Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
Messages 1 - 78 of total 78 in this topic |
Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
|
|
Topic Author's Original Post - Jun 21, 2006 - 03:53pm PT
|
Its not whether you win or loose,
The summit is not so important as the journey,
But whenever possible, try to look cool for the camera:
This is the place to post photos and stories.
Share your hip and daring exploits amongst the Rockies.
Here's part1:
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.html?topic_id=196724&f=35&b=0
(Indian Peaks B&W Photos, Canada, and the Like, Plus Some Hooey Mixed in Fer Good Measure...)
Here's part 2:
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.html?topic_id=204602&f=0&b=0
(Fun B&W photos, San Juans, RMNP)
|
|
Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
|
|
Jun 21, 2006 - 05:21pm PT
|
So, raise your hands if you've ever climbed the Mosquito Wall on Flattop. What, no one? Another lost route.... In Walt Fricke's 1971 guidebook, Mosquito Wall was the only technical route on the mountain. Fittingly, it tackles the the steepest wall, on the right side of the center buttress below.
Fricke rated the climb III, 5.8, A1 and included this colorful description of the crux from the first ascent (Mayrose and Bradley, 1964):
"A solid bolt was placed here for aid, but may be eliminated with two 3" bongs. Above the bulge are two small handholds, upon which it is necessary to do a lovely hanging pulling -up, followed by a stand on your own right hand and a mad thrash into the upper part of the jam crack in a most unflattering series of moves."
We thought that sounded worth the approach. Here is John Byrd at those two small handholds, making the first (AFAWK) free ascent in 1974:
Before Gore-Tex, when it rained, you got wet. Gary Hall (lower right) experienced a thunderstorm double whammy of contact lense trouble and hypothermia.
|
|
mcKbill
Boulder climber
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
|
|
Jun 21, 2006 - 05:26pm PT
|
Tarbuster,
I've been enjoying this thread very much as RMNP is a favorite place for me and my wife to hike. Now that you've started part 3 I feel it is okay for me to share a link to our Longs Peak scramble page.
Longs Peak Scramble
This, above, is the marmut who inspected our packs as we rested near the Agnes Vaille shelter at the Keyhole formation. She was bold and was determined to inspect EVERYTHING. I had to tug my pack out of her little marmut claws.
|
|
Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
Otto, NC
|
|
Jun 21, 2006 - 07:06pm PT
|
The cure for that marmot issue:
If we can't have wolves, at least we can keep the little buggers on their toes with domesticated animals.
|
|
Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 21, 2006 - 08:32pm PT
|
Cool.
Load it up folks, my chamber is empty.
Except for what is still on a roll of unfinished film in my 23 lb Nikon FE2...
Chiloe!
Is the Fricke guide the white one? It comes after the green one right?
At any rate I think we are talking about a really cool book, 'cuz it is like, the missing link to the RMNP region when looking for free ascent type stuff from the 70's.
I have photo-copied most of Don Petersons copy. Of note are things like a burly 3 pitch 5.11 on Storm Peak plus stuff such as the things you have trotted out for us. These things are missing in modern guides...
Rossiter does list Mosquito Wall, but does not list your pals as doing the FFA.
He may be calling Storm Peak "Half Mountain", and the route I'm talkin' he says is a Snively Westbay creation (a likely story, no foolin').
Any body done the Direct N Butress on Chiefshead? 5.8.
|
|
Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
|
|
Jun 22, 2006 - 09:07am PT
|
Chiloe!
Is the Fricke guide the white one? It comes after the green one right?
At any rate I think we are talking about a really cool book, 'cuz it is like, the missing link to the RMNP region when looking for free ascent type stuff from the 70's.
Fricke's original 1971 guide has a green plastic cover, with B&W photos of Longs Peak front and back. The first printing was notorious for falling apart, but it was invaluable as the first general guidebook to RMNP.
Rossiter does list Mosquito Wall, but does not list your pals as doing the FFA.
In the 1971 guide there are a number of old routes, now described as free climbs, that originally involved a bit of aid. In addition to Mosquito Wall (III, 5.8, A1) on Flattop and Mayrose-Bucknam (III, 5.7, A1) on Hallett, these include Kors Door (II, 5.7, A1) on Longs, the Flying Buttress (III, 5.8, A1) on Meeker, and Optimismus (III, 5.8, A1) on Notchtop.
