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MisterE
Social climber
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Topic Author's Original Post - May 21, 2013 - 12:40am PT
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We've got Yosemite and Squamish covered pretty good - where's the Index love?
More stellar 5.11 cracks than you can shake a stick at...
The van in the parking lot, Todd Skinner on the greased City Park, the South African Blond Wunderkind...give it up, people.
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MisterE
Social climber
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Topic Author's Reply - May 21, 2013 - 12:45am PT
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One of the best days was climbing Lower Town Wall then getting a beer at the Index Tavern and grabbing a plastic chair from the lawn, dragging it into the river and swilling while soaking the sore feet in the Skykomish.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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May 21, 2013 - 12:49am PT
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BITD you swilled at the Index Tav at yer peril.
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MisterE
Social climber
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Topic Author's Reply - May 21, 2013 - 12:52am PT
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I am guessing the Bikers, not the Local Climbing Giant? LOL
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MisterE
Social climber
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Topic Author's Reply - May 21, 2013 - 01:03am PT
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I forgot the first rule of Index Club - don't talk about Index.
Guess I am out of the club?
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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May 21, 2013 - 01:04am PT
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Great idea Mr E, never been but I'd like to know more about index too. Oh, & your thread title is pics & stories but I don't see any pics.
Ghost?
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Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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May 21, 2013 - 01:31am PT
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This is one of the first things I posted on the net once you could link photos. The photo quality is pretty bad, and I could never spell and was even worse at proof reading my own writing, e.g. butt!=but. Still, it was a good long day back 12 or 15 years ago. I may clean it up, but don't hold your breath.
http://www.bigstupid.org/Outdoors1/darwin_hmr/climbing/towncrier/tnc.html"
I can't remember when/where I first posted this, but I was coy about the name of the climb, and Clint immediately chimed in with Town Crier based on the "three tiered overhang". Really his guide of Index is one of the coolest things ever. I have a couple copies each of Roper's Red and Green guidebooks to the Valley, but I value the Clint's photocopied Index guide almost as much.
ps:
Mark in this case is the the son of Bill Iffrig, the 78 year old marathoner knocked down by the bomb at the the finish of the Boston Marathon.
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Mike Bolte
Trad climber
Planet Earth
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May 21, 2013 - 02:14am PT
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Great place to get humbled!
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Wayno
Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
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May 21, 2013 - 04:30am PT
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I think I have spent more fishing days in that area than I have climbing days. Still very good either way.
real
granite.
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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May 21, 2013 - 04:42am PT
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A pointed question about where is the index love, E.
And one mustn't take any fingers for granite.
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MH2
climber
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May 21, 2013 - 01:40pm PT
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Not talk about Index? How about The-Index-That-Was?
I moved to Seattle in '79. My first visit to Index was with a physics student who was studying the Puget Sound gravitational anomaly. We ended up on Narrow Arrow pinnacle and I think we did a short bit of 5.10 near the top but I don't remember which route.
My first visit to the Upper wall was with Bill Myers (if I remember the name correctly). Here he is getting ready for Davis-Holland.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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May 21, 2013 - 01:53pm PT
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The van in the parking lot, Todd Skinner on the greased City Park, the South African Blond Wunderkind...give it up, people.
How about Nature visiting the non-stop erotic cabaret?
I posted a story and some pictures from that episode a while back: http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/1243593/Nature-visits-the-Non-stop-Erotic-Cabaret-vaguely-on-topic
But the best summary of Index that I ever heard was from Jim Donini, who said: "If you can climb at Index, you can climb anywhere."
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David Wilson
climber
CA
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May 21, 2013 - 02:01pm PT
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Index - Chase on Japanese Gardens
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TeleRoss
Trad climber
San Diego, CA
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May 21, 2013 - 02:16pm PT
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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May 21, 2013 - 02:35pm PT
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Now we're getting somewhere. Nice photos.
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mastadon
Trad climber
crack addict
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May 21, 2013 - 05:10pm PT
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Where's Index??
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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May 21, 2013 - 05:23pm PT
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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May 21, 2013 - 05:34pm PT
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I thought this was Index?
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benzo
Big Wall climber
tacoma wa.
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May 21, 2013 - 05:39pm PT
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it is.
shhhhhhh
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benzo
Big Wall climber
tacoma wa.
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May 21, 2013 - 05:54pm PT
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^^^^
diggin the golden arch shots! radical man
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steveA
Trad climber
bedford,massachusetts
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May 21, 2013 - 06:08pm PT
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I was fortunate to be shown around Index for a day, with Mr. Donini as my guide.
He took me on multiple classics which were humbling. While he was floating
up superb splitters, I was pissing and moaning my way up.
