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Weenis
Trad climber
Tel Aviv
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Hey Iztok,
For what it's worth, After onsighting Cream and Generator Crack as well as a stack of other Valley wide cracks, with tube chocks, I got totally worked an Ahab. That thing is a total sand bag that is logically about 5.10d. The left side of Moby Dick is also pretty stiff. I might venture to give it a 5.10a rating. Okay tough boys- go ahead and hack on me.
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yo
climber
I'm so over it
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Left side of Moby, that would be the official Muir start, no? That's one of my fave old pictures, Chouinard wedged up in that thing in his hiking boots with like a mile of slack out. Not a care in the world.
Chingando is 10a too, right? Miles easier than the Captain (Ahab). MILES. I guess they could both be 10a, in the same way that Serenity and Good Book are both 10d.
Which is to say, not very the same.
What the hell are boat shoes? Like old school Vans? Topsiders?! I'm getting sort of ill just asking.
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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BTW, how did Chingando EVER get a 5.10 rating, anyway?
edit, er, it appears I was thinking of Doggie-Do, a 5.8 that is rated 5.10, carry on.
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WBraun
climber
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Royal free soloed in Treetorn Tennis shoes.
Not boat shoes.
Tom nice hint on the spring steel cam modification idea, thanks.
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can't say
Social climber
Pasadena CA
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Jaybro, the same way Chingadera got it's 5.10 rating when Kamps first did it.
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Tom
Big Wall climber
San Luis Obispo CA
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I think a pair of RR's Treetorns are under glass in the Valley mountain shop.
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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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All those old-school 5.10 off-widths are only 5.10 after you climb a stack of them and get the technique wired. Till you do, they all feel like 5.12--or they did to me during my first few months in the Valley.
JL
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Definitely. But I think that carries over to Any, unfamiliar technique.
I can remember when the handjam 'clicked' for me, in that instant I was aware of a technique that my patient climbing partners had long taken for granted.
I tried to ride a unicycle a couple of times; never got balanced on it for more than a few feet, I know, it's impossible.
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Weenis
Trad climber
Tel Aviv
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"Back in the Day" it seemed as though one had to go through a wide crack/chimney phase if you were spending any time in the Valley. Offwidths seemed unimaginable until you got some kind of clue. My logic was to do as many wide cracks in the 5.9 range and then progress up the grades. One spring day I was like 40 ft. up Mongolian Clusterf*#k with no pro and scratching past a water streak and yelled to my belayer, "I might be comin' off". Knowing full well that if I kept going the consequences couldn't be worse I persisted and got a tube chock in and finished the lead.
Largo's right, it is a matter of practice and training. After sticking to my schedule and toughing it out I somehow got all the wide pitches on every climb, even the "Chimney of Horrors" on the Northwest face of Higher Cathedral Spire. (Horrendo!)
So here is my sand bag wide crack list, afterall it is SuperTaco:
-Entrance Exam, Mandatory for all, 5.8
-Doggie Do, 5.8+
-Mongolian Clusterf*#k, 5.9
-Chingando, 5.9
-Goldrush, 5.9+ with gloves
-Jam Session, 5.10a
-Mental Block, 5.10b
-Generator Crack, 5.10b
-Steppin' Out, 5.10b
-Edge of Night, 5.10b
-Twilight Zone, 5.10a or b
-Cream, 5.8+ with cams.
-Chopper, I actually whipped from an upside down position when some europeans walked out of the woods. My guess is that if you can finish it, that it is probably 5.9 or 5.10.
-Left side of Moby Dick, 5.10a
-Ahab, 5.11a
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Moby Dick, Left 5.10a??? gee, Gary and I did this last year and while it felt hard it probably wasn't worse then the 5.9 it gets in Reid's...
And Doggie Do at 5.8, ROFL! I sounded like a Doggie Do doing a brick on that one... I thought 5.10a was kind...
Weenis hats off to you dude, sandbagger par excellent.
This is really weird climber humor... anyone out there not knowing these routes should do Weenis' list in order... but I ain't responible for your death or destruction... if you get through it you will be righteous.
Unfortunately, a lot of these are on my "to do" list... but I know what I'm getting into (and everyone here is tired of hearing about my list, I'm sure).
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ChrisW
Trad climber
boulder, co
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5.10b....That's about right. ED...I don't know u. BUt look me up in CAmp 4. Let's do your tick list.
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Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
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Chingando is 10a too, right? Miles easier than the Captain (Ahab). MILES.
I second that motion.
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ChrisW
Trad climber
boulder, co
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I used a Wok to Send Chingando....
Actually, I am talking out of my ass. Never climbed Chingando. And down climbed the start of AHaB.
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Zander
Trad climber
Berkeley
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I havn't been able to do Ahab yet.
I've seen it done four ways. Right side in. Left side in. I saw some English kid lie-back it. The fourth way was- a couple of quick lie-back moves then a toe - calf jamb with the right leg. The left is on the face. Shuffle up. Plenty of time to chalk up etc.
Zander
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
Otto, NC
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Weenis... the Chimney of Horrors? Who are you? nobody does that route!
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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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Couple other sandbag offwidths are: Right Side of the Hourglass, Left Side of the Slack, Right Side of Absolutely Free, Leverage, Vendetta, Left Side of Bongs Away. Just lyback Chopper Flake.
JL
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Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
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Rhodo-Router, he did say that he was a sandbagger.
And looking at his list, I'd say so.
Either that or he has a perverse enjoyment to suffering on OW.
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Roger Breedlove
Trad climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Ha! Love your list, Weenis, and carefully considered ratings. Probably as good as anyone else's for ow. Any list is a sandbag for the next person up.
Ahab felt like a solo job with a trailing rope for the second. Scary lead on nuts, as I remember it, repeating to myself, "don't start a'gripping cause your gonna crater if you do."
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yo
climber
I'm so over it
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Hi, Roger! Ahab on nuts...sick.
Check this dude styling Ahab. He is slaying it with those foot stacks!
(http://annwm.lbl.gov/~leggett/pictures/yosemite_04-16-05/main.shtml)
You can cheat like crazy on Chingando, which is why it ain't the best OW trainer around. Absolutely the only fattie around I thought felt soft.
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Weenis
Trad climber
Tel Aviv
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Rhodo-router, Yeah, kinda hard to believe, but I did the Northwest face of Higher Cathedral spire in a one day push back in 1982. The route is proud if only a little dirty. The old red Roper's guide said that it was "One of the most difficult routes in the Valley". The "chimney of Horrors" was a very maturing experience with some steep A2 or A3 at the end. We fixed to there and finished the route with a midnight start. I mentioned this to Tom Frost a few years ago and I got a kind of blank stare. The location is beautiful, The cracks are long and continuous and there are only a few bolts on the whole route. I heard that someone was trying to freeclimb it and saw fixed lines and crap up there some years ago, hope they cleaned it up.
Getting back to the wide crack thing. If you're gonna climb anything of consequence in the Valley you really need to train on chimney and offwidth because you'll find them on just about every wall route. Like Largo said, they all seem like 5.12 until you get the hang of it.
And yes, I've sand bagged most of those ratings; Cream and Generator crack are 5.10+ but I still think that Ahab is 5.11.
Go and do the obscure climbs and get their tidings, we've all done the Nose at least once. Oh yeah Rhodo-router, I've also done the Heart Route- start to finish.
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