Discussion Topic |
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pyro
Trad climber
Ventura
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May 26, 2006 - 02:16am PT
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Nice! me likes em'black!
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - May 26, 2006 - 02:22am PT
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Striated Rock in Slide Draw
Hooker Buttress,
Home to Quite a Few Grand Adventures,
Including Some Earl Wiggins Routes: Gutsy and Elegant,
Using a Very Long Single 9mm Rope, long Runs With RP's.
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dirtineye
Trad climber
the south
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May 26, 2006 - 02:23am PT
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Is something wrong with the color? that green looks so odd?
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - May 26, 2006 - 02:26am PT
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Alas, On Our Recent Trip,
Our Conquests Were Modest-
Grug Atop a River Boulder:
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - May 26, 2006 - 02:27am PT
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Nuclear Greens?
That's Cuz I Jacked up the Saturation.
I'm no purist and know no shame when it comes to manipulation.
What, Ya Think Maybe I Oughta Make 'Em Bushes More Chartreuse?
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bleedr
climber
robber's roost
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May 26, 2006 - 03:40pm PT
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S-A-T-U-R
D-A-Y
NITE!
RAIN AND CHOSS AND NIGHTCLIMBING AND FEAR AND PEG AND WIDGETS!!
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHYEA
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Leroy
climber
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May 27, 2006 - 07:54am PT
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So ,I don´t get it.The March of Dimes climbing team went wading in the Gunnison?Do I have to come down there and lead you guys up? Picture this Grug.14000 ft ,Glaciers all around.Below you,An Astroman quality big wall,Above you the last pitch,a5.12 OW roof.Get over here.That climbs in the alps.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - May 27, 2006 - 09:40am PT
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that's a substantial amount of wading we'll have to venture to get across the pond leroy...
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dirtineye
Trad climber
the south
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May 27, 2006 - 10:26am PT
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tar-baby, you old photo-manipulator you!
Next thing you know, you'll be giving Ouch! a run for his position as chief cartoonist, LOL.
Hey the striated rock is cool.
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
Otto, NC
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Jun 12, 2006 - 03:09pm PT
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Not much of a story here, but we got up the Porcelain Arete yesterday. Partner performed the classic 'dude, my camelbak just leaked half its contents away' routine and nearly bonked in the afternoon heat, but the trip was otherwise uneventful.
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Kevster
Trad climber
Evergreen, CO
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Jun 13, 2006 - 04:18pm PT
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Climbed Astrodog June 3rd, learned the hard way that it is not as shady as you may think on the S. Chasm View wall. Lauri and I each brought a liter of water, as the Dog is twice as long as the Scenic Cruise we should only need twice the water right? WRONG! Just the rappells had me dehydrated, and the sun made any metal hot to the touch. The saving grace was remembering after the crux that I had brought a redbull which we slammed. Then there was the top....not soo pretty. Got off route 1 pitch from the top and committed to a licheny crystaline slab. Almost fell when my foothold deteriorated under me...that woke me from my dehydrated stupor real fast. The 5.9 manky chimney felt cruiser after that!
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bob d'antonio
Trad climber
boulder, co
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Jun 13, 2006 - 04:34pm PT
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Kevin...The rappel for AD offers a chance to leave water at several places on the way down. We left a couple of liters at the two-bivy-boulder and took two down to the start. I think the sun hits the wall around 1pm in early June.
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Elcapinyoazz
Mountain climber
Anchorage, Alaska
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Jun 13, 2006 - 05:15pm PT
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Tarbaby, you need to scale back the saturation in those pics. Even velvia bumped up +20 sat in photoshop doesn't look that garish/cartoonish. Might be easier to fix with curves in the green channel though, since it looks confined mostly to one part of the spectrum.
BTW, hows the fishing in the black? Cutties and bows I'd imagine?
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Kevster
Trad climber
Evergreen, CO
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Jun 13, 2006 - 08:34pm PT
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More like leaves the wall at 1:00pm...it's sunny all morning long. Stashing 2L at 2BB is a good idea, I realized we didn't bring enough H2O about the time I finished pulling the rope on the second rap.
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bob d'antonio
Trad climber
boulder, co
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Jun 13, 2006 - 09:47pm PT
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elcap wrote: BTW, hows the fishing in the black? Cutties and bows I'd imagine?
Big browns.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 14, 2006 - 01:14am PT
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ElCapMan:
OK, You may now remove your glare shields.
I have retreated from Crayola World, and dialed down the out of control saturation on the opening tryptich at thread top.
(As for the "striated rock in slide draw" pic, hmm, I'm beset with the fated disappearing edit button... a first for me).
Here's a quick snap of N Chasm Wall, Left Side:
(l to r):
The Diagonal piercing the upper left of the photo,
Hallucinogen to the right,
The Nose near the right sunlit margin/prow.
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
Otto, NC
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Jun 14, 2006 - 10:20am PT
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This about sums up our experience on the Porcelain: grappling with pegmatite, a bush in the face, while cowering in corners away from the white-hot glare of the sun:
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 14, 2006 - 10:59am PT
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Sheesh Rhodo,
You could have hung sandwiches in a Jaffle Iron down out of the belays into that white-hot tempest and cooked them up nice and brown!
(btw: thanks for the heads up on the weather in the higher mountains; we had a great time in the Sangres/Crestones).
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
Otto, NC
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Jun 15, 2006 - 12:55pm PT
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One stance shall be known henceforth as the Cabana Belay. My principal lead strategy was to stop only at places that offered shade. At the top of a rope-towing, partner-dragging 75m pitch, I found a bush (surprise!) in the dwindling shade of a corner, which was to be my home until Homey finished up his next pitch. In a burst of inspiration, I draped my spare shirt (old white button-down, riverguide style) over the poor bush and was thus able to survive the next hour of cowering.
Perhaps the greatest gift of the route was a stance inside a peg chimney near the top, leading to a cool dark cavern from which flowed a modicum of life-giving A/C air. Without this respite Homey might have perished, as he'd spent the past hour stuporifically wandering around sideways trying to find the easiest line-- only to belay in a baking-hot solar collector concavity on a black slab. I let him take the Hobbit Hole and eat his orange while I scuttled for the next patch of shade.
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Grug
Trad climber
Golden, Colorado
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Jun 15, 2006 - 04:34pm PT
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Note to self: Don't do Astrodog in June during a heat spell. Thanks RR.
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bob d'antonio
climber
boulder, co
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Jul 20, 2006 - 03:20pm PT
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Upper pitches of the SC.
Keep this thread alive!!!
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bob d'antonio
climber
boulder, co
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Jul 20, 2006 - 03:34pm PT
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some old guy (Jim Donni)
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bob d'antonio
climber
boulder, co
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Jul 20, 2006 - 03:39pm PT
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some younger guy (Richard Aschert)
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 20, 2006 - 04:09pm PT
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southern sun tehday bob:
5:30pm.
look for the dufus in the c-boy hat (moi).
plus other shaggy poster-poseurs.
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bob d'antonio
climber
boulder, co
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Jul 20, 2006 - 04:14pm PT
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I'll be there...off for a little flyfishing up Boulder Creek now. Living here sucks.
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BrentA
Gym climber
estes park
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Jul 20, 2006 - 05:11pm PT
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You guys SUCK! Have fun at the Sun. Come 5pm I'll be working in the ceiling of the Mandalay Bay. Have one for me, and hit Bob in his head...jokin!
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 20, 2006 - 05:25pm PT
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next time brent.
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goatboy smellz
climber
shakedown street
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Jul 20, 2006 - 05:26pm PT
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Hello rain... good excuse to go drinkin
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lcoyne
Big Wall climber
Byron Bay, Australia
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Jul 23, 2006 - 10:28pm PT
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Here are some BC shots from Sept 05. I'll try one first to see if I've got the linkiing right.
Cool, it worked, here are some more...
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Jul 24, 2006 - 09:51am PT
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Nice Leonard. What's the climb?
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 24, 2006 - 11:23am PT
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Yah,
those are good leonard,
but we might need to see some more, just to be sure...
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Kevster
Trad climber
Evergreen, CO
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Jul 25, 2006 - 06:22pm PT
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Rope Solo on Journey Home
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 25, 2006 - 06:25pm PT
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hey now that's a thrilling accomplishment i'm sure!
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Jul 25, 2006 - 06:35pm PT
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'88 Trooper?
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 25, 2006 - 06:37pm PT
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headrest and dash configuration are the qive aways Jay?
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lcoyne
Big Wall climber
Byron Bay, Australia
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Jul 25, 2006 - 08:49pm PT
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That's Black Snake near Dragon Point. V 10 Pitch 1000'.11d. That area has some of the best climbs in the Canyon, certainly the best rock (makes N Chasm View look loose by comparison).
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lcoyne
Big Wall climber
Byron Bay, Australia
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Jul 31, 2006 - 06:55pm PT
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Here are some other fotos of the Black Snake, Silent rage area.
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Jul 31, 2006 - 07:01pm PT
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awesome
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Aug 24, 2006 - 10:59am PT
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Has anybody done routes on the south rim other than the Flakes or Astrodog that they would recommend? I'm climbing there this weekend with GL. We'll probably do the Flakes (which I've already done) - but I'd reconsider upon a good recommendation.
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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May 22, 2007 - 04:19pm PT
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It’s 6:00 a.m., May 20, 2007, and I’m looking down to the bottom of the Black Canyon as George (Lowe) begins the first of 11 rappels that will place us at the beginning of our climb. The weather is a little foreboding with overcast skies. It actually rained on us a bit at 4:00 am. We were forced to move into the tent to catch our last hour of sleep.
The Flakes (Grade V 5.10+) has always held a special place in my heart as one of the finest lines I’ve ever laid eyes on. If you’ve ever gazed across the canyon from the North Chasm View wall, you couldn’t help but pick out the beautiful crack system. I’d done the route back in 1992 or 1993 with Mike Pennings. We had gotten to the start from the other side of the canyon, which had its own adventures.
Tic, tic, tic… George has a hard time finding the 2nd rappel anchors. This probably costs us a good ten minutes. Not good. I’m hoping for no more than two hours to get down. I’m thinking that we need all of the time we can to get up the 14 pitches we need to climb before dark. I’m almost certain that we will have to wait out some rain at some point. Tic, tic, tic… We make another mistake on the rappel that costs us another 15 minutes. George ultimately sniffs out the correct route and we find ourselves at the bottom of the Flakes (well technically, at the bottom of the Astro-dog start to the Flakes). All we need to do is pull down the rope from the last rappel. Argggh! The rope is stuck. We both pull on it as hard as we can and we manage to move it inches at a time. This goes on for 20 minutes before we get the rope down. Now, I’ve got two huge blisters on my fingers. Time to start the route. It’s 9:00 am… one hour later than planned.
It feels good to actually climb. The first pitch is a long 5.10 hand and fist crack – my lead. While I am belaying George up the 1st pitch, two climbers intercept our belay, coming down the Astro-slog. I make small talk with one of them…we exchange names. On hearing my name is Greg, he asks, “Greg Cameron? … You and I did the Flakes together back in the early 1990s!” Sure enough, it’s Mike Pennings… Black Canyon adventurer/speed climber. I had forgotten his name, not to mention his face (but his...fez...looked familiar). We had done the climb before he made a name for himself, and, well, I just forget stuff a lot. Suddenly, a lot of things make sense though… he was the fastest partner I ever climbed with. We had blazed up the Flakes in probably 5 or 6 hours. So he and Johnny Copp are going to attempt a new route today – near the Falcon Wall.
The climbing goes a little slower than I would like, but uneventfully for the first 4 pitches. Just beautiful, clean crack climbing up a flawless flake system. Now it’s time for the infamous 5.9X bombay chimney. I tell myself that I had easily done this before, but there’s something about knowing that you are going to have to go 120 feet with no protection that gets the adrenaline going. After about 80 feet, the chimney pinches down. I attempt to traverse to the outside of the crack and actually get stuck for just a bit at my chest. I have to down climb just a bit more and then squeeze to the outside of the crack. Whew! I just fit. The claustrophobic feelings pass. The pitch is over.
Pitch 7. My lead. The rock suddenly becomes very dirty, bushy, and relatively hard to protect. A good long section of intricate 5.10 is unlike anything else on the climb so far. It’s dirty, but so interesting. George follows and leads the next pitch which takes us to the bottom of the crux pitch, the infamous rotten chimney. The first three quarters of this pitch is on as rotten rock conditions as I’ve ever seen in the Black. Somehow, the gear seems pretty good, however, and only the occasional 5.9 and 5.10 move is actually required in the rotten section. A much cleaner hand and fist crack appears near the top of the pitch, and this involves stout 5.10+ moves to negotiate.
George follows the pitch and upon looking up at his next lead, laments that it looks like more of the same. But it turns out that the next pitch is more straight-forward than it appears and we are now just easy pitches from the top. Two pitches from the top we run into Mike and John 3rd classing the easy upper pitches from their new climb. We exchange pleasantries and they go on ahead. One last 5.9 chimney and we top out. It’s 8:00 pm. Too late to fly back to Denver in George’s plane, but we’re feeling awfully good. We spend the night at a motel in Montrose and fly back to Denver the next morning. Another Black Canyon story for my quiver.
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goatboy smellz
climber
colorado
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May 22, 2007 - 04:37pm PT
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Right on Grug!
That's gotta feel great flying high above the weekend traffic.
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bob d'antonio
Trad climber
Taos, NM
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May 22, 2007 - 05:53pm PT
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Richard Aschert...Cancer survivor and one of my best friends on Astro Dog.
Bad-ass Howie Doyle on the upper section of the Scenic Cruise.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - May 22, 2007 - 06:51pm PT
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Nice little TR there Greg.
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
Otto, NC
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May 22, 2007 - 08:04pm PT
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Alright Greg! Glad to here somebody's getting after it...weather's been pretty goldurn dicey of late.
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Zander
Trad climber
Berkeley
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May 22, 2007 - 08:23pm PT
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Thanks Greg,
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Roman
Trad climber
DC
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May 22, 2007 - 08:25pm PT
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So amazing... Some of you are truly inspiring.
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bob d'antonio
Trad climber
Taos, NM
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May 22, 2007 - 09:36pm PT
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Great route and great TR...Greg.
I be there on 6/15 to celebrate my 54 birthday.
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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May 22, 2007 - 10:20pm PT
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Hey, thanks guys. Pictures to follow. Got some good ones, I think.
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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May 23, 2007 - 01:46pm PT
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Some pictures from the Flakes trip.
The Black Wall near Mt Evans from the air in George's plane.
At the Montrose airport.
Rappeling into the Black Canyon. The first rappel of the Astro-slog.
Me leading the third pitch.
