 A3 V FA 1983 Paul Fiola Chris Freel
Bad to the Bone 5.9+ A4 VI FA 1984 Jay Smith Lidija Painkiher
Bermuda Dunes 5.11c A4+ VI FA 1984 Steve Schneider John Barbella
Blockbuster 5.11c A1 FA 1984 Don Reid Grant Hiskes Dimitri Barton
Horse Play 5.9 A3 VI FA 1984 Steve Grossman Sue Harrington
Queen of Spades 5.9 A4 VI FA 1984 Charles Cole
Real Nose 5.10 A4 VI FA 1984 Charles Cole Steve Grossman
Roulette A5 FA 1984 Earl Redfern Tom Bepler
Skull Queen 5.8 C2 V FA 1984 Dave Altenburg Chuck Clance Steve Bosque
Time Machine A5+ VI FA 1984 Bob Shonerd
Wyoming Sheep Ranch 5.8 A4 VI FA 1984 Rob Slater John Barbella
Atlantic Ocean Wall 5.9 A4 VI FA 1985 John Middendorf John Barbella
Disco Strangler 5.10 A4 V FA 1985 Earl Redfern Tom Bepler Eric Brand
Dyslexia 5.10d A4 VI FA 1985 Ellie Hawkins
Learning to Crawl 5.9 A3+ V FA 1985 Mike Corbett Steve Bosque Fritz Fox
Liberty Cap, West Buttress 5.10 A3 V FA 1985 Mike Corbett Steve Bosque
Lost in America 5.10 A4 VI FA 1985 Randy Leavitt Greg Child
Mr. Midwest 5.10 A3+ VI FA 1985 Bill Russell Doug McDonald
Realm of the Flying Monkeys 5.10a A3 VI FA 1985 Steve Bosque Dan McDevitt
Space 5.10 A4 VI FA 1985 Charles Cole
Heading for Oblivion 5.10 A4+ VI FA 1986 Jim Beyer
Karma 5.11d A0 V FA 1986 Dave Schultz Ken Yager Jim Campbell
Local Motion 5.11d A1 FA 1986 Doug McDonald Werner Braun
On the Waterfront 5.9 A5 VI FA 1986 Steve Bosque Mike Corbett Gwen Schneider
Same as it Never Was 5.11b A4 VI FA 1986 Jay Smith Karl McConachie Randy Grandstaff
Yosemite Pointless 5.9 A3 V FA 1986 Bob Ost Norman Boles
Battlescar 5.11d A1 FA 1987 Ed Barry Doug MacDonald
Big Chill, The 5.9 A4 VI FA 1987 Jim Bridwell Peter Mayfield Sean Plunkett Steve Bosque
Floating Lama 5.11c A1 FA 1987 Doug McDonald
Heartland 5.10 A4+ VI FA 1987 John Barbella Eric Brand
Luminescent Wall 5.10b A4 VI FA 1987 John Barbella Walt Shipley
Native Son 5.9 A4 VI FA 1987 Walt Shipley Troy Johnson
Scorched Earth 5.11 A5 VI FA 1987 Randy Leavitt Rob Slater
Ten Days After 5.8 A3 VI FA 1987 John Barbella Eric Brand
Bad Seed 5.9 A4+ VI FA 1988 Bill Russell Troy Johnson
Central Scrutinizer 5.11c A4+ VI FA 1988 Steve Grossman Jay Ladin
Escape From Freedom 5.11c A1 VI FA 1988 Urmas Franosch Bruce Morris
For Your Eyes Only (Octopussy) 5.9 A3 VI FA 1988 Dan McDevitt Sue McDevitt
Horney/Johnson 5.10 A3+ VI FA 1988 Jeff Hornibrook Troy Johnson
Love Without Anger 5.8 A3 V FA 1988 Steve Bosque Rich Albuschkat
Morality Check 5.10 A0 FA 1988 Tucker Tech Pete Takeda
Old A2 A2 FA 1988 Dana Brown Jeff Perrin
Timbuktu Left 5.10 A3 VI FA 1988 Franco Perlotto
Turkey Shoot 5.9 A3 V FA 1988 Ken Yager Steve Bosque
Via Sin Liquor 5.9 A4 VI FA 1988 Eric Kohl Alan Humphrey
White Room, The 5.10 A4 VI FA 1988 Sean Plunkett Walt Shipley
Aqua Vulva (Route 66) 5.10 A4 VI FA 1989 Eric Kohl John Middendorf
Bananarama 5.10a A3 V FA 1989 Rich Albuschkat Steve Bosque Murray Barnett
Dante's Inferno 5.9 A3+ VI FA 1989 Eric Kohl
Flashback 5.8 A3 V FA 1989 Steve Bosque Rich Albuschkat
Genesis 5.11b A4 VI FA 1989 Doug Englekirk Eric Brand
High Plains Dripper 5.11 A5 VI FA 1989 Eric Kohl Alan Humphrey
Jet Stream, The 5.9 A4 VI FA 1989 Sean Plunkett Bill Russell
Kali Yuga, The 5.10 A4 VI FA 1989 Walt Shipley John Middendorf
Promised Land, The 5.10 A4 VI FA 1989 Kevin Fosburg Jeff Hornibrook Troy Johnson
Reach for the Sky 5.11 A4+ VI FA 1989 Jim Beyer
Shadows A5 VI FA 1989 Jim Bridwell Cito Kirkpatrick Charlie Row Billy Westbay
Toxic Waste Dump 5.8 A3+ VI FA 1989 Eric Kohl
Wheel of Torture 5.7 A4 VI FA 1989 Eric Kohl
Affliction, The 5.11d A0 V FA 1990 Walt Shipley Scott Cosgrove
Ecstacy of Gold, The 5.10 A3 VI FA 1990 Eric Rassmussen Doug Olmstead
Fantasy Island 5.13b A0 FA 1990 Dave Schultz
Highway to Hell 5.9 A5 VI FA 1990 Garbor Berecz Thomas Tivadar
Hole World 5.10 A4 VI FA 1990 Eric Kohl
Ice Age 5.9 A5 VI FA 1990 Eric Kohl
Pressure Cooker 5.10 A4 VI FA 1990 Eric Kohl
Re-Animator 5.8 A3 VI FA 1990 Eric Kohl Walt Shipley
Saddam Hussein 5.9 A4 V FA 1990 Eric Brand Stewart Irving
Shortest Straw, The 5.7 A4 VI FA 1990 Rick Lovelace
Surgeon General 5.9 A5 VI FA 1990 Eric Kohl Walt Shipley
Crystal Cyclone A4+ VI FA 1991 Eric Kohl
Hole in the Sky 5.10b A3 VI FA 1991 Kevin Fosburg Paul Turecki
Plastic Surgery Disaster 5.8 A5 VI FA 1991 Eric Kohl
Reckless Abandon 5.8 A4+ VI FA 1991 Eric Kohl
Solar Power Arete 5.10a A3+ VI FA 1991 Kevin Fosburg Paul Turecki
Winds of Change 5.10 A5 VI FA 1991 Richard Jensen
World of Pain 5.8 A5 VI FA 1991 Eric Kohl
Chief, The 5.11b A1 V FA 1992 Al Swanson Arthur James Foley III Brian Warshow
Electric Ocean 5.10 A4 VI FA 1992 Eric Kohl
Get Wacked 5.10 A5 VI FA 1992 Eric Kohl
Jesus Built My Hotrod 5.8 A4 V FA 1992 Eric Kohl Eric Rasmussen
Lost Again 5.10 A3+ VI FA 1992 Eric Kohl
Prism, The 5.10 A3+ VI FA 1992 Urmas Franosch Sean Plunkett
Southern Man 5.8 A2 V FA 1992 Francis Ross Rich Albushkat
Virginia 5.7 A3 VI FA 1992 Chuck Clance Steve Bosque
Ashes to Ashes A4 V FA 1993 Eric Rasmussen Chris Purnell
Flight of the Albatross 5.8 A3 VI FA 1993 John Middendorf Will Oxx
Freaks of Nature 5.11c A0 FA 1993 Mike McGrale Cary Hansen Jeff Snedden
Kaos 5.7 A4 VI FA 1993 Steve Gerberding Dave Bengston
Express Checkout 5.8 A5 VI FA 1993 Eric Kohl
Tempest A4 VI FA 1993 Jeff Hornibrook Brad Jarret Price Lloyd
Adrift 5.11 A3+ VI FA 1995 Steve Quinlan Paul Pritchard
Reticent Wall 5.7 A5 VI FA 1995 Steve Gerberding Scott Stowe Laurie Stowe
When Hell was in Session 5.9 A5 VI FA 1995 Eric Kohl Pete Takeda
Reason Beyond Insanity 5.7 A4 VI FA 1995 Sean Easton Dave Sheldon
Abstract Expressionist A5 VI FA 1996 Eric Kohl
Continental Drift 5.9 A4 VI FA 1997 Steve Gerberding Kevin Thaw Conrad Anker
History of the Future A3 III FA 1997 Bryan Law
Hurricane Jingus 5.9 A4 VI FA 1997 Eric Kohl Bryan Law
Sad State of Afairs, A 5.7 A3 V FA 1997 Eric Rasmussen Mike Zawaski
Sargantana 5.9 A5 VI FA 1997 Pep Mesip Silvia Vidal
Blue Shift 5.11b A4 VI FA 1997 Jay Smith Karl McConachie
Disorderly Conduct 5.9 A5 VI FA 1998 Warren Hollinger Miles Smart Bart Groendycke
El Nino 5.13c A0 VI FA 1998 Alex Huber Thomas Huber
Girdle Traverse 5.10 A4 VI FA 1998 Chris McNamara Mark Melvin
Heavy Metal and Tinker Toys 5.9 A5 VI FA 1998 Jim Bridwell Tyson Hausdoerffer Boulos Ayad
It's So Awful PDK+ VI FA 1998 Eric Kohl
Ned's Excellent Adventure A4 VI FA 1998 Warren Hollinger Bryan Law
Nightmare on California St. 5.8 A4+ VI FA 1998 Warren Hollinger Grant Gardner
Sky is Falling 5.10 A? VI FA 1998 Eric Kohl Bryan Law
Allied Forces 5.9 A3 VI FA 1999 Steve Gerberding Al Swanson Mark Bowling Odd Roar Wilk
Dark Star 5.10 A5 VI FA 1999 Jim Bridwell Giovani Groaz
Every Man for Himself A4 VI FA 1999 Steve Gerberding Scott Stowe Mark Bowling
Gulf Stream 5.9 A4 VI FA 1999 Steve Gerberding Jay Smith
Life on the Dark Side 5.6 A3 IV FA 1999 Bryan Law Ammon McNeely
Passage to Freedom 5.13c A0 VI FA 1999 Leo Houlding Jose Pereyra
Summerland 5.8 A3 VI FA 1999 Bryan Law Roger Strong
Cataclysmic Mega Sheer 5.11d A2 VI FA 2000 Eric Kohl Bryan Law
Laughing at the Void 5.9 A3 V FA 2000 Jerry Anderson Sigrid Anderson Lynnea Anderson
Slacker's Toil 5.8 A4 VI FA 2001 Jim Beyer
Escaoe From Tora Bora A2 VI FA 2002 Eric Kohl
Great Disgrace, The 5.9 A3+ VI FA 2002 Jon Blair Jeff Hornibrook Bryan Kay
Persian Gulf 5.9 A3+ V FA 2002 Jon Blair Mark Garbarini
Tora Bora 5.9 A3+ V FA 2002 Josh Thompson Bryan Kay
Martyr's Brigade 5.11 A5 VI FA 2002 Jim Beyer
Jose Memorial Variation 5.7 A3+ VI FA 2003 Ammon McNeely Gabe McNeely Austin McNeely
Quo Vadis 5.9 A4+ VI FA 2003 Jacek Czyz
Reign in Blood PDK VI FA 2003 Eric Kohl
Wild Apes 5.9 A3 VI FA 2003 Mark Garbarini Jon Blair Bryan Kay
Witching Hour PDK VI FA 2003 Eric Kohl
climbs not used:
40 oz of Freedom 5.10 A3 V FA
Cookie Continuation A0 FA
Delectable Pinnacle, Aid Route A3- FA
Gold Ribbon 5.10 A3 VI FA
In Justice for All PDK VI FA Eric Kohl
Joint Adventure, A 5.9 A3+ IV FA
Lehamite Buttress 5.6 A2 FA
Liberty Cap, Direct Southwest Face 5.10 A5 V FA Rick Cashner Werner Braun
Lower Cathedral Rock, North Face 5.9 A3 V FA
Notch Route 5.7 A1 I FA FFA 5.10b R 1966 Royal Robbins
Old A3 A3+ FA
Ribbon Falls, East Portal 5.9 A4 V FA
Ring of Fire A5 VI FA Richard Jensen Mark Smith
Riptide A4 FA
Round em' up A3 FA
Shack 5.10 A3+ VI FA Sean Plunkett
Soul Shakedown 5.11 A4 VI FA Urmas Franosch Sean Plunkett
Tenaya's Terror 5.9 A4 VI FA Mike Corbett Steve Bosque
Vodka Putsch, The 5.10 A4 VI FA Bill Russell Pete Takeda
lars johansen
Trad climber

