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BASE104
climber
An Oil Field
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Topic Author's Original Post - Nov 6, 2011 - 01:52pm PT
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Hey,
Lots of cool stuff has been going on in Yosemite, but it rarely finds its way onto the Taco.
So. For all of us old farts who have already have had their time in the sun: let it go. Climbing is still going strong. Cheer!
The only info I have is from Tommy's blog. If anyone here is up on the latest details, I would love to start a real climbing thread on his progress.
This is history. Snap to!
Tommy's Blog:
http://tommyandbecca.blogspot.com/
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Adamame
climber
Santa Cruz
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He has been updating his facebook fan page daily.
Or for those who choose not to Facebook here is his twitter sans photos.
http://twitter.com/#!/tommycaldwell1
Here is this mornings post.
"More fresh snow. Think it's going to be another rest day."
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Adamame
climber
Santa Cruz
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He's currently having a hard time with pitch 12.
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HighTraverse
Trad climber
Bay Area
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"chillin"
That's the way it's done. Persistence
they might be up there a long time. Break in the weather tomorrow but staying COLD in the valley.
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Adamame
climber
Santa Cruz
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This whole project is simply amazing. 30 Days for the FA of The Dawn Wall, what about 30 days for the first free ascent? Go Tommy!
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Mike Bolte
Trad climber
Planet Earth
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Doug Robinson showed a great slide at the PG Sunnyvale show last week. Tommy on an zero-points-of-contact dyno sideways to a tiny ledge. He has a great look of detached concentration (whatever that means) on his face.
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MTucker
Ice climber
Arizona
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Reading the "Tommy's Blog" is a bit disgusting. Sheeesh, could it be any more of a fan parade.
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Skeptimistic
Mountain climber
La Mancha
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Reading the "Tommy's Blog" is a bit disgusting
Jealous much?
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MTucker
Ice climber
Arizona
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Aaaaaah No.
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GhoulweJ
Trad climber
El Dorado Hills, CA
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I enjoy the memories and tales of previous days...
I am also riveted by the new ground being broken by the "climbers of today".
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Gagner
climber
Boulder
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Having just done New Dawn a week ago, I can tell you that Tommy has the first pitch in the blank dihedral ticked out, and it looks wicked, wicked hard. Steep, razor thin crimps, and gunning it between bolts and some #3 Peckers. It looks wild, and very hard, though Tommy told me it was probably only 13c/d - there's a bunch of harder climbing than that.
Way rad and super impressive free climbing up there.
Go Tommy!!!
Paul
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BASE104
climber
An Oil Field
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 6, 2011 - 03:02pm PT
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MTucker, you are a shining light of tolerance and love.
Let me give you another sloppy BASE jumper kiss. Smooooooch.
Most of this site is old farts who still bitch about gyms and sport climbing. All the while, climbing has become very badass.
Why are we spending all of our time in a grotesque discussion of doctored hook moves on a thirty year old route, while being totally oblivious to the hard free climbing going on on El Cap.
This is now. Enjoy the past, but embrace what he is doing.
Just go log onto the Rock & Ice website and there is a lot of news on hard free climbs that have gone up or received repeats this year. The mags report on stuff happening in the valley that receives no mention on this site.
Embrace your inner dinosaur.
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MTucker
Ice climber
Arizona
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Thank you very much. I have gotten love from BASE104,BASE1250,BASE1361, BASE-Ammon, BASE-Hank. I got notches on the bed post adding up.
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GhoulweJ
Trad climber
El Dorado Hills, CA
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MTucker, you are a shining light of tolerance and love.
Let me give you another sloppy BASE jumper kiss. Smooooooch.
Most of this site is old farts who still bitch about gyms and sport climbing. All the while, climbing has become very badass.
Why are we spending all of our time in a grotesque discussion of doctored hook moves on a thirty year old route, while being totally oblivious to the hard free climbing going on on El Cap.
This is now. Enjoy the past, but embrace what he is doing.
Just go log onto the Rock & Ice website and there is a lot of news on hard free climbs that have gone up or received repeats this year. The mags report on stuff happening in the valley that receives no mention on this site.
Embrace your inner dinosaur.
I second that
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Studly
Trad climber
WA
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hell yeah, Tommy getting er done! Wish I had the skill and the drive to be up there trying what he is doing.
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Mark Hudon
Trad climber
Hood River, OR
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I'm jealous, that's for sure! I'd love to be that good and that committed to be up there right now!