George leading the pitch after the bombay chimney.
George leading the 8th pitch.
Our view of the North Chasm View Wall.
The top of the South Chasm View Wall.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - May 23, 2007 - 01:58pm PT
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Nice taste of the Black Canyon.
Fun perspective of the Mt Evans/Black Wall area too.
I need to picture myself leading that full pitch no pro chimney on The Flakes and then get up in that thing...
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dirtineye
Trad climber
the south
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May 23, 2007 - 03:06pm PT
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BUmp for climbing thread
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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May 23, 2007 - 03:23pm PT
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Go do it, Tarbuster. This climb is as good as the Scenic Cruise, only a bit more burly.
By the way, George is doing this stuff at the ripe old age of 62. Although any Grade V in the Black Canyon is a pretty good goal all by itself, we are treating this climb as one on the "Road to the Stoned Oven".
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goatboy smellz
climber
colorado
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May 23, 2007 - 05:56pm PT
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Thanks for sharing Greg.
So have you asked George if he can make the Vedauwoo gig in August?
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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May 23, 2007 - 06:11pm PT
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Thanks Goatboy. Turns out, George is going to be somewhere else on that weekend.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - May 23, 2007 - 06:25pm PT
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"Go do it Tarbuster?"
Dude, Greg, this is the internet, where big routes fit onto a 17" monitor and talk is cheap as Coors Light.
Thanks for the comparison to Scenic Cruise; Flakes is a great looking line but will have to wait.
Journey Home; maybe, like if all the stars and scars line up real nice, that's my big goal for The Black this year.
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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May 23, 2007 - 07:48pm PT
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Tarbuster, after witnessing what I, uh, witnessed at the Woodson shindig regarding what you can and can't do as a climber...I'm inclined to believe those stars (and scars) are gonna line up for you.
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
Otto, NC
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Old's Cool hardfeller Jeff on the Scenic Cruise yesterday:
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Jello
Social climber
No Ut
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George Lowe is an overrated ancient hack...
-Jello
-errrrr......hi, George....:-)
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
Otto, NC
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No epic stories, just a cool day in June (!) this week:
Touching down after the Scenic traverse.
After the business, it's time to relax
Escaping the second-day route. It went from spring to summer overnight, and we switched plans from the Russian midway down the sweaty SOB.
Oh yeah: one minor event. Arrived at the base of the SC to discover that my climbing shoes hadn't made it out of camp. Nothing that a round-trip up the gully wouldn't cure. My aerobic scene is kinda lacking, anyhow.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Jun 10, 2007 - 02:52pm PT
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A few historic shots from Climb by Godfrey and Chelton 1977.
Bill Forest and Kris Walker with gear after their first ascent of the Painted Wall in 1972.
A telephoto of Bill Forest leading the crux 24th pitch.
Kris Walker cleaning the crux pitch.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Jun 22, 2007 - 11:39am PT
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A few more classic shots from Vertigo Games by Glenn Randall 1983. Lou Dawson and Rich Jack on the second ascent of the Hallucinogen Wall. Chris Lea photo.
Bryan "The Hobbit" Becker on Fantasy island, same route. Ed Webster photo.
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deuce4
Big Wall climber
the Southwest
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Jun 22, 2007 - 09:08pm PT
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First Winter Ascent of Hallucinogin Wall, with Mugs Stump, 1992:
Getting stuck on the way in, before we got the snowmobiles (Tim Kudo in the photo):
The wall:
Feeling committed after the descent:
Yes! Getting started...
Mugs coming up
Particularly Nice Weather...
Thumbs up
Yep, thumbs up, my friend, looks like we're getting out of this ditch after all...
Last Pitch:
We miss you Mugs!
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mooser
Trad climber
seattle
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Jun 23, 2007 - 10:10am PT
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What an incredible thread. You guys inspire the heck out of me.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Jun 23, 2007 - 10:31am PT
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Great shots John,I miss that Mugs too! Nice portrait of him though all smiles. I bet you had the place to yourselves on that one.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 23, 2007 - 11:02am PT
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Good job pullin' up those slides John!
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philo
Trad climber
boulder, co.
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Jun 23, 2007 - 11:20am PT
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Here is a nice trick for those scorching hot Black Canyon blister fests. When you get to the river, have you and your partner soak an extra t-shirt each in the cold river water and stow them in a water proof stuff sack inside your day pack. Then in the blinding heat half way up the wall you can slip on the shirt for instant air conditioning. Extremely refreshing! Enough relief to carry you to the rim.
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
Otto, NC
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Jun 23, 2007 - 11:25am PT
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Also a good trick for driving through the desert sans A/C.
Great photos, Deuce. It's gotta be hard to see friends go, but I'm glad you had some shots of the good times. Mugs inspired a lot of people.
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Oct 19, 2007 - 10:19am PT
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Bump. Headed to the Black this afternoon. Any new stories out there? A Stratosfear story would be nice...or any other.
-btw, I don't know how I missed those last couple of posts. Awesome pictures!
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Oct 19, 2007 - 10:25am PT
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Yeah this stuff is quality, thanks for bumping it eeyonkee.
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Oct 19, 2007 - 10:42am PT
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It should be fun and interesting tomorrow. I'll be climbing with Mike Pennings. Since we last climbed together in 1992 or 1993, he's done absolutely amazing things at the Black and elsewhere - climbing Grade Vs in a few hours and linking up Grade Vs. I'm not used to being the slow one on the team.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 19, 2007 - 10:48am PT
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Should be a good trip Greg!
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L
climber
A chartreuse glider in an azure blue sky...
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Oct 19, 2007 - 02:05pm PT
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Those slate spires are magnificent Tar! Did you climb them babies?
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 19, 2007 - 02:11pm PT
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No way,
Those are "For Your Eyes Only"!
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J. Werlin
climber
Cedaredge
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Oct 21, 2007 - 07:57pm PT
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Get any climbing done Grug or did the weather shut you guys down?
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Handjam Belay
Gym climber
expat from the truth
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Oct 21, 2007 - 08:34pm PT
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Note portaledge on hip. December 1999.
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Oct 22, 2007 - 10:11am PT
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JWerlin, the weather was fine, at least on Saturday. Woke up to two inches of snow on Sunday.
Well my day out with Mike turned out to be an interesting one, albeit in a different way than I had figured. As we were getting ready for the climb, a relatively new one called Sistine Reality (5.11+, 11 pitches on the Gothic Pillar), I was joking that I was gonna "be like Mike"...no pack, shoes and water bottle hanging from harness, jacket wrapped around waist. We took a lighter rack than I typically take and one rope. The whole "just a rack and shirt on your back" thing.
So, after hiking a bit towards the Painted Wall, we scramble down some gully worse than most in the Black. I lead a 5.8 pitch and then Mike leads a 5.10 R pitch. The 5.10 R pitch is tricky, and it takes him a while to find the right place to traverse left.
My lead, the first of four 5.11 pitches. The 5.11 is supposedly down low, although it does not feel all that hard as I climb through the lower part, and I'm suspicious that the hard climbing is still above. The pitch is mentally taxing, lots of loose rock and not a lot of good placements, but it does not feel all that hard. Towards the end of the pitch, I attempt to lieback off the only holds that aren't loose and place my left foot on a descent smear. Suddenly, my foot slips and I'm off. I pull my top two pieces and end up taking a fall of 45-50 feet - mostly head first.
Mike calls up to me, I tell him I'm alright. I shake it off and give 'er another go. This time, I bolster the protection at the top as best as I could and quickly surmount the little 5.10 section that I had fallen on. Now it appears to be only 5.9 up a lower angle section to the belay - 5.9, but with no protection. Now, my memory is a little fuzzy here, but I think I started to pull on a hold that gave way. For a second, I thought I could catch myself, but then suddenly I'm off again - Yikes! Somehow,I'm heading down headfirst again. Well, this one turned out to be truly a whopper...more than twice as far as I have fallen in my entire 37 years of climbing. At the end of the fall, I was only about 25 feet above Mike. I had taken a 75-footer. Surprisingly, my only obvious injuries were to my forearms, where I sustained some bad rope burns, and shoulders, which were merely sore. My left forearm was purple and bulging with the swelling.
Mike suggests that maybe we should bail. In retrospect, that was the obvious and only thing we could have done, as I was pretty weak and getting worse. Mike goes up to my high point and sets up a rappel. After getting down to me, he has me rap down to (near) the ground on a single strand, and then he sets up a couple of raps to get himself down. Back up the god-awful gully.
Sheesh! I had been SO looking forward to climbing again with Mike. I'm still coming to grips with this. I rarely fall in the Black, and to take two whippers back-to-back is kind of sobering (and frankly, a little embarrassing). Mike's just a great guy, and he was understanding and helpful through the whole ordeal. I hope to have another adventure in the Black
with him - ideally one that ends with a successful ascent. On the other hand, this is the kind of thing that makes the Black Canyon so special.
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scuffy b
climber
The deck above the 5
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Oct 22, 2007 - 12:44pm PT
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Glad to hear you're comparatively OK, Grug.
Heal well.
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TKingsbury
Trad climber
MT
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Oct 22, 2007 - 12:51pm PT
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Damn Greg! Thats hairy
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P.Kingsbury
Trad climber
Bozeman
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Oct 22, 2007 - 12:56pm PT
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yikes!!!
sounds like a burly day, glad your alright considering the size of those wingers.
Patrick
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Oct 22, 2007 - 01:11pm PT
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Thanks, scuffy_b. Yeah, it was hairy, Tom. As I sit here thinking about it, I could have done a better job with my night-before preparations than drink several beers. My second fall, especially - I feel like I overreacted balance-wise when that hold gave way. I won't be so arrogant the next time I climb in the Black.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Oct 22, 2007 - 02:42pm PT
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Wild ride Greg!!! Glad that you are recovering well and chose to post up your misadventure. 75' tops my personal best (worst??). Yikes!
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Ura
Big Wall climber
Okinawa
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Oct 22, 2007 - 04:38pm PT
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I read Pat Ament's book Stories of a Young Climber, with an account of some fearful Black Canyon route where he is strung out 150feet above belayer in a horizontal position between two walls, must reach up into a hole, let legs drop free into space, pull up into hole and so forth. That is on Chasm View, right?
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lcoyne
Big Wall climber
Byron Bay, Australia
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Oct 22, 2007 - 06:48pm PT
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Greg,
What a story! That's pretty game going back for second helpings after taking a big whipper, I'd be headed straight to the nearest sport crag.
If you reread your post carefully you may find a somewhat subliminal message which completely explains the first fall. I quote: "I attempt to lieback off the only holds that aren't loose and place my left foot on a DESCENT smear."
You've climbed long enough in the Black to know better than to use one of the dreaded descent smears!
On another note I'll be stateside in April so hopefully we can catch up and climb this time around.
BTW, which gully did you use to access the Gothic? I would have assumed the preferred approach would be via SOB.
Best, Leonard
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lcoyne
Big Wall climber
Byron Bay, Australia
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Oct 22, 2007 - 06:50pm PT
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Ura,
Yes, that is Ament's Chimney on N Chasm View, possibly the most daunting chimney on the planet (certainly looks that way).
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 22, 2007 - 07:15pm PT
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Jeepers Greg,
Glad your flight time was relatively inconsequential.
(And that arm today?)
How's it go?
"There are old climbers & there are bold climbers..."
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Oct 22, 2007 - 07:22pm PT
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hey there... great pics, and great post tarbuster, and everyone... thanks for the share... or, i'd never know about black canyon..... where is this place...??
think i will go look it up, too...
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Oct 22, 2007 - 07:28pm PT
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HaHaHaHa. Pretty funny Leonard. That explains things as well as anything else. The ol' descent smear looking like a decent smear...2nd time I fell for that this month!
Thanks Tar. My arm seems alright, but Iv'e got a twinge in my lower back that's worrying me. May have a check up just tomake sure that everything's, you know, unbroken.
Edit- Took a gully from the top - don't know the name of it.
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Rick A
climber
Boulder, Colorado
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Oct 22, 2007 - 07:58pm PT
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Yikes, Greg,
That's serious air.
Glad to hear you're ok.
Rick
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
Otto, NC
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Oct 31, 2007 - 07:06pm PT
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Wow Greg, that's quite sobering. Sometimes it takes a couple dingers for reality to penetrate the wise old noggin...I'm glad there's no bits of Sistine Reality inside yours.
A friend of mine was on the Hallucinogen Wall that weekend... they got pounded by that storm. One guy's brand-new, borrowed (!) Metolius ledge -still had the tags on it-- was flung against the wall and broke, leaving him flying sideways off his daisies. Once they reeled him in the three of them spent the next 18 hours huddled in a doublewide until the weather cleared up enough to permit retreat.
My friend Scott and I thought this a good a sign as any to climb the route ourselves-- a pretty uneventful trip that left me with two impressions:
first, early ascents of this thing must have been very difficult--where we pulled on long strings of fixed heads, someone must have had to get up high and put them all in. The experience had to have been way, way different. Not to mention the hooking pitch... I'd love to hear about how this thing was BITD from you, um, more experienced fellers.
secondly, free-climbing that thing is inspiring and rad! There was chalk in some amazing places. Nice job there, Jared and Ryan, and thanks for replacing all those bolts.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Oct 31, 2007 - 09:08pm PT
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Well, this one is more tinkertoys than freeclimbing but an adventure none the less. From Summit Nov-Dec 1980. Take it away Wild Bills!
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 31, 2007 - 09:14pm PT
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Right on Steve,
And thanks for putting out all this great historically relevant print material for us! This effort really notches up the quality of the experience are on the forum.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Oct 31, 2007 - 10:17pm PT
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My pleasure Roy. And just when you thought the thread was safe, Aye Carumba-----Banditos!! From Glenn Randall's superb Vertigo Games, 1983. The gift that keeps on giving......
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Dang-Grunkee! glad it turned out more or less okay!
Hang on to your organs and other body parts, we have still have yet to rope up together!
Boogaloo, '08 is just around the corner!
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Oli
Trad climber
Fruita, Colorado
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Leonard Coyne is one of my heroes. I have heard of him through all the years and never got to climb with him, though.
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Where we OUGHT to rope together is in the Black, Jaybro. OWs 1,000 feet up. On the other hand, I'm thinking of working on my ping-pong game instead of climbing. I suck, but in a way that's not likely to get me killed.
btw, turns out, nothing broken...just sore.
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reddirt
climber
subarwu
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my intro to the black this summer... ya gotta start somewhere, right?
stopped by to check it out for the first time while driving from Moab to Boulder...
as a relatively newbish eastcoaster, I was just thankful to even have laid eyes on it... To this day, most of the people I climb with locally still have never heard of it.
I don't think anyone one can comprehend how great it is unless they've been there in person. For some reason, I got a little fixated on the place from the moment I first heard about it. I felt lucky just to be there, even if I didn't have a partner.
After getting to Boulder, I was lucky enough to get hooked up w/ a partner... a pretty solid one at that ; P
until next year?....
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philo
Trad climber
boulder, co.
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I have ascended a fair number of routes in the Black almost all of them in the pre-cam days. In all that time the Canyon scared me enough that falling never seemed like an option. I have in fact only had two falls off those walls both from ripped hooks.
The second one was a terrifying but harmless wiff off the Hallucinogen. But the first was a doozie of a plummet off of the Hooker. I was climbing into the unprotected pegmatite crux with my friend and partner Dave Henritze belaying. I was feeling controlled and confident even though my last piece of a pro, a good wired stopper, was with every move up quickly fading from sight. There was still a long way to go before good pro would be available which I must say really sharpend my awareness. Soon I came to the climb's namesake the dubious free-pro hook placement. I didn't have any tape to secure the little bugger but I placed and clipped it any way. As soon as I started to move on the nasty thing started to wiggle and pivot. I thought that can't be good. The oh so brilliant idea came to me that I should "set" it in place. so I slowly eased my weight on it relieved to see it actually holding. Then I bounced on it a little while still holding on the rock. It stayed put. So I put a good solid drop on it to try and somewhat fix it. The little metal devil immediately ripped hitting me smack in the teeth. I proceeded at an alarming rate straight down the wall head first. Did I mention that in those days to save weight only the belayer wore a helmet. Well this was obviously not a good situation. I started thinking of all the things I hadn't screwed up at yet and it seemed I had a looong time to think.
I am not at all sure how long of a fall I took But it was far and away the most air time I have ever logged. I ended up hanging in space still head down alternately staring wide eyed at the river directly below and My belayer directly to my left. Dave had never seen me fall before and didn't expect it I am sure. So I don't know which of us looked more like a deer in the headlights but his eyes were fairly bulging out of his head. Mine were only kept in place by the glasses strapped to my face. Well as it all worked out I was absolutely un harmed and un scathed. But very very dazed! My family jewels had been sucked up so hard that I thought I felt them squeezing my Adam's apple out of the way. Needless to say we retreated.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 1, 2007 - 02:27pm PT
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Hey philo,
What's your name?
We both live in Boulder (Ned for me really) and were apparently both in CA in the mid-late 70's.
(ie Your 2nd ascent of Figures with Maria)
Just curious.
Roy
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Reddirt- they don't get any better than Sargent Rock!
Philo- great story from the days when we were all nuts! Always memorable when you fall past a belay stance! Yahoo!
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philo
Trad climber
boulder, co.
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Tar I am the ghost of chossmass past. I have also wondered about you for a long time. It seems we haunted many of the same places at about the same times. Certainly we have many mutual aquaintances. The Name is Phil Broscovak long time Gunnistoner.
Back when I actually was a climber I didn't talk much about it. Sort of the Gunnison way. Now that my juvenile juice has turned to geriatric jelly I am more inclined to wallow in perceived past glory. We should gather for a brew and a BS session sometime.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 1, 2007 - 03:22pm PT
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Excellent Phil let's do.
Keep an eye out for the occasional Boulder Super Taco gatherings we post up as well.
We just did one at Southern Sun prior to Johnny Copp's slide show.
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
Otto, NC
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Yikes, Philbert! I think I have always been too scared to fall down there, even with the relative benefit of those springy things afforded by my relative nOObness. Falling off the Hooker sounds like a bad idea there-- bet it would make for a good cartoon there in the next edition of that book. Thanks for relating that story.
Reddirt, I think I share that E-coaster's fascination for the deepest, darkest thing around. I want to say it's sort of like the Whitesides of the west--another place I have only tiptoed around the edges of the real deal.
Consequently, the to-do list is long down there. There's nothing quite like waking up in the predawn campground and slinking out, unsure of how the day is going to go, and gunning all day for who knows what. You don't really get to do that much where I come from, but it's extremely satisfying.
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Tahoe climber
Trad climber
a dark-green forester out west
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Wow - what a kick-ass thread! All the great stories make my hands sweaty - I'm reaching for a chalk bag and tape as we speak!
Visited the Black in late September.
Climbed Comic Relief with a buddy.
It was a great intro to the Black, that's for sure!
Whopping exposure!
Particularly on P2: plenty of pucker for this poser!
Beautiful movement!
Dodging plate sized throwing stars (aka: loose rocks)!
I had such a good time - first time I've felt "at home" in a long time. The Black will get more visits from this poser, for sure. More, please?
-Aaron
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bob d'antonio
Trad climber
Taos, NM
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If you climb long enough in the "Black" you will have a story to tell...here mine.
I took my friend Kelly on the Goss-Logan for our first route as partners in the Black. She led half of a pitch and then I lead the rest of the route. Things when well. She drinks most of the water by pitch eight but we make it to the rim (and beer) by 6:30 pm...life is good.
Next route was her pick and she wants to do the Movable Stoned Voyage. She picked the start...I said she was wrong ...she told me I was alway taking control so I back off a little. Up the start of Air Voyage we go. At the top of the first tower....700 feet up I know we are off route. I head left and up towards the Stoned Oven...crank a hard pitch into a crack system and belay...there hope. I continue up then see chalk...more hope. Crank up the crack to an overhang and no more chalk..crank the overhang and I feel like I'm in the middle of no-mans-land. It getting late...5pm...one rope and small Black rack. I tell Kelly I'm coming down and will try to climb over to Air Voyage.
Down climb a little and then clean the gear and traverse right (more chalk) toward familiar ground. I hit the lower off-width...climb up 20 feet...go to place my only number four friend and watch it fall out of my hand and down towards the river.
Things were a little serious before...now they are really serious. I want out... my ass has been handed to me...no water, no gear and now what? I down climb/slither the 20 feet to the traverse and gear and somehow down climb and remove gear and reach Kelly... I let her down to the big ledge and then lower from a fixed piece to the big ledge and old quarter inch bolts. I'm ready to stop and bivy...and do the walk of shame the next day. Kelly wants water and wants to keep rapping. I give in again. We rap off the old bolts and leave a sling, reach an old bong and rap...from there leaving one of Kelly camalots...Payback. By luck she make it to a small ledge...plugs in two cams and I come down. I pull the rope...it getting dark...the rope get stuck. I'm ready to freak out... again. I grab the other end and lead up and get the other end unstuck, continue up and then lower from the previous rap. It's now dark...and we continue our journey down. Kelly goes first and yells back up that she at the end of the rope and no belay...I tell her to start swinging left to right....she yell back no...I tell her to just f*#king do it...she does and on the right is a fixed Jim Beyer rope. She grabs the rope and clips in. I remembered the rope from early in the day and it saves us. We lower 50 feet to a good ledge and regroup. Kelly starts saying lets go down and she not going to make it without water...I say no...she wants water...I say there is no f*#king water and I not leaving this ledge. She starts to cry and I give in. Wrong again...we make it one more rap to the upper part of the upper ramp and a fixed piece and a small (8 inch) ledge. I say this is it for me and hand Kelly the rope. She look at me and then say ok. We made a bivy and start to talk. The night is beautiful, millions of stars and the sound of the river pounding in our ears. I'm happy to be here in this special canyon at this time. No jacket, no water and no light...it's start to get cold...I wake up a hundred times...the beauty of the place overwhelm me...no water for 12 hours, shaking from the cold and I start to hear music...Native Americans chants. It sounds real. I almost want to cry...it sounds so beautiful...morning comes. We rap, I run to the river and drink two quarts of water, look for my dropped friend and then almost feel sad to leave this place.
We make the walk of shame and reach the rim. Looking up the wall and see no climbers...lucky us. I have laugh a few times at climbers doing the walk and realize that we just might make it to the rim and slither away unnoticed.
Fifteen routes in the Black and my record is broken (no forced bivies).
The chalk on the route was Steve Levin and Alex Shanman...misery loves company..they got off route too.
The Black...special, beautiful and haunting.
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philo
Trad climber
boulder, co.
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That's a good one Bob. It gets real cold, dark and loud down there.
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philo
Trad climber
boulder, co.
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OK here is another story.
John Pearson and I did one of the earliest (2nd or 3rd) all free one day ascents of the S. Arete on the Painted wall in 1976. Though I had the benefit of a seasoned and gnarly Black Canyon veteran as a leader I was but a mere whelp of limited "real" experience about to embark on my first adventure over five pitches long. I remember being battered,thrashed and terrified and that was just from the approach. We third classed most of the middle of the route up to 5.8. and simul-climbed a good deal as well. But there are still three distinctly more difficult sections on that route that require serious concentration. I was so nervous about the climb I adamantly refused to allow JP to "light up" before or during the climb. When we finally topped out JP, and I, could take the deprevation no longer. Faster than lightening he produced a small wall pipe and film canister and proceeded to try and "take care of business'. Unfortunately for us it had gotten quite blustery on top and we couldn't keep the lighter going long enough to torch up. In desperation JP whips off his stanky EB and stuffs face pipe and lighter in for a wind block. Sure enough it works but I still get a funny taste in my mouth thinking about it. I was so thirsty on the hike back that my tongue swole up and threatened to choke me. Fortunately JP had parked his infamous 4x4 way down the access road that leads out towards the Painted Wall. Back then the N. Rim wasn't crowded so the Feds ignored our little rule bendings. Dragging our trashed butts back to his rig we each downed nearly a gallon of luke warm water, several beers, and more bud. After all the real slogan back then was "a rack and a rope and a little bit of dope". I have never been more dehydrated!
The second time I did this route was more than a decade later when as the gnarled experienced veteren I was initiating the latest whelp d'jour. I was confident that having done the route before and having filled out my resume of comparitive experiences that this was going to be a romp. I even had temerity to schedule a date with my ever so high maintainence girl friend back in Gunnison that same evening.
Well the "Black" is never casual and up high I got way off route and way spiced out right before dusk. My partner Dave Henritze had to follow, in the dark, with a pack, a full pitch of virtually un protected pegma-loose including an "if you fall we both go" 40' sideways traverse to get to my belay. What a way to bust a whelp. He was awesome! Particularily when I foolishly shone my headlamp (our only lamp) right into his night vision adjusted eyes moments after he had un clipped the last piece of pro and was about to start traversing the unprotected pegma-loose. Fearing that we were stuck there for the night I built an anchor with any and all the gear I could trick in. Thirteen pieces of marginal bivy pro. This is the inspiration for the "Fine Mess" cartoon in Robbie William's Black Canyon guide book. We spent a surprisingly uncomfortable bivy way off the deck on a doormat sized jumble of broken rock in the middle of one of the epic pegmatite bands that eventually flow into the dragons. With less than a sniff of water and a dwindling bag of mini snickers for sustenance between us, we huddled together in a single bivy sac sleeplessly starring at the river foaming 2000 feet below. To this day more than fifteen years later I can't get the river song out of my head. And I can't look a snickers in the nuts without gagging.
To further complicate this adventure I was deeply troubled by the realization that not only was my girlfriend being stood up but she had also likely by now realized I'd borrowed her car with out asking. When our friends showed up at the rim with headlamps to check on us I fairly begged them to pitch down several lengths of connected rope and jumars. After all I still had hopes of a sex life after climbing. But that idea was a NO GO. We almost took off climbing again when the moon filled the canyon to over flowing but the morning clearly showed how fatally flawed that line of reasoning would have proven. Dicey poorly protected pegmatite traversing into unprotected off widths for breakfast. I have never been so blue balled!
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
Otto, NC
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Gosh, Bob, now I understand the 'massive sandbag' comment over on the Movable-Stoned-Voyage page.
I think an excellent definition of 'desperation' might be
'to "escape" onto Air Voyage with only a #4 Friend,
which one has already dropped.'
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Now that's what I'm talking about! Great stories philo and bob. I'm jealous of and hold in high esteem you folks who were climbing in the Black back in the '70s and '80s (philo, lcoyne, oli, among others contributing to this thread).
Good to finally get the long version of that MSV story, Bob. Finding those three camalots of yours on Air Voyage had been one of my better Black booty days.
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bob d'antonio
Trad climber
Taos, NM
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Greg wrote: Good to finally get the long version of that MSV story, Bob. Finding those three camalots of yours on Air Voyage had been one of my better Black booty days.
You are a gentleman...thanks for returning them.
Funny...I let Kelly have her way even through I knew we were off route...thought I teach her a lesson. My ace in the hole was Peter Gallagher telling me about a ledge to escape off from that part of the wall...I thought I could get to it, climb up to the rim, give Kelly one of those told you so looks and have a beer and eat dinner. I was the one who learned a lesson...I got my ass handed to me and the "Black" is no place to f*#k with.
To this day I have never been so thirsty in my whole life as I was on that wall during the night. I know how a cat feels when it spits out a hair ball.
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Another thread that keeps on giving!
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Great stories everyone. Dropping gear in the Black just like leaving your keys at the neighborhood bar. I love it!
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woodman
Social climber
CO
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Holly Sh#t, a great post. Lots of good hiztori!!! It is way cool to see everyone keeping the stories alive and creating new ones.
Leonard, I am just wondering how bad Keith kicked your ass for putting those photos of Dragon point on here?
Also, Brent you should drag your ass out of the casinos and get a plane ticket to canada.....if you don't have time you could work for Phil, even Nigro seems to have time to call me on the clock when he is electrifyin""
Just joking good to read the posts from lots of old friends.
Robbie
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philo
Trad climber
boulder, co.
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what's that you say Robbie? The Nigster is phaffin' on the phone when he's supposed to be working for me? Shocking!
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lcoyne
Big Wall climber
Byron Bay, Australia
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Robbie, good to see you are still kicking about. What part of Canada are you in?
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lcoyne
Big Wall climber
Byron Bay, Australia
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A couple of cool photos of my friend Mick Haffner in the Canyon:
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woodman
Social climber
CO
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Hey boys good to hear from you. Leonard, I am still livng in Carbondale enjoying the surroundings. We are heading to Canada for an ice climbng trip in early December. Right now, I am in Kentucky. We are taking down this old cabin to build our house from. If I can figure how to attach a photo I will so everyone can check out the mess I have gotten myseilf into. Drop me line sometime so we can catch up.
Phil we should have a boulder or black canyon get together before it gets too cold. I think nigus is still in the desert but he will be back soon, i am sure he would be in.
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woodman
Social climber
CO
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Sorry, I can figure out how to attach the photo. I am new to the forum scene. Anyone have any beta?
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lcoyne
Big Wall climber
Byron Bay, Australia
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Robbie,
You have to open a www.photobucket.com account, post your photos there and then take the link code pbucket provides & paste that into your post.
Not really as painful as it sounds.....
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philo
Trad climber
boulder, co.
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Hey woodman
You need a photobucket account to post pics on the tacostand. Since I am fairly sure you have some hot shots you should sign up.
A get together is a great idea I started a thread about the idea on mountain project.
I hope the Nigness can show up that way he could pay me back for all the phone calls and internet porn surfing he did while supposedly working for me. Oh wait that internet thing that was me. But there is still those phone calls he phaffed off on.
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Here's that cartoon of philo's that he referred to in an earlier post.
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philo
Trad climber
boulder, co.
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I was just reeling from the news of Jim Anglin's death and thankfully saw a new post in the Black Canyon thread.
Thanx eeyonkee I needed a smile.
What is hard to see on the scanned version is the bag of halloween mini-snickers I foolishly thought would suffice for wall food. Gag! And if you look closly I am holding a pack of Camel straights with a neat pile of butts on top of my pack. I smoked a whole pack of those nasty sticks freting about my lady in waiting's inevitable 'welcome home'.
I don't think most people are aware that the 'toons in the guide book are all based on true events. There is lots of esoteric detail in them like the pack logo for Barney's Bogus Biner Barn and fast food emporiom. Where you could get some very used gear and a "lunch to boot". (Think Patagonian dark humour.) I would draw them during breaks while teaching for two years in Texas. Then I would xerox them and write a letter on the back side to the personality involved. It was how I stayed connected.
There is a story for every one even the unpublished ones. Just don't ask what e.b.f.s.g.n.c. stands for.
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Philo - here's my personal favorite from Black Canyon Rock Climbs.
I love this guidebook. Pretty cool to learn that these cartoons are based on real events.
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Tahoe climber
Trad climber
a dark-green forester out west
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man, thank you guys so much for continuing this thread.
this is why i keep coming back to the forum.
much respect.
if any of you have more Black stories, i'd love to hear them.
Respectfully,
Aaron
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
Otto, NC
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Um Leonard, I gotta ask--
What kind of cutting-edge footwear ya got there in that photo?
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lcoyne
Big Wall climber
Byron Bay, Australia
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Hey Rob (Rhoto),
I had to go back and have a look at the photo. Those are Blundstones (great Australian working boot, good for hiking also, even good for desert cracks...wide hands and up). Wasn't climbing in them though. That climb (Silent Rage) is a rap in, climb out affair and I'd slipped into them when I got to the top.
On the topic of Blundstones I use them a lot on wide cracks since I can't find high top boots anymore. Anyone know of any climbing boots that cover ones ankles nowadays???
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
Otto, NC
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Mostly I surf Ebay for my old favorites, which will eventually surface from the bottom of someone's closet who bought 'em and never used 'em. I think JB/Acopa may be making some now?
So I was peering across from the Porcelain Arete at something resembling that Silent Rage wall, I think. Looked like sweet rock, and real shady.
Perhaps you can tell me if this story has any basis: RR from Chattanooga gets elaborate beta for the Stratosfear, including how to lower down and stash crux rack, water, etc., only to arrive in the canyon, take one look at the wall, and declare his disinterest?
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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hey there philo.. say as to this quote:
"I don't think most people are aware that the 'toons in the guide book are all based on true events"
say, thanks for letting folks know... it makes for twice the insight, and appreciation when one sees them.... thanks for "bearing your heart" in your "creative toons"....
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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hey there philo...say, keep on "wallowing" in the past glory.... as to your quote:
"Back when I actually was a climber I didn't talk much about it. Sort of the Gunnison way. Now that my juvenile juice has turned to geriatric jelly I am more inclined to wallow in perceived past glory. We should gather for a brew and a BS session sometime."
it is not "perceived" it is very good hard-earned work-trophies, needing to get shared, so it won't fade, tarnish, or get lost in some dusty old closet...... glories are to be share--howbeit, humbly.... and you are doing RIGHT-FINE...
none climbers like me, we even love to walk along side and listen. :)
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 6, 2007 - 01:05am PT
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Yes Philo,
(Bob D & Leonard et al)
Please pen up another "Tale of the Black" won't you?
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lcoyne
Big Wall climber
Byron Bay, Australia
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Now here's one of the better Black Canyon plummets I've heard about. Occurred in January of this year...
Rangers responded to a report of a vehicle that had crashed through the fence at Tomichi Point Overlook and had apparently gone down into the canyon at approximately 4:30 p.m. on Monday afternoon. The reporting party, a Delta Montrose Electric Association Employee reading meters in the park, indicated that he had hiked to the vehicle and found one passenger who was alive and able to communicate.
Upon arriving on the scene about 5:00 p.m., rangers found a gold Kia, four-door sedan wedged between the cliff and the side of the canyon facing upslope about 400 feet below Tomichi Point. The driver of the vehicle, a 31 year old male visiting the area, was alert and oriented when rangers reached him.
Members of the Montrose County Sheriff’s Office and the Montrose Fire Protection District arrived shortly after park rangers to assist with patient care and extrication of the driver from the vehicle. Due to the steepness of the canyon, snow cover, and uneven terrain, resources from the Montrose Sheriff’s Posse Search and Rescue team and park rangers set up a haul system to pull the driver out of the canyon using a litter and a pulley system.
The rescue took about four hours and over two dozen rescuers. The driver of the vehicle was transported to Montrose Memorial Hospital. His condition is currently stable. The National Park Service is still investigating the accident.
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golsen
Social climber
kennewick, wa
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Damn, surprised that driver didnt die of a heart attack!
No stories but here are some pics of the Stoned Oven,
I always for get the name of htis pitch but that sideways chimneying is unique.
Topping out.
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Can you say Womb Fight?. When I did Moveable Stoned Voyage earlier this year, we opted for the original Stoned Voyage finish, which avoided this pitch. It involves a very short section of 5.11+ face climbing followed by a 5.10+ offwidth. Did the Womb Fight finish when I did the actual Stoned Voyage in 1990. You gotta do that one at least once. It's so improbable that it goes as easy as it does.
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philo
Trad climber
boulder, co.
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The "Say What" cartoon was another time I took Dave off-route in the Black on a climb I'd done before. This one is on Black Jack and was probably the first. For some reason I managed to get lost repeating routes with Dave. It got to be a local joke. "Off route-In the Black-with Phil-again".
It's a wonder he kept climbing with me.
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philo
Trad climber
boulder, co.
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I hope this isn't too long. I call it "Clearing trend Tuesday"
Jimmy Newberry - the patron saint of the Black Canyon - taught us to always bring a ‘Radiant’ - a small 9v transistor radio - on adventures. Over the years there have been many ’Radiant-carnations’ but I am always oddly gratified to see Jimmy still has one. Jim Nigro and I took up the radio practice to keep abreast of the weather when we were working on Painted Wall routes. There was this country western station from Montrose that we could tune in for regular weather reports. Not right but regular. We were amp-ed when we heard the weather weasel proclaim “clearing trend Tuesday”. Assured that the window we had been waiting for was finally there we headed down into the ’Ditch” that Monday. Hauling all our crap down the SOB to the base of the Painted Wall we fixed the first few pitches planning on climbing the rest of the wall in one push. Reassured by our country western weather forecast we settled in to a deluxe sand bar bivy and awaited what was sure to be a grand day of ascent. So it was with some surprise and much consternation when I was awoken early Tuesday from my disturbing dreams of rafting and drowning to a steady down pour and a diminishing sand bar.
Older “Black-Cats “ will likely remember that there use to be a little fishing camp down on the sand bar. This groovy little camp used to have a cool little table ingeniously constructed out of bits of lashed together drift wood. Well I am here to tell you don’t bother looking for it when your down there. In all that waterlogged wilderness the only thing we could find to get a fire going with was that little bit of canyon history. From predawn and into the next dreary day we regretfully broke off first one small piece then another and another till eventually we had gleefully torched the bulk of the tinder dry table. The next day, our clearing trend Tuesday, was spent in the rain retrieving sodden ropes and gear, miserably sloshing back out the SOB and driving back to Gunnison defeated.
Having eventually dried and regrouped we went back. Once again armed with an encouraging weather forecast. This time it was a “Clearing trend Tuesday” again heard from the same country western station and pronounced by the same weather weasel. You think we would have learned but no this time it almost killed us. We had decided to approach the climb differently. Where before we had fixed a few pitches planning on sleeping by the river and blasting to the top in one push. This time we used Monday to get 2/3rds of the way up the wall planning to bivy and climb thru the to the top on Tuesday, After all there was a clearing trend. Tuesday right? Sleeping fitfully at the Hanoi Hilton I was again awoken to troubled skies. Lightning was already brewing in the west and the rain was coming down steadily.
Come to think of it wasn’t the weather that actually woke me up it was Nigro. Coming to consciousness a little before me he noticed the lap of my bivy sac was pooled up with rain water. Never being one to turn down a free drink of water in the Black he promptly and with out warning buried his face in my crotch and proceeded to slop up the rain water like a dog. Waking up to this unusual experience I thought in horror that my long term Climbing buddy had gone rogue on me and I was trapped with no place to hide. I was hoping this was just another bad dream. “ What the hell are you doing Jim” I asked? He croaked “water”. Understanding helped alleviate my immediate fears but in his reckless dash for hydration he dumped all of the rain water off of his bivy sac leaving me not high but dry.
Dawn feebly became apparent. Going up was out of the question. The wall was veritably drooling. The whole day of our “clearing trend Tuesday” was spent in desperate retreat. Bailing off the Painted Wall is never casual. But in a storm and from up on high it was a real adventure. We occupied and entertained ourselves with thoughts of what vile and despicable things we would do to the weather weasel should we survive. Of course the “slog of shame” with full wall gear and mudslides was a burly joy that took till past dark. But the real life threatening adventure didn’t begin till we started the drive home.
The Black Mesa Road, unlike it’s civilized big bother the Blue Mesa Road, travels the convoluted rim of the North side of the Black. From Crawford to the Blue Mesa Dam It’s 2 narrow lanes of asphalt take the longest distance between two points. But it is usually the quickest access for Gunnison climbers to get to the Black. Built on alluvial hill sides the road was always sloughing and being repaired. But on this night, this “clearing trend Tuesday” night, it was nearly the death of us repeatedly. I will never forget Jim’s heroic drive back to Gunnison in his frumpy but stalwart little VW square back. Though Jim will say I slept through it all stating as evidence that my head bouncing off the side window proved it. I in my own defense would say that was only my desperate attempt to beat the terror out of my head. Okay so maybe I did sleep a little being utterly exhausted and all but all the swerving, bouncing, thunder and lightning made it really hard to rest. Dodging and weaving and staying on the road was epic! Not to mention the pounding rain and hail. I ask you how could anyone sleep through that?
By then the weather had worsened to the point of seriously torrential with sky wide flashes of lightening and thunder powerful enough to rattle Jim’s Veewee across whole lanes of slick pavement either towards the cliff face on the left or the abyss on the right. Either way didn’t seem good. But what really made that drive so extra, extra special was the road bed. Even though it was paved with layer upon layer of asphalt it had become fluid like ground in an earthquake. As we traveled huge sections, sometimes more than a lane wide, would cave off into the canyon right in front of us. Other times the whole road bed would pucker and buckle like a moving wave launching the valiant VW in haphazard directions. What could be worse you might ask. Well in a word mudslides! Jim would not only have to watch the ever disintegrating road ahead of him but would as well have to be thoroughly vigilant to the dangers of multiple mudslides from the side. He learned that lesson when the first big one threatened to either engulf us or sweep us over the edge. If not for Jim’s incredibly skill full driving and keen awareness we certainly would not have made it! And I certainly wouldn’t have gotten what little sleep I did. It helps to fully trust your partner whether he is crotching you on a big wall or careening you in a car.
Irritatingly the very next day dawned fresh and bright and innocent of all the previous tempest. Just another beautiful sunny Colorado clearing trend Wednesday. AAAARRRGH! The road took four months to rebuild
making the drive to get to the North Rim (on Wednesdays) longer but infinitely safer. Even if that route would take us dangerously close to the country western weather weasel.
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Dang, Philo! You've had some adventures in the Black, Sheesh!
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
Otto, NC
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Now the biggest problem with that road (besides it being 1334845 miles of curves) is the g^&**&%#^&%*um deer. I think you need a hunting license to drive it at dusk. Inevitably, one is already exhausted from the climbing, and the satisfaction of topping out in the daylight is immediately overwhelmed by the sustained attention required to negotiate the 1500 hairpins and video-game style pop-up fauna. Lately I've taken to driving home over McClure Pass to I-70, which is perhaps a bit longer but has the added virtue of avoiding the equally hairy Buena Vista deer gauntlet.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 8, 2007 - 10:12pm PT
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Good one Philo.
That road bed experience sounds frighteningly surreal.
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TwistedCrank
climber
Ideeho
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Nov 16, 2007 - 01:07pm PT
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Bump. It's been a week without a post here.
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lcoyne
Big Wall climber
Byron Bay, Australia
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Nov 17, 2007 - 04:43pm PT
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In the interest of keeping Roy (aka TarBuster) happy here are some old, old photos.
I like the rack in this photo of the Air Voyage offwidth. Taken around 1976.
Here's Randy Leavitt beginning the traversing pitches on Stratosfear (circa 1982).
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 17, 2007 - 05:11pm PT
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So Stratoshere is quite the gigantic plumb?
More on that item if you please Leonard.
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
Otto, NC
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Nov 17, 2007 - 09:45pm PT
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Is the OW slide flipped? River looks like it's flowing the wrong way. This is all I have to go by, as I have yet to take the Air Voyage. Looks like you'd take a big one if you blew it with that rack, though.
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philo
Trad climber
boulder, co.
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Nov 18, 2007 - 12:16am PT
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Good call R.R. that picture is indeed reversed.
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Nov 19, 2007 - 05:28pm PT
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STRATOSFEAR!!! Finally. The ST forum has such a slant toward California climbing that I'm sure relatively few can really appreciate what a climb this is. I'm not sure if there is anything in Yosemite that can compare with the combination of difficulty and scariness. This climb has captured my imagination since I first heard of it 17 years ago. I wanna do it before I die....
Thanks, leonard.
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philo
Trad climber
boulder, co.
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Nov 23, 2007 - 01:47pm PT
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In 1979 - 1980 I was in Africa serving our government when I suffered a debilitating injury. My leg got buckled backwards and my foot split my lip. Total destruction! Four months later I got back to the States for reconstructive surgery. I was at the peak of my climbing game and consequently driven to rehab and return. One month after my completing the grueling rehab I went down the SOB gulley. My friend Tom Pulaski was guiding a client up the S. Arete of the Painted Wall. They planned to bivy at the bottom of the SOB and start early the next morning. I offered to carry their bivy gear back up and they reluctantly accepted. Tom gave me a pair of cross country ski poles for the hike. That was my first experience with treking poles and I have been a convert ever since. As I was very, very slow Tom & Dan cruised on ahead leaving me to my thoughts and processes.
Everything went remarkably well untill I got to near the bottom of the gulley. I pulled up on a big flat topped boulder to survey the scene. I could see Tom & Dan setting up for the night. I could see all the amazing walls that had consumed so much of my life. I could see the wonder and immensity of it all. I was blissing. Then I turned to continue my descent. The movement caused me to lose my balance and I tumbled over the edge. Now I'd done it. I was so sure it was all over. I was falling backwards watching my climbing career evaporate in front of my eyes. I believe I fell about twenty feet, landing flat on my back with my fall being broken by my back pack and a dense tangle of brambles. I was unharmed, stuck in the sticker bushes and laughing my arse off. It took me a good twenty minutes to extricate myself from the briar patch. I joined back up with Tom & Dan and had to explain the severe lacerations all over my exposed skin. Fortunately Dan was a doctor and gave me first aid and a clean bill of health. What a trip! In the morning I very slowly climbed back up to the rim carrying everyones bivy gear. It was tedious and tiring but I was alive, unharmed and exstatic!
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clustiere
Trad climber
Rock Ridge/ Oakland CA
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Nov 23, 2007 - 02:25pm PT
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Boy I sure miss that place. Seems like every route there gets respect from climbers of all abilities. It definately has the Valley beat on inevetable adventure factor. Till next time I sleep among the cecada bugs.
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Nov 25, 2007 - 09:23am PT
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Another great story, Philo.
I just read Pat Ament's account of his first trip to the Black Canyon with Kor in Games Climbers Play (reprinted from an article in Mountain 50). What a great short story! I don't always like Pat's writing, but this one, albeit short, is an absolute gem. Pat was 17 and Layton 25. I started off climbing with guys older than me, and the story resonated with some of my early recollections of being on hard, scary stuff and being more afraid of my partner (Rick Piggott) than of the climb.
Layton Kor, for me, is the most interesting character in the history of American climbing. Kor and the Black were made for each other.
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philo
Trad climber
boulder, co.
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Dec 16, 2007 - 11:47pm PT
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In the late 70s I had a wild haired idea. A first ever winter ascent of a major wall in the Black Canyon. The Nose in Winter. Or as we came to call it "Picking the Nose". At first every one thought I was crazy. Probably true. But eventually four of us Gunnistoners decided to give it a go. The team consisted of Tom Pulaski, Bob Dickerson, Jimmy Newberry and myself. Gear was gathered and elaborate preperations were undertaken consisting of raiding the Newberry's General Store supplies for wall food. We took off from Cimarron in Jimmy's beat up and overladen Dodge Power Wagon on a vividly crisp winter night and arived at the North Rim to a gloriously unburdened morning sky. Good omens all around. Back in Cimarron Jimmy's wonderful but worried mom undoubtedly lit candles for us all just like she always did when Newberry went adventuring. Everything went swimmingly right up until we had to actually hoist the piggiest packs imaginable or our backs and head down the double black diamond ski chute otherwise known as the Cruise gulley. Somehow we survived the descent just slightly frayed about the edges. No one spoke it but I am sure none of us wanted to reverse the approach. Hauling usually sucks but hauling a weeks worth of full winter wall gear for four up the initial towers of the Nose of Chasm View really blew. We eventually fixed a couple of pitches above the upper tower and settled in to a cramped but comfortable bivy. That night we dined on the weirdest assortment of snacks and condiments I could imagine including sticks of butter crammed into mangled bags of cookie crumbs. Mmmm crum-cicles. I was utterly amped! This was what climbing was all about to me. This was the real deal!
Sometimes I think the miserably uncomfortable and sleepless Black Canyon butt bag bivies are better than the cushy ledge kind. At least the weather doesn't sneak up on you that way. Newberry and I were in his two man hanging tent (it might have been an original Lurp Tent) and sleeping plushly. In the early morning it became apparent that not all was as it should be. First off the tent was frozen shut. Secondly everything was covered with rime ice and soundly frozen to the wall. We were engulfed in real time winter. This weird storm had snaked up canyon leaving a 500 foot wide vertical glacier in it's wake. And we were smack dab in the middle of it. Later in the day the at times white out conditions would clear and we could see that below and above us the rock was freakishly clear and dry. Lacking a shred of common sence I wanted to go up. My youthfull ambition far exceeded my experience. A heated debate ensued atop the frozen ledges of the upper towers. Me vigorously fighting to push on just like Maurice Herzog and a slew of other digitally challenged over achievers. My three amigos stoically insistant on retreat. They were of course right
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survival
Big Wall climber
arlington, va
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Dec 17, 2007 - 10:44am PT
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Beautiful pictures!
Hey Tarman, you no post story on my "beginner, near death epic tales" thread. You numba 10, not numba 1!! I specifically asked for your input! You tryin ta tell me you didn't have a beginner epic?
Chuckles,
Bruce
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Tahoe climber
Trad climber
a dark-green forester out west
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Dec 17, 2007 - 10:59am PT
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I love this thread - here's to the Black...
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Jan 19, 2008 - 01:35am PT
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This was one of the first articles on the Black that I can remember by Ed Webster from Mountain 56 July/August 1977. The adventures of Lil' Eddie and The Hobbit!
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bob d'antonio
Trad climber
Taos, NM
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Jan 19, 2008 - 01:47am PT
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The Hobbit..Bryan Becker...strong, bold and in the right place at the right time.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Jan 19, 2008 - 11:46am PT
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With a heart of gold and a family too, that enviable Hobbit!
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swill
Social climber
Colorado
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Jan 20, 2008 - 08:22pm PT
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Black Canyon climbers Bryan Becker and Chuck Grossman at my wedding this past august. Too many of these types lurking about that afternoon for comfort.
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philo
Trad climber
boulder, co.
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Jan 20, 2008 - 08:57pm PT
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Chuck and Bryan now there are two hard core dudes. Great picture!
I don't know who you are Swill but if those two cats were entertaining your wedding then you must be a pretty cool dude!
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TwistedCrank
climber
Ideeho
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Jan 20, 2008 - 09:29pm PT
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Yeah but that's Chuck on the left and Bryan on the right and those are the faciest and shiniest shoes I *ever* seen Chuck wear. Good call on the wedding entertainment.
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swill
Social climber
Colorado
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Jan 20, 2008 - 10:14pm PT
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Phil you know me. Anyhow Chuck and Bryan were simply entertaining themselves while waiting for the big meal...... they were in fact entertaining all those guy's, Pete G, Catman, Max K, Woodman. They were all waiting with great anticipation for food, beer and wine. What was funny is my wife is an Outward Bound lifer and all the old hardcore climbers certainly had all her optimistic outdoor educator female friends on edge the entire night.
Chuck has certainly cleaned up his fashion over the years. Here a couple of good one's of him in the past looking good. I like the bare feet and underwear.
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philo
Trad climber
boulder, co.
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Jan 21, 2008 - 06:52pm PT
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(previously posted on the Mountain Project site.)
Regarding the Leisure Climb on North Chasm Wall...
This is my least favorite climb in the B.C. Prehaps I am tainted by a few past shadows. For me this route doesn't even rate the distinction of"pile". I never appreciated the names "Leisure" Climb or "Casual" Route, or for that matter "Cruise".As Jimmy Newberry so succinctly put it long ago... "It's desperate in the Black". There is nothing "casual" or "Leisurely" in the B.C. Even when compared to the "desperates". I for one (as well as several other of the old time Gunnison climbers) felt that "misnomers" like these were,at best a disservice to the area and at worst an invitation to disaster. This proved to be the case for one of my other shadows. As the most available local climbers, Dave Henritze and I were called in by the Rangers to aid in the body retrieval of a hapless soul who gravely underestimated the seriousness of the "Leisure" climb. He had gotten off route by going straight up the crack to the roof. The same variation several posts on this thread have mentioned. "I can taste the beer already" were his last words after winning the argument with his partner over route direction. Falling off at the sketchy roof he pulled all of his ill placed gear and cratered below his belayer. Neither Dave or I were enthralled with the idea of "body bagging" as neither of us were rescue team "regulars". But we both felt compelled to bring a fallen kindred home. At the last moment our plan to climb up, lower off and facilitate a helicopter pick up was bullied out of the way by the R.M.R. team and their prized cable wench system. We spent the rest of a decidedly Un-leisurely day sitting with the head ranger watching in horror as this system consisting of joined 150' lengths of 1/4" cable with no backup system lowered a stokes and two rescuers to the dead climber. On the way down they dislodged several enormous blocks that exploded all around the already mangled body. Thankfully, none of them were direct hits. On the way up the over loaded winch struggled, getting stuck under roofs and on flakes. Aghast we watched the rescuers repeatedly climb into the stokes and all over the corpse in an effort to kick the rig free. What would have taken us only a few hours of unpleasant duty ended up taking the entire day well into the bleak evening. The scene is still a ragged ugly memory for me. I could never get over the thought that this body bag/door mat had once been a living vibrant person, someone's child, someone's friend. Sorry if this recounting disturbes anyones' sensibilities or hubris but IMHO it is important to understand that there is nothing "casual" or "leisurely" down there, IT'S DESPERATE IN THE BLACK! Respectfully Phil Broscovak
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swill
Social climber
Colorado
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Jan 21, 2008 - 08:22pm PT
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Grim story Phil. Thankfully there have been few fatalities over the years. The canyons reputation has always acted as a very good "riff raff eliminator" to quote Ken Trout.
On a lighter note I had dinner with Glen Rink a couple of weeks ago and he told a great story about Jimmy Newberry suggesting they try the second ascent of "Mirkwood." Sadly I can't remember it. It did end in defeat though.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Jan 22, 2008 - 12:37am PT
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Little Buddy!
Philo-I wouldn't be able to shake that rescue experience either. Yeow! How long before you went back there to climb again?
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philo
Trad climber
boulder, co.
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Jan 22, 2008 - 09:50am PT
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Steve G, Yeah that was a mess in more ways than one.
I was aghast and horrified but mostly I was mad as hell.
First that it happened in my back yard. Secondly that it happened at all. Thirdly that the strong arm tactics of the RMR team led to the abysmal rescue scenario. But mostly having to listen to the very stressed chief ranger talk about having to limit access or shut climbing in the Black down entirely. With every rock the liter knocked off the chief got more adamant about restrictions. Fortunately the rules didn't go there but at the time it looked grim for the future.
I believe I went back to climb the next week.
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TwistedCrank
climber
Ideeho
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Jan 22, 2008 - 10:08am PT
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Phil: Do you recall the body retrieval of the BASE jumpers around 1981? As I recall it was the fall before I moved to Gunnison so I only heard about it 2nd or 3rd hand. I think there were two jumpers and one paid the penalty for failure. I think it was either off North Chasm View or the Painted Wall. I also think Jay Nelson and Ed Russell were involved in the retrieval.
But I may have my facts all twisted up as usual.
Jay and Ed were a couple of class acts! Ed had a good crack machine in his basement. As I recall it was adjustable from stacked fingers up to rattly hands.
Who was it that said the Black Canyon is like Yosemite for grownups?
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Jan 22, 2008 - 11:26am PT
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Sure doesn't seem like a very good jump zone because you have to spend hours thrashing out the gullies for less than a minute of thrill. No thanks personally.
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philo
Trad climber
boulder, co.
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Jan 22, 2008 - 11:56am PT
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Who was it that said the Black Canyon is like Yosemite for grownups?
I don't know but I might get that tattoed somewhere good.
Yeah Twisted I remember that day and I am familiar with several of the participants. 10/1/81 A very grim Black day!
Newberry & I showed up that day to climb a route on South Chasm Wall. It was a totally freaky morning and nothing was 'right' that day. On our under caffinated groggy way to check out the Chasm View overlook I audaciously said "hold on I gotta take a piss on this big rock here". Well I was standing on the very summit of South Chasm Wall at the time and the Canyon bides No disrespect. The Canyon-She was speakin' loud that day. She was sayin' go home wayward souls. The pinon and junipers on the rim were wreathed in dense fog that was being boiled down into the deep dark below. We watched these angry clouds get sucked into the abyss and decided to go elsewhere that day. On our way out we passed a fancy RV on it's way in. Thinking bad thoughts toward the road whale we aimlessly wandered til we got to Escalante canyon where inexplicable lethragy and general malaise kept us from climbing more than one lame pitch. Well as the story unfolded there were several jumpers that day. I think the victim, Larry Johnson the 2nd ever Base fatality, was the 3rd jumper off the Painted wall that Day. Apparently he stumbbled slightly at launch, corrected, deployed then snagged the wall. Some of the other jumpers went after and could tell he was inaccessible to them. Jay Nelson was indeed the crazy man who was lowered approximately 1000' on the same 1/4" cable system I described in the Leisure climb report. According to Jay; Larry obviously did not die on impact. It was evident that he had struggled into whatever comfort he could manage. Very sad. Very brave of Jay.
Turns out the fancy RV was a camera crew from America's original 'reality' TV show. Who here remembers That's Incredible? Well they had contracted to film this amazing event and weren't interested in the jumpers concerns about funky winds in the canyon. After all "the show must go on" we got a contract! The successful jumpers had to stash their gear and flee. The camera crew got off scott free.
I have since met a few more of the participants of that day. The first one was shortly afterwards on one of Jim Nigro's and my Painted Wall adventures. Down at the bottom by the river we ran across an oddly secretive dude who was obviously not fishing. Once he realized we weren't Smokey and Mr Ranger just dudes as crazy as he was he relaxed and opened up a little. He was retrieving his gear and just did not want to get busted. We had a nice chat about the differences in our sport's approach to gravity and we talked about the weird weather that day. We all wished each other well and went on our ways. Which I believe for us was 'UP'!
For the record I really dig Base jumping! Even though, while several Base friends have graciously offered to huck me off a lot of stuff, I myself do not jump. When done well it is a truly elegant and beautiful sport. I don't think it should be illegal and often wonder how mainstream America would view it if even one soul would have Base jumped to safety out of the world trade centers on 911. Many of you would likely be surprised that the PW jump is not uncommon.
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Jan 22, 2008 - 03:50pm PT
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Do you still climb in the Black, Philo?
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philo
Trad climber
boulder, co.
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Jan 23, 2008 - 09:14am PT
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Don't let the Hankster fool ya. I am a broke down old has been, once was a wanna be. The Black place scares me silly. anybody got a handi-wipe?
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TwistedCrank
climber
Ideeho
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Jan 23, 2008 - 10:21am PT
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Has anyone else ever had the peach pie from the little diner in Crawford? I had some there once that was like a slice of heaven.
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swill
Social climber
Colorado
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Jan 23, 2008 - 10:44pm PT
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Black Canyon climbers are always hardcore. Becker is lowering off the slab with nothing more than a two inch swami belt in intentional great agony. Pete Gallagher, known for keeping his cool remains focused lowering Bryan to the safety of the belay. Chuck as always showing his known commitment to safety by improving his "on his back upside down hip belay" in anticipation of such a situation this spring in the Black while lowering me. Black Canyon climbers are always hardcore, even on slabs!
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philo
Trad climber
boulder, co.
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Jan 25, 2008 - 12:25pm PT
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bump for a good Black Canyon artical in the new Rock & Ice issue #166
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Rick A
climber
Boulder, Colorado
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Feb 18, 2008 - 11:51am PT
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Great thread, all. The mentions of Bryan Becker brought back memories. I happened to meet him in Chamonix in 1976 when we were both without partners and we teamed up for a route there. Haven't crossed paths since.
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ydpl8s
Trad climber
Denver, Colorado
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Feb 18, 2008 - 04:37pm PT
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Pic of upper section of Journey through Mirkwood, from across the canyon, during first ascent (Pulaski, Newberry, Rosholt, and Pearson, Fall of '76)
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swill
Social climber
Colorado
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Feb 18, 2008 - 07:55pm PT
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With the talk of Jay Nelsons great heroics in the canyon...well here is Jay himself eating a rope.
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philo
Trad climber
boulder, co.
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Feb 18, 2008 - 09:20pm PT
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That is an absolutely classic Jay shot. Thanx!
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J. Werlin
climber
Cedaredge
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Feb 18, 2008 - 09:44pm PT
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Skied out to the Black (North Rim) this last New Years just to make sure the canyon was still there. It was.
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philo
Trad climber
boulder, co.
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Feb 19, 2008 - 10:49am PT
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The Black in winter is really incredible. Skiing the rims in solitude is special delight. Thankx for the pics.
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nature
climber
Santa Fe, NM
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Feb 19, 2008 - 10:52am PT
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I don't have any Black stories.... yet. Now that I live closer PapaJoto and I have hatched a plan or two to explore the canyon. This spring we'll head up and go free climbing. In the fall we're hoping to return to get on the Psychedelic Wall.
I'll make sure to take the time to read this whole thread.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 19, 2008 - 10:56am PT
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Better get on up Stratosphere and give us a report Nature, as none 'them old tymers is speakin' up on the subject.
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philo
Trad climber
boulder, co.
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Feb 19, 2008 - 10:57am PT
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Nature if you provide the sushi I will be your personal tour guide for the Black. Provide enough sushi and I can get Jimmy Newberry to come along as well. We just have to keep this quiet or there will be a Black Canyon sushi fest in the making.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 19, 2008 - 11:03am PT
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Black Canyon Sushi Fest!
I'm In.
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nature
climber
Santa Fe, NM
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Feb 19, 2008 - 01:17pm PT
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I could see doing sushi on one night for around 25 people no problem.
I love how ya'll's plan my sushifests these daze :-)
When's prime time to camp at The Black? (no cold hands for the sushi chef!) I'll consult with PapaJoto and we'll make it a plan.
Geez... should we do SushiFest IV:XX at The Black?
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TwistedCrank
climber
Ideeho
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Feb 19, 2008 - 01:28pm PT
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The thing about a SF at the BC is that it's not exactly like you'll be able to toss a toprope over the edge and line up to fall off.
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nature
climber
Santa Fe, NM
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Feb 19, 2008 - 01:44pm PT
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yeah... I'm realizing the logistics are probably not ideal. It was just a silly idea. So we'll just pick a date for spring to head up there for some free climbing. I'll keep it limited to sushi for 20-25 people for one night and call it good (but not a sushifest ;-)
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philo
Trad climber
boulder, co.
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Feb 19, 2008 - 01:54pm PT
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Damn there goes the private tour Nature. All right I am still in.
Late Spring (June) would be good or early Autumn (Sept).
What about having a SushiFest-ette at the riverside sandbar by the base of the PW? I am sure we could get plenty of volunteers to haul food and drink down and garbage back out of the SOB. Talk about full conditions SushiFest. What do ya say Nature?????
You could bivy at the base and have all day to climb something like the S. Arete. I'll even carry your bivy gear out. Nature?
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 19, 2008 - 02:28pm PT
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I say do a "scheduled" (sushi...shhh) event early September.
June is stamped with the Montucky Batholith Bash.
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nature
climber
Santa Fe, NM
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Feb 19, 2008 - 02:31pm PT
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yo philo - we can probably still work something out with respect to the private tour. One thing though is that PapaJoto has been to the black a few times. So I'm not sure how it'd all shake out anyway.
Late spring sounds like the best plan. In the fall PapaJoto and I are planning on the Psychedelic Wall which will consume us.
SushiFest-lite at the base of PW sounds like a fun adventure. Let's keep this idea tabled. Full on conditions deter me knott (see ICSF). I like it.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 19, 2008 - 02:41pm PT
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FYI: Montana "Age of the Batholith" is June 13-22.
So, doing The Black either first or last weekend in June would be helpful.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 19, 2008 - 02:43pm PT
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South Arete is like a half vert mile of choss & bushes at 5.9++ (10+) or something?
Maybe I was thinking of N Arete.
Whatever.
I'm ready to strap in...
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Handjam Belay
Gym climber
expat from the truth
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Feb 19, 2008 - 03:59pm PT
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One winter I was skiing a load into the North Rim. Super quiet groovn, while pulling my sled. I had just finished a left-handed cigarette when up behind me pulls the new park superintedant...
He's amazed to see anyone there and insists he gives me a lift the remaining mile or so. We put my sled in the back of his ranger Bob ride and hopped in.
I stunk of the skunk to no end. Alas, there was no other evidence though, and without incident we conversed and I went on my way.
Cruxy.
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Feb 19, 2008 - 07:00pm PT
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In. And Tarbuster, it's StratosFEAR.
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goatboy smellz
climber
colorado
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Feb 19, 2008 - 07:28pm PT
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A sushi party down in the BC sounds like a blast philo.
Count me in for Sherpa duty.
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
Otto, NC
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Feb 19, 2008 - 09:08pm PT
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Hatch time might be good for fresh sushi...
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Feb 19, 2008 - 09:09pm PT
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What will be in a Dragon wall roll?
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J. Werlin
climber
Cedaredge
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Feb 20, 2008 - 09:37am PT
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Sushi at the Black? Now you are talking. I promised I'd roll for the SAR team this spring, so I'll break things in out there.
Nature, the Black is pretty much our backyard here so count on Tim and I to back you up. We both have freezers well stocked with sushi goodies from Catalina OP.
Tim and I threw down last Saturday:
Goma Wakame
Shime-sabe sashimi
Spider Roll
Sashimi Roll
If we roll at the Black we'll have to do something trout inspired in honor of the gold medal waters below.
PS: Nature, do you refer to the Hallucinogen Wall?
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 20, 2008 - 10:03am PT
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Yah, yah,
We can throw a big loop over the edge and TR the StratosFEAR's traverse, yo.
Ain't the how it was re-con-neutered BITD?
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J. Werlin
climber
Cedaredge
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Feb 20, 2008 - 10:10am PT
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Tar-- I think your plan is too dangerous.
You might get hit by a BASE jumper.
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philo
Trad climber
boulder, co.
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Feb 20, 2008 - 10:48am PT
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Mmmm mouth watering pictures.
I am intriqued by the idea of a Dragon Wall roll.
But what I am really curious about is what will be in the Hallucinogen roll. Sounds like a trip.
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426
Sport climber
Buzzard Point, TN
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Feb 20, 2008 - 10:52am PT
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Great thread, keep em coming. Some stories make me glad I "got none"...
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philo
Trad climber
boulder, co.
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Feb 20, 2008 - 01:16pm PT
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Route: Diagonal Will
Location: Down stream, North Rim, belly of the beast, Black Canyon.
Diagonal Will is the most obvious feature on the entire buttress. Follow the long right facing, left leaning dihedral system. Continue through the far left side of the big long roof where it becomes a left facing overhanging dihedral system.
Whereupon you must Will your self rightward to get to a different left facing system and the top. Easy! Except you should note that the DW starts atop the largest single collection of talus at the base of any wall in the Black.
Tom Pulaski and I did the 2nd free ascent of the DW the weekend following Ed & Bryan's ascent. Tom had looked at that line for years. We felt sure we had a first ascent until I ran across a few chalked holds. The rock was so bad it was hard to imagine anyone being there ahead of us. Every pitch shed rock like fleas from an old cur dog.
While we were ascending there was some campers pitched directly below the route. There was nothing we could do and even from 1500'up we could still hear their virulent invectives. But really how many times can you yell ROCK at the top of your lungs before the idea sinks in. In the morning after our unplanned (and my first ever) bivy we realized that they had used the cease fire of nightfall to move the shrapnel shattered remnants of their tent to more covered terrain.
To this day, I am sorry to those poor folks who ever they were. It wasn't on purpose. Even the act of retreating would have just rained more rock down on them.
The Diagonal Will aka DW (not to be confused with the PW though the rocks speak the same language) is a route most people would choose to not repeat. I know I have no desire to return. For me twice was enough, more than. It's not that the climbing is bad. In fact much of the route involves exceptional and sustained 5.9 & 5.10 climbing. It's not that it isn't a scenic route. Au contraire the views from there are not to spare. It is most likely that the two most common things you and your partner will be saying are "ROCK!" and "on belay... DON'T FALL!".
This is really Not a climb for the faint-hearted who lust after safe rock and solid anchors. No no this IS a route for PIRATES! On both of my excursions, I can recall levels of terror and serenity that are unparalleled in my Black Canyon experiences. After turning the roof, the climbers are confronted with a profound decision. Everything is attempting to force you up and to the left but you have to find a passage to the right and the will to go there.
The climbing up the Swallow Wall to the left looks intriguing at first. But all to soon the immense dihedral rolls over into the gnarliest set of overhanging raptor beaks and talons. Going to the right involves managing a breach in the overhanging right wall of the DW dihedral. That pitch ends at a stance amongst a jumble of sharp edged loosely stacked flakes and blocks in the most exposed place imaginable. Considering that the next pitch involved a tricky traverse up and right for 90' of unprotected pegmatite face and a to the knot full rope length of climbing all on a "DON'T FALL!" belay, it is no wonder that my hands are sweating just writing about it almost thirty years later. That belay in space was the single most frightening place I have ever been in the Black. Fortunately, after the peg traverse the route kicks back into just hard for the last 5 or 6 pitches of obvious route finding.
As to information about the rock fall from the cruxy pitch below the long roof all I can say is "tell me something I don't know. Both times I was there that portion of the route looked like a huge dirty snow cone just crammed there by some spoiled rotten giant brat. And each time I was there it looked very different. It was highly changeable stone! And it was always desperately unprotected there as well. So, what change has occurred? Probably just more of the same!
The DW is the steamy underside of Black Canyon misadventures.
Virtually every pitch is 5.9 or harder. On the whole route I think we had three maybe four safe anchors. Unlike some more comforting climbs most of the hardest climbing on the DW is sustained and fairly poorly protected. And retreat is not a truly viable option.
If asked if I would ever go back for the three-Pete, I would have to answer that depends. On what you might ask.
On whether I could haul enough Depends.
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TwistedCrank
climber
Ideeho
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Feb 20, 2008 - 02:05pm PT
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It's staggering to think we used to climb in there without helmets.
Then again, those old Joe Browns and MSRs weren't exactly made out of the space-age superlight materials they sell these days.
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goatboy smellz
climber
colorado
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Looks like Ed is giving a show at Neptune's next month.
http://www.neptunemountaineering.com/neptune/dept.asp?s_id=0&dept_id=200
"Thursday, April 3
First Ascents in Colorado’s Black Canyon and the Canyonlands of
Utah – including a film of the First Ascent of Super Crack.
The perilous walls of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison River, and the fabled crack climbs and sandstone spires near Moab, Utah, are two of America’s most challenging and dangerous climbing areas.
Rock climbing pioneer Ed Webster discovered and climbed many routes in “The Black” and “The Desert” over two decades ago--and today, they are some of the American West’s most legendary ascents.
Ed will be showing slides of his most well-known rock climbs in these areas--including the first ascent of the infamous Super Crack in Indian Creek Canyon in 1976."
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Thanks for the heads-up, Eric. Wouldn't miss it.
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
Otto, NC
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Dammit. I'm working that day. In the San Rafael Swell. no chance.
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Broken
climber
Texas
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Mar 24, 2008 - 04:17pm PT
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Bump:
Perhaps I didn't see it, but I'm still hoping for a lcoyne (or someone else?) story about Stratosfear.
Like others have said, it is a route that captures the imagination (or mine, at least).
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poop*ghost
Trad climber
Denver, CO
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Mar 24, 2008 - 06:11pm PT
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"Never being one to turn down a free drink of water in the Black he promptly and with out warning buried his face in my crotch and proceeded to slop up the rain water like a dog. Waking up to this unusual experience I thought in horror that my long term Climbing buddy had gone rogue on me and I was trapped with no place to hide." -Philo
That may be the funniest and best thing ever written on Supertopo.
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ydpl8s
Trad climber
Denver, Colorado
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Mar 24, 2008 - 06:22pm PT
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Especially funny if you know Jim Nigro! It is so easy to picture him doing that and smiling that oh-so-sincere look that Jim gets whenever he is involved in anything to do with climbing. Jim is one of the single most focused individuals I know. I can see him looking at Phil like, "I had to Phil, it was imperative!"
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philo
Trad climber
boulder, co.
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In light of Ed's presentation at Neptunes tonight I thought I'd post up another story from The Black.
Once upon a time (back in the day) a passal of us Gunnistoners were lounging on the North Rim watching the progress of the Brittish invasion. Leigh, Strappo and Crusher were on the last day of an early ascent of the Hallucinogen. We were vastly amused that Crusher used a tattered old foldable garden chaise lounger as a belay seat and portaledge. He would finish belaying fold up his seat clip it to his harness haul loop and jug the fixed rope. When they were about a pitch away from the rim it was obvious the blistering heat had taken a substantial toll on these dudes. So we got the idea to lower a stuff sack full of icy cold beer to them. I don't know what maleveolent spirit prompted me to play a cruel practical joke on them but every time they would try to grab for the sack I would snatch it away just out of reach. We called it "fishin' for Brits" and laughed uproariously. That is until they stole the bait.
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Showed up late Friday night with the intention of doing a relatively new Grade V route, Atlantis, with Pike Howard. Turns out we BOTH forgot to bring the topo. We talked ourselves into the idea that we don't need no stinkin' topo and got some sleep. At 4:30 in the morning, we get up and suddenly the idea of going up a 16 pitch 5.11 route in the Black without a topo seems, well, ill-advised. So we decide to have a leisurely breakfast and do Stand-up Comic (near Comic Relief) instead, a spicey climb, but only 6 pitches. Turned out to be a beautiful day in the Black. Gotta get Atlantis in the Fall.
Me and my daughter and my chest wig at North Chasm View.
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philo
Trad climber
boulder, co.
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Bump for more stories. Anyone?
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csdude
Trad climber
colo springs CO
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1986 - Goss Logan in the Black Canyon-
This was my first grade V and I was completly intimidated
from the get-go at our arival..The night before I
couldn't sleep a wink while hearing the river quietly
churning 1800 ft. down in the bottom of the canyon.
I lay there wide awake in my sleeping bag all night.
I got up and had breakfast then started "water loading"..
(someone had told me this was what you should do)
chugging about a gallon, and then I just threw up all of
it about 5 min. later, wasting all that time and effort
before we even started.
We 5th classed down the gully and arived at the base of
the cruise..The plan was rick and I would follow Tom
and Brad up the cruise in two parties. Somehow this plan
got aborted for worries about how much extra time this would take. So they decided that we should do Goss Logan. Ok, great...except it's 5.11 and it has notorious run-outs on shitty 1/4 in. bolts (at the time).
Yay ! gulp !!
Everything went fine until the about the 5-6th
pitch when it got roasting hot..The crux pitch
was way run out like 30 ft. to (at the time) lousy
1/4 in. bolts. another problem was I had just got my
shoes re-soled by Steve Chenney and he had experimented
with some new glue that was now utterly failing and
my soles were falling off.
I ended up taking a huge screamer on the .11 crux then had to climb back up to the crux again, and finnaly I sent it on the next try.
I was now spent, and used up all my water, and started getting
heat sickness. From then on out it seemed like a life or death
struggle to get to the top with about 10 more hard pitches
to do. It was like I was in hell, and had to climb out of
hell, or I would be in hell all night if we didn't make it.
I continued dry heaving my way up the rest of the way
while the roaring river mocked me from below.
The 6 hour drive back to the springs directly afterwards was
interesting too, as I hallucinated imaginary climbing gear
flying at me from the darkness of the highway all the way home. So perhaps this stands out in my mind as one of my more
serious adventures, El-Cap was cake compared to that thing.
What a wild freaky route it was !!
It has since been re-bolted, and is now hopefully a lot safer.
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philo
Trad climber
boulder, co.
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Nice post! A typical day of life and death adventure in the Black Thanks for sharing.
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James Doty
Trad climber
Idyllwild, Ca.
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Mar 11, 2010 - 01:17am PT
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Another good bump, Pate.
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Crimpergirl
Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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Mar 11, 2010 - 01:23am PT
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Chest wig! hahahaha.
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James Doty
Trad climber
Idyllwild, Ca.
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Mar 11, 2010 - 01:44am PT
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I don't have enough chest hair to fill a gnats' ear.
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Mar 11, 2010 - 09:49am PT
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Nice post, CSDude. I love these adventure stories.
It's March. The Black is calling....
edit: Crimpie, it's not funny. It weighs a ton.
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Robb
Social climber
The Greeley Triangle
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Mar 11, 2010 - 11:06pm PT
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Nonclimbing post redemption bump.....
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philo
Trad climber
Somewhere halfway over the rainbow
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Mar 18, 2010 - 10:51am PT
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Big bad big wall bump.
This was my hand drawn topo from back in the dark ages.
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philo
Trad climber
Somewhere halfway over the rainbow
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Mar 18, 2010 - 12:36pm PT
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The text goes as follows;
Phamous moments in
Philbert phoolery #511C
Phearless Philbert instructs the aging
Nimrod Numnut on alpine waste disposal.
Ya see Numnut, it's as easy
as falling off a cliff.
Just get yourself two real
flat, frisbee like, rocks.
One for the top and the other
for your bottom... Kinda
like making a sandwich...
Butt... Don't forget that
the job ain't finished till
the paperwork is thru...
Something along these lines actually took place at the now missing Kor's Cave bivy.
Unfortunately it really involved volatile explosive diarrhea, a dwindling supply of suitable rocks and an eventual forced retreat in "shitty" conditions.
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philo
Trad climber
Somewhere halfway over the rainbow
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Mar 18, 2010 - 08:29pm PT
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This was my first Black Canyon cartoon. I drew it on the back of a letter to Jim Nigro while I was teaching in the back woods wastelands of Texas. In some ways, like facial expressions and depth of field, I think it's one of my best even though it is rather primitive.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Mar 18, 2010 - 09:15pm PT
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Nice! How's Nigro?
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J. Werlin
Social climber
Cedaredge, CO
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Mar 18, 2010 - 11:06pm PT
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I'm digging the fuzzy pile jackets.
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philo
Trad climber
Somewhere halfway over the rainbow
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Mar 19, 2010 - 11:25am PT
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Jim is good. He just got back from Chile and Patagonia.
Good call on the pile jackets. Those were indeed the early, puke colored, fuzzy pile pull overs.
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ydpl8s
Trad climber
Santa Monica, California
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Mar 19, 2010 - 01:02pm PT
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Philo, I've never seen those two. Even if I blow it up I can't quite read the verbage on the Kor's cave one. Maybe you could post at a higher res.
Yeah, I heard that Mr. Nigro just got back from a fruitful trip to Patagonia. Are the rumors true that he did Fitzroy? Are there any details to be had?
Inquiring minds, residing in slothful individuals, want to know.
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philo
Trad climber
Somewhere halfway over the rainbow
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Mar 19, 2010 - 01:19pm PT
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MossMan I put the text in with the toon above^^^.
Oh and NO Fitz.
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The Alpine
Big Wall climber
Tampa, FL
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Mar 19, 2010 - 01:23pm PT
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The Black is awesome - definitely need to get back there.
From the Fall of '09.
Here's a short vid with some Black and Creek footage:
http://vimeo.com/7196930
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philo
Trad climber
Somewhere halfway over the rainbow
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Mar 21, 2010 - 11:58am PT
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That was a nice video.
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philo
Trad climber
Somewhere halfway over the rainbow
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Black gash bump.
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hooblie
climber
from where the anecdotes roam
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Sep 25, 2010 - 12:19am PT
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bump
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domngo
Trad climber
Ottawhere, Ontariwho
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Oct 19, 2010 - 07:10pm PT
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BUMP!
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The Larry
climber
Moab, UT
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Dec 28, 2010 - 04:01am PT
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poke
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philo
Trad climber
Somewhere halfway over the rainbow
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Dec 28, 2010 - 07:30am PT
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Luke, YDPL8S is Scott Mossman an old school Gunnistoner from the 70s.
Nice story of benightment.
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CBclimber
Trad climber
Gunnison Valley, Colorado
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Thanks Phil. I believe I drank a beer with you once at Taylor. Well, I hope there is a "Gunnistoner" book put together some day, a Gunny Valley version like the new John Long "Stonemasters" book.
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Allen Hill
Social climber
CO.
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That'd be a story. More about Southern Colorado climbers than just Gunnison Valley guys and gals. Though the rope drag could get bad from time to time, The Gunnison and C. Spings climbers always had much more in common with each other than with the Eldo boys. (with a few very notable exceptions)
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ydpl8s
Trad climber
Santa Monica, California
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It would have to be written pretty soon, all of those brain cells are fading fast:-)
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Kalimon
Trad climber
Ridgway, CO
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BUMP!
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Vic
climber
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Feb 11, 2014 - 01:11pm PT
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Black Canyon Bump...
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ydpl8s
Trad climber
Santa Monica, California
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Feb 11, 2014 - 01:58pm PT
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^^^^
Love it!
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o-man
Social climber
Paia,Maui,HI
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Feb 17, 2014 - 10:56pm PT
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I am stoked to come across this thread again.
It brings back the memories of adventures that I shared with some quality people in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison.
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Kalimon
Social climber
Ridgway, CO
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Feb 17, 2014 - 11:34pm PT
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Really nice photo Vic! Care to share some more?
Diagonal Will is not exactly a trade route.
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Kalimon
Social climber
Ridgway, CO
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Feb 17, 2014 - 11:52pm PT
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philo
Trad climber
Is that light the end of the tunnel or a train?
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Feb 18, 2014 - 12:26am PT
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Thanx a lot Vic. I'd almost gotten that route out of my head. Nightmares tonight.
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Vic
climber
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Really nice photo Vic! Care to share some more?
Diagonal Will is not exactly a trade route.
This route is indeed nightmarish... a striking feature on an incredible buttress, but it will never be a trade route. Of all the excellent rock climbs in the Black, this is perhaps not one of them.
Most of the prominent crack systems and weaknesses in the Canyon tend to be fairly rotten upon closer inspection. Diagonal Will is no exception. The climb was first rated 5.10+ when Bryan Becker and Ed Webster freed the majority of the original Kor line, Swallow Wall (V 5.7 A4), in 1978. Where Swallow Wall moved left under massive overhangs high on the buttress, Diagonal Will exited on run-out slabs to the right, creating an all free variation, 21 years after Kor and Gross first scaled the formation.
At some point during the '80s, half of the sixth pitch simply feel off the wall. One of the original topos stated, "P6.(5.9+) After some suspect rock enter a wild chimney which leads out the lip of the roof. Continue in the main crack until you can step left to a great belay ledge, the first in a while." With the right half of the chimney system now lying on the banks of the Gunnison River below, there were reports that this rockfall had created a 5.11+ X pitch. It seemed that the handful of people that might have climbed Diagonal Will when it was rated 5.10+ R, were sure as sh#t going to pass on it now.
Although there were definitely a few climbers that tackled Diagonal Will, post-rockfall, the route pretty much sank into obscurity. Although I had always been intrigued by the buttress, I never even considered the possibility of attempting a line with that kind of reputation. When my friend asked if I wanted to climb the route, I was all for it, but I wasn't going to lead any of the business (which is perhaps my MO in the Black Canyon more often than I would like to admit). I am in awe of my friend's tenacity and mental fortitude to push the limits of climbing in an arena like the Black. Having ticked some of the hardest lines that the Canyon has to offer, I knew that if anyone could tackle an X-rated 5.11+ pitch with confidence, it would be him. Still I was quite nervous, truth be told.
The bottom of the route went quickly. We simul-climbed the first 400 feet or so, setting up the belay where the wall began to steepen. We moved through some loose and challenging climbing and a short, but run-out 5.10 pegmatite face, which ended on a pedestal above a hanging garden of vegetation. [see photo above] From here, a handful of loose 5.9 pitches led through a chimney to a stance below the "mystery crux." The scarred wall certainly showed signs of having held many tons of rock, comprising what had once been the right side of the "5.9+ chimney" documented in 1978. Now the stretch of climbing above was nothing more than a shallow, right-facing corner, infested with loose blocks and a layer of sediment that seemed partially responsible for keeping everything that was left intact. Although it looked relatively featured, with the potential for solid gear from here and there, I wanted no part of it!
My buddy made quick work of the crux, moving like a jedi among the hanging rubble, unearthing solid pro occasionally and sewing up whatever weakness might take gear, as he moved towards the left edge of a large roof above. He quickly went out of sight, and I was left with the uneasy feeling that comes from every jerky movement that the leader makes on the rope... as you are left in the darkness below with your worst imaginations of what might happen at any point. 40 meters out, 50 meters, 60, 65... sh#t... I yelled up at the wall, but felt sure he couldn't hear me. I was petrified at the idea that I might have to simul-climb. With a few feet of rope left, there was the welcomed pause of someone constructed a belay. Phew. The rope tightened and I began climbing. At the first piece of pro, I removed a red camalot from behind a tall, narrow block... then peeled it off the wall - freeing it into the abyss below. The mystery pitch was certainly a pile, but we both agreed that it felt more like 5.11 R (for tricky, questionable pro) rather than 5.11+ X.
As I followed the pitch, I saw why my friend had ran the pitch to the end of the rope. Having passed an ideal belay stance at 20-30 meters, there was nothing but a shallow, rotten crack system for over a hundred feet. Having used most of the hand sized pieces down low (and saving the rest for a belay) my friend had run it out in 40-50 foot stretches up the decaying 5.10 choss corner.
We were now below the massive pegmatite band of the upper buttress, where Diagonal Will diverges from the original route on the formation. The simple - and perhaps understated - original topo labeled this section "5.10 face. No pro." After battled through the run-out peg band which guarded easier terrain above, we both felt that this had been the crux of the route - incredibly thin face climbing, well above gear, which seemed closer to 5.11+ than 5.10. It is possible that we did not take the correct path... it seemed feasible to do some various traversing options... (possibly tension traversing, etc...) ??
I would be curious to hear if anyone else found the traverse up high to be the crux of the route? Phil?
Either way, it seemed a fitting end to a wild and terrifying climb. Now on easier terrain, we simuled out to the rim. Hot, tired and mentally wrecked, I stumbled back through the thickets of oak brush leading to the trail. I honestly felt more taxed from belaying up the majority of the route than some of the hardest leads I had had in the Canyon. I was proud of my friend. That route was f*&k'd.
Although I believe that many of the descriptions regarding the general nature of the climbing in the Black Canyon are embellished, to say the least, I would agree that Diagonal Will is a bit of a horror show.
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ydpl8s
Trad climber
Santa Monica, California
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If you read Phil's account of the 2nd ascent (with Tom Pulaski)on mp.com, it sounds like he agrees with you about that peg traverse.
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philo
Trad climber
Is that light the end of the tunnel or a train?
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Excellent account Vic. You gave a great feel to the lunacy up there.
The supposed crux pitch in the dihedral is steep and desperate but it fairly pales to moderate compared to the mind f*#k of that desperate and unprotected pegmatite traverse.
It's funny but one of the pitches that sticks in my mind from both ascents is one of the pitches way up high in the exit cracks of the upper dihedral. I remember it so vividly because the crack was lined on both sides with a layer of fine crystals like diamond studded armor. Jamming into those crystals on a route at a local crag would have probably been uncomfortable enough to avoid that climb. But up there on the precipitous walls, so close to the rim, after so many desperate struggles getting there, it felt so GOOOOOD and secure to jam those razor sharp crystals into the ragged flesh of my sweaty hands. The second time up I was just motoring for the rim like a banchee when without looking I slipped my hand into the very jam I had a few years earlier. I recognized it by feel first. Immediately I looked at my hand in the crack and new for a certainty that in an odd way I was home.
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Crag Q
Trad climber
Louisville, Colorado
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Vic, awesome accounting of your adventure. Thanks for sharing!
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Kalimon
Social climber
Ridgway, CO
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Thanks Vic! Really nice story telling and writing. I've scoped this wall from the South Rim and it is a beautiful, massive vertical sweep. Hopefully I'll get on it before it is too late.
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duck on a bike
climber
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Sure, if I may, I'll try to be brief,
-My 1st time to the black my partner (not first time to the black but first time climbing with me)didn't want to get too committed thought it a good idea to do Astro Dog from the North Rim via Cruise Gully. Looking back I sorta get it. We descended armed with two quarts of water a P.B. and J and I managed to stuff a glazed doughnut in my pocket (unwrapped). Made it a pitch above 2 boulder, out of water food and just about light. Back across the river and partway up the cruise I was about to pass out due to low blood sugar levels/ dehydration I turned to my glazed doughnut but couldn't eat it with no water. We found a cave dripping water one drop at a time near the last cruise rappel(?)and I used my parka to collect about three mouthfuls of water. We split the smashed doughnut pieces, lint included and swallowed the cement. We popped out of the cruise gulley 26 hrs later. I guess that was a less committing way.
And so began a decade+ so far of as Jeff Achey puts it great "successes". And of course success :-).
D...
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Kalimon
Social climber
Ridgway, CO
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Anyone have any Highway 66/Dylan wall stories? The lower "face" pitches left of Journey Home are beautiful.
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o-man
Social climber
Paia,Maui,HI
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Serious Respect from this end, Vic and Philo!
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philo
Trad climber
Is that light the end of the tunnel or a train?
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Thanks O-Man.
Kalimon I agree that the Diagonal Will is one of the single most stunning lines in the Black, absolutely beautiful. And I would also say that other than the "Yer Gunna Die" factor present in most pitches, the climbing is damn cool if the rock stays in place. But you seem to have missed the point that you'd have to be plum crazy to go up that route.
The supposed crux dihedral pitch where rock fell from has always been a nightmare. I would easily and unabashedly call it 5.11 r/x for both times I survived it. As I've described it was a very unstable patch of unprotected overhanging geologic sputum somehow stuck to the wall.
I was over that way last year and scoped the wall. The dirty snow ball is gone now but I can't help thinking that is a good thing and that the base rock should offer some better opportunities for protection. That being said The upper traverse pitches are really the ones that will seize your sphincter tight enough to cut washers from. And the belay among the teetering loose killer blocks on the edge of the arete was enough to loose the bowels of hell on you. Very conflicting gastrointestinal adventure.
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Kalimon
Social climber
Ridgway, CO
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Thanks Philo! Really nice photo of the spectacular line up of massive buttresses. I've lots of other unfinished business in the Black . . . your advice is appreciated. Have you any stories of Earl and Katy's efforts to the right of DW?
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philo
Trad climber
Is that light the end of the tunnel or a train?
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Kalimon I'm not aware of Katy and Earl doing much to the right of the Diagonal Will Route. That is a huge intimidating expanse of unknown out there. They did do some serious routes to the right of the Hooker Buttress route. Dry Hard IV 5.10+ FA Katie Cassidy And Earl Wiggins 9/84 and Cheap Shot V 5.10+ X Katie Cassidy and Earl Wiggins 9/84 are two big routes with serious reputations. Earl (RIP) used to climb with a 300 ft 9ml rope and run it to the hilt. Those two were inspired and driven to extremes.
The two routes mentioned above are not for everyone nor likely to ever attain trad route status.
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Grippa
Trad climber
Salt Lake City, UT
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Apr 28, 2014 - 06:11pm PT
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hitting the black in 2 weeks for the first time. psyched, spooked, stoked, and psyched again!
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
sawatch choss
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Apr 28, 2014 - 08:18pm PT
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Highway 61 to the JH is not that big a deal-sorry to disappoint! I can't speak for the Dylan Wall.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Apr 28, 2014 - 09:51pm PT
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I did Highway 66 with Jay Smith 2 or 3 years ago. Great climb, clean and engaging....harder than the Scenic Cruise. The Second Ear is rated 10+ but you'll be less surprised if you expect 11-, which it is.
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
sawatch choss
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Apr 29, 2014 - 09:04am PT
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That Second Ear definitely stumped me. I remember wishing for a couple of things to be...different from how they were. Oh well. The first ear: dead obvious. And you get to skip the first pitch of the Journey Home, which is not such a bad deal. I'd like to do it again and, um, clean up the performance a bit.
So philo, if the Diagonal Will is such a horror show, why'd you do it twice? You must have a serious choss addiction.
Anyone know anything about a recent rescue on something called 'Hotlanta'?
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philo
Trad climber
Is that light the end of the tunnel or a train?
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Apr 29, 2014 - 10:21am PT
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http://watchnewspapers.com/new-injured-climber-successfully-rescued-from-black-canyon/
FR: Black Canyon of the Gunnsion National Park Press Release
MONTROSE — The combined efforts of search and rescue teams from Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Ouray Mountain Rescue, West Elk Mountain Rescue, and Western State Mountain Rescue, resulted in a successful evacuation of an injured climber on Sunday, April 13.
Rangers at Black Canyon received a report of an injured climber Saturday evening. Climbing rangers, including a park paramedic, located the patient late that evening and bivouacked overnight while providing medical assistance for multiple injuries. The climber was injured when he pulled a large boulder off the wall while leading a pitch on a route called “Hotlanta”, on the Atlantis buttress.
Additional technical rescue teams arrived on Sunday to raise the patient 1,800 feet to the canyon’s North Rim. Intermittent white out conditions, with heavy, wet snow and gusty winds challenged the rescuers during this high angle rescue.
Superintendent Connie Rudd said, “I am very proud of our search and rescue team and of the outstanding cooperative effort involved with our local partners. They have proven once again that visitor and employee safety is of ultimate importance. They carried out this nearly 24 hour long rescue with the utmost of professionalism.”
The climber, who is from Durango, Colorado, is described as stable with ankle, chest, and facial injuries.
So philo, if the Diagonal Will is such a horror show, why'd you do it twice? You must have a serious choss addiction.
That's a good question I have asked myself several times.
You do know that Broscovak is a Polish name right?
That could explain a lot.
The Poles are known for their stoic ability to endure hardship and suffering.
Maybe I just couldn't find a suitably miserable bread line.
Actually there was a time last century when I was a "real" climber, strong, driven and ambitious. I was recovering from my first knee rebuild and developing a strong climbing relationship with a new partner. For a while we were unstopable and we had big plans for serious adventure. Diagonal Will was simply a test of our teamwork and abilities.
Unfortunately a slew of subsequent surgeries scuttled those plans and my dreams of grand adventure. Oh well. Now I am just a brokendown has been wanted to be dirtbag. Same as it ever was. LOL.
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philo
Trad climber
Is that light the end of the tunnel or a train?
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Apr 29, 2014 - 05:31pm PT
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So Rhodo-Router are you thinking of going up the DW?
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Apr 29, 2014 - 06:41pm PT
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Some good stuff here. Great story Vic.
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philo
Trad climber
Is that light the end of the tunnel or a train?
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May 15, 2014 - 10:58am PT
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bumpin for the Black.
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ydpl8s
Trad climber
Santa Monica, California
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Bump for great climbing content (and last entry has Greg and Ken showing that silverback swagger)
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o-man
Social climber
Paia,Maui,HI
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That's a great photo of Greg and Ken on the north rim after their send of Scenic Cruise.
Here's one of Ken and I in the same place back in the 80's after doing ether the Cruise or Scenic Cruise. I forget which.
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
sawatch choss
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Aug 17, 2014 - 01:33pm PT
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Pretty high up there for still in the sunshine Grug! I think I've always been in the shade by that point.
And uh, no. Philo.
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Aug 17, 2014 - 04:39pm PT
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Sheesh, I'm getting the Black Canyon Jones's. It starts like this for me...and there's only one cure. Vedauwoo is "fun", and it's amazing how maybe 300 feet of climbing can work you. But it's not the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. That's my holy place.
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
sawatch choss
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Sep 11, 2014 - 08:30pm PT
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The season is upon us! Although I have a non-ambitious agenda planned for next week, I'm still a teensy bit nervous.
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Sonic
Trad climber
Boulder, Co
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Oct 28, 2014 - 12:09pm PT
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Black Bump!
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thebravecowboy
climber
The Good Places
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Oct 30, 2015 - 02:19pm PT
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I wonder how much Grug had to pay for that bearpaw enhancement. But damn if those things aren't twice the mitts of mine - and mine immediately got the "oooh, my girlfriend wishes I had fingers that thick" thing from my 300lb lesbian co-worker
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philo
climber
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Oct 30, 2015 - 09:32pm PT
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Stories? We don need no stinkin' stories!
We need pics, stinkin' pics.
Lots and lots of stinkin' pics.
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Missed this post, Philo. Very nice! Love that last drawing. Beautiful. I've been getting flabby. Going to the gym, or Boulder Canyon, or even Eldorado isn't gonna do it for me. I need a Black Canyon fix. But first, let's say 10,000 Seal Jacks. An inspiring story would be nice.
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overwatch
climber
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Pics are great but I really love scary stories too.
That drawing is beautiful, reminiscent of Van Gogh, Starry Night
never much liked his posting style but a very talented guy
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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May 17, 2016 - 06:39pm PT
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Jun 13, 2016 - 06:52pm PT
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Like those last pics! Here's my girl, who loves hanging out with me at the Black.
This is some of what she does apparently while waiting for me to climb out of the canyon.
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bob
climber
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Jun 13, 2016 - 07:57pm PT
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
sawatch choss
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Jun 14, 2016 - 10:40am PT
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Nice Bob! Cheap Hooker?
We snuck down to the Crystal Vision and Blackjack last week.... no real stories to report, I'm afraid.
Well, maybe one. We decide to haul the packs for the P6 'fists roof' (which turned out to be NBD hands) on Crystalvision.... so homie in the lead trails the line, which the second had been trailing until this point. Maybe 90' up I watch the end of the trail line lift off the ledge and frantically yell up for him to wait up! Turns out the line had been mysteriously chopped, I guess by rockfall, somewhere beneath this point. So somewhere down there is about 110' of blue trail line waiting for the next party to come along...sorry folks.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Jun 14, 2016 - 07:35pm PT
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Headiing there Thursday with George Lowe....training for our return to the Latok area in August.
Gonna be hot so we'll be chasing the shade. The Black rules!
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wayne w
Trad climber
the nw
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Jun 14, 2016 - 11:44pm PT
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No photos in my possession, but in between storms I got in a 14 hour push of Astrodog, on May 25th, with my friends Timmy O Neil and Dave Chewy. A 24 hour flu bug made it a bit spicier than it would have been normally, but it rained like hell the next day, so any bile on the wall was washed away quickly.
I'm with Jim, the Black rules!
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ydpl8s
Trad climber
Santa Monica, California
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Aug 31, 2016 - 11:30am PT
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Just thought I would bump this with a picture from the wayback machine (early to mid 70's) of some of the Black's finest dirtbags.
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Aug 31, 2016 - 12:38pm PT
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How about some names to go with those faces?
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ydpl8s
Trad climber
Santa Monica, California
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Aug 31, 2016 - 05:28pm PT
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That would be (l to r) Jimmy Newberry, Bob Dickerson, John Pearson (whose nose was split open by a rock while belaying John Rosholt leading up to the Roofs of Mordor on the FA of Journey Through Mirkwood), and the late Scotty Gilbert (brother of Michael Gilbert of Boulder).
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Aug 31, 2016 - 06:07pm PT
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Always loved that name (big Tolkien fan, and, of course, it fits), Thanks!
Also, love the picture -- a lot.
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Apr 24, 2017 - 03:30pm PT
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Got a minor one. So, yesterday, Henry Lester and I did the Porcelain Arete, a 12-pitch 5.9+ immediately upstream from the Painted Wall. To be perfectly honest, it's probably the least-recommended of the routes I've done in the Black. I'd tell you to bring a canister of and delivery system for Roundup, but then, half of the bushes appear dead already. Gardening tools might be better.
The satisfaction in doing a route like this is in summiting a significant feature that involves a full day of hiking and climbing (those are 12 long pitches), killer positions and views, and not getting your ass lost. I can barely walk down the 5 stairs from the upstairs to the main level today.
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BrassNuts
Trad climber
Save your a_s, reach for the brass...
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Apr 24, 2017 - 06:32pm PT
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Typical scene on the Porcelain Arete, 2005. NWR on the Black Canyon rating system in my opinion (Not Worth Repeating :-)
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Vic
climber
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Apr 25, 2017 - 07:38pm PT
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Porcelain Arete - such a beautiful feature and position in the Black Canyon. Full-on, moderate, alpine adventure. If only the quality of the climbing was a little bit better. Kor was onto something, for sure.
W.R.T.Y.L. (Worth Repeating Ten Years Later)... once you forget about those man-eating bushes and dirt in your eyes.
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skcreidc
Social climber
SD, CA
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Apr 25, 2017 - 07:50pm PT
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NICE views on that arete!!
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Apr 26, 2017 - 04:50am PT
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Well said, Vic. On further reflection, I'm changing my least-recommended opinion. I've been thinking about the climb a lot. In many ways, this is a perfect adventure climb at very moderate grade, but don't expect a more moderate version of the Scenic Cruise. And don't expect Journey Home 5.9 pitches. The climbing is mostly easy with just a move or two of 5.9 here and there. It's fun to move fast. The overall adventure involves a big hiking component, and it wouldn't be that hard to get off-route. To tell you the truth, I'm actually not all that bothered by the bushes.
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Nick Danger
Ice climber
Arvada, CO
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Apr 26, 2017 - 06:49am PT
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Bump for the Black, that place is Holy Ground.
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Gnome Ofthe Diabase
climber
Out Of Bed
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Nov 12, 2018 - 04:53pm PT
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A
Has it shed its skin yet?
Bump?
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Nov 12, 2018 - 04:56pm PT
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I’m alrady thinking of the upcoming spring season.
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AKTrad
Mountain climber
AK
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Nov 17, 2018 - 10:51pm PT
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Jim Donini and I climbed a fine route this fall in the Black. I don't remember the name because I rarely consult a guidebook...I just go climbing with Jim. About halfway up he remarked, "I'll bet we're the only 150 year old climbing rope in the country!" (two 75-year olds). I seldom have a camera, but I took one in 2015 when we did "Russian Arete". Here are a few photos:
Cheers, Ralph
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