At a time when free climbers with actual talent were concentrating their efforts on the Diamond, some friends and I went hiking around to clean up these less notable routes. We did some research at the time--talked with Covington, Westbay, Fricke and others in Estes, checked the route book at Komito's--so AFAWK these were FFAs, but of course that's an uncertain claim. Later guidebooks just listed all of the routes as free.
|
|
dirtineye
Trad climber
the south
|
|
Jun 22, 2006 - 09:41am PT
|
High altitude groundhogs, like their flatlander cousins, must die!
Tar-baby, no way you can be out of bullets.
Guess you will jsut have to make some more.
|
|
Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 22, 2006 - 09:45am PT
|
gotcha chiloe,
i've perused the fricke book.
i'm thinking about the next book; published probably in 79 or about the time jim erickson put out rocky heights.
AFAWK works just fine in terms of a fresh experience.
|
|
Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
|
|
Jun 22, 2006 - 12:53pm PT
|
AFAWK works just fine in terms of a fresh experience.
Definitely. And for extra freshness these were possibly the first hammerless ascents as well. It was that post-pitons, pre-Friends era where stoppers and hexes were all that you carried. On routes with no topo, rating or fixed gear, that could add to the adventure level too. One upside was that you mostly left no trace. We had no idea what the Spearhead route below might be called, and whether ours (1974) was the first or fifteenth ascent.
|
|
Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 22, 2006 - 02:33pm PT
|
chiloe,
you do have a nice little stash of shots chronicling the region's off beat challenges. (spearhead not so offbeat).
fun.
all nut ascents: that's a notable, noble, and gutsy movement unique to the seventies and even more so in the mountains.
hey, did you get into the wind rivers?
i'll throw some of that up.
i think it qualifies as the greater rockies.
|
|
Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 23, 2006 - 12:31am PT
|
???
|
|
Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
|
|
Jun 23, 2006 - 09:47am PT
|
Tarbuster, I haven't been to the Winds -- I was mostly a Boulder/Nevada commuter, back in the day. I'll look forward to what you and others post.
One last Colorado shot from the wooden-ice-axe era: October sunset near the summit of Taylor Peak.
|
|
Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 23, 2006 - 10:54am PT
|
Chiloe,
wait wait, don't go away yet.
i dig your old school shots.
what else you got in your archive, like area-wise besides the rockies? East Coast? West Coast? Key Largo?
|
|
Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
|
|
Jun 23, 2006 - 10:58am PT
|
Chiloe, your photo looks like the Dragon's Tail on Flattop Mtn. We thought about going up there, but none of the routes had more than a few stars so we took the recommendation to go elsewhere from that.
Yes, the Flattop photo does show the Dragons Tail, though I didn't hear that name for it until years later.
The route we did, Mosquito Wall, has a couple of good pitches but doesn't deserve stars. But again, we didn't have stars to go by back then, just climbed things that called to us.
Turned out to be a pretty wild day anyhow -- fun-in-the-sun FFA climbing that gave way to survival climbing through lightning and hail higher up. I've forgotten hundreds of starred climbs, but won't forget that one.
|
|
Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 23, 2006 - 11:02am PT
|
Pingora, Wind Rivers:
|
|
Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
Otto, NC
|
|
Jun 23, 2006 - 11:20am PT
|
Well kids, not to break the spell of rosy-hued nostalgia but we did a spot of clambering only yesterday up in the Rockies, on
Mt. Massive. Since I've lived here for 4+ years I figured it was finally time to hike the western skyline, and of course the response
on gaining the ridge was a forehead-smacking "why haven't I done this before?"
Hiking up:
|
|
dirtineye
Trad climber
the south
|
|
Jun 23, 2006 - 11:24am PT
|
sadi it before Rhodo, but man, that is a nice pic.
|
|
Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 23, 2006 - 11:28am PT
|
YOW!
|
|
Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
Otto, NC
|
|
Jun 23, 2006 - 11:44am PT
|
Here's the ridge W of town, aka Mt Massive:
Nice smudge, I know.
|
|
Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
Otto, NC
|
|
Jun 23, 2006 - 11:45am PT
|
The craglet:
|
|
Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
Otto, NC
|
|
Jun 23, 2006 - 11:47am PT
|
From many miles away this torrecita and its central cleavage can be seen on the shoulder of Mt Massive. Finally, we went up and got a closer look:
Sucker was wide, but not that bad.
der klettersummit:
Massive Wasting?
Ours and the ones behind it are a series of huge flakes calving off of the eastern flank of the ridge.
Back in the glacial days this side was gnawed at by snow and ice
blown over from the west side all winter.
