Zoroaster Temple AZ FA Ganci & Tidrick Summit 1959

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Messages 1 - 33 of total 33 in this topic
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Original Post - Apr 1, 2012 - 10:33pm PT
An interesting early account of Dave Ganci and Rick Tidrick's first ascent of Zoroaster Temple in the Grand Canyon. Real desert adventure from the January 1959 issue of Summit!


SGropp

Mountain climber
Eastsound, Wa
Apr 1, 2012 - 11:20pm PT
Earl Wiggins and I did a route in the Garden of the gods called Tidricks. Was this put up by the same guy ?
RoryKuykendall

Mountain climber
California
Apr 2, 2012 - 12:04am PT
Very cool.
rick d

climber
ol pueblo, az
Apr 2, 2012 - 12:55am PT
Tidrick was living in the Springs in 1996 when i spoke to him.
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 2, 2012 - 10:23am PT
Somebody tell the man that he's famous again and maybe he'll join in!

I would love to hear more from these guys as I bet this wasn't their only Grand Canyon adventure!
steelmnkey

climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
Apr 2, 2012 - 11:26am PT
Saw Ganci in 2008 when the Kachinas had a reunion to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first ascent of Pinnacle Peak.

That Zoro's nice!

Zander

climber
Apr 2, 2012 - 07:13pm PT
Zoroaster Bump!!
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 3, 2012 - 11:02am PT
Nice addition Greg!

Now we have a great Grand Canyon history thread in the making...
crunch

Social climber
CO
Apr 3, 2012 - 01:07pm PT
Thanks for posting this. Excellent story of a grand adventure.
ontheedgeandscaredtodeath

Trad climber
San Francisco, Ca
Apr 3, 2012 - 04:00pm PT
Cool stuff. Getting around in the GC is burly. Carrying all that gear in 100 degree temps must have been brutal!
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 21, 2012 - 10:09pm PT
Bumps with long approaches...
Zander

climber
Apr 22, 2012 - 07:53pm PT
I'll bump this with my trip report just to show that modern mere mortals can have a good time on this rascal.

http://www.supertopo.com/tr/Zoroaster-Temple-Trip-Report-10-2-07/t408n.html

This is a great climb with an awesome summit. More stories?

Z
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 16, 2013 - 04:35pm PT
Bump for islands in the sky...
drljefe

climber
El Presidio San Augustin del Tucson
Mar 16, 2013 - 08:18pm PT
Thanks for the bump Steve.
I was just telling someone how much I want to climb one of the temples.
Bucket list sh#t.
franky

Trad climber
Bishop, CA
Mar 16, 2013 - 10:59pm PT
Zoroaster is AWESOME!

In my opinion, one of the middle pitches is the new crux after some rock fall. You either climb a very, very sandy vertical hand crack or do some weird face moves to the right of it. The top pitch is actually really good crack climbing and very secure!

We walked down to phantom ranch from the south rim starting after sun down one evening. The next day we hoped to hike up to the saddle between zoroaster and brahma temple to camp, but stopped early. The following day we did the last technical section of the approach and then climbed zoroaster. after the climb we bivied at the saddle and then the next morning i woke up and did brahma temple before the walk back down to phantom ranch. The approach is super gnarly with tricky route finding and some fairly serious scrambling.

Brahma is a totally worthy 4th class scramble if anyone is curious about that, it also has magnificent views!

Another party of two with us did a traverse, they tagged zoroaster, then brahma, then deva, then down to phantom ranch in a day from the saddle. It sounded like an adventure.

I'm not sure about the best way to do it, it is really fun to camp up there, but packs get heavy quick with all the water one needs. All of our packs were about 70lbs when we left phantom ranch, mostly due to water. it might be better just to do the climb in one long day, phantom to phantom, or you could try car to car, which has been done but sounded epic.
bob

climber
Mar 16, 2013 - 11:36pm PT
The Temples. Those things are a must at least once. To be in the middle of the Grand Canyon like that. Crazy!

I agree franky that middle pitch is now the crux on Zoro's N. Face route. I've climbed it both ways and also before the old pitch fell off. I think I've been up there 5 times now. Brahma maybe 3 or 4.

I tried to do Zoro in a day car to car in 95 and made it out worked in 26 hours. I went back 8 or so years ago and did Zoro and Brahma with some hilarious buddies in 22 hrs car to car. We even napped a bit. I had it dialed and we had the fitness. (barely) Good combo

Those are the only two I have done. Seems a shame since I lived in AZ for years. Many years to come....

Cool read! Thanks

Go Grand Canyon!

Bob J
Camster (Rhymes with Hamster)

Social climber
CO
Mar 21, 2013 - 12:36am PT
Earl Wiggins and I did a route in the Garden of the gods called Tidricks. Was this put up by the same guy ?

