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Nick
climber
portland, Oregon
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Feb 14, 2011 - 09:41pm PT
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That sounds right Scruffy. Thanks for jogging my memory.
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Jay Wood
Trad climber
Fairfax, CA
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Feb 14, 2011 - 10:21pm PT
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Didn't Ed H. replace some or all of 'When you're strange'?
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Maysho
climber
Soda Springs, CA
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Feb 14, 2011 - 10:35pm PT
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I also did it that summer in 1977, with Steve Cereda (RIP) it was the culmination of a really great summer, I led the short crux pitch, but I can't say it was perfect style, I remember my shoe felt loose, and I took a little tension before the traverse to tighten em better. I turned 15 that June and spent two months on my own in the Meadows, spent most of the next 11 summers up there, great times...and I quickly learned the importance of pure free style...
Love to see those old bolts replaced, thanks for all those bolt replacement efforts.
Peter
Hey Nick B! nice to see you on the forum.
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climber bob
Social climber
maine
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Feb 16, 2011 - 12:06am PT
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climbed it and mr toads with dick richardson...fairest of all with urmas...@1981
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Feb 16, 2011 - 03:01am PT
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Thanks, Greg - I hadn't noticed that. Here's how it seems to fit in:
It looks like a lot of Always Arches and Burning Down the House could be accessed by coming in to the upper part of Always Arches from the left via Northeast Margin.
Just fix down a few ropes and I think you could reach everything, including those 2-3 on Same As It Ever Was.
Then escape back left and all's clear.
Probably don't need the "big guns" like Mr. Shipoopi!
But will keep in touch, since it's his route. :-)
It's only 17 bolts for all 3 routes - I'm thinking a 2 day weekend with 2 people and 4-5 ropes.
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phylp
Trad climber
Millbrae, CA
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Feb 17, 2011 - 04:40pm PT
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Here is an amusing coincidence to this thread:
This morning I am PDFing old tax returns to clear out some space in my file cabinets. For the year 1996, I just came across the first donation check I made to the ASCA. The amusing part is that that there is also a note from the ASCA in the file - hand written on yellow lined paper:
"Dear Phyllis,
Thank you so much for your kind donation. I can assure you, we'll be working hard this spring, summer, and fall, improving anchor conditions around Yosemite. Definately a lot of work, which we've already begun, needs addressing in the Meadows. What a great place.
Climb safe, Steve Sutton"
Here we are, 15 years later. And the work continues!
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Old5Ten
Trad climber
Berkeley, CA
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just finished my fourth day of solo rebolting 'piece de resistance' - all bolts on the route, except the lead bolt on pitch 9, have been replaced with asca bolts/hangers. enjoy!
i think a photo essay tells the story a bit better.
thanks to all who helped in this venture, greg b. for supplies, clint c. for suggestions and beta, mickey s. for pics, beta, and a wonderful route (night shift) that provided many of my rap anchors, tom h. et al. for putting up a great route, and tuan l. from terragaleria for a high resolution shot of fairview. both, mickey and tuan are excellent photographers and a visit to their respective sites is well worth it.
happy climbing,
e. stefke (in memory of brutus of wyde)
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Nice work, Elmar!
And since rebolting of Burning Down the House is also mentioned on this thread, Zander and I replaced all the bolts on it over a 2 day weekend this July. So it's ready for your onsight, Bob, if you dare. We also replaced the 2 bolts on Always Arches, and the 3 on Arc de Triumph.
Although these last 3 routes will see little traffic, the rebolting on Piece de Resistance should be appreciated by many!
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the kid
Trad climber
fayetteville, wv
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a lot of those routes don't get done anymore because there are so few bolts, no tape or tick marks or some one at the base screaming BETA.
i did this route in the mid 1980's and thought it was BAD ASS. Like ALL Fairview routes, you gotta ROCK CLIMB to get up these routes..
ks
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Old5Ten
Trad climber
Berkeley, CA
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thanks guys! this route deserves to be climbed. it has excellent position, a lot of variety, and requires some cojones. the new shiny bolts don't make the runouts go away. note that on P2 there is a point where PdR crosses night shift (also a great looking route, if you climb 5.12) on its first pitch. this point currently has two bolts (one old and one new non-asca) and is about 2 bolts down from the night shift P1 anchor.
e.stefke
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looking sketchy there...
Social climber
Latitute 33
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Thank you so much for replacing the bolts. Really worthy route. Maybe I'll have to do again
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AJB
climber
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Maybe I'll have to do it with you.
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Double D
climber
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A stellar route and proud line. Did the 3rd or 4th ascent WBITD and remember high quality the whole way. Stiff, as I remember.