I was just passing thru, with my wife and kids, on a vacation. I'll never forget Jim's dog, Hubert, a really funny looking type of bulldog, who would saunter up to my face at night, while I was sleeping in Jim's basement.
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Darryl Cramer
Social climber
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May 21, 2013 - 07:15pm PT
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INDEX=> Center of the universe.
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Dave Davis
Social climber
Seattle, WA
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May 21, 2013 - 08:14pm PT
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I think you've got that confused with Fremont, Darryl.
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MisterE
Social climber
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Topic Author's Reply - May 21, 2013 - 09:18pm PT
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^^LOL!^^
Great shots everyone.
Then there's the "Fifth Force" tunnel, photo by Sherri:
I have tried the .12b with the same name nearby - that chicken-head mantel is burly.
Zoom is much more fun.
When I was working Full Jap Gardens, I went into get my shoes resoled at Dave Pages place in Fremont, and said to him:
"Well, Dave - wore out another pair of resoles trying to climb your route!"
Without skipping a beat, he replied: " We were in aiders."
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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May 21, 2013 - 10:08pm PT
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MisterE
Social climber
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Topic Author's Reply - May 21, 2013 - 10:11pm PT
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Saggitarius? Nice shot!
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Studly
Trad climber
WA
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May 22, 2013 - 12:41am PT
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MisterE
Social climber
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Topic Author's Reply - May 22, 2013 - 12:48am PT
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Snickers and I tried that .12 undercling that goes left from the lower part of Sag (in the picture) on TR. I never could turn the corner...
Then there's the classic "sand-bag in the name" route: Dwarf Tossing
http://www.mountainproject.com/v/dwarf-tossing/106911856
This route has at least 4 different 5.11 sections in addition to the all points off 7 ft sideways dyno at the crux. If you are taller than 6'6", you may be able to reach past the dyno. Shorter people might find the dyno to be impossibly long.
Edit: Thanks for the link, Darryl - Those are some sweet pictures.
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MH2
climber
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May 22, 2013 - 12:13pm PT
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Pictures of Larry Kemp, if I recall rightly, on Breakfast of Champions.
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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May 22, 2013 - 12:27pm PT
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Nice photos Andy, those kemp shots are really awesome too. Gotta stop there one of these days.
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Studly
Trad climber
WA
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May 22, 2013 - 12:29pm PT
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Darryl Cramer
Social climber
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May 22, 2013 - 05:51pm PT
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Yep that's Larry in those pics!
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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May 22, 2013 - 06:01pm PT
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Dave Davis, I'm calling you out! Bust out some pics from BITD, man!
I'll send Leonard over to pick 'em up!
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
OK, I've no pride. I was doing an early ascent of Aries chimney. I know it
was early because the lichen was still half an inch thick on the one side.
It was steaming hot for Index, it must have been 80 cause I was sporting a
sleeveless T-shirt! So I got something in about 10' up but due to lack of
technique I got forced further out (of this flaring chimney) than I could
reach back into the crack in the corner. I distinctly recall clouds of
pulverized lichen wafting upwards and getting in my eyes, and everywhere else.
Of course, that was the least of my problems what with a sure grounder
growing more likely. Finally, I got a stubby something into the horizontal
crack about two feet from the top which protected my less than graceful exit.
I think I still have some of that lichen embedded in my back.
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Darryl Cramer
Social climber
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May 22, 2013 - 09:25pm PT
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Andy - Is this the 5.10 part on Narrow Arrow?
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MH2
climber
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May 23, 2013 - 12:03am PT
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Darryl; Hell, no, we did not do that! We probably did Free At Last, at least the 2-bolt face part, which is what I remember.
I think most pictures of Index are Thin Fingers. Here is a sequence of Greg McKenna, starting with re-tie-ing a broken shoelace.
yes, that's where Greg is in photo 3 above
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v
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MisterE
Social climber
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Topic Author's Reply - May 23, 2013 - 12:19am PT
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Here's a shot of the upper part of Thin Fingers (crux) from Climbing.com
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Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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May 23, 2013 - 11:17am PT
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Jim;
w.r.t the Bush House. I was in Index a couple weeks ago, and guys were working on it and making it look spiffy. They said they were reopening it. Now they just have to start on the Tavern!
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Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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May 23, 2013 - 11:43am PT
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I'm impressed with the crowd here and the difficulty of the climbs y'all did. I pretty much limited myself to 5.9 and under, if I lead, and there's not a lot at Index at that grade. Now days that would be optimistic. I went up there for a spring tromp back in early April this year. Here's a photo of the Bush House in the process of renovation and another couple other just 'cause. The new play ground is trippy.
