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WBraun
climber
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Apr 14, 2013 - 10:21pm PT
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Free soloing "Tips" and down climbing from the anchors is way the fuk out there.
Moratorium only has a couple of dicey moves.
Croft is just being humble pie ......
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 14, 2013 - 11:31pm PT
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Tips 5.12a FA 1975 John Bachar, Ron Kauk
Robin 5.12b FA 1981 Bill Price, Tony Yaniro
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WBraun
climber
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Apr 15, 2013 - 12:41am PT
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Bachar was always scared of loose sh!t on climbs.
Something moves and and he'd wig out.
That's why he was so fried on the Moratorium.
That little flake moved when you stand on it at the crux.
I believe it's long gone now.
Me and Bachar once both free soled the Northeast Buttress of Higher together.
We get up to that loose block up there just before the upper traverse pitch and he tells me it made him nervous and he won't solo the climb anymore because of that block.
WTF man ... that block ain't going anywhere, it just moves if you yard on it wrong.
But that was it .....
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Elcapinyoazz
Social climber
Joshua Tree
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Apr 15, 2013 - 11:41am PT
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The bouldery traverse start into the crack is a tad sharp and crimpy, but it's all there. The fixed aider itself may get in your way though. The 12a is only about 2 moves. I went up the aider to put myself on TR and rehearsed that sequence a couple times, then pulled the rope and tossed the aider and fired it. I'd argue that this is maybe the most aesthetic cragging splitter in the valley, soaring up a perfectly clean face.
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marty(r)
climber
beneath the valley of ultravegans
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Apr 15, 2013 - 12:04pm PT
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For those of you who get around, how does Tips compare with, say, Boney Fingers or Tree Line at Whitney Portal? It felt a lot more textured and less pinned out than The Pirate at Suicide and a lot less painful than Equinox at JT. I'm not talking grades, just aesthetics and quality of movement.
Speaking of bold solos, Peter, didn't you solo or back off soloing Equinox*?
*see 3:50 for the real tofu.
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Salamanizer
Trad climber
The land of Fruits & Nuts!
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Dec 23, 2013 - 01:36am PT
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So I finally got on this thing today thinking Valley 5.12a, shouldn't be too big a deal.
Holy Shit!!! .12a this thing ain't. Only in the most delusional of minds. I about dumped it into that big rock at the start. Zero pro, ratty aider in my way = not cool.
Anyway, survived that sh#t show and got into the crack. If the start of that is .11d then it's the hardest .11d I've climbed in the valley by far, and I've climbed a lot of .11d's.
As for the rest of it. No moves harder then .11c but nothing easier than .11b is how I'd describe that.
Ended up TRing the start and working the moves. It's at least a V5/6 boulder problem. Though only a couple moves that still makes it about .12c.
Did I get spanked, yes, am I bitter, no! But lets start calling this thing what it is. A .12c unprotected boulder problem into solid .12a tips.
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Bruce Morris
Social climber
Belmont, California
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Dec 23, 2013 - 02:25am PT
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Remember rapping in and setting Tips up as a TR during the fall of 1983 and doing a couple laps on the crack above the ratty old sling. Is it still the same old ratty sling today? That thing must be really pretty ratty by now!
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GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
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Dec 23, 2013 - 03:26am PT
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Would the start be reasonable with a few crash pads? heh.
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David Wilson
climber
CA
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Dec 23, 2013 - 09:53am PT
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Salamanizer - I haven't tried the bottom 12a, but I agree that's a hard ass 11d crux with solid 11 above
The sling is probably fine because it appears to be two layers of tubular webbing, one threaded inside the other with the outer fully protecting the inner. These attach to a perfect arrow in a pocket - probably all bomber
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Salamanizer
Trad climber
The land of Fruits & Nuts!
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Dec 23, 2013 - 04:38pm PT
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A crash pad would be a good idea.
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G Murphy
Trad climber
Oakland CA
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Dec 23, 2013 - 05:06pm PT
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A classic. The 11d is just a couple of moves then you're back to less than vertical. An awesome finger crack - as good as it gets.
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KP Ariza
climber
SCC
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Dec 23, 2013 - 05:42pm PT
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Thats how I remember it. Gear it from a good "stance", crank off a couple of pulls and you can get over your feet. The upper crux is easier and you can fully recover on a knob stance right of the crack before gunning to the chains.
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Johannsolo
climber
Soul Cal
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Dec 23, 2013 - 10:12pm PT
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I thought it was pretty desperate also with my fat fingers. The .12a rating is from the top of the aid sling I think (wish). Then I saw a Truckee crack master onsite it. Can't remember his name though.
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Sonic
Trad climber
Boulder, Co
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Apr 21, 2014 - 02:34pm PT
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Tips Bump!
Should have taped my fingers!
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mooser
Trad climber
seattle
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Apr 21, 2014 - 04:55pm PT
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Well, the first time I did it...wait...that wasn't me...
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skcreidc
Social climber
SD, CA
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Apr 21, 2014 - 06:35pm PT
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Insane thin crack bump. Great stories in this thread. Waaaaay out of my league, but cool to get some history on.
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KP Ariza
climber
SCC
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Apr 21, 2014 - 06:48pm PT
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Don't tape, you won't get the jams
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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Apr 21, 2014 - 09:56pm PT
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Rad.
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peter croft
climber
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Apr 22, 2014 - 01:42pm PT
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the story goes that Croft down climbed it after the crack ran out at the anchors
The way I heard it, he encountered a move he didn't like, so he reversed under his guiding philosophy of don't solo up what you can't solo down.
Thats what I heard anyhoo.
Thanks Bruce, but I did reach the anchors. Once there, though, it was actually my more important guiding philosophy of never rappelling without a rope.
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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Apr 22, 2014 - 01:59pm PT
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Rad.
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