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thedogfather
Trad climber
Somewhere near Red Rocks
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Some facebook info on pitch 12. Bad ass for sure:
That was a intense one today on pitch 12. First I pulled a few pitons and took big falls. Then I broke a few footholds. Five tries later I finally had the new sequence through the bottom worked out. Then I fell at the very end... Twice. Temps never got above freezing. Eight tries in all and no send. The good news is that I am feeling strong. This one just wasn't in the cards for me today.
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Doug Robinson
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Yeah, that monster dyno sideways I showed was borrowed from this year's Ascent Magazine. First issue since 1999.
Here's a crude snapshot of that opening spread of Tommy's article. Apologies to the photographer, who somehow didn't get credited.
The photo is shocking proof of what those guys are pulling off, way up that blankety blank wall. There's a good one of Kevin too, micro-crimping on vertical smoothness. Only it's in National Geographic. But here's what surprised me more: Tommy's article is the best thing in the magazine. More gripping than mine, and more emotionally honest too.
Get it. Read it. You can get a free copy by subscribing to Rock & Ice. Or try Chessler, who just slashed the cover price.
Tommy Caldwell is my new hero as a climbing writer, because he transcends the left-foot, right-foot rhetoric to go for the messy details of divorce and new love and who pushed that kidnapping terrorist off the cliff.
Ascent Magazine, annual and then sporadic since 1967
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johntp
Trad climber
socal
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These are not good conditions to be on a wall in Yos. The dood has huevos.
Go Tommy go!
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NigelSSI
Trad climber
B.C.
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pics from pitch 9(?) a few days ago
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BASE104
climber
An Oil Field
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 6, 2011 - 11:01pm PT
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Yeah, Roger, but it never stays on the front page. Start a political thread and it will run forever. Have you checked those out lately? People are behaving very badly.
Lots of stuff going on Sonny Trotter and partner are working on the 2nd of The Prophet. Lots of repeats of free climbs this year.
Hey, it is 2011. Get with the program and admire this generation's ability. What are there? 14 free routes on the Captain now?
No more nailing on free routes!
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mcreel
climber
Barcelona
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Let's all send some good weather vibes their way!
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John Mac
Trad climber
Littleton, CO
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How's it looking up there today?
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BASE104
climber
An Oil Field
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 7, 2011 - 01:01pm PT
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Probably cold.
From the story he wrote about working the route previously, he can only do it when it is very cold. That and a pair of shoes lasts a day or something crazy.
He has taken "slab" climbing to a whole new universe. A slab is anything that doesn't overhang these days. All of the ultra hard routes are in caves and the like.
He is working these micro, micro, edges. Stuff that people didn't even consider hooking previously.
A lot of us have aided many of those pitches. The Nose? Yeah, I can see it. This stuff? No way.
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John Mac
Trad climber
Littleton, CO
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Thanks for he update.
Just ordered ascent 2011 so looking forward to reading his piece.
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the Fet
climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
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It's interesting that so many top climbers have also been great writers.
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labrat
Trad climber
Nevada City, CA
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MTucker, you are a shining light of tolerance and love.
Third!
Erik
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Base104,
I know that most climbing threads get few responses and quickly fall off the page. There is no way to keep track of how many threads are read on the forum but you can keep track on Trip Reports. There, the evidence says that people go back and dig up old trip reports and at least open them.
I briefly read some of the links on Tommy's Dawn Wall effort. The only one that showed “views” is YouTube, which was about 500 for the one I watched, which is insanely low given what Tommy is doing. The rest of the blogs had only a few or no comments. So it is hard to tell how many people anywhere pay much attention to cool climbing news. I think that Kim Kardashian’s following it much larger—I had to look her up when the 72 days of marriage hit the national news--she is now famous for being famous. She also gets paid by sponsors for her tweets. I wonder if she could manage 30 days on the Dawn Wall?
All the climbing web sites are self-selected but ST is interactive and wide open. On RockandIce you can read Tommy's blog and post, but few post comments, certainly many fewer compared to the same link posted on ST.
I would really like it if the current climbers posted and interacted with other climbers (How about a front row seat on a granular discussion between John Gill and Tommy on mastering hard moves or Peter Haan and Alex Honnold on free soloing!) but almost none do.
I get the feeling that we, collectively, are not cool; we certainly don't climb very hard, and some of us are old. But, we cannot do much about that, nor can we do anything about the fact that the cool, really hard, young climbers don't post. They release videos, and write articles, and blog, and tweet, but they don't post. So, until that changes, we are doomed, again collectively, to being our uncool, unhard, and unyoung selves.