I had a nice day in '98(?) when I decided to re-learn aid climbing with more modern techniques, and it was actually the first time I had clean aid climbed. I think I was also still working through climbing without my buddy Matt Pollock (passed a few years before). Midweek, alone playing hooky from work: I rope soloed City Park and everything just went smoothly and fast. I left the rock with that ecstatic feeling that climbing can give when it goes right. Then went to the Tavern and watched Brazil play Holland in a WC semi final. Good day!
(the photo quality gets better with clicking).
Bush House
New Playground
This old chestnut
My humble goal for this season (no shit!). Index 5.8. This and the Even Steven start of Toxic Shock. Like I said, humble.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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May 23, 2013 - 12:50pm PT
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^^^ Ho, man, to quote Sir Thomas Lipton when he was asked the price of his yacht:
"If you have to ask you can't afford it."
Surely you're familiar with Fred's line about the N Pk route,
"Imitate a gorilla going through the brush."
Or something to that effect.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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May 23, 2013 - 12:56pm PT
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I pretty much limited myself to 5.9 and under, if I lead, and there's not a lot at Index at that grade.
There is one fantastic route at that grade that deserves your love. One of Darryl's creations called DGS. (Ask him for the story behind the name). It's at the left end of the Upper Town Wall, past Dana's Arch. Three pitches, including one that is maybe the longest at Index. 5.8, 5.9, 5.6
Being old and feeble, I like to pretend the middle pitch (the long one) is 10a, but at Index it's definitely just 5.9.
A really good climb in a great location. And I think there's an alternate finish going out to the right, if you don't want to do the very short little 5.6 pitch at the top.
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McHale's Navy
Trad climber
Panorama City, California & living in Seattle
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May 23, 2013 - 05:08pm PT
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Godzilla is pretty nice. I rope soloed it about 1989. A nice safe climb it is.
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Darryl Cramer
Social climber
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May 23, 2013 - 05:27pm PT
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I always loved this photo (by Mike Schmidt)
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Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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May 23, 2013 - 05:28pm PT
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What Jim B said about Godzilla!
Quote from tomtom on http://www.rcnw.net/forums/topic/12-dgs-59/ lol
Posted 25 August 2005 - 07:36 AM
Gary and I went up to take a look yesterday. Nice climb! I led p1 & p3 while Gary got the long middle pitch. Definitely could use some more traffic. We did a little gardening along the way. We also trundled the truck camper shell from the first ledge, stacked it along the trail, and carried part of it down.
One note on the topo: The second pitch is more like 160'. I was ###### at my partner for taking my pitch when he almost ran out the 60m rope. Ooops, sorry about that.
We climbed Godzilla after, which to me was harder, so I wouldn't grade it above a 5.9.
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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May 23, 2013 - 05:39pm PT
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Everytime I have been to Index it rains hard. Sometimes the rain starts 5 minutes from Index and ends the same difference on the other side. I don't know how anyone ever climbs there what with the perpetual rain.
En route to Leavenworth once we were driving east past Index and my friend, at the wheel, claimed he'd seen a shooting star! He rolled down the windows and we all stuck our heads out. Pitch black. Then we came out of the tunnel we were in and we realized the shooting star had been blazing a chemically altered course through his optic nerve rather than the sky.
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James
climber
My twin brother's laundry room
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May 23, 2013 - 05:45pm PT
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I Love Washington and went once to investigate the ghosts in the Bush House. I wrote a story about it in Alpinist here's a version on my blog.
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Studly
Trad climber
WA
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May 23, 2013 - 06:08pm PT
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yedi
Trad climber
Stanwood,wa
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May 23, 2013 - 06:38pm PT
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Lots of good stuff at Index. Check out "kite flying blind, Dark crystal, Centerfold, to name a few.
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Dave Davis
Social climber
Seattle, WA
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May 23, 2013 - 09:05pm PT
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I'd love to bust out all of my Index photos if I actually had any. I will search the archives Reilly, and see if I come up with anything...
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MisterE
Social climber
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Topic Author's Reply - May 23, 2013 - 09:23pm PT
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Upper Town Wall - there's a few climbs here:
L.Skoog photo.
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MisterE
Social climber
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Topic Author's Reply - May 23, 2013 - 10:39pm PT
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Ohhh - Davis-Holland? I got a story for that one...
I found this guy on the "partners forum" of CascadeClimbers.com and we decided to try Davis-Holland at Index for our first climb. I camped out overnight on the beautiful Skykomish river and the next morning I waited...and waited...