This tower is the outermost one in the earlier photos.
|
|
Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
Otto, NC
|
|
Jun 23, 2006 - 11:56am PT
|
The southern aspect hosts a series of flakes and esplitters reminiscent of the Turkey Perch
over in the Splatte. Alan found this one to his liking:
Time to go!
|
|
Richard Large
climber
where you least expect
|
|
Jun 23, 2006 - 12:00pm PT
|
The fantastic Petite Grepon from the north (up near the Gash)...
|
|
Richard Large
climber
where you least expect
|
|
Jun 23, 2006 - 12:03pm PT
|
The beautiful 3rd pitch of the Direct Exum Ridge on the Grand Teton...
Rhodo - point taken.
|
|
Euroford
Trad climber
Chicago, IL
|
|
Jun 23, 2006 - 12:29pm PT
|
you guys, i'm soooo lovin these threads, as if i wasn't psyched up enough as it is! thanks!
|
|
Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
Otto, NC
|
|
Jun 23, 2006 - 12:38pm PT
|
here's what I did on my summer vacation.
|
|
taco bill
Trad climber
boulder, co
|
|
Jun 23, 2006 - 01:39pm PT
|
Here are a few from your backyard Tarry,
James Peak in the early am (not quite early enough as it turned out)
A little closer. We climbed Shoting Star couloir which diagonals up and left from the center of the picture. You can see another party on the snowfield below.
Nearing the top shortly after I was nearly killed by...
The cornice in the background shearing off abot 200 feet above me. Luckily it hit a ledge and exploded merely peppering me rather than smashing me flat.
RMNP
Spearhead from Black Lake
Moon over Spearhead.
Storm clouds over Arrowhead from Spearhead's summit.
Tetons
South Buttress right Mount Moran
|
|
landcruiserbob
Trad climber
the ville, colorado
|
|
Jun 23, 2006 - 03:50pm PT
|
Great shot's Rhodo. I remember doing that ridge maybe 12 yrs ago & topped out via the class 5 chimney further Northwest. I think I called it the marmont sh#t chimney. Your line was Top notch.Next time head up the peak above uncle bud's cabin & check out the wonderful granite blocks.rg
|
|
Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 23, 2006 - 04:20pm PT
|
OOOOH!
Mt Moran.
Tetons.
I was hoping someone would post up. I got nada.
That rock on Massive: 'nice stash.
Thanks for ratcheting things up fellas!
(rhodo, taco, richard, et al)
I have not been over to James, as it is so warm of late...
|
|
Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
Otto, NC
|
|
Jun 23, 2006 - 08:00pm PT
|
This is sorta near Uncle Bud's...Fritz has all the photos that really show you where it is.
A skinny dihedral we called the Brass Junkie, it kind of strings you along hoping you'll get some good gear.
|
|
Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
|
|
Jun 23, 2006 - 08:21pm PT
|
These threads are the best thing going on the taco right now.
Cragging on Mt. Massive, cornice on James Peak, the E face of Spearhead, Wyoming ranges -- all cool to see.
Ah, here's another scramble, and from this decade even. Loose rock and rain on the Diamond Buttress:
|
|
Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 23, 2006 - 08:51pm PT
|
Perfect rock on Pingora:
|
|
Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 23, 2006 - 11:11pm PT
|
Looking West from Pingora
|
|
Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 24, 2006 - 02:13pm PT
|
Hey Chiloe:
Was that the Medicine Bow Diamond 3 pics up?
Here's another summit shot from Pingora, Wind River Range:
You can see War Bonnet in the distance, a conical butress just left of center, with good sun on it.
We climbed that next; 200' 10- chimney offwidth to a short 10+ stemming corner crux.
|
|
bob d'antonio
Trad climber
boulder, co
|
|
Jun 24, 2006 - 03:39pm PT
|
In the Indian Peaks, CO 6/24/06...the flowers are starting to go-off.
|
|
Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 24, 2006 - 03:43pm PT
|
Hey Bob,
You took that this morning on the Arapahoe pass trail eh?
I can see Mt Neva in the background.
You drove right by my house.
My knees are shot for the moment, so I was right here drifting about in cyberspace...
|
|
bob d'antonio
Trad climber
boulder, co
|
|
Jun 24, 2006 - 06:13pm PT
|
Tar...let me know where your house is...next time I'll stop in for coffee. LOL
Sorry about the knee...trying to keep up with the wife??
Tell her congrats on the Mt. Washington run.
Tim...Thanks.
|
|
Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
|
|
Jun 24, 2006 - 06:19pm PT
|
Hey Chiloe:
Was that the Medicine Bow Diamond 3 pics up?