However, given that ST has been very successful, I would like to understand why young, hard climbers don’t post. Many of them have obligation to their sponsors, but it is not so obvious to me why posting on ST would not satisfy their obligations to feed their fans and keep their sponsors happy. It is just another connection path. I really don’t know the answer to this, at least from a business perspective. I suspect that somehow the nonclimbing threads and crudeness has something to do with it. But since all the ST readers and posters are in the community of climbers which supports the sponsors, I think that just means that ST is unfiltered. Or, said another way, when one of the 500 who watched the YouTube video of Tommy is done, he and his friends searched out the Kim Kardashian sex tapes and no one except YouTube knows and Tommy has no explaining to do, so to speak.
I am not complaining too much: I have had almost no success over the years in getting many of my friends from the 50s, 60s, and 70s to post.
So, Tommy’s ascent is very interesting and I take as much as I can get. But I am most likely to follow links posted on ST rather than search them out myself.
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jfailing
Trad climber
Lone Pine
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I wonder if [Kim Kardashian] could manage 30 days on the Dawn Wall
I don't think she'd last 30 seconds in the Valley - there isn't a Gucci/Prada/Armani boutique... Or any spas for that matter.
Tommy is way badass for doing this. Super impressive. Massive balls.
I personally dig the coverage - it's an interesting take on climbing and today's various forms of digital media/social networking. This is why of course, there are a healthy number of haters - so stop being so bitter, old dudes.
Also, BASE - consider how many people lurk on this site who never post (possibly in fear of getting flamed for no apparent reason), but read a lot of the TR's and climbing-related posts. I think there are way more who lurk than who actually post...
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couchmaster
climber
pdx
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Now THOSE are some wall photos.
How does this happen? They go up and try and free a pitch...assuming that they hangdog until they get up it...then pull the rope and lead that pitch. Tommy says they are on pitch 12..is that the way it's going? Then once they top out, does he start at the bottom and free each pitch in turn to the top in a single push?
Just curious. Not being a bitter old dude:-)
Saw a tweet from March "@tommycaldwell1 Tommy Caldwell
5 pull ups, 10 push ups, 15 sit ups, over and over for 20 minutes. Last night I did 26 rounds. How many can you do?
I'm thinking ...2 for me:-)
Base 104...are you French Canadian? Were you in Zion this spring right after the heavy rains?
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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I get the feeling that we, collectively, are not cool, don't climb really hard, and some of us are old. But, we cannot do anything about the fact that the cool, really hard, young climbers don't post.
I am young, and I post. Now only need to learn to climb! : )
I think the reason why younger hard climbers don't post is bc most are either in school or college. That takes a lot of time for classes/homework. Plus training and other social things they still want to do...Would be hard being in school all day, having to train for 4 hours, satisfy your gf, and do some homework after..no?
People with jobs that can post from work and people that are retired probably have more opportunity to post.
Fk kim K. by the way. The only reason she is famous is because our nation is getting more and more idiotic. Listen to radio, turn on your tv...What most find entertaining is really simple, stupid sh#t. Jersey Shore drama and attention/fame seeking slut dominate...oh yeah than there is football on Sunday. It makes me sick that teenage girls look up to that broad.
Majority of people do not know wtf Dawn wall is and who Tommy is. Most people even in climbing community can't relate to understanding what would it be like to free several 5.13-5.14 pitches in a day. Most would find getting to the top of Mt. Rainier/Whitney more impressive. ahahahha
I actually took one of my x gfs to see Rock Reel tour this year. She does not climb, and never been interested in it. But she really loved the show, and couldn't understand why it was not presented to a larger audience. However, if I did not drag her there she would probably have no interest in going in the first place.
Good luck to Tommy. Sad his partner couldn't join this season. Would be nice to see them both do it together.
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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"@tommycaldwell1 Tommy Caldwell
5 pull ups, 10 push ups, 15 sit ups, over and over for 20 minutes. Last night I did 26 rounds. How many can you do?"
wtf? Is he trying to say he did this little workout for 8.6 hours??? Sounds ridiculous.
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jfailing
Trad climber
Lone Pine
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Good luck to Tommy. Sad his partner couldn't join this season.
My friend and I had this discussion: considering how much effort that Kevin J has put into the wall, is it fair that Tommy gets to go for the send without him?
We decided that Tommy has more invested in it, and it's sort of his baby...
As far as younger climbers and ST, it's way intimidating to post on here for younger, less initiated folk. You risk getting waaay flamed. There are plenty of hard-sending younger generation climbers that post and lurk on ST. I think the main reason the hard-men don't post here, is that they're too busy climbing all the time...
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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The most noticeable thing about tweeting is that everyone sounds soooo Kardashian.
jfailing, I don't buy that they are too busy: they tweet and blog and write and video post for a living. I think they don't like us--maybe its just Donini--they are just not that into us.