Finally he shows up a good 2 hours after our arranged time, and as he is getting his stuff together, casually asks me if I mind if he "inspects" my gear.
"I'm an engineer, you see." As if that explained it all.
He declared my rack "incomplete", and I say "I don't usually place a lot of gear."
This agitated him greatly, and he was eyeing me nervously. Just then he said, in a total non-sequiter,
"I think I have to shitt now"
...
"Umm, OK. Do your thing that you gotta do!"
"Well, I might be able to wait - how far is it?"
I told him, and he decided he could wait, after much verbalization of information about said bowel movement I didn't really need to hear.
Oh, this guys name soon becomes (to me) Bowel Movement Fixation Guy (BMFG, for short).
As we are walking up the trail, he asks me if I have toilet paper - he forgot his. I say yes, he says how much. I say plenty, he says let me see.
...
So we stop, and as I am taking my pack off, he launches into this story about an alpine trip that ANOTHER guy forgot his TP, and how angry he got, because he always has a certain amount with him, blah, blah blah.
I am starting to get irritated by BMFG.
He inspects the TP, declares it adequate, and promptly takes off up the trail ahead of me at a blistering pace, yelling back:
"I feel it coming, gotta hurry!"
Whatever.
At the base of the climb is further talk (on his part - I quickly learned this doesn't need my involvement, discussion-wise) about whether to go before climbing, or wait, and all of the hazards and pitfalls of not going before climbing.
Jesus, Dude! STFU, and get ready!
He finally gets all geared up for the first pitch, tied in,me on belay (my lead) and guess what? Now is the time! Drop harness, borrow my TP, and he's off again. I fully expect never to see any TP upon his return, given his bent.
He gets back,returns not-much TP and tells me all about it. I finally snap:
"Listen, man. I don't want to hear any more about your shitt!"
He seems crestfallen as we start climbing, but soon finds new diversion by criticizing my gear placements, and their infrequency. The next pitch is his, but he backs down - obviously nervous about climbing with such an "unsafe" climbing partner. So I lead again.
BMFG follows, and is shaken as he gets to the belay, then his eyes widen as he looks at my anchor points.
I am clipped in with two draws to 2 1/2 inch bolts with shiny hangers.
"What? No lockers? Your anchor isn't equalized!" he seems outraged that I would put his life at risk like that!
I'm done, and I tell him so. He balks, so I say:
"OK, your lead." That does it.
He offers to rappel first, after retying his own knot in the ropes because my overhand was "unsafe".
I'm getting pissed.
He yells up as the rope goes slack,
"Ummm, off belay, but the anchor isn't very good."
My God, what has this guy done? This route gets climbed and rapped more than any other route at Index in the 5.10 range!
I rap down and am flabbergasted by what I see: He has found a ratty old aid anchor with 1/4" rusty bolts (one is quite loose) and light grey webbing that is total tat. I look 10 feet to the right and 15 feet up from where he is, and there are shiny bolts with Metolius Rap rings. No way for him to get to them, so I am stuck going to HIS anchors. I am fvcking pissed.
I lose it, realizing that We have to rap to the ground off this crap anchor.
"This your choice of anchors" I say, pointing to the half-inchers 20 feet away, "so you go first."
He gets upset by this, but I stand firm, as close to wishing tat would part as I have ever been.
We get down safe, and he sees a friend, so he decides to go visit.
"I'll be back in a minute and we can talk about what else we want to do!" he opines cheerfully.
As soon as he is out of sight, I quickly pack my gear and leave, being sure I don't have any of his gear. I get in my car and leave the climbing area.
An hour later, my phone rings. The ID reveals it's BMFG.
"Where did you go, Man? I waited at the car for you!"
I inform him in no uncertain terms that I will never climb with him again, citing: fixation, criticism, no head for trad climbing, inability to see what's around him, ad nauseum.
He lashes out, saying it was me, and like a pitbull, would not let it go. Finally, just to get off the phone, I say:
"Look, Dude. It was all my fault, OK? You are a great climber, whereas I am unworthy to climb with someone of your caliber"
(or some such shitt)
Finally, he accepts my apology, and I hang up.
It felt like I just broke up with a girlfriend
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mikeyschaefer
climber
Yosemite
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May 24, 2013 - 12:05am PT
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In my opinion Index is the best granite crag I've ever been to. I'd take it over any of the climbing in the lower Merced canyon. Though the weather truly does suck there and getting good climbing conditions is nearly impossible. I sweated my way up a few hard climbs there.
Its a shame that it doesn't see more traffic, from locals and visiting climbers.