Sep 6, 2008 - 01:06pm PT
Ed,
Really cool graph of aid climbs and their grades - makes it obvious that the decade of the sixties was very much the era of grade six aid climbing -
an excellent method for breaking it down. What I'd like to see though, in your graph form, is what the OP relates to - Yosemite's freeclimbing
evolution - if you could do it with your method. I'm sure I speak for many others here too.
It would be especially interesting to compare the graphs of freeclimbing activity with aid climbing activity during the same time periods.
I know that's a daunting task, but you might be the only one capable - you've proved you have the knack for it.
EDIT: you're probably already on it.

Topic Author's Reply - Nov 28, 2016 - 08:08am PT
This thread on late 70s Valley climbing came after a thread on early 70s climbing and a survey in graphs of climbing in the Valley from 1954 -1980.
Here are links to those associated threads.
Barry Bates and Mark Klemens--Valley free climbing
Ebs & Flows: Booms & Busts: Valley FAs 1954-1980

Topic Author's Original Post - Aug 14, 2008 - 03:34pm PT
Why are Barry Bates and Mark Klemens not on everyone’s short list of the most important Valley free climbers?
The thread from Ihateplastic on his frustration with not getting a favorable response about his planned article on Barry Bates got
me to thinking about why Barry is not better known. I am also spurred on by the apparent interest amongst ST campers.
Most of us know about climbing history and who did what from a mosaic of information that includes longevity, difficulty of ascents,
and personality traits all disclosed in publications of one sort or another. Based on this, if climbers were to list the most important
Valley free climbers from 1960 to 1975, you might not see Barry Bates or Mark Klemens on most lists. They did their best climbing
after Steve Roper stopped writing about the Valley, they were only active in the Valley for a short time, and they were gone before
the mid-1970s Stonemasters craze.
However, on the basis of an objectively driven and relatively simple counts of first ascents on the cutting edge--first ascents that
mattered to other climbers thinking about what would go free--Barry and Mark would be on everyone’s short list. They, along with
Bridwell and Peter Haan, started the 70s free climbing boom.
My counting is based on my assessment of which climbs pushed the envelope, including difficulty, type, and location. The goal is to
include climbs that caused other climbers to try new routes all free, routes that allowed other climbers to push the standards.
This requires a closeness to the climbers and their thinking, both as individuals and as a group, during a specific time—it is
granular. While my goal is objective criteria, it is open to different interpretations: aside from flat out mistakes on my part (Oh, I
forgot about that!) a route that I take off the list and assign to backfilling may be very popular and may even be the specific genius
of a particular climber's further efforts (I mean no offense in my selections). Alternatively, there are some routes on my list that
probably have seen very few ascents—Peter Haan’s Hourglass is a good example--and there are almost certainly very hard routes
that I excluded because they just never had any impact on what anyone else was thinking or doing--the FFA of The Turret by Jim
Donini and John Bragg is in this category: big, huge, loose death block is all I remember, and 5.11 at that.
This allows that some thoughtful people would expand my list. Nevertheless, I think there would not be much variation in the list of
the climbers who contributed the most to Valley free climbing because the arguments would be incidental to the conclusions at the
top end of the list—the real standouts would be on everyone’s list.
The surprising bit is why Barry and Mark seem to have been left off the common perception of who made the most contributions.
When grounded in the period from 1960 to 1975—from the first 5.10s to the first 5.12s—their contributions stand out.
In the period from 1960, when Robbins and Pratt did the first 5.10s in the Valley, to 1965, when Chuck climbed Twilight Zone, the
5.10 standard was set in the Valley, covering short and long routes, different width cracks, and steep face climbing. I count 17
routes, either FAs or FFAs that mattered, with Royal taking only one, Chuck taking five, and Frank Sacherer taking eleven. The
surprising part is that Royal contributed little to furthering his establishment of 5.10 in the Valley—this fell to Chuck and Sacherer.
However, by the time they were through, 5.10 was no longer trick climbing but instead was firmly established with associated
techniques.
The specific routes I include in calendar sequence are Rixon's Pinnacle-East Chimney and Crack of Doom, the first 5.10s by Royal
and Chuck, respectively, in 1960. Following those are Reed's Pinnacle-Left Side, Worst Error-Right Side, Moby Dick, Lost Arrow
Chimney, Sacherer Cracker, Salathe Route, Midterm, Ahab, The Hourglass-Right Side, Chingando, Middle Cathedral Rock-Direct
North Buttress and East Buttress, and ending with Chuck’s Twilight Zone.
As that name implies, somehow, there did not seem to be much room to push the standards without moving into another realm.
(Or maybe it was just a ripped off TV-show name.) This idea of another realm would be pushed a little further in naming
conventions by Bridwell, but quickly died out when it became apparent that there might not be a limit to the difficulty. Naming
routes after TV-shows was still common.
The next four years, 1966 through 1969, were a lull in Valley climbing. Important free climbs include Chris Fredericks’ English
Breakfast crack in 1966; Ament's The Slack in 1967, Higgins’ Serenity Crack in 1967; and Royal’s Meat Grinder in 1967. (The Slack
and Serenity were quickly robbed of their original difficulty--a block falling out and pin scarring, respectively--and no one could use
them as benchmarks. English Breakfast and The Meat Grinder remain hard, iconic climbs still.) Nobody climbed much of anything
new in 1969.
There were good climbers in the Valley in the late 60s but they either were not quite ready to come in to their own, or they were
drifting away, or they were focused on big walls. But in 1970 and 1971 two climbers stand out in bold relief--Mark Klemens on wide
cracks and Barry Bates on thin cracks. I think that there is a common misperception that they were simply Jim's climbing partners.
Jim did partner with both, but I think the truth of the matter is that they spurred Jim’s imagination and got him productive, as did
Peter Haan. Jim had been in the Valley in the lull and had only had an interest in big walls first ascents. Lead by Barry, Mark, Jim
and Peter, the next two years set the foundation for the 70s free climbing boom.
In this two year period, plus one climb in 1972, I include 16 climbs (one twice) and assign the responsibilities this way: Jim
instigated seven, Barry six, Mark two, and Peter one. They include New Dimensions (5.11 A0), Waverly Wafer, Gripper, Outer
Limits, Wheat Thin, Catchy, Butterfingers, Abstract Corner, Independence Pinnacle Center, Lunatic Fringe, Supplication, Five and
Dime, Vanishing Point, Stepping Out, Cream, The Hourglass-Left Side, and finally in 1972 the FFA of New Dimensions with Steve
Wunsch. Jim and Mark first climbed New Dimensions in 1970, but Mark finished the crux pitch with a short pendulum to an easier
crack. Barry and Steve climbed through all free and firmly established the 5.11 standard for the Valley.