It would be awesome if the bolts and belays were brought up to snuff. Prolly the same story for Mr. Toads as well. Both TM classics IMHO.
Edit... Bolts replaced? Kewl.
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Double D
climber
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a lot of those routes don't get done anymore because there are so few bolts, no tape or tick marks or some one at the base screaming BETA.
Too funny!
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LongAgo
Trad climber
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Old510 was kind enough to get in touch with me and Vern early on to get permission to replace the bolts and get clarification on some things. He also has reported to me by e-mail after the fact and clearly was very careful to not add any new bolts except in one place where, well, we had failed to make a two bolt anchor at the end of P2. I know it sounds strange but there was a time where we actually though a good bolt or single pin was sufficient for an anchor and rappel (to answer a question by Scruffy b about why there was not two bolt anchor evidence of the retreat Bob and I made after a failed attempt), though eventually realized that was dumb and started doing two bolt anchors. Old510 also found P3 had one more old bolt than shown on the guidebook topos (right where the guide shows the rating "5.9") and replaced that one. I confirmed that bolt was original by finding my old hand scrawled topo of the route. So bravo to Old510 for good job.
On other point of interest as I reviewed my old topo: we belayed up high under the big arch in the vicinity of the single bolt shown in the book topo, and then exited the big arch left in an improbable but only 5.8 move onto the face. I show a bolt out there and 5.6 or 5.7 climbing left to a belay and another 5.7 pitch up and left, then back right to a "long flat ledge." Then a 5.8 pitch and final summit pitch with no rating, and no more bolts beyond the big arch other than the one just beyond the arch. The "Master Piece" ending in the guidebook following the big arch out right and over and up over "5.9 poor pro" was never the original route.
The other thing I noticed in the topo was our original ratings were on the low side in several places compared to the guidebook. Guess we were reluctant to rate things too high, but it's very possible the crux pitch was lo 5.12 rather than 5.11 as the old topo says. Yes, that pitch had some flakes prone to breaking off and maybe is harder now, but as another poster notes, JT has the same situation and flakes appear at the same time they fall off as things weather, so things can net out either way I suppose. In any case, the crux pitch is generally well protected and the position and strong line toward the very center of the face always seemed fantastic to me, though there is a bit of ominous feel too as the big arch looms and frowns down upon you as you inch upward feeling like a speck. Overall, still one of my favorite Meadows climbs in my memory for the powerful feeling of the wall and sustained climbing there.
Here's the tale of the FA with Vern from my website, though it's more of a tribute to my lifelong climbing partner Bob Kamps rather than any detailed topo:
http://www.tomhiggins.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=27&Itemid=20
Tom Higgins
LongAgo
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scuffy b
climber
dissected alluvial deposits, late Pleistocene
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Nice, Tom.
I'll clarify my thinking a bit, regarding old anchors.
When Bruce Morris and I retreated from the climb, we encountered a single
bolt anchor which had been placed by Nick and his partner, when they
were rained off attempting the 2nd ascent.
The mystery to me is that Nick (and we) did not encounter the anchor which
you and Bob must have placed when you retreated from the same spot several
years earlier.
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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This biggest challenge I remember (early 80s with Rick Accomazzo) was that the thin holds were still ripping off left and right. Felt like hard dime work very popular back then at Roubidoux and San Tee.
JL
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LongAgo
Trad climber
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Scruffy B, Sorry I can't help. My old topo does show a pin in the second of the left facing arches on pitch 3 in the guidebook with a funny note, "thick arrows need fixing." Maybe they were the rap anchor but got removed. Just can't recall.
The other big issue is how the climb ends at the big arch system up high. Old510 and I have been e-mailing back and forth and he sent some pics of the area, and best I can recall it's like this: Old510 reports the arch is pretty thick and intimidating in the vicinity of where I say we went over it, yet I'm very sure the climbing over the arch was 5.8 or 5.9 at max, with good holds over the arch, and thereafter 5.6, then 5.7 next pitch, then 5.8, but definitely not out right to P10, 11,12 as in topo with “5.9 poor pro” rating. So for now I'm sticking with the theory we went over the arch somewhere near or even left of where the single bolt is shown under the arch (which may be a pin according to Old510), but then went left (after one bolt over the arch) on easy ground. The only problem with this theory is Old510 didn't see the bolt over the roof where I describe it, but maybe he was focusing on the topo line over the roof more right of where I'm saying we went.
Probably reader's eyes are glazing over at this point, understandably. Got to say I love some mystery in the old routes and maybe someone will get up there and figure it out someday now that Old510 has excited some interest.
Tom Higgins
LongAgo
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