Here is an overview of the Upper Town Wall free climbs that I put together. Redpointing all 13 is probably one of the things I'm most proud of in all my years climbing. At some point I'm gonna write a TR about it.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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May 24, 2013 - 12:19am PT
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Its a shame that it doesn't see more traffic, from locals and visiting climbers.
I've never understood that. The Seattle urban area has close to 4 million people, including boatloads of climbers, but the Upper Town Wall is often deserted. The pictures I posted upthread of DGS were taken on a perfect summer weekend, and Julie and I were one of just three parties on the entire wall. (The other two were both on the Davis-Holland.)
Sure, it's a 45-minute walk from the parking area, but it's hardly a death approach, and the climbing is phenomenal. WTF is up with nobody going there? They'd all rather be tenth in line for Godzilla or Japanese Garden?
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mikeyschaefer
climber
Yosemite
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May 24, 2013 - 12:27am PT
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And its not even 45 minutes to the base. More like a steep 20. About the same as going to Little Si.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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May 24, 2013 - 12:28am PT
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Okay, 45 minutes for elderly cripples, 20 minutes for 20-something 5.13 freaks.
Say half an hour for normal climbers?
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Darryl Cramer
Social climber
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May 24, 2013 - 01:27am PT
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Yikes! Mike, it looks like you have to come back for the STP & Beat Box! :)
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mastadon
Trad climber
crack addict
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May 24, 2013 - 01:29am PT
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I remember the Upper Town Wall as a surreal magical place.
The old trail started from the railroad tracks directly below the middle of the main wall and went straight up the hill. I don’t think there was a single switchback. There was some ancient piping with a little water trough just when you left the tracks that seemed to run with water year round. If the gate was open, you could drive along the tracks to where the trail started otherwise you had to park on the road where the tracks crossed and walk. There was always that smell of creosote that changed to wildflowers as soon as you started uphill.
As you plugged up the hill, sounds, responsibilities and all that silly city-business would drop away. Time seemed to stand still. At the base, you could hear water dripping from far above. Every so often you could hear a rock bounce and hit somewhere. An occasional train went by leaving a faint trace of civilization echoing in the distance. My mind always wandered to the distant past and imagined what it was like when the ancient ones, like Beckey, Stanley, Madsen, Burgner and all the others walked the same path. Had Jim Madsen leaned against the same tree that we leaned against as we carried our loads up? Probably. Following those ancient ones was like following smoke. You’d see a wisp here and there but by the time you caught up, it was gone. It has only been in recent years that I’ve realized that we too, were ancient ones. What was it like for us?
When my friends and I started exploring the UTW, I think there were only four routes to the top. Everything was a total mystery. The only place where I’ve had the same feeling is at the base of the Northwest face of Halfdome-on the right side over by Zenith or Bushido.
Everyone, I think, experiences moments where they remember something in their distant past with absolute crystal clarity. It may be some life changing moment or it might be something totally innocuous like walking down a certain street when you were 9 years old and you can remember the smells and sounds of that moment. I still remember clearly a total feeling of the unknown when looking out left around the overhang from the top of the second pitch of the Beckey route in 1970. I was awed by the mystery of it. What could possibly be up there? We had to go up to find out.
I had the same feeling of mystery in 1971 as I looked up from three pitches up the Dihedral Wall on El Capitan. Praise-the-Lord we realized the immensity of our mistake and came down after a couple more pitches.
I’m sad I missed the dedication ceremony when the Town Wall was saved from development last year (or was it the year before?). It amazes me how so many people are so devoted to this place. To hear people say that it’s their favorite climbing area makes me realize that maybe we weren’t so far off with our fascination so very long ago………
Here's a thought-for-the-day for the young climbers of today-it's an old desert saying: When you drink from a well, you'd best remember who dug it.
Don
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McHale's Navy
Trad climber
Panorama City, California & living in Seattle
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May 24, 2013 - 01:37am PT
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Nice tale, I'm going to have to take the hike - seems like I would have by now. What's the Beckey Route - I did not see it at Mtn Project - will have to search. I found this fun story at Climbing about Greg Child;
http://www.climbing.com/route/index-club/
1991 — Rise and Fall, 5.12a/b, multi-pitch sport; Greg Child and Andy DeKlerk
“I almost died on that route,” says Greg Child. The year after achieving renown for his ascent of K2 sans oxygen, Child teamed up with Andy DeKlerk, an accomplished Himalayan alpinist from South Africa, for this six-pitch sport route on the Upper Town Wall, the second multi-pitch sport route in Index. The route features highly technical, quintessentially Index moves: ticky-tacky, arty, delicate crimps and foot matches on micro-features on high-angle granite slab. “Quite surprising how many small holds there are on those cliffs,” says Child, “albeit covered in moss.” Amidst a final wire-brushing and drilling, Child was temporarily distracted and rapped off the end of his rope. He hit a ledge 16 feet below, fell 25 feet farther, then barrel-rolled down the forested slope, landing in a blackberry thicket. Spitting out blood, Child took stock: he had a broken right ankle and was alone, 25 minutes up a very steep climber’s trail… and it was getting dark. Child inched over to the climber’s trail and began a three-hour combat-crawl through the pitch-black forest to the parking lot, then drove one home one-footed, using his left foot for the accelerator, clutch and brake.