Aug 14, 2008 - 04:46pm PT
Since Ed isn't here, I'll take a schwag at this... my database probably isn't as updates as his, so bear with me:
Barry Bates First Ascents:
Anathema(5.10b), 1972
Application(5.9), 1971
Bongs Away, Center(5. 10a), 1970
Chocolate Dihedral(5.9), 1970
Degnan Diagonals(5.9), 1970
Dromedary - The Hump(unkno wn), 1971
Dromedary Direct(5.10c), 1971
Five and Dime(5.10d), 1971
Independence Pinnacle, Cent er Route(5.10d), 1970
Koko Ledge, Far Right(5.10a), 1970
Last Resort Pinnacle, The, Center(5. 10a), 1972
Lunatic Fringe(5.10c), 1971
Pink Dream(5.10a), 1971
Supplication(5.10c), 1971
Vanishing Point(5.10d), 19 71
Waverly Wafer(5.10c), 1970
Yoghurt Dihedral(5.9), 1970
Bates First Free Ascents:
Lost Brother, Northwest Face(5.7), 1963
New Dimensions(5.11a), 1970
Mark Klemens First Ascents:
10.96(5.10d), 1972
Absolutely Free, Cen ter Route(5.9), 1970
Absolutely Free, Left Side(5.9), 1970
Absolutely Free, Right Side(5.10a), 1 970
Base Pinnacle(5.9), 1972
Bongs Away, Center(5.10 a), 1970
Cartwheel(5.10a), 1971
Catchy(5.10d), 1971
Chosen Few, The(5.9 ), 1971
Cid's Embrace(5.8), 1970
Cream(5.11a), 1971
Final Exam(5.10d), 1 971
Flake Off(unknown), 1975
Forbidden Pinnacle(5.10a) , 1972
Geek Towers, Right Side(5.10a), 1971
Gripper(5.10b), 1970
Henley Quits(5.10a), 1970
Independent Route(5.10b) , 1970
Jam Session(5.10b), 1971
Klemens' Escape(5.9), 197 0
Klemens' Variation(5.10c), 1 970

Aug 14, 2008 - 10:55pm PT
Klemens was a big softy once you got to know him.
But I'll never forget the cold, dark eyed stare he first greeted me with when I arrived in Camp for the '72 Fall season.

Aug 14, 2008 - 11:25pm PT
I was never so stoked as when I bagged the Bates Big Four: Vanishing Point, Five and Dive, Lunatic Fringe, and Independence
Center (which is far harder than 5.10d). Those are all-time classics, as are Cream and Steppin' Out (Klemens).
JL

Aug 14, 2008 - 11:28pm PT
JL, that is a classic typo... "Five and Dive".
That's about what I did on that thing.

Aug 14, 2008 - 11:30pm PT
that's my new favorite route name.

Aug 14, 2008 - 11:45pm PT
Thanks for that one Roger!
You linked it all up quite well -affording us a succinct, informative, and pleasurable read.

Aug 15, 2008 - 01:09am PT
I agree Roger -
A well thought out mini history of Valley freeclimbing.
I would only add Tales of Power and Separate Reality as important advancements of that era. And the FFA of Hotline.

Topic Author's Reply - Aug 15, 2008 - 01:28pm PT
Hey Kevin,
You raise a good point about extending the story into the late seventies. I don’t think I am qualified, but I can you tell you my
thoughts. I have started a new thread so that any responses don’t detract from the purpose of this thread.
Sorting out late 70's Valley free climbing

Aug 21, 2008 - 11:38am PT
I certainly seem to be following Klemens around the Valley these days, the harder wide-circuit seems almost defined by his routes,
take Cream for instance, you can't look at that without wanting to climb it.
And Bates' Five and Dime is sort of the final for 5.10d in the Valley, a very sought after climb.
But who will write this history?
Who will publish the follow on to Climbing in North America?
There is a lot more history out there, beyond the Valley, that needs to be captured that isn't anywhere written down yet.

Aug 21, 2008 - 11:49am PT
The Klemens' and Bates' routes you mention are sooo much easier with cams. The same can be said for all their routes, of course.
Plus who knows what kind of clunky, slippery assed shoes they were wearing.
Those guys were bad