It was on the Diamond Buttress, just left of the Diamond itself. We started up a route named Flying Buttress which had a long and excellent first pitch, but then higher up the weather came down and we got into weird stuff that looked like this.
Bob, nice flowers!
|
|
bob d'antonio
Trad climber
boulder, co
|
|
Jun 24, 2006 - 06:25pm PT
|
Chiloe...thanks...and thanks for posting your great photos.
All to Obvious 12a Spearhead 1995
|
|
Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
|
|
Jun 24, 2006 - 06:35pm PT
|
Paul Sibley after the 2nd ascent of Obviously Four Believers (V, 5.8, A4) in 1971.
|
|
bob d'antonio
Trad climber
boulder, co
|
|
Jun 24, 2006 - 06:43pm PT
|
On OFB sometime in the late 80's
What we would do without the "sound of mountain water"?
|
|
Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 24, 2006 - 09:22pm PT
|
Paul Sibley Chiloe?
How about 28 years later...
Film Work in the Rockies,
A Basin:
Westbay on far left and Sibley on far right.
(I had a glass of wine with Paul last week)
|
|
Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 25, 2006 - 10:56am PT
|
The formation in the background,
A classic 5.6 Arete,
Wolf's Head or Something?
Well Zardozer,
Paul actually bought me a glass of my very own!
(replete with red wine to the proper height...)
hehe.
|
|
Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 25, 2006 - 08:24pm PT
|
Mt Sneffels Wilderness...
Giddyup!
|
|
Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 25, 2006 - 08:30pm PT
|
As my Buddy Kyle Says,
"It's not where you climb that counts Roy;
I'ts Where You Stay..."
|
|
Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 25, 2006 - 08:47pm PT
|
Mt Sneffels, SW Ridge,
Class 3:
|
|
Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
|
|
Jun 26, 2006 - 03:09am PT
|
A north american classic north face, the Grand:
shot from the summit of Mt. Owens
|
|
Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
|
|
Jun 26, 2006 - 03:11am PT
|
In the Winds
Warbonnet
Pingora
|
|
Jaybro
Social climber
The West
|
|
Jun 26, 2006 - 03:14am PT
|
Does the Black Ice Coliour (kewel-e-yar) still form?
|
|
bob d'antonio
Trad climber
boulder, co
|
|
Jun 26, 2006 - 01:27pm PT
|
All too Obvious:
|
|
Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 26, 2006 - 05:49pm PT
|
I thought it was pretty well observed that the Black Ice Couloir is defunct Jay?
No that I'd know.
Herb Swedlund wrote that "He Outlived it".
Now there is a fun guy with whom I've had brief aquaintance.
Bob D':
Not so obvious to me your photo, because I'ver never been over to Spearhead.
Spearhead is it?
|
|
Jaybro
Social climber
The West
|
|
Jun 26, 2006 - 06:11pm PT
|
So it's true, then? That's what I'd heard, (re B.I.C) but seeing the north face photo made me think,"wonder if that thing really did melt?" If it wasn't for all the parties after me, I might have gotten the last ascent on that one.
That Swedlund quote is funny, in a sad sort of way. Ray Jacquot, R.I.P. (his partner on that one) was an engineering prof @UW when I was there. He gave us the beta for B.I. -"start at midnight."
BTW, Jacquot was the author to the snowy range diamond area guidebook.
|
|
andy@climbingmoab
Big Wall climber
Salt Lake City
|
|
Jun 26, 2006 - 06:54pm PT
|
Cruising up the choss on the first pitch of Lizard Head Peak in the San Juans:
Worth it to get up here though:
|
|
andy@climbingmoab
Big Wall climber
Salt Lake City
|
|
Jun 26, 2006 - 06:58pm PT
|
Some of the Colorado high peaks are pretty good ski hills too. The Grizzly Couloir on Grizzly Peak near Independence Pass is one of my favorites:
|
|
landcruiserbob
Trad climber
the ville, colorado
|
|
Jun 26, 2006 - 07:20pm PT
|
Grizzzzzzzzzzly, excellent MTN. Any photos of ICE MTN?? I think it's one of the best in the sawatch.rg
|
|
Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 26, 2006 - 07:45pm PT
|
I've got a shot of Ice Mtn, I'll throw it up after a bit...
(didn't do any turns, just scrambled up a ridge).
|
|
andy@climbingmoab
Big Wall climber
Salt Lake City
|
|
Jun 26, 2006 - 07:46pm PT
|
Coming right up. Ice Mtn looking pretty bare. I bet the Refrigerator Couloir would be a good ski hill too.
|
|
Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 26, 2006 - 07:47pm PT
|
That looks like it was shot from a plane.