Edited: (Sorry Jim: Insult as much as you like, but spell the names right.)
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jfailing
Trad climber
Lone Pine
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@RogerBreedlove, ZOMG Stop h4ting K1M, She's my her0 #divorcerocks #iloveprada #whatsadawnwall?
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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So if Bridwell was up on the Dawn, would we say that the early Bird gets the worm?
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Gene
climber
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MH,
Nice mezcalito reference.
g
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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I don't care about the spelling Roger but what's the reference about?
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Roger,
I think your basic question just above is not only quite intriguing but also rather important. As you describe, the demographics of ST seem to be kind of a 35 to 65 y.o. crowd with the younger currently hot climbers either incognito or absent from our midst. And I would add the old classic guys like Royal on out to the Steck ones at age 90, are also "lurking or absent" largely too. For the oldest guys, I do know that a bunch are lurkers though but shudder at the thought of dipping their toe in these radioactive waters.
I sense that ST is viewed by many younger non-posting hotties as messy, not cutting edge or hip, and awfully lumbering. Plus, to "make it" here on ST, you have to be able to not only form sentences, but even form paragraphs and spell halfway decently all while doing this intrepidly in one's own defense instantly as "the ants start crawling in" as Ament put it a few years ago.
Its too bad but it is also inevitable. Every generation has its "media" for certain, and does best with that chosen form. And so always there is stratification. The fact that some of the hottest younger climbers out there are inaccessible also speaks to how wildly rude the conversations can get here, how ignorant they often are, and how poor the reading comprehension usually is as well.
I love the "place" obviously but I do understand that many others would not at all. Perhaps in the published media, we all join together. Say, Rock + Ice, Alpinist, Climbing, AAJ and of course the euro and UK mags, serve as the most universal media for us all. Recalling Mountain everybody from kids to the most aged amongst us read Ken Wilson's publication and widely anticipated its every issue.
If Supertopo wanted to include or attract more participants, I think one of the first things they would have to do is update the actual site and its very appearance which has become a bit tatty actually and quite undynamic, especially to all other major sites in english-language climbing.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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From conversations, I understand that many of the younger/cutting-edge climbers at least occasionally lurk here. James is one of the few who posts. Possibly when there's an interesting or topical thread one or other sees it, and forwards the link to others.
Chris McNamara could perhaps comment, but the good to great climbing threads probably get far more visitors than most others.
Bear in mind that many of the young, strong climbers have their own blogs, and at least some sponsorship. They may want to present their stories in a more controlled environment, and of course always have to be thinking about marketing.
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Peter makes a great point about the site. Some organization to content as well. For example trip reports could be organized into categories per state/area/mountain etc. Wouldn't hurt to organize the forum section into some sections.
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Agree on all that Anders ^^ There are a ton of climbing blogs...jesus.
And I would add that the important climbing threads will have hundreds of people reading them to every climber that actually posts. This shows up in my Photobucket Pro account where you see the number of people who looked at images one posts. So we probably don't even really know what is going on, on this site sociologically, and are only making conclusions that could be incorrect even.
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guido
Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
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Funny, never knew who this Kim K person was until I saw her image plastered on the back of a dirty semi truck at a stop sign somewhere in the outback of SW Utah. Situation seemed more appropriate for a photo of Becky. Hey, now that Kim K is free maybe Becky can make his move?
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elcap-pics
Big Wall climber
Crestline CA
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Well I have almost quit this site several times myself. I post an interesting (IMHO) report with good action shots of climbers on ElCap and I get 6 or maybe 10 responses and within an hour the post is forever lost many pages back. The situation makes me wonder if I should even bother posting anything here at all. Plus the off topic posts, for the most part, turn into nasty name calling that brings out the worst in all of us, myself included.
I scan the first 2 pages, once a day or so, for interesting climbing topics and rarely look at anything else... for a climbing site, this one is far below my expectations. According to my site counter, several thousand people have read about Tommy and what is going up there. So it is not going unnoticed. I think quite a few young climbers visit my site on a fairly regular basis... they like to read about their friends and generally what is going on on EC. So the interest is there... but I ruthlessly edit replies so that nothing but climbing or respectful responses to the climbing reported, is left on the page. The result of all that is that there are not many responses!!! The report on the Nose "Thumb" Rescue of 9/26/11 had a whopping 20 responses, but was read over 33,000 times!
So what does all the above mean...??? How the hell should I know?!!