Yes, same guy.

BTW: Anthill Direct [in Eldo] has been for years accorded the wrong date according to Rick. Here are my footnotes regarding that for a book I'll likely never finish because of lawyers who unfortunately don't understand publishing and reporting.

"Source: Rick Tidrick interview, May 29, 2010. Tidrick also noted that in 1959 he and Layton climbed Anthill Direct, another climb that has been recorded with various dates (because by 1960 he had left Colorado and was studying law in Arizona—“Definitely not ’61”).
BooDawg

Social climber
Butterfly Town
Mar 21, 2013 - 02:05am PT
Cam: Are you saying that you'll probably never finish the Kor book? Or is that some other project than Layton's?
Don Lauria

Trad climber
Bishop, CA
Mar 22, 2013 - 05:31pm PT
Sometime back in the mid-60s, I think, Dave Ganci sat in the middle of my livingroom floor with sketches and photos, trying to coax me into accompanying him on another Zoraster Temple ascent. I didn't know Dave at all. I had only met him once before. Right now I have no idea why he chose me as a potential climbing partner. Memories fade.

In retrospect and in light of what I've just tead, I'm glad I didn't take him up on his offer.
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
Mar 22, 2013 - 07:02pm PT
Fun....you know how to dig deep Steve. Why, there are people on this forum who weren't even out of grade school when when Zoraster got climbed.
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 23, 2013 - 01:28pm PT
I try to provide something to engage everyone, packrats to prancers! LOL
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 21, 2013 - 12:51am PT
A fabulous TR from Zander here...

http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=465035&tn=60#msg2120399
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 21, 2013 - 11:18am PT
More like the original man in black with the whip and the flower...LOL
pk_davidson

Trad climber
Albuquerque, NM
May 9, 2013 - 08:10pm PT
Bump for Bain's lead of the Twlight Traverse.
A somewhat serious pitch in the freaking middle of nowhere.

SFace route doesn't see too many ascents.
There are now two other very noteworthy routes on Zoro.
Check out MP if interested.
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 25, 2014 - 01:29pm PT
Thanks to David Lovejoy, George and Dave are working together to recall and organize their adventures so that I can come and record the discussion as part of my historical work through NACHA and the Elevated Lives Project.

I just sent Dave the link to this thread a few minutes ago so if you have some questions for these estimable gentlemen or a story that you would love to hear retold, this would be the time and place to toss that log on the fire.
OTC

Social climber
Apr 3, 2014 - 11:18pm PT
I've done the regular NE route a couple of times. Any one out there on the South Face recently? Just curious.
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 15, 2015 - 02:18pm PT
I had the pleasure of meeting Dave Ganci and Jerry Robertson at the third Granitica Festival a little over a month ago. Rick Tidrick couldn't make it but I am pretty sure that he will come to the fourth Granitica Festival where we will be taking an in depth look (scuz the pun) at the history of climbing in the Grand Canyon tentatively scheduled for March of 2016 in Flagstaff.
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Dec 12, 2015 - 12:53pm PT
Grand Canyon Adventure Bump.

Come and hear about this outing and many more at the fourth Granitica Festival March 5-6, 2016 in Flagstaff, AZ. Don't miss it!

http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/2714343/THE-TEMPLED-HORIZON-GRAND-CANYON-CLIMBING-March-5-6-2016
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Jan 23, 2016 - 12:43pm PT
Lots of discussion about Zoroaster coming up at the Festival. Rick Tidrick will be talking about his first three ascents of the original route (including a winter ascent) along with Dave Ganci who will then join George Bain to talk about doing the south face. For dessert we will sample a 5.11+ offwidth that goes up near the descent route with Eric Meudt, Bill Hatcher and with a little luck Carl Tobin contributing.
johntp

Trad climber
socal
Jan 23, 2016 - 04:44pm PT
BBST. Some of the articles about Grand Canyon still stand out, mostly by Ganci.

edit: Bill Hatcher? Need more info on that.
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Jan 23, 2016 - 08:43pm PT
Bill was in on the first attempt to free the off width route and photographed the effort. I hope that he will come and talk about that adventure and his impression of climbing in the Grand Canyon.

Mr. Hatcher took some exquisite portraits at the Baboquivari Granitica Festival and I would love to have him shoot what will undoubtedly be a splendid assortment of Canyon rats at this one.
johntp

Trad climber
socal
Jan 24, 2016 - 07:13pm PT
Thanks Steve. I climbed a bit with a Bill Hatcher in Oklahoma. He was a portly guy but good. He drove like a mofo. Wonder if it is the same guy.
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Jan 25, 2016 - 08:39am PT
The Bill that I know has never been portly so I think you climbed with somebody else.
Messages 1 - 33 of total 33 in this topic
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