Aug 21, 2008 - 12:42pm PT
From the Introduction to Yosemite Climbs
George Meyers and Don Reid
Chockstone Press
1987
CLIMBING HISTORY
The following history section, covering the years from 1870 to World War II, was written by Richard Leonard, David Brower and
William Dunmire and appeared in Steve Roper's guide book A Climber's Guide to Yosemite Valley, published by the Sierra Club in
1971.
...Even in those prehistoric days before the discovery of the incomparable Valley, there were legendary rock climbing exploits. Such
was the first descent to the base of the Lost Arrow. The Indian maiden Tee-hee-neh rappelled on lodgepole saplings joined together
with deer thongs to recover the lifeless body of her lover, Kos-soo-kah. By means of thongs and the strong arms of the other
members of the tribe, they were brought back to the rim of the Valley, where Tee-hee-neh perished in grief. This legend is
reported by many different sources: Hutchings, in 1886, stated the height of the rappel to be 203 feet, a truly remarkable rock
climbing achievement.
It was not until 1833 that the white man is known to have seen Yosemite Valley. From reports published long before the later and
widely publicized discovery of the Valley, we learn that Joseph Redderford Walker and party came from the vicinity of Bridgeport,perhaps over Virginia Pass and along the divide between the Tuolumne and the Merced rivers, to the Valley rim. There they
marveled at waterfalls over "lofty precipices... more than a mile high." The first rock climbing attempt by white man was soon
stopped by difficulty, for "on making several attempts we found it utterly impossible for man to descend."
In 1851, however, Yosemite Valley was really made known to the world, when the Mariposa Battalion, organized by harassed
settlers of the foothills, trailed Indians to their stronghold in Ahwahnee - "deep grass valley."
Yosemite soon became a source of attraction for tourists from all over the world. One of the earliest to arrive was James M.
Hutchings, who first came to the Valley in 1855. Throughout the early history of the Valley he was interested in attempting to climb
every point around the Valley.
John Muir first came to the Sierra in 1868. Through him more than any other man has the beauty of the region been made known
to the entire world. His climbs in Yosemite Valley and the High Sierra, many of them the earliest of which we have knowledge,
place him among the pioneers of California mountaineering. His Sunnyside Bench, east of the lip of Lower Yosemite Fall, is still one
of the untrammeled beauty spots of the Valley. His early exploration of the Tenaya Canyon let to route finding in the Grand Canyon
of the Tuolumne. He made first ascents of Cathedral Peak and Mount Ritter, and was the first to traverse under the Lost Arrow
along Fern Ledge, beneath the crashing power of the Upper Yosemite Fall.
In early October of 1864 Clarence King , assisted by Richard Cotter, fresh from a victory over Mount Tyndall, made the first serious
topographical and geological reconnaissance of the Yosemite Valley. On this survey they climbed practically every summit on a
circuit of the rim of the Valley. This circuit included only the easier points, such as El Capitan, Eagle Peak, Yosemite Point, North
Dome, Basket Dome, Mount Watkins, Sentinel Dome, and the Cathedral Rocks. Any summits which were much beyond this
standard of difficulty seemed to them completely beyond the range of human ability. In 1865 the California Geological Survey
wrote concerning Half Dome, Mount Starr King and Mount Broderick, "Their summits are absolutely inaccessible."
Spurred by this challenge James M. Hutchings and two others made the first recored attempt on Half Dome in 1869, but were
stopped at a saddle east of the Dome. After at least two intervening attempts the Scotch carpenter and trail builder, George G.
Anderson, finally engineered his way to the top on October 12, 1875.
Inspired by the success on Half Dome, adventurous climbers turned their attention to Mount Starr King, the "extremely steep,
bare, inaccessible cone of granite" referred to by Whitney in the Yosemite Guide Book. George B. Bayley and E. S. Schuyler made
the ascent in August 1876, somewhat to the dismay of Anderson, Hutchings and J. B. Lambert, who, using a different route, a year
later found the summit monuments built by the first party. Bayley was one of the most remarkable climbers of the time. In 1876
Muir recorded that "Mount Shasta, Whitney, Lyell, Dana, and the Obelisk (Mount Clark) already have felt his foot, and years ago he
made desperate efforts to ascend the South Dome (Half Dome), eager for the first honors." Later he was distinguished by an early
ascent of Cathedral Peak, and an ascent of Mount Rainier during which he was seriously injured by a fall into a crevasse, recovering
only to be killed in a city elevator.
After the great ascents of the "inaccessible" summits of Yosemite, there was a period of quiet in the climbing history, for everything
seemed to have been done. Hutchings had claimed the ascent of all Yosemite points, except Grizzly Peak and the Cathedral Spires,
and a climber of another generation came forward in 1885 to make the ascent of Grizzly Peak. He was Charles A. Bailey, who later
became an enthusiastic member of the Sierra Club, locating, climbing and naming Sierra Point for the Club.
Since it now appeared that all the major summits in the Yosemite region had been climbed, there was a long gap in the climbing
history, broken only by the exploratory routes of a few outstanding climbers of the period. Those whose climbs are best known are
S. L. Foster, Joseph N. LeConte, Charles and Earl Michael, William Kat and Ralph S. Griswold. Foster was best known for his
canyoneering in the Merced and Tenaya canyons beginning in 1909. LeConte has been remembered through the description of his
ascent of the gully on Grizzly Peak, which permits a route to the Diving Board on Half Dome. He also wrote of several other
"scrambles about Yosemite" of nearly three decades ago. It has been said of the Michaels that they climbed everything that did not
require pitons. The same description might apply to Kat and Griswold. All have been so modest that it is possible we may never
know the true history of the interesting routes which they had pioneered.
Again it seemed that nothing more could be done. However, in the early thirties, a new phase of rock climbing was growing, based
on the development of modern technique in Europe, in the summer of 1931. Robert L. M. Underhill, the leading American exponent
of the use and management of the rope in rock work, interested Californians in this phase of climbing. It has been mentioned that
some very remarkable climbing was done without the knowledge of this safety technique; but the early climber who have discussed
the matter agree that their climbing frequently involved unjustifiable hazard. Moreover, it was clear to them that they could not
attempt routes of very high angle and small holds. Thus the introduction of a new type of climbing, combined with the protection of
pitoncraft, again opened a new field.
It was not until September 2, 1933 that the first rock climbing section of the Sierra Club felt competent to make organized
attempts upon the spectacular unclimbed faces and spires of Yosemite. Although as long ago as 1886 Hutchings, in reporting the
relatively easy ascent of Grizzly Peak, claimed that the last "unclimbed summit" of Yosemite had been ascended, nevertheless the
Cathedral Spires, the Church Tower, the Arrowhead, Split Pinnacle, Pulpit Rock, Watkins Pinnacles and the Lost Arrow still stood
forth without even an attempt ever having been recorded against them. In addition to these summits there was a field, practically
unexplored, of route finding on faces, arêtes, gullies and chimneys. Among these may be mentioned Washington Column, Royal
Arches, Panorama Cliff, Glacier Point, Yosemite Point Couloir, Cathedral Chimney and the arête of the Lower Brother. Ropes, pitons
and trained experience in their use were the keys to these ascents, which were later to become so popular. Climbers, profiting by
the achievements of their predecessors, added still more ascents to the growing list of Yosemite routes...
The following section, covering the years from 1941 to Chuck Pratt's climb of the Crack of Doom in 1961, was written by Steve
Roper and appeared in his 1971 book. The remainder of the history section, covering the years from 1962 to the present, was
compiled by George Meyers.
During the eight years between the 1933 trip and the entry of this country in World War II, about forty first ascents were made.
The most active climbers of this period were Kenneth Adam, David Brower, Jules Eichorn, Morgan Harris, Richard Leonard, L. Burce
Meyer and Hervey Voge. Brower made eighteen first ascents, twelve of them with Harris. Perhaps the most continually popular
routes of this era were the regular routes on both the Cathedral Spires, and the Royal Arches Route.
During World War II there was a climbing hiatus, but when the war ended a new generation of climbers quickly appeared. Few of
the climbers active in the 1930's were to establish new routes in the post-war era. In 1945, a Swiss blacksmith named John
Salathe came to Yosemite to hike, climb and live with nature. He became a vegetarian as a result of a fleeting conversation with
"angels" - these same apparitions later pointed out to him three great Valley routes: the Lost Arrow, the southwest face of Half
Dome and the north face of Sentinel Rock. All had been attempted in the 1930's and all were considered great prizes. Two factors
allowed Salathe to become a legendary climber: his determination and his development of the world's finest pitons. It had long
been known and accepted that traditional soft iron pitons couldn't be forced into bad cracks, they would buckle and bend.
Employing the skills of his life work, Salathe was able to fashion extremely stiff and durable pitons from Model A Ford axles. Using
such iron, he was able to climb, with Anton Nelson, the southwest face of Half Dome without bolts. It is safe to guess that many
bolts would have been necessary had conventional pitons been used. Thus, it can be seen that the invention of hardened steel alloy
pitons opened up an almost limitless number of first ascent possibilities. Other climbers were not quick to accept the new pitons
and the corresponding new standards; Salathe was the great pioneer of the late 1940's. His solo escapades on the Lost Arrow will
be remembered far longer than the first "ascent," members of which threw ropes over the summit and prusiked. His notable fiveday
ascent of the Lost Arrow Chimney, also climbed with Nelson, was the first Grade V climb done in the country.
Although Salathe was the finest aid man of his day, he was not known as a good free climber. He often remarked, "Enough of this
hiking, let us get on to the climbing," the hiking referring to free climbing. And yet, at times, he was bold on free climbing; a climb
called the Hand, in Pinnacles National Monument, was led by Salathe, using four pitons for protection. Although only 5.6 in
difficulty, the Hand is fearsomely exposed and the route is devious. Bolds have now replaced his pitons and it is impossible to see
how he managed to place them. One assumes that they were used to reassure the belayer, who was out of sight around a corner.
After climbing Sentienl in 1950, Salathe began to fade from the scene; he had done his three climbs, there were marital problems
and he was over fifty years old. He soon left for his native land. Returning to America in 1962, he occasionally visited the Valley,
where he would be surrounded by idolators. Surreptitious tape recordings and photographs were made as John Salathe sat
oblivious, cooking the grasses from a nearby meadow. A healthy glow was ever-present in his blue eyes; he could chastise Allen
Steck, his climbing partner on Sentinel; "You see, Al, if only you had eaten as I did you would have felt better on the wall." Then
Allen would say, "You know John, they have done our route in three hours now." And the serene reply, "But not the same route, Al
 they could not do our routes that fast. Oh, now that the bolts are in, perhaps... three days?" Then he would shake his head.
Steck was the leader of the post-Salathe generation; in a period of three years he climbed not only Sentinel's north face, but also
two of the classic buttress routes in the Valley: Yosemite Point Buttress and the East Buttress of El Capitan.
Most of the noteworthy climbers in Yosemite from 1933 to 1955 came from the San Francisco area. Los Angeles, the other great
population center of California, developed good climbers during that period, but their efforts were largely confined to a local cliff,
Tahquitz Rock. An exception was the venerable Chuck Wilts, who had vied with Salathe for the price of the Lost Arrow Chimney.
Wilts and his wife, Ellen, made the first ascent of Rixon's Pinnacle, at that time one of the hardest short routes.
In 1954 a pudgy beginner named Mark Powell was taken up the Lower Cathedral Spire, and of the resulting fiasco his partner could
only say, "That fellow Powell just doesn't have it." But he did, and the mid-1950's can only be thought of the Powell Era. With