Is that maybe a view from what, Huron or somethin?
|
|
andy@climbingmoab
Big Wall climber
Salt Lake City
|
|
Jun 26, 2006 - 07:54pm PT
|
Here is one i'd like to go ski. Conundrum Couloir on Conundrum, next to Castle Peak in the Elk Range.
And here is one that I always wanted to climb, but never did. Has anyone here done it? Its the top of the steep couloir on Pacific Peak that has some very steep snow and ice and some rock.
|
|
andy@climbingmoab
Big Wall climber
Salt Lake City
|
|
Jun 26, 2006 - 07:56pm PT
|
Yeah, exactly right Tarbuster. The best thing about slogging up Huron is that view of the three Apostles. I did it one November, and they were especially gorgeous then - wish I had brought my camera with me.
|
|
Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 26, 2006 - 08:07pm PT
|
the pacific peak thing is on my list...
|
|
bob d'antonio
Trad climber
boulder, co
|
|
Jun 26, 2006 - 09:13pm PT
|
Roy wrote: Bob D':
Not so obvious to me your photo, because I'ver never been over to Spearhead.
Spearhead is it?
Spearhead it is...what a great mountain. One of my favorite in the "Park".
How is the knee?
|
|
Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 26, 2006 - 11:24pm PT
|
thanks fer askin' Bob.
-I get tight I.T. band issues and run of the mill patellar tendonitis as a result.
May have tweaked things a bit more than usual punching through some snow in the Sangres...
|
|
Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 26, 2006 - 11:32pm PT
|
Here's my Bride,
Rompin' the SW Ridge of Sneffels:
|
|
dirtineye
Trad climber
the south
|
|
Jun 26, 2006 - 11:38pm PT
|
Best thread yet, Tar-baby!
And you said you were out of bullets, LOL.
Some many good shots, from so many, neat.
|
|
Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 26, 2006 - 11:43pm PT
|
Sneffels Summit, Looking toward Dallas Divide and beyond:
Dallas Divide:
|
|
Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 26, 2006 - 11:50pm PT
|
Thanks fer the support Dirt Dadeo!
Hey, Iza Fergots about a couple shots.
Our Busy Eyes have had some great posts by good folks on this thread too.
|
|
Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 26, 2006 - 11:55pm PT
|
From the West side of Blue Lakes Pass,
You can view this geologic oddity,
A rock glacier.
Lookit' the processional folds.
Maybe Grug could comment...
|
|
landcruiserbob
Trad climber
the ville, colorado
|
|
Jun 27, 2006 - 09:29am PT
|
Thanks for the ice mtn shots. I've been up the Conundrun Couloir but not down it. Montezuma Glacier should give you enough room to slow down unless it's iceberg lake.rg
|
|
Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 27, 2006 - 11:08am PT
|
Here's the 3 Apostles from the Approach.
L-R: N Apostlle, Ice Mtn, West Apostle.
Note how far left the Couloir is on Ice Mtn,
And not really so visible from much of the approach:
|
|
Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 27, 2006 - 11:17am PT
|
Most books say to go up the NE ridge of Ice Mtn,
We were confused and headed up the West Ridge,
On climber's right; with just a bit of class 3 out of the Col:
Looking toward W Apostle:
|
|
landcruiserbob
Trad climber
the ville, colorado
|
|
Jun 27, 2006 - 12:03pm PT
|
One of my favorites. I try to do it once a year.Great photos.rg
|
|
goatboy smellz
climber
colorful colorado(ed)
|
|
Jun 29, 2006 - 02:09pm PT
|
Cross country skiing around Granite Creek in WY.
|
|
Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
|
|
Jun 29, 2006 - 03:09pm PT
|
Tar, we need a part 4. The topic's still got legs.
|
|
Jaybro
Social climber
The West
|
|
Jun 29, 2006 - 05:08pm PT
|
Granite creek, is that on the way to granite hotspring?
|
|
goatboy smellz
climber
shakedown street
|
|
Jun 29, 2006 - 05:25pm PT
|
Among other things.
|
|
Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
Otto, NC
|
|
Jun 30, 2006 - 11:10am PT
|
I'm out for a 2-week scramble, kids. Boot up some more pictures and I'll catch this thing later.
rg:
Homestake to Massive over 8 days-- not terribly taxing.
|
|
Messages 1 - 78 of total 78 in this topic |
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|