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Gene
climber
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Mr. Evans,
The limiting factor in regard to responses on your site and trip reports here on the Taco is that any post after the third or fourth is redundant. There are only a few ways to say TFPU, Bitchen’ shots Tom, That’s my kid/husband/girlfriend on Zodiac/Nose/Trip!!!, etc. The measure of your work is not in the number of comments, but number of views and the gratitude we all feel for you giving us something ‘unique in all the world.’ Your effort is HUGELY appreciated in the climbing community in the US, Canada, Korea, and around the world. Proud work, Tom!
Cubicle Puke Gene
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Brian
climber
California
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Tommy sent pitch 12 today. "Only" three more 5.14 pitches, and a few 5.13, and he's got it. Hoping he can pull it off!
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bergbryce
Mountain climber
South Lake Tahoe, CA
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The most noticeable thing about tweeting is that everyone sounds soooo Kardashian
who the frack is this? I thought the Kardashians were a people on Star Trek the Next Gen??
Good luck up there.
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climbingcook
Trad climber
sf
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No doubt elcap-pics, we're reading but after half a dozen Sweet! Thanks! and Nice Pics! posts there isn't a lot more for us to add so it ends up buried by the off-topic stupidity.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Weld_it has certainly added some youthful energy to the place, if not always on topic.
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North
climber
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What Tommy is referring to when he says he did 26 rounds of 5 pullups, 10 pushups, and 15 air squats is a CrossFit workout called "Cindy". 26 rounds is getting on it. My best is 23 rounds. Give it a try. Get some Tommy and Kevin.
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Tahoe climber
climber
Davis these days
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Pitch 12 and 13 DONE
Nice work Tommy!
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John Mac
Trad climber
Littleton, CO
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From Tommy's Twitter ...
Ah yeah!!!! Finally sent pitch 12. Thank god. 13 felt good too. Really sad to see Becca go down. But 10 days was a pretty amazing stretch. Really happy to have Kelly Cordess holding the rope and providing an endless stream of ridiculous comments.
Way to go!
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Brian
climber
California
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Tahoe Climber: Don't think 13 went down (yet, that is).
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klk
Trad climber
cali
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Perhaps in the published media, we all join together. Say, Rock + Ice, Alpinist, Climbing, AAJ and of course the euro and UK mags, serve as the most universal media for us all
dude, yr showing yr age. no one reads.
its all video all the time. tweets for on the road. but that'll go away soon, too.
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klk
Trad climber
cali
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ST is an elephants graveyard for old been there done that cripples and never-were's. The kids think you guys are old fogies and fools that only sorta pulled hard, like ghey ass 5.12 sh#t back in the 70's and 80's. Now a n00b will pull that hard at his 7th birthday party in the gym. Yer sh#t is played out except for the ever attentive eyes and ears of geriatric choir.
Why in the name of Satan would a young guy want to listen to a wad of geezers mumbling over a bunch of stuff that is not relevant to them, unless it is talk of wide cracks?
Such a good post. And for so many reasons.
I think the drive-by strategy is paying off.
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BASE104
climber
An Oil Field
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 7, 2011 - 10:23pm PT
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Kinda hurts, but Russ is dead on.
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m_jones
Trad climber
Carson City, NV
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Hmmm... this old has been geezer sees this climb as a game changer. So cool to see someone put it all (reputation,skill) on the line to pull something of this magnitude off. Truly amazing stuff.
I am very jealous. It seems TC truly sees this time as one of the best of times and is totally enjoying the entire process. Not many have the wherewithal appreciate the moment when they are in the middle of it. Anywhere, in any sport. I am in awe of this project and all that must have gone into it.
I really look forward to the small bits of information every day and am cheering!
I hope KJ gets on it next year must be really tough to sit on the sidelines. He has put so much into it and I hope he will have his time too.
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Matt M
Trad climber
Alamo City
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Many younger people lurk but the difficulty in FINDING a good climbing thread in the disorganized MESS that is the ST get old pretty fast. Good stuff drops off the first page or two quickly and the crap always "floats".
Sorting the forum (you know, like EVERY OTHER FORUM out there) would help keep the choss in the right place and the climbing stuff easier to find.
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mcreel
climber
Barcelona
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Young folks firing 12s in the gym after 2 months climbing aint got no interesting stories to tell, at least not to this audience, or at least not about their climbing. There's a lot more of interest in a story about sliming your way up a runout 11 on Glacier Point, with the next bolt out of sight, than there is in a redpoint of a clip-up 14a.
Back on topic, the 13th is done. Woot!
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Matt M
Trad climber
Alamo City
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Not white bread per se with 15 sub forums etc etc but at least gimme a choice of climbing and everything else.
I'm not young and many of my friends on here are older still but we don't have time to are through 90 lines of topic headings to find the true gems that keep us coming back. We don't care about most of the other stuff and I'd venture to say, neither do lots of the "legends" who lurk here.