climbing partners of the caliber of Wally Reed, Bill Feuerer and Warren Harding, Powell established nineteen new routes. In one
active ten-month period, he put up ten routes, including such classics as the Arrowhead Arete, the South Face of North Dome, and
the Powell-Reed Route on Middle Cathedral Rock. A serious ankle injury in September 1957 put an abrupt end to his productive
efforts. Of Powell's three main climbing partners, all went on to achieve various degrees of notoriety. Reed was without question
the most unheralded climber ever to come out of the Valley; few knew of his amazing control on 5.9 routes. In the early 60's,
before he "retired" to go back to school, he made many first ascents. Feuerer became known as the "Dolt" for some of his infamous
blunders, and in the 60's he began making beautiful and ultra-expensive climbing equipment. While Reed and Dolt went on to other
activities, Harding was just beginning to make a name for himself.
He started climbing in 1952 and was a weak member of a Grand Teton ascent, causing someone to remark on his lack of
endurance. This could well be an apocryphal story, for Harding became known as the iron man of Yosemite climbing, the man who
could drill bolt holes all night. His perseverance on the Nose of El Capitan is well-known by now; the first El Cap is his testimonial to
his drive and vision. Pleased by his success, he turned to other intimidating walls, overcoming with bolts and siege tactics cliffs
which no one had yet dreamed possible. It has been suggested that Harding was ahead of his time, that his 110-bolt ascent of the
Leaning Tower would certainly be done someday, so why not in 1961. However, at the time, Harding was criticized for an apparent
predilection for security. (Perhaps the question is reopened by the 1986 27-bolt ascent of a line that parallels the Harding route.)
His 1970 ascent of the Wall of the Early Morning Light strained most climbers' perception of the justifiable use of bolts, and in the
years that followed, Harding only occasionally climbed in the Valley, establishing a few routes up obscure and somewhat ugly walls.
Before Powell and Harding even began climbing, Royal Robbins was putting up America's first 5.9 climbs on Tahquitz Rock. During
the 1950's he made few trips to the Valley, but among his early accomplishments were the second and third ascents of the north
face of Sentinel and the fourth ascent of the Arrow Chimney. Of his three first ascents in the fifties, the major one was the first
Grade VI in the country: the great face of Half Dome, climbed in 1957 with Jerry Galwas and Mike Sherrick. Five days were spent
on the wall. During his 1958-59 incarceration in the Army, Robbins heard stories of what was going on in the Valley: Powell had
just put up his great routes and a young Bay Area upstart, Chuck Pratt, was responsible for some of the best climbs of 1958 and
1959.
Pratt had immediately shown a great interest in free climbing and seemed to possess a supernatural ability. An early free lead on
Phantom Pinnacle and a great crack lead midway up the north face of Middle Cathedral Rock were among his climbs. As the
productive decade of the 60's dawned, Pratt and Robbins, totally committed to climbing, were the dominant figures. These two,
accompanied by Tom Frost and Joe Fitschen, made the second ascent of the Nose in six and a half days. This convinced them that
even the greatest Valley walls were possible without fixing ropes from bottom to top. Robbins made first ascents of seven Grade
VI's in a three-year period. Pratt, meanwhile, was quietly climbing big walls and leading the most difficult crack climbs yet
established; his Crack of Doom, climbed in 1961, was for many years the hardest crack climb in the Valley. Later, his strenuous
and difficult-to-protect Twilight Zone left a route still well respected.
In this same period, attention turned to the monolithic El Capitan. Th e year 1961 saw Robbins, Pratt and Frost put together a
circuitous route up the broad southwest face of El Capitan that required only 13 bolts and had much free climbing. The Salathe Wall
was as much an effort to reduce the number of bolts need to climb El Cap (the Nose had required 125) as it was a progression
toward less reliance on fixed ropes. With El Cap's first route behind them, Robbins and company started to look at the style in
which the next routes would be established.
The next major route on El Cap, the 1962 ascent of the Dihedral Wall, by Ed Cooper, Jim Baldwin and Glenn Denny, was novel in
two ways: it involved individuals from the periphery of the regular Yosemite community; it also seemed somewhat retrograde of
the stylistic standards that Robbins had adopted on the Salathe. Fixed ropes were used to 1, 900 feet and about 100 bolts were
placed. Other walls were climbed on El Cap and elsewhere in the Valley over the next few years. The development of aid climbing
during the early 60's was in large part due to the efforts and energies of Robbins, who climbed most of the major rock formations.
His 1963 solo ascent of the Harding route on the Leaning Tower was the first solo ascent of a major Yosemite wall. The culmination
of the aid techniques of this period was the 1964 ascent of the North American Wall, the first route to venture onto the compact,
steep, and "unretreatable" southeast face of El Cap. Four of the strongest climbers Yosemite had trained, Robbins, Frost, Pratt and
Yvon Chouinard, teamed up to create what was clearly the hardest wall climber ever done anywhere. From sieged, fixed rope
routes, on to semi-fixed, to reconnoitered (as was the NA Wall, climbed previously by Frost and Robbins to half height), the natural
progression of wall development was for a two-man team to manage a big new route on their own. Chouinard and TM Herbert
accomplished this in 1965. Robbins culminated his Yosemite career three years later by making the second ascent of the Muir Wall,
the first time El Cap was soloed.
The 60's saw the first of the climbing bums, when the hard-core activist had left the lifestyles of the "outer world" largely behind
them for a total commitment to the pursuit of climbing cliffs. Perhaps ten to twenty climbers were in full-season residence during
the early 60's. This number was to double by the middle of the decade, and by 1970 perhaps double again.
The walls were not the sole magnet for young climbers of the 60's. Soon after Chuck Pratt plied the shorter cracks in search of
difficult testpieces. Frank Sacherer arrived on the scene and used a driven approach in his free climbing to consolidate the
standards that Pratt had earlier established. In a period of two years, 1964-65, he put up many free climbs and succeeded in
eliminating aid from many of the older aid routes. These included such fifties classics as the East Buttresses of El Capitan and
Middle Cathedral Rock, the Lost Arrow Chimney, and the Direct North Buttress of Middle. His remarkable shorter efforts included
dispensing with aid on the Dihardral, Bridalveil East, and the right side of the Hourglass. These later routes pushed the free
climbing standards up a notch to around 5.10c. Other climbers were also active during this period: Ken Boche, Yvon Chouniard,
Glenn Denny, TM Herbert, Bob Kamps, Layton Kor, Jim Madsen, Steve Roper, Galen Rowell, and Kim Schmitz. Sacherer left the
Valley scene in 1966 to pursue a physics career (though he died in the Alps in the late 70's) and it was left to Pratt, Chris
Fredericks, and particulary to newcomer Jim Bridwell to lead the way to higher free climbing standards.
Bridwell first climbed in the Valley in 1962, and after some tutelage under the likes of Pratt, Layton Kor, and Sacherer, he started
to repeat many of the harder wall climbs of the Robbins era, including (sometimes last known) ascents of walls such as Arches
Direct, East Face of Higher Cathedral Rock and the Direct Northwest Face of Half Dome. Bridwell, together with Kim Schmitz and
Jim Madsen, among others, represented the new generation of wall climbers. These wall climbers of the late 60's, while somewhat
slow to establish new wall routes, made quick ascents of the existing ones.
Since the thirties, when the routes followed major chimney and crack systems, new routes had followed progressively thinner crack
systems. In the 70's this trend saw routes that included long successive pitches of knifeblades and rurps, and the free climbing of
finger cracks, something unheard of in the 60's.
While A5 was introduced by Robbins in the 60's, using pitons and rurps, oftentimes in piton stacks (perhaps most notoriously on
the 10-hour A5 pitch on Arches Direct), the years following the consolidation of the late 60's saw A5 expressed by more and more
technical means. Routes impossible using 60's technology were later climbed using mashable copperheads (and tiny aluminum
heads) and an impressive array of skyhooks. The technology of the 60's aid climbing was also used more often and in a more
sustained fashion. The use of rurps saw new light with Charlie Porter's ascent of the Shield in 1972, where he placed 35 in a row.
Porter, a former auto mechanic and metallurgist, was the most notable of a new imaginative generation of aid climbers. In addition
to his many El Cap routes, Porter produced slider nuts (refined from Bridwell's designs of 1965) and camming nuts that foresaw the
future e in free climbing protection. After the introduction of Friends in 1978, the previously scary nemesis of the wall climber,
expanding flakes, became slightly less scary, and some routes on Hlaf Dome in particular, saw ascents that had intimidated earlier
generations of climbers.
The huge area of El Cap to the right of the North American Wall, referred to by Robbins at one point as "rotten," was opened up in
the early 70's. This was done first, ironically, by Robbins himself, in an unsuccessful bid for the first solo first ascent of an El Cap
route, and most significantly, by Charlie Porter. In quick succession Porter climbed the Zodiac and Tangerine Trip, now seen as
some of the best aid climbing on the cliff, and certainly among the steepest.
While Porter opened many eyes to the possibilities of expanded hard aid, connecting the thinnest of flake systems to create routes
up inobvious walls, it was Jim Bridwell who leaped upon the idea with characteristic energy. First he pushed a major new route up
the wall to the left of the North American Wall, the Pacific Ocean Wall, with Coloradan Billy Westbay in 1975, and then over the
years progressively harder and more tenuous lines: Sea of Dreams, Bushido, and Zenyatta Mondatta. One technique that was first
seen with the Bridwell routes was the use of a chisel to clean loose rock from small slots in which to mash copperheads. (Later
climbers have expanded this chisel use to the plain manufacture of copperhead slots in blank corners.) Also, Bridwell borrowed
from Kim Schmitz and Jim Madsen the timesaving use of dowels, and from Harding, drilled hook placements.
Much of the relatively slow pace at which El Cap routes were being established was due to the plainly formidable appearance of
such a huge cliff. But the aura of intimidation that surrounded the big aid routes was shaken when outsiders Chuck Kroger and
Scott Davis drove into the Valley and up to El Cap in 1970, and without fanfare, established the Heart Route in impeccable style. El
Cap's image suffered considerably further when Steve Sutton and Hugh Burton, teenagers from Squamish Cliff, came to the Valley
in 1972 and climbed a good new route on the cliff, capping their accomplishment with a bit of irreverence by naming it the Magic
Mushroom, as much a defiance of the self-serious attitudes of the Robbins era as it was a celebration of the drugs they quaffed
enroute.
Others were active in establishing big aid routes. During the 70's Nose veteran and crag rat Warren Harding was occasionally active
on the walls, climbing big, steep, obscure and often blank routes that have not seen second ascents and that are now largely
ignored. Most notable was his ascent of the Wall of the Early Morning Light with Dean Caldwell in 1970, a route that stirred such
controversy (because of the 300 holes drilled) that Robbins felt compelled to chop the route. Impressed with the standard of the
climbing, he abandoned his bolt removal efforts about halfway up the route. Rick Sylvester, most known for his ski/parachute leaps
off El Cap, was one of the first of the 70's residents to establish a new route up El Cap - The Heart Woute - and he furthered his
reputation for weird boldness by establishing a route up the path if Upper Yosemite Fall, climbing with Bugs McKeith during a period
when the fall had temporarily dried up. In the decade of the 70's the number of El Cap routes alone rose from ten to 38, primarily
due to the efforts of Dale Bard, Hugh Burton, Mark Chapman, Bruce Hawkins, Ron Kauk, Bill Price, Steve Sutton and others, who,
partnered with Porter, Bridwell or among themselves, established numerous routes on El Cap and Half Dome. The El Cap route tally
now stands at 60; the first six years of the 80's has seen activity by John Barbella, Charles Cole, Jay Smith, Mike Corbett, Steve
Grossman, Steve Schneider and others including old hand Jim Bridwell. Corbett, incidentally, notably holds a record 30 trips up El