OK - I see Beckey Route is Town Crier route
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Darryl Cramer
Social climber
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May 24, 2013 - 01:41am PT
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It has only been in recent years that I’ve realized that we too, were ancient ones.
Not to make you feel old but I have often imagined what is was like when you did the FA of Green Dragon or free climbed Godzilla. Bruce mentioned something about the 2nd pitch of Green Dragon falling away after the FA. Do you know the story there?
Even with all the new routes there are still some amazing cracks that have yet to be climbed let alone free climbed.
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mastadon
Trad climber
crack addict
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May 24, 2013 - 01:54am PT
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Darryl,
I’ve posted this picture before but it’s at the base of the Davis/Holland route after the second pitch of the Beckey route fell off.
The second pitch was a perfect 2” hand crack in a perfect 90 degree corner. We were all appalled when we hiked up there one spring to find the pitch in pieces on the ground. We had all rigorously pounded pitons in that crack.
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mikeyschaefer
climber
Yosemite
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May 24, 2013 - 01:56am PT
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Darryl, I've actually done STP as well but I didn't list it as I figured it was more of a variation. And ya i should probably go and do beat box, though since it doesn't top out I never considered it a a real UTW route. Its more of cragging pitch, same as Tempituous which I did list for some reason...
And then there is the Klewin route, Golden Arch, abraxas, and Dana's arch. maybe I'll get around to those some day.
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Darryl Cramer
Social climber
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May 24, 2013 - 02:09am PT
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Mick -
It would be easy to add finishing pitches to both Tempituous and Beat Box.
Don -
I don't know how I missed that picture, Don. Thanks for the repost. I bet that would have been a sight to see.
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MisterE
Social climber
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Topic Author's Reply - May 24, 2013 - 10:15am PT
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Nice writing, Mastadon.
I have always wondered what the LTW looked like BEFORE they quarried the steps to the capitol from there...and how many more good climbs went missing.
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mastadon
Trad climber
crack addict
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May 24, 2013 - 10:37am PT
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I had a link to pictures of the LTW from the early 1900's when it was a quarry but can't find it. Maybe someone else can.
Here's a picture looking over towards the Beckey route. The scar in the lower right is from the tower that was the second pitch that fell off.
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kennyt
climber
Woodfords,California
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May 24, 2013 - 10:39am PT
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Nice thread. More pictures!
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Darryl Cramer
Social climber
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May 24, 2013 - 11:02am PT
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Search for Pickett at the UW Library Special Collections for lots of early Index pictures.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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May 24, 2013 - 11:04am PT
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That old "I wonder what's up there" feeling may be gone from the UTW, but it is still available for anyone willing to make the hike up to Zeke's Wall. It's a couple of miles closer to Seattle, and until two years ago had an approach not much different from the UTW approach. The road in has been gated now, so there's an extra 40 minutes on the logging road, but it's definitely worth it.
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kennyt
climber
Woodfords,California
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May 24, 2013 - 11:06am PT
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looks like good weather everyday.
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Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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May 24, 2013 - 11:20am PT
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Way to go for the jugular kennyt!
This thread has been inspiring enough for me to contemplate getting of the couch and going up there again, but: It's rained daily since May 13th (i think).
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Darryl Cramer
Social climber
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May 24, 2013 - 11:50am PT
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Here's a picture of a fairly new route taken on a rainy day.
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MH2
climber
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May 24, 2013 - 12:04pm PT
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Yes, Darryl. That will surely bring on the crowds.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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May 24, 2013 - 12:40pm PT
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Don, a very nice reminiscence and homage to stump humping. So nowadays you
don't walk straight up? And as for the crowds I don't ever recall seeing
anyone else at the Lower Wall. LOL! And, seriously, I suppose that nowadays
you can even get an espresso in Index? In the 'good old days' I went into
the Index tavern with the same mindset I went into similar 'establishments'
in Darrington, Forks, or Pinedale, Wyoming; be very particular in your choice
of words and don't stare at the denizens.