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Damn this looks high
Trad climber
Temecula, CA
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All Internet forums equal "A Tempest in a Teapot".
Move along, nothing to see here.
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Mark Hudon
Trad climber
Hood River, OR
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I'm way more interested in Tommy free climbing the route than any controversy. It's all climbing and I don't care about any other part of it.
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le_bruce
climber
Oakland, CA
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Friend forwarded this to me, not sure where he found it, sorry 'bout the large size:
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euro-brief-guy
Boulder climber
Auburn, ca
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Jim Collins was on Charlie Rose last night. He mentioned Tommy and his attempt at freeing the dawn wall.
Pretty cool.
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Impaler
Gym climber
Vancouver
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Nov 10, 2011 - 07:23am PT
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le_Bruce, thanks for the cool-looking topo. Looks insanely hard.
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YoungGun
climber
North
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Nov 10, 2011 - 08:25am PT
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God knows, as you point out there's not a ton of climbing content.
Actually, there is. It may not be informative to you, say, if you've been exposed to it for years, but there is a lot to be learned from some of the stories and methods shared here. I figure being 30 means I'm one of the younger people here, and certainly the climbing info is why I show up. But that's a statement about the quantity of climbing info. As a percentage climbing content is dwarfed by religious and political arguments which are a PITA to sort through and avoid. But at least the trip reports are easy to look through on their own, and aren't gunked up with that crap. Well, actually, a few are, but...
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Eric Beck
Sport climber
Bishop, California
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Nov 10, 2011 - 12:26pm PT
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Hi guys. I can't be the only one craving some current info on this project. With the El Cap Report down for the winter, how can we learn how he is doing. Weather is good, cool and clear. This thread is certainly a good enough place to post.
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cleo
Social climber
Berkeley, CA
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Nov 10, 2011 - 12:28pm PT
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I'm tempted to go into the valley and take a look, but I'm not sure how to communicate with people up on the wall. Suggestions? Is there a support crew wandering around on the ground?
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Nov 10, 2011 - 12:40pm PT
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loudspeaker?
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ChampionSleeper
Trad climber
Phoenix, AZ
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Nov 10, 2011 - 12:48pm PT
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Trying again here to wrap my brain around the difficulty of the climbing – Tommy told me he needs new shoes each time he tries the crux "Thumbercling" pitch – holding himself to the wall with his thumbs overhead on miniscule nubbins while his right food stands on an even smaller edge. Needs new shoe rubber, not yet worn-down or else his foot pops, and it needs to be cold so that the rubber doesn't roll.
from http://www.thecleanestline.com/2011/.../family-affair-on-the-dawn-wall.html
Nuts! That's a lot of shoes to haul up! What does he do after an attempt? Attach a mini-parachute and chuck em'?
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Gene
climber
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Nov 10, 2011 - 01:09pm PT
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The crux pitch.
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Nov 10, 2011 - 02:08pm PT
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He should sell those shoe pairs he wore on his attempts on Ebay. Will make a lot of $ if he dose this thing!
Will be a tough 2nd ascent! LOL
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Wayno
Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
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Nov 10, 2011 - 02:13pm PT
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Man oh man. It looks like one really hard boulder problem after another, all the way up El Cap.
Very large Kudos. I don't care what style.
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ChampionSleeper
Trad climber
Phoenix, AZ
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Nov 10, 2011 - 03:16pm PT
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Someone should yell up from the meadows ...
"CLIMBERS ON NEW DAWN...DO YOU REQUIRE MORE FRESH ROCK SHOES"
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The Larry
climber
Moab, UT
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Nov 10, 2011 - 03:22pm PT
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So they're gonna settle for a pinkpoint?
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ChampionSleeper
Trad climber
Phoenix, AZ
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Nov 10, 2011 - 03:28pm PT
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I hear these days YOSAR charges you for the rescue if you don't bring at least 20 pairs of brand new synthetic rock shoes for your project. They charge you double if you run out of shoes named after yourself.
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Nov 10, 2011 - 04:39pm PT
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Tommy needs a modern version of hobnailed boots.
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BooDawg
Social climber
Butterfly Town
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Nov 10, 2011 - 10:05pm PT
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Something strange is going on up there right now. Based on his initial comments about the severed thumb rescue, we can't rely on Werner for any semblance of the truth; yet I know he is, unfortunately, constrained by his "insider's" position...