Cap, via 24 different routes. Unfortunately, the Harding Dawn Wall debate over justifiable bolting reemerged wit the ascent of
Wings of Steel where close to 145 drilled holes were placed over 1,200 feet. In the 70's, foreign ascents of classic El Cap routes
became commonplace, even exceptional (the second ascent of the difficult Pacific Ocean Wall was done by Australians). By the 80's
four new routes were established on El Cap by foreigners, two by the Spanish Gallegos brothers, and two that included Australian
Greg Child.
Since Royal Robbins first soloed El Cap in 1968, perhaps half of the El Cap routes have seen solo ascents. Jim Dunn was the first to
solo a new route, Cosmos, in 1972. Later that year, Charlie Porter soloed two new routes. In the last ten years another four solo
routes have been established.
While the walls were being assailed and as the available store of big, blank rock in need of a route was running out, free climbing
underwent the same development of standards seen elsewhere in the country during the period. With the move toward thinner
crack systems that accompanied the search for virgin territory, standards were forced to rise. The tentative acceptance of gym
chalk, tincture of benzoin, and protection nuts helped crystallize the common perception that rock climbing was not as much in
search of a summit as it was a gymnastic activity. In the early 70's in the "granite gymnasium," this attitude presented hundreds of
opportunities. Supple, smooth-soled shoes allowed better use of thin cracks, and their superior smearing capabilities were a boon
to the developing face climbs. But development of nut protection probably did more for the rise in free climbing standards than any
other technological advance. With nuts, and particularly nuts that would work in Yosemite's parallel sided cracks, protection could
be placed quickly, non-violently, and with one hand. At first, the use of nuts and the climbing of First All-Nut Ascents, was an event
in itself, with a "Nutbook" recording all these events; practically all the classic walls of the 60's received first (and sometimes last)
all nut ascents. The climbs on the Nuts Only Wall date from this period. The development of more sophisticated crack protection
has paralleled the increasing standards of the sport. Ray Jardine's Friends, introduced in 1978, were matched perhaps in their
impact on the climbing scene only by the Chouinard stoppers of 1972 and Polycentrics a couple years later. The 1980's see many
alternative devices for use in parallel-sided cracks of Yosemite.
Coincidental to the late 60's and early 70's development of the 5.10 standard was the change from the clunky klitterschuhe to the
supple E.B. For the next dozen years this shoe was standard footware for all Yosemite free climbing. The development in the last
five years of newer "sticky rubber" climbing shoes has had perhaps the biggest effect on the Valley's face climbs. Some Apron
routes are significantly easier with the new shoes, perhaps an improvement equal to the break made in about 1970 from edging
the apron climbs to frictioning them.
Jim Bridwell was by the 1970 the moving force on the free-climbing scene. While he had always demonstrated an extraordinary
ability during his apprenticeship under Pratt and Sacherer in the 60's, by 1970 he had moved out on his own, cleaning massive
amounts of dirt and vegetation from routes that have since become classic, including Gripper, New Dimensions, Butterfingers and
Outer Limits. Other climbers got into the act and pushed the standards, most notably Barry Bates on Lunatic Fringe, Center of
Independence, Vanishing Point and Five and Dime, and Rik Rieder on Paradise Lost, Chain Reaction and A Mother's Lament.
Bridwell's partner on many of his early 70's free climbs was Mark Klemens, whose talent for offwidth cracks led to Steppin' Out,
Cream and ultimately Basket Case. Peter Haan combined technical difficulty with bold climbing when he free climbed the Left Side
of the Hourglass, a route well respected even today. Under the wing of Bridwell, younger aspiring climbers were encouraged to
push themselves up harder and harder routes. One of the earliest and most talented partners Bridwell brought out was Mark
Chapman, who lead his way up some of the hardest climbs of the early 70's, including Hotline, the coveted first ascent of the
Nabisco Wall, and the freeing of La Escuela, the first Yosemite climb with two 5.11 pitches. Bridwell's "Brave New World," as he
titled a 1973 article, involved climbers beyond just the resident Yosemite community. Easterner Steve Wunsch was active over
many years on routes such as Orangutan Arches, and with Barry Bates, on New Dimensions. The visit by Henry Barber in 1973
shook up the somewhat tight-knit Yosemite community with his firey ascent of Butterballs (creating Yosemite's hardest testpiece),
an unroped and rapid climb of the Steck-Salathe, and his energetic stacking of such classics as New Dimensions, Nabisco Wall, and
Midterm into a single day. Jim Donini pushed standards to a new high in 1974 with his multi-fall effort on Overhang Overpass, a
route made all the more remarkable considering the parallel-sided crack and the crude nuts of the day. Barber returned in 1975 to
produce a new standard with the Fish Crack, a route difficult to protect even today, and still well respected at 5.12b. More
frequently, visitors to the Valley were climbing well enough to contribute routes of a good standard. England's Pete Livesey was
particularly active, with first free ascents of Crack-a-Go-Go, in 1974 and Moratorium, in 1975.
By 1974 Bridwell presided loosely over a spontaneous group of young California climbers. Known as the Stonemasters, this group
was the mainspring behind much of the incredible new route activity that followed over the next five years. Amid the talents of
John Bachar, Dale Bard, Mark Chapman, Mike Graham, Ron Kauk, John Long, Tobin Sorensen, Kevin Worrall, John Yablonski, and
others, Bridwell was no longer the top dog; he went from the sharp end of the rope to a role of director, but as such was
instrumental in the establishment of some of the best routes of the time: Hot Line, the right side of the Folly, Geek Towers, and
Crucifix. Even Bridwell's ten-year experience with the changing scene did not prepare him for the speed with which new routes
were evolving. After the first ascent of Hot Line in 1973, Bridwell predicted with some force that the 15 feet of aid would last at
least ten years; two years later Ron Kauk and John Bachar climbed the route totally free as one of the first 5.12 routes. The
Stonemasters did much throughout the mid 1970's to solidify the 5.11 grade and to develop what are now hailed as classic routes.
Ron Kauk emerged as perhaps the dominant figure on the free-climbing scene for the next ten years; his flash ascent of Butterballs
and climbs like Blind Faith and Kauk-ulator solidified hard climbing in an uncomplicated style. While not climbing at the extreme
level of Kauk or Bachar, Chapman and Kevin Worrall unearthed a host of obscure yet classic routes, including Windfall and Beggar's
Buttress. Many others were also active up through the mid-70's: Vern Cleavenger, Chris Falkenstein, Ed Barry, Werner Braun and
Rick Sylvester.
In 1976 and 1977 Ray Jardine made quite an impact on the free-climbing scene, though with controversial methods. Unlike the
style that had evolved with most other climbers in Yosemite, where the falling leader would lower (yo-yo) to the last no-hands rest
between attempts, Jardine would openly rest on protection to work out the moves. He distinguished between a "flash" ascent
(climbing on sight from the bottom to top without resort to any form of aid - either resting or falling on protection) and a "free"
ascent (where the climb was lead from the bottom to top - albeit after much rehearsal- without falls or resting on protection). He
searched out extreme problems to work on, and over the course of many days he would get in shape, rest on protection, and get a
little bit higher each time. Eventually, he would be able to lead the climb from bottom to top without resorting to a rest - his "free"
ascent. Throughout this time Jardine was fortunate to have many Friends along - the world's supply of these protection devices was
solely and secretly his - and they were of immeasurable help on his characteristically long endurance problems. In fact, on
Elephant's Eliminate, the flared crack was unprotectable without the devices. Jardine's most difficult routes, Hangdog Flyer,
Crimson Cringe, Rostrum Roof, Elephant's Eliminate, and Phoenix were among the hardest routes done at the time. Phoenix,
climbed in 1977 at 5.13, remains one of the hardest Yosemite testpieces. As belayer for many of Jardine's efforts, John Lakey got
in a good bit of climbing on these extreme routes himself, and in a curious twist of fate, was the first to manage the 5.12 Owl Roof
when the team gave that longstanding problem a try in 1977. Jardine's style of climbing on these routes was perhaps not as close
to his "flash" ideal as other leading climbers might have done (John Bachar flashed the second ascent of the Cringe, without
Friends, soon after the first ascent), but it can be said that he simply altered in degree the means by which many of the most
difficult ascents of the last 15 years were done, the main difference was his wiring of the moves by continuing to climb after resting
on protection, in preparation for the final "free" ascent. It should be noted that during the period of these difficult ascents Jardine
was prolifically making excellent new routes of a lower standard - "flashed," or at least climbed with only minimal compromising of
that standard - throughout the Valley, from the base of Washington Column, the Ribbon Falls amphitheatre, to Elephant's Rock.
After the remarkable free ascent with Bill Price up the West Face of El Cap in 1979, he turned his attention to free climbing the
Nose, and through misguided and inexcusable action chiseled face holds in several spots to enable him to climb to Camp Four. It
was later apparent that some "hold hacking" had been done on some of his earlier routes.
Other climbers were active at pushing the 5.12 standard with more conventional tactics. As mentioned elsewhere, Henry Barber
was the first to introduce 5.12 to the Valley, in 1975. Ron Kauk climbed the intimidating Tales of Power in 1977, the dramatic
Separate Reality in 1978, as well as more recent contributions, such as Back to the Future, in 1986. Many other climbers were
active at the top levels, including John Bachar, Dale Bard, Bill Price and Tony Yaniro. By 1980 Price had established a solid 5.13
with Cosmic Debris. During the last five years many of world's best climbers have come through Yosemite, but most active
establishing high-standard routes have been Dmitri Barton, Werner Braun, Rick Cashner, Scott Cosgrove, Peter Croft, Ron Kauk,
Steve Schneider and Jonny Woodward. Unquestionably it has been left to local John Bachar to push the standards on the free
climbing scene. Bachar has sought to counter the extreme hangdogging that has characterized much of the hardest climbing
elsewhere (styles further removed from Jardine's old "flash" ascents than Jardine's himself!) by establishing difficult routes in
unpreviewed fashion and doing bold routes that do not allow compromises of style. The Believer, at 5.12, steep and runout, is
characteristic of his best routes. The 5.13 Phantom, climbed in 1986, is as much a testpiece because of its move difficulty as the
traditional style in which it was first ascended.
Many others have been prolifically establishing quality routes over the last five years, including Ken Ariza, Scott Burke, Dave
Hatchett, Grant Hiskes, Bruce Morris, Don Reid, Walt Shipley, Dave Schultz, Kurt Smith.
Third classing of difficult routes is a theme that has accompanied the history of Yosemite climbing. Since the late 60's, when Royal
Robbins showcased his boldness with solo ascents of contemporary testpieces such as Reed's Direct, various climbers have
occasionally sought out difficult routes to free solo. Mark Klemens first soloed the Left Side of Reed's; Peter Haan followed with
Crack of Despair. Henry Barber's on-sight solo of the Steck-Salathe in 1973 clearly set a new standard in unroped climbing. This
was followed by Earl Wiggins up the two pitches of Outer Limits in1974, and probably the boldest solo of the 1970's Charlie Fowler,
in a remarkable on-sight solo of a circuitous route, the Direct North Buttress of Middle Cathedral Rock in 1974. John Bachar climbed
the familiar but 5.11 New Dimensions in 1976, and later that year cruised up more familiar territory on the Nabisco Wall via
Butterballs. In 1980, Bachar made the hardest climb in Yosemite yet soloed on sight, the 5.11b Moratorium. Peter Croft has been
active, soloing many of the 60's classics in remarkable bursts of energy; on a more ambitious day he soloed the North Buttress of
Middle Cathedral Rock, the Northeast Buttress of Higher Cathedral Rock, Steck-Salathe, Royal Arches, North Dome, and Arrowhead
Arete. In 1986, German Wolfgang Gullich free soloed Separate Reality. In the 80's, many of the classic 5.10 testpieces of 15 to 20
years ago serve as training ground for Valley regulars and as medium for gaining a lot of ground fast, as if doing laps in a pool.