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fluffy
Trad climber
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May 24, 2013 - 12:50pm PT
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Great thread. One of the finest crags I've ever visited. Davis Holland > Lovin Arms, Centerfold, Slow Children, Rattletale and on and on. Nice camping by the river, brilliant cracks splitting flawless stone. Took a huge winger running out the top of Slow Children when my girl mistook my falling for pulling up slack to clip...fell past the belay. Of course the train was going by at the time and large caliber guns were being fired at the shooting range while I was cruxin...classic Index.
Thanks for the pics and stories. What a special place.
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SeaClimb
climber
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May 24, 2013 - 01:21pm PT
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Mikey,
Drew is getting psyched on some of the new route potential you pointed out to him. He's getting SB fired up too.
Drew's been saving his pennies...he's about 2/3 the way to a drill now. I told him i'd pay for the hardware but he had to buy his own drill. I figure he'll take extremely good care of it if he pays for it.
He was super psyched last summer!
Cheers
Rudy
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Darryl Cramer
Social climber
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May 24, 2013 - 01:46pm PT
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Rudy - keep him on the cracks while his fingers are thin!
Here's a list:
Quadruple cracks on Lions Tigers and Bears
Soul Finger
The mini City Park crack breaking off from Robins Ramp ( might be too hard)
Btw - Erik and I abandoned a slab project on the way to the mid wall. Just to the right of behind the green door. I bet drew could knock it off in an easy day. We left it with a point or two of aid. Fully bolted and ready for anyone.
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Studly
Trad climber
WA
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May 24, 2013 - 02:26pm PT
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Darryl Cramer
Social climber
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May 24, 2013 - 08:39pm PT
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A young Bringmedeath on a 5.9 layback:
thin hand crux @ the Red Wall
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MisterE
Social climber
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Topic Author's Reply - May 24, 2013 - 09:21pm PT
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Thanks for posting stuff up Darryl and everyone!
Probably not the first to make the following observation, years ago perusing the quarried area:
Who knows how many great climbs were lost in making the not-so-difficult climb to the Washington State House of Policy.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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May 24, 2013 - 11:45pm PT
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Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Jun 17, 2013 - 01:33pm PT
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Have you all noticed the prices that Amazon is asking for Darryl's book??!!!!
Sky Valley Rock: A Guide to the Rock Climbs of the Skyomish River Valley [Paperback]
Darryl Cramer.
1 new from $400.00
7 used from $100.00
Darryl; you're rich if you have some copies lying around!!!!!
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Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Bump for climbing . Pretty good weather recently, not that I've gotten out.
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Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Hey look. It's my own private thread!
Finally I can post something about a climb. Just a humble little day at Index taking a friend who hasn't climbed a while (8 years) and a young woman who has pretty much stuck to a new and very popular Seattle bouldering gym. I was a little selfish and we did widish easy cracks up around Toxic Shock just because they are easier for me at a given grade. I have just not climbed much in a couple years, but I felt good and comfortable leading. I had fun on all of them, but OMG topropping that first thin half pitch (fingery lieback) of Toxic Shock(E. Steven?) kind of kicked my old butt. I know they are short, but geeze they are good climbs.
Index was almost empty on this holiday day, e.g. there was nobody on Great Nothern Slabs.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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that first thin half pitch (fingery lieback) of Toxic Shock(E. Steven?) kind of kicked my old butt.
I thought we had it settled that your butt was actually kind of young. At least compared to the average Stuportoprope butt.
But old or young, Index isn't particular, it will kick anybody's butt.
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stevep
Boulder climber
Salt Lake, UT
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Very nice. Lots of good memories there. Not sure if Godzilla is the very best 5.9 crack, but it's certainly up there. And I'm as proud of Davis-Holland to Lovin Arms as I am of any climb I've done.
Still have the spiral-bound photocopy guide that Clint did sitting on my bookshelf.
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Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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I love Clint's guide!
RE: Thin start to Toxic Shock.
Ghost, yeah the problem isn't so much in the age of my butt as the width. I did make it up it, but it felt full-on desperate. I felt surprisingly comfortable on the (easier) wider cracks, though. This it Tess on the start, and it was interesting to see the difference between her climbing this (styled it) and the wider cracks.
Tess on the harder face just left of Corner Flash, Agent Orange.
Corner Flash
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Yous guys have done a great job of Photoshopping all the verdancy out of
the cracks and adding all those nice blue skies.
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Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Apr 30, 2014 - 11:12pm PT
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bump
I'm checking it out Friday, depending on work obligations.
Some of you must have been climbing there already this spring.
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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Cool to see this thread show up again, I wish I had something to add besides stating the fact that Index looks awesome & I really want to go climb there this year, hopefully before it gets too hot out.