This evening just before sundown, I saw a new rope that wasn't there when I last saw them on Sunday afternoon, stretched tight from just above the two long-term, rain-flyed porta-ledges which appeared, from El Cap meadow, to be anchored in the talus-forest approximately below the N.A. Wall start. One climber (in blue) was basically standing rather stationary, for at least half an hour, near where this taught rope was attached. To the right, there was a fly-less porta-ledge with 2 people (one in orange) working in that area. The taught rope appeared to be attached to a pack of some kind that was being held quite a distance (>100') from the wall.
Also very curious, directly above them at the lip of El Cap there was long rope dangling free perhaps 400' swaying in and out of the setting sunlight. Where this rope appeared to drop over the lip was at least one moving human who at one point looked like he/she might be starting a descent, however, a descent never occurred while I was there.
There was no evidence of a rescue underway from any staging of people in El Cap meadow. Anybody know more?
Eric: That's all that I know now.
Cleo; It IS WORTH going up and checking it out further; if I don't have to give a tour tomorrow, I'm tempted to go up there and see who's at the ground end of that taught rope and what the story is. If anyone else is interested, please let me know. Perhaps we can carpool from Mariposa.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Nov 10, 2011 - 10:40pm PT
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Ken, could it be rigging for photographers?
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Base1250
Trad climber
colorado
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Nov 10, 2011 - 10:49pm PT
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Ken, could it be rigging for photographers?
Duh.
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BooDawg
Social climber
Butterfly Town
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Nov 10, 2011 - 10:59pm PT
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skipt: No more news. I'll know in about an hour if I can go investigate tomorrow.
MH: Could be photographers rigging, but the rope from above was about 800' short of being useful, and it's not clear how they would use the lower, taught rope except perhaps to haul gear up along it. But why not just haul it up directly from the ground?
Edit: I DO keep forgetting that this is a "media event," not 1967! Duh! Thanks!
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cleo
Social climber
Berkeley, CA
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Nov 10, 2011 - 11:55pm PT
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Well, I didn't really stop by, but there were lights on in the tents, still on the wall, so everybody is still up there!
Yea, I saw rigging for photogs on Tuesday... lots of bodies on the wall, it looked like (briefly, as we drove by).
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yo
climber
Mudcat Spire
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Nov 11, 2011 - 12:02am PT
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Climber on Dawn Wall, if you need a rescue raise two index fingers.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Nov 11, 2011 - 12:53am PT
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Climbers on Dawn Wall, if you need a bottle of wine, raise one hand for white, two hands for red.
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Dr.Sprock
Boulder climber
I'm James Brown, Bi-atch!
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Nov 11, 2011 - 12:57am PT
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how about a frozen pizza?
sail it in from the chopper,
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philo
Trad climber
Somewhere halfway over the rainbow
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Nov 11, 2011 - 01:01am PT
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according to his twitter, it's currently a father-son team :D
http://twitter.com/#!/tommycaldwell1
Now that is one of the hippest things I have heard in a looooong time.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Nov 11, 2011 - 01:02am PT
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Maybe it's "Take Your Father to Work" Week or something.
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BooDawg
Social climber
Butterfly Town
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Nov 11, 2011 - 01:25am PT
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Kinda like when Tom Frost and his son were climbing El Cap routes together back around '99...
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philo
Trad climber
Somewhere halfway over the rainbow
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Nov 11, 2011 - 01:33am PT
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^^^ Yep ^^^
To paraphrase an old saying...
One generation ties the rope and the next runs it out.
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jfailing
Trad climber
Lone Pine
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Nov 16, 2011 - 01:58pm PT
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So what's the deal!? Is he still up there? Is he still climbing? Did he send!?
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YoungGun
climber
North
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Nov 16, 2011 - 02:40pm PT
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^^^^
11/13 there's this post on his Facebook:
Well, gave it hell but came up short. Plan B is to abandon the idea of a single push and try it in 2 parts. I am going to try and recover on the ground for a bit and then go back for more. Its been a grand adventure and I cant, let go yet.
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BooDawg
Social climber
Butterfly Town
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Nov 16, 2011 - 03:10pm PT
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It was a lovely day up there all day yesterday, but the wall looked unoccupied completely. There's supposed to be rain and snow coming, beginning tomorrow (Thursday) nite and continuing sporadically until Monday...
I hope a little down-time gives them a chance to return and make a success of it!
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MTucker
Ice climber
Arizona
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Nov 16, 2011 - 03:58pm PT
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This Saga is still happening?
Well, even Harding finished a climb in Nov.
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Yorock1
Boulder climber
El Portal, Ca.
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Nov 19, 2011 - 02:36am PT
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I was told yesterday it for photos of tommy so photographer could shoot whole wall.
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John Mac
Trad climber
Littleton, CO
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Nov 21, 2011 - 10:49am PT
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Any updates?