Another recurrent theme that has expressed itself sporadically throughout the last 20 years of Yosemite climbing has centered
around speed ascents of the big walls. Eric Beck and Frank Sacherer stunned the 1965 Yosemite community with their one-day
climb of the West Face of Sentinel, the first time a Grade VI had seen a one-day ascent, and this without Jumars. This was followed
a year later when Steve Roper and Jeff Fott climbed the Northwest Face of Half Dome in a day. Since the late 60's, when Kim
Schmitz and Jim Madsen were halving the standard times on the classic 60's walls, climbing the Nose in a day had been an
unspoken goal: Bridwell teamed up with John Long and Billy Westbay in 1975 to do just that. Since then many of the walls have
seen very quick ascents, culminating in an extraordinary day in 1986 when John Bachar and Peter Croft climbed both the Nose and
the Northwest Face of Half Dome in 18 hours and 3 minutes.
The mid-70's saw a concentrated effort to reduce or eliminate aid from the big walls. The super-clean East Face of Washington
Column was a natural target of free-climbing efforts. While it saw several attempts by 1974, the route went totally free to John
Long, Ron Kauk, and John Bachar in 1975. A year later Kauk returned, leading all the pitches in a no-falls ascent, a feat repeated
by Bachar a short time later. Astro Man, as the line was renamed, provided the most sustained free climb yet produced in
Yosemite, and even today remains as one of the very best free climbs in the world. While the beauty of Astro Man directed many to
the resource of big aid routes that lined the Valley, it was clear that free climbing on the walls demanded an incredible energy:
Astro Man had produced twice as many hard pitches as any other route at the time.
While free climbers had attacked various parts of the Nose of El Cap over the years (Jim Bridwell and Jim Stanton had freed the
Stovelegs as early as 1968, leaving a climb popular in itself for a few years), it was ripe in 1975 for a team to climb the route with
free climbing as a primary objective. John Bachar, Ron Kauk and Dale Bard succeeded in freeing all but 400 feet of the 3,000 foot
wall. In efforts ranging over a period of several years, Coloradans Jim Erickson and Art Higbee finally free climbed the classic
Northwest Face of Half Dome in 1976.
By 1979, with free climbing being the preferred mode of ascent throughout the continent (Colorado's walls were falling fast to the
free climbers), El Cap finally saw a totally free ascent with Bill Price and Ray Jardine's climb of the West Face. This was particularly
remarkable in that the free route turned out to be surprisingly moderate compared to the standard of the time.
The North Face of the Rostrum saw much development and several free routes. John Long and various partners freed the classic
Chouinard-Herbert route up Sentinel Rock, and John Bachar and Mike Lechlinski free climbed all but six aid moves of the West
Face. Max Jones and Mark Hudson were particularly active by the late 70's; the pair completely freed the classic North Face Route
on East Quarter Dome, at 5.12, producing Pegasus, and soon after freed all but seven aid moves on the South Face of Mt. Watkins,
also at 5.12.
Similar to the Nose as an attractive free prospect, much of the remaining aid on the Salathe Wall had been eliminated over the
years, starting with a free connection from the first pitch of the Nose to the Salathe's Half Dollar by Kevin Worrall and Mike
Graham, during which Graham showed some audacity and created a controversy by chopping the original Robbins bolt ladder.
Later, John Long freed the third-pitch roof and with a gang Stonemaster effort the route was freed to Mammoth Terrace creating
the Free Blast. Five years later Max Jones and Mark Hudon continued the theme higher on the wall and except for the Hollow Flake
pendulum, pushed the route free all the way to two pitches above El Cap Spire. The trend to free climb on the walls continued with
the 1982 free ascent (aside from a short bolt ladder) of the Gold Wall going to Rick Cashner and Werner Braun (the free variation
renamed Silent Line), and in 1986 the freeing by Braun and Scott Cosgrove of the Ribbon Falls West Portal and the Northeast
Corner of Higher Cathedral Rock.
As the free-climbing revolution developed in the 70's, it became clearer that the potential for difficult new routes was not limited to
crack climbs. With some minor exceptions (the Snake Dike and Peanut, among others), face and slab climbing had traditionally
been the domain of Glacier Point Apron, where since the 1960's bolts had been placed to protect the wandering slab climbing. The
70's saw incredible development on the Apron, in large part due to the advent of friction shoes. The main participants in the early
70's included Mike Breidenbach, Vern Cleavenger, Tom Harrison, and Rik Reider (who with Rabb Carrington produced in 1972 the
most difficult and serious face route for the next seven or eight years - A Mother's Lament). By the late 70's, Bruce Morris and
Chris Cantwell were attacking the right side of the Apron, producing many short but worthwhile routes. Unfortunately, many of the
leading aficionados of Apron climbing have elected a boldless use of the bolt. In search of another route to the top of Glacier Point,
in 1980 Cantwell, Morris, Scott Burke and Dave Austin completed work on a line that accomplished just that. Called the Hall of
Mirrors, it involved several bolt ladders that have doubtfully been as free as reported. The 1980's have seen further route
development, but with the introduction of the new high-friction shoes, any routes of significance in the future must show far
greater boldness.
While face climbing has always been a means to reaching otherwise inaccessible crack routes, the early 70's saw a burgeoning
interest in face routes, somewhat a result of so many local climbers with active pasts at Tahquitz and Suicide Rocks, in Southern
California. Routes up the slabs of the Royal Arches, while tentatively explored as early as 1958, with the freeing of Arches Terrace,
were climbed seriously in 1973 with Shakey Flakes, followed the next year with Greasy But Groovy, by Tahquitz veterans John
Long, Rick Accomazzo and Richard Harrison. Other routes have been added subsequently, most notably Friday the 13th, a serious
route put up in 1985 by Dmitri Barton and Scott Burke. The early 70's face revolution was fueled in large part by the legacy Frank
Sacherer left with his 1960's climbs on the incredibly free climbable Cathedral Rocks: East Buttress, DNB and Sacherer-Fredricks.
Ray Jardine and Rik Reider were among the first to see the possibilities with their 1972 route, Paradise Lost. They were followed
quickly by a small group that included John Long, George Meyers and Kevin Worrall, who were primarily responsible for major face
routes that often had a seriousness not found on the hand crack climbs. Stoner's Highway, Black Primo, Quicksilver, and the
freeing of the Bircheff-Williams were products of this time. Ron Kauk and Kevin Worrall teamed up in 1977 to create the excellent
and serious Space Babble. The 18-pitch Mother Earth, climbed in 1976, showed the possible quality and length of Middle Rock free
climbing, a potential that was realized again in 1984 with the Smith-Crawford. In 1976 enthusiasm for the steep face poured over
onto Lower Cathedral Rock, where Richard Harrison, Rick Accomazzo, and John Yablonski established serious routes that ten years
later have yet to see second ascents.
Face climbing is found throughout the Valley, and the last ten years have seen short testpieces show up on practically every cliff.
Scott Burke, Bruce Morris, Steve Schneider, and others have been active in establishing good face routes. North Dome and,
particularly, Half Dome have rewarded many face climbers of the last few years with excellent routes that are long, clean and
difficult. Several routes have been done on the face near the classic 1965 Snake Dike. Most impressive is the 12-pitch Autobahn,
done by Charles Cole, Rusty Reno and John Middendorf in 1985, and next to it, the Fast Lane. But the most striking of the 1980's
face lines is Karma, a 13-pitch route that weaves a difficult course up the broad south face of Half Dome to the right of the
Harding/Rowell aid line. First climbed in 1986 by Dave Schultz, Ken Yager, and Jim Campbell, its 74 bolts protect 5.11+ face
climbing up a series of steep dikes, connected with only short sections of aid.
As the most difficult new crack lines have gotten thinner, it is perhaps somewhat inevitable that they share many of the
characteristics of steep face climbing, but with the more visible line and protection that crack provides. Since on many of the
modern testpieces natural protection is supplemented and sometimes completely replaced by bolts, they require an inordinate
amount of energy to establish, and the style in which protection is arranged has become the subject of debate.
With many climbers in year-round residence, climbing activity has occurred year round. In 1974 some of the temporary frozen
waterfalls saw ascents by those to impoverished to travel. The first to receive an ascent was the upper part of Sentinel Falls, a four
pitch, sometimes vertical ice route, climbed by Mark Chapman, Kevin Worrall, and Jim Orey in late 1974. With Worrall's first ice
experience behind him, and Chapman's inexperience bettered, the following February they launched up the frozen Widow's Tears,
which luckily remained frozen long enough for the 11-pitch ascent. Other ascents of Sentinel Falls have followed off and on over
the years, but the Widow's Tears has seen fewer climbers, due as much to the infrequent buildup of ice as tot he seriousness of the
route. In 1976, ice build up enough to allow Chapman, Worrall, and Pete Minks an ascent of the Silver Strand, a smooth sheet of
ice that occasionally flows around the wall west of the Widow's Tears. Charlie Porter climbed a couple of chutes and gullies in the
Valley in 1973, and a few minor routes have been done by others. In 1987 an ascent was made of the lower Sentinel Falls. The
80's now see many parties primed to take advantage of the proper conditions of cold and wetness which can produce incredible
possibilities.
The lifestyle and state of the committed resident climber of Yosemite is no better exemplified than by Werner Braun. Braun has
repeated many of the harder climbs over and over, refining his technique and flow with a driven furvor. By 1987, he had climbed
Astro Man 27 times, the last nine times in an eight-month period. Short routes like Outer Limits, Meat Grinder, Lunatic Fringe, and
Five and Dime he has climbed 50 times or more, often times third class, clearly demonstrating in near perfect, efficient motion the
closest match of rock and the climbing man. Braun also exemplifies a clean style of climbing that is Yosemite's heritage. He
disdains hanging on protection, yet is active in the exploration of hidden gems that seem to be a constant resource of Yosemite.
This is a man who simply loves the motion of rock climbing in a beautiful place.
Perhaps no other route demonstrates the progression of Yosemite climbing better than the Steck-Salathe. After the frustrations of
numerous parties and finally a 5-day ordeal, Allen Steck and John Salathe earned the summit of Sentinel Rock on a July day in
1950; their climb became a classic. Robbins made the second ascent in three days, and during the course of the 60's the route was
whittled down to a totally free, three-hour climb. In 1973 Henry Barber stepped into a new realm of commitment by climbing the
Steck-Salathe on sight and unroped (though with the aid of a 25-foot sling a the crux moves). Today, on-sight free-solo ascents of
this 5.9 route by committed climbers are not uncommon. Similar episodes echo throughout the Valley on routes like the Northeast
Buttress of Higher Cathedral Rock, Yosemite Point Buttress, and the East Buttress of El Cap. The North Face of the Rostrum, first
aid climbed over a period of days, next climbed clean, then free climbed at 5.11, was free soloed after rehearsal by Peter Croft in a
couple of hours.
Different stages of evolution exist for different routes. There are climbs yet unseen by the climber's eye. Who will free-solo the East
Face of Washington Column? Can an all-free way be found up the sweeping South Buttress of El Capitan (the Nose) or Salathe
without rock desecration? The West Face of Sentinel was climbed in a day long ago, climbed clean a dozen years ago, yet a
segment on the fifth pitch is barred a host of top free climbing talent form an all-free ascent. Aside from simply technical prowess,
the best of Yosemite climbing has always involved some degree of audacity and daring; the early explorations of Anderson and
Bayley, the 1934 ascents of the Cathedral Spires, Salathe on the Lost Arrow and Sentinel, Harding's vision on the Nose, the
adventurous first ascent of the Salathe Wall, and the bold efforts of Pratt and Sacherer. These events were followed by Jim Dunn
on Cosmos, Barber alone on the Steck-Salathe, the winter climb of the Widow's Tears, the audacious routefinding of Karma and the
remarkable free solos of John Bachar. Will the future development of climbing standards depend on these traditions of stylistic
boldness?