Let us know how it goes Darwin!
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Todd Eastman
climber
Bellingham, WA
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I really want to go climb there this year, hopefully before it gets too hot out.
Jeezum, it ain't like its in Alabama...
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Big Mike
Trad climber
BC
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Mar 27, 2015 - 08:57pm PT
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Bump for Rolf.
What route is Mari on?
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TacomaDome
Trad climber
Tacoma, WA
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Finally got on Rattletale this past weekend, what a classic!
Also climbed the route to the left of Rattletale, which is on the previous page as "Avenging the goddess Kring" but I think it is actually "Chasing the Lizard".
I think Avenging goes to the left of chasing the lizard. There were a couple of bolts on a mossy slab followed by cracks, then a bolted corner (vines/bushes) to an anchor. Needs to be cleaned.
Chasing the Lizard was clean and fun. Do most people step left across the face to the first anchor (after the wide crack) instead of finishing with the bushy climbing to the second anchor on the large ledge 40-45 meters up?
We finished the day with Magic Fern at private idaho, such a sandbag! If you are expecting 5.9 climbing definitely go LEFT after the hand crack in the pillar, otherwise you are getting into some major 5.10 funkiness on the right!
I love Index. Keep this thread alive! Unfortunately I didn't get any pics worth posting, maybe next time.
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TacomaDome
Trad climber
Tacoma, WA
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Mike, that looks like the lower section of Roger's Corner. Hard to tell with the crazy shadows though!
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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I think Avenging goes to the left of chasing the lizard. There were a couple of bolts on a mossy slab followed by cracks, then a bolted corner (vines/bushes) to an anchor. Needs to be cleaned.
Route names are confusing there. Mari and I have spent a few days over the years cleaning whatever it is that seemed like the best line for us. We thought it might be "Non-stop Erotic Cabaret" but when I wrote a story about it a while back Clint (who wrote the old topo guide to Index) said no, it was Avenging the Goddess Kring. Who knows?
All I know is that it's a great climb that seems to get very little traffic. Why trudge up there and climb Rattletale and then go home without tasting a little more pain?
We've always done it in one pitch, so I'm not sure about intermediate belays.
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Big Mike
Trad climber
BC
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Aaron it's Roger's.... ^^^^^^ maybe? Lol Crazy shadows was the theme on that edit. ;)
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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We thought it might be "Non-stop Erotic Cabaret" but when I wrote a story about it a while back Clint (who wrote the old topo guide to Index) said no, it was Avenging the Goddess Kring. Who knows? I agree with TacomaDome, the long double crack in the above photo is Chasin' the Lizard.
In my comment on your 2010 photo trip report
http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/1243593/Nature-visits-the-Non-stop-Erotic-Cabaret-vaguely-on-topic
I was fairly sure it was not Non-stop Erotic Cabaret, because that shares belays with Rattletale.
But I misread the topo/caption in Darryl's guide.
Reading your description of what Nature climbed, it's fairly clear he was in the crack and not on the bolted face.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Reading your description of what Nature climbed, it's fairly clear he was in the crack and not on the bolted face.
Very much so. Crack and/or corner all the way from bottom to top.
What I don't know is whether it's all one guidebook-named route, or whether it's bits and pieces of more than one. The first time we really checked it out we had dropped down and left a bit (climber's left) from the top of Rattletale, and rapped in one v-e-r-y long double-rope rappel down past all those climbs that criss-cross up that area. It looked really good, but quite dirty, so we came back later and did some cleaning.
That gave us a really terrific long single pitch of Index 10a. But as I say, it may take in parts of more than one original route.
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TacomaDome
Trad climber
Tacoma, WA
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Chasing the Lizard is really fun and definitely deserves to see more traffic.
I am intrigued by Avenging the Goddess Kring, the viney/bushy bolted corner looked fun, if it were clean. Those awful looking plants probably grow back quickly though.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Those awful looking plants
Hey, Uncle Fred planted those, you know.
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Darryl Cramer
Social climber
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Variation: Chasin' The Lizard – Start up the right crack and continue to the belay ledge at the top of the regular second pitch. A bolt protected slab leads to the top.
Avenging the Goddess has much better climbing than Chasin the lizard up to the ledge. We cleaned Chasin' after the Goddess because the chimney was chocked full of vine maples. Dave was laid-off from Boeing and suddenly had lots of free time and thus Chasin' the Lizard was born. Most of the veggies on Goddess are probably easily cleaned blackberry vines.
A five minute walk away you can find this probably dirty crag: http://www.rcnw.net/forums/topic/499-red-wall/
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MisterE
Gym climber
Being In Sierra Happy Of Place
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 