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cleo
Social climber
Berkeley, CA
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Nov 21, 2011 - 11:50am PT
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He was up there on Sat... Not sure about post snowstorm though.
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wack-N-dangle
Gym climber
the ground up
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Nov 21, 2011 - 11:56am PT
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I happened past him, his wife, and one other. He was under a very low hanging roof. I remember his wife's foot in a cast, and a "Try hard Tommy!!!". There may be a small window of weather, but I'm sure that's not news.
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cleo
Social climber
Berkeley, CA
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Nov 21, 2011 - 06:42pm PT
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You "happened past"? On the wall? Sounds like you need to write a TR!
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MBrown
Big Wall climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Nov 22, 2011 - 02:20am PT
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tommy came down a couple days ago. fixed lines were no longer there
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MTucker
Ice climber
Arizona
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Nov 22, 2011 - 02:55am PT
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Shut down again.
Wonder if this route will get done and then would it ever be repeated.
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adventurous one
Trad climber
Truckee Ca.
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Nov 22, 2011 - 03:52am PT
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He'd better hurry up, I hear there's a long line of climbers tired of waiting for the onsite send.
Really though, can't see this route every getting a repeat, even if it turns out to be the best/most difficult free climb yet. If someone had the talent to send a route of this scale, would they spend years, or even a climbing season, methodically working someone elses route for a repeat? (How many repeats has The Nose, a much "easier" free climb, seen?) Someone with that much talent would have a whole world of amazing first ascents (And maybe the "best free climb yet")awaiting to unfold for them. Most with that kind of talent would probably prefer to spend that sort of energy on their own lifetime achievement project.
But.......never say never.......there probably are others who could do this route if they got completely obsessed with sending it, and were willing to forego other opportunities.
A lot of respect for his drive and talent. Hope he succeeds, which I believe he will, after all of his long determination.
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philo
Trad climber
Somewhere halfway over the rainbow
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Nov 22, 2011 - 04:11am PT
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It will eventually be some teenager's warm up climb.
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John Mac
Trad climber
Littleton, CO
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Nov 22, 2011 - 11:31am PT
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Thanks for the updates and sorry to hear that he has been shut down.
Here's hoping that he can finish it next season.
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Nov 22, 2011 - 11:37am PT
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Nice to see some positive from this as well. He will hopefully get to come back with his partner (who was injured for this attempt) and do it right.
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Jingy
climber
Somewhere out there
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Dec 13, 2011 - 10:05am PT
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Young Gun - Great article....
Observers enjoy it, sponsors encourage it and climbers get to share what is inherently a selfish pursuit.
True.....
So true
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BASE104
climber
An Oil Field
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 13, 2011 - 12:12pm PT
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One time I was up in ANWR for 6 weeks and I took a sat phone along.
I was stuck in my tiny bivy tent for three days in a snow storm and spent about 500 dollars calling everyone on earth that I had ever met.
Kind of like drunk dialing, ya know?
It was at all hours, since there is really no day or night up there in the summer.
And yeah, you CAN dial 411 and get someone's phone number with a sat phone.
I now renounce sat phones. F*#k sat phones.
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YoungGun
climber
North
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Dec 13, 2011 - 01:42pm PT
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^^^
LMAO BASE. Boredom is costly!
DMT: I agree this isn't new. For all of the talk about purity of motivations, I think purity is not exactly a preeminent human quality. Maybe purity is solely the mental possession of the deluded.
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philo
Trad climber
Somewhere halfway over the rainbow
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Dec 13, 2011 - 01:44pm PT
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Enough to make an old man's head spin in curmudgeonly orbits.
Ha ha ahhha ha great line.
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Roxy
Trad climber
CA Central Coast
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Dec 13, 2011 - 01:58pm PT
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Last year, facing a large snowstorm, Caldwell and Jorgeson posed a question on a message board on a climbing Web site, to see if their hanging camp would be bombarded by falling ice after the storm cleared, making it too dangerous to stay. Out of hundreds of responses, a few people with experience on the wall after a storm explained that their camp was unprotected from above and would be showered with dangerous chunks of ice.
They retreated the next day.
The climbing site in question is ST of course, there was even a little bit of the above situation shown in the Reel Rock Tour 2011. The comments from avatars Rincon and Dr. Sprock were shown in the film. Old news to many of you I'm sure, kinda cool nonetheless.
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MH2
climber
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Dec 13, 2011 - 02:15pm PT
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YoungGun says
Maybe purity is solely the mental possession of the deluded.
Funny and likely true. But if one's reach does not exceed one's grasp, then what is crazy for?
"Fail I alone, in words and deeds?
Why, all men strive and who succeeds?"
 more Robert Browning
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