Climbers have always accompanied their outreach to higher standards and newer climbs with a bending of the commonly accepted
rules of the game. Even as early as the ascent of the Nose, older climbers had disdain for the number of bolts that were used in
that ascent. In 1961 Robbins (who had always preached that bolts would or could destroy climbing by overuse or thoughtless use)
used 13 bolts on the Salathe Wall. By 1969 he had put up a route two-thirds the size (Tis-sa-ack) with 110 bolts. He justified it by
saying that it was a "route worth bolting for" - and one that would eventually be climbed. (If Robbins had been told in 1961 that he
would someday do a 20-pitch route with 110 bolts he would surely have denied any such thing.) In the 70's Bridwell and others
innovated aid climbing with the use of the chisel and copperhead. Robbins never would have considered this, having once said that
he felt that 20 routes on El Cap would be about right. Now, thanks to new, non-"traditional" techniques, there are three times that
number. Jardine used extreme hangdogging so he could climb above his ability and accomplish his climbing goals. Bachar began
using aid to place bolts on free climbs (in Tuolumne), an unheard-of tactic, that Bob Kamps and Tom Higgins (who themselves had
bent earlier rules a bit by their use of bolts) never used, but which opened up much otherwise unprotectable rock. (Bachar now
eschewed that technique as too compromised.)
Now we are left to wonder just how far the free climbers of tomorrow will bend the rules to accomplish their goals. In most other
areas hangdogging is the most popular means of getting up extreme climbs. More and more bolts are being placed on rappel. How
will the Yosemite climber deal with these new ethical dilemmas? Is there a chance that the inevitable evolution will result not only
in higher standards of technical difficulty, but in higher standards of boldness and imagination as well, a tradition that has its
routes with the earliest Yosemite pioneers?

Aug 21, 2008 - 03:59pm PT
Another great read, Ed, but still stopping short of the last two decades or more.
Are there no Supertopians capable of summarizing the history of Yosemite freeclimbing in that period?
Are the 80's destined to be the Dark Ages of Yosemite freeclimbing history, with the last decade or so being the Renaissance?

May 2, 2012 - 01:01am PT
I remember Klemens complaining bitterly about being told by a ranger to stop playing his electric in camp after 10:00, a solid body
with no amp.
He was so pissed off it was funny.
He could lay down some bluesy licks for sure

May 20, 2017 - 02:05pm PT
Bump for classic Valley climbs...