justthemaid
climber
Jim Henson's Basement
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Jan 25, 2013 - 09:06am PT
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All this talk of choss is making me pine for Texas Canyon.
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ydpl8s
Trad climber
Santa Monica, California
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Jan 25, 2013 - 09:13am PT
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The San Juans, oh yeah, been there, done lots of that, at least 2 or 3 in that last picture.
Here's another choss meister from that general area.
The infamous Chossmaster Bob Dickerson (of Gunnison fame) once told me (paraphrasing) "you just need to keep moving, if the hold falls off right after you leave it, well you were just helping Mother Nature's physical erosion a little bit"
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Jan 25, 2013 - 09:19am PT
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Cripes, at this stage of the game my entire BODY is choss.
... And it is neither powerful nor compelling. Ha!
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Jan 25, 2013 - 09:24am PT
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I've been by that thing YDS, on the "shortcut" from Ouray to Gunnison. It has a history as you know.
There is even more venerable choss to be ogled along the way. (See below).
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ydpl8s
Trad climber
Santa Monica, California
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Jan 25, 2013 - 11:10am PT
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Yeah, that's Chimney Rock, we got there driving up the road from Cimmaron after directions from Jimmy Newberry. It's right near Turret Ridge and not too far from Coxcomb.
Here's another pic from that general area looking towards the giant choss Uncompahgre, from the top of Wetterhorn (which actually has some good rock on it). This pic was taken in the Fall of 72, the guy in the orange wind breaker is co-author of one of the Colorado mountain guides (can't remember the name of it) Gary Kocsis.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Jan 25, 2013 - 11:44am PT
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The picture at the top of the page (knuclehead in blue pants & white helmet) is the Wetterhorn direct finish. Not all THAT loose.
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mrtropy
Trad climber
Nor Cal
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Jan 25, 2013 - 11:59am PT
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StahlBro
Trad climber
San Diego, CA
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Jan 25, 2013 - 12:01pm PT
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
the crowd MUST BE MOCKED...Mocked I tell you.
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 25, 2013 - 12:23pm PT
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yesh!
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Don Paul
Big Wall climber
Colombia, South America
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Jan 25, 2013 - 12:44pm PT
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Tarbuster, I found the rotwand compelling for the same reason, its seems a route is "more trad" if its got loose rock on it. Well if you want to get gripped in Eldo there are lots of ways to do it. For some reason I was attracted by the idea that there's a big part of Eldo where no one climbs, didn't really think about why.
Once I was in the Adirondaks on a route, I dont remember the name but it was a kind of pillar made of detached broken blocks, probably 5.7 climbing but every single move and every gear placement was on disconnected blocks just stacked on each other. Definitely adds to the excitement of a route.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Jan 25, 2013 - 12:58pm PT
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Yes, we begin to perceive the hazards differently. The mind becomes enriched through that process of penetrating through the outer layer of puzzle pieces and peeling them away, discrediting the unwanted holds and stances. Intuiting the safe passage: that's the name of the game and the fun of it! Choss is boss. User experience may vary.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Jan 25, 2013 - 01:09pm PT
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Think about it: even the Bachar Yerian is ... uh ... Choss. It's well-known, (not that I'd know), that you must be keenly selective with the fragile knobs or the big ride is yours for the taking.
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Jebus H Bomz
climber
Reno, Nuh VAAAA duh
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Jan 25, 2013 - 01:16pm PT
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Gal, yep that's Camelback right in the middle of Phoenix. I only had an afternoon after a training class in Phoenix a few years ago, and Manny gave me a gracious tour of fun stuff including his own creations. Or are they simply revelations of what hath been created already?
I recognized the area, especially in conjunction with Manny's name.
The rock there varies for sure. I did some very low grade soloing there and felt safe. I also did a climb of Manny's called Dr. Demento and did not! Let's just say it has a highly evolving grade.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
the crowd MUST BE MOCKED...Mocked I tell you.
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 25, 2013 - 03:41pm PT
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Intuiting the safe passage
Great name for a route!
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Jan 25, 2013 - 05:38pm PT
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I found all manner of variants tooling around off piste in Eldorado Canyon. Concocted a direct variation of Yellow Spur requiring sling protection around a torso sized wing of rock hinging out of the crack. Sling it, check it and commit full body weight to it, hanging straight off the arms to reach a higher jam. Straightened the route out really nicely with two independent pitches mid-route. Did it a couple of times; once with Rob Slater. I told him I didn't think it should go in the guidebook. He disagreed.
Lots of other more insignificant straightening out of routes to be had on not so consolidated ground. Or just without protection. At the top of Outer Space, a variation which I believe is listed, you can just cut straight up and slightly right, without protection in shallow pockets. Being able to handle weird ground is the key to that kind of meandering activity. Creative freedom!
One day I heard the siren song and on-site soloed Roof Wall on Hotspur. Including the Erickson 5.10 undercling start. But that's not where the spice was. There be a fair amount of loose/flexi but navigable 5.8 rock in the midsection, topped by a semi-crunchy 5.9+ overhanging finger crack. Hotspur has got a few other B-list jewels. Like Northumberland crack, a semi-crunchy OW, no real wide gear necessary for the lead but probably seldom climbed. Or SunStar, an independent route with mixed quality just right of Hotspur, also sans cord for me on just another day out under the sun; I think it would protect okay, but not great. Either way it's pure adventure and the Choss somewhat defines it.
"Go where you want to go and do what you want to do." Nothing like mastery to keep the soul ticking along in the groove. Man that is good living when you are fully tuned and up for it!
[Disclaimer: soloing Choss is kind of doing it on the cheap. Wiggling in sporadic protection while passing over uncelebrated ground is a big part of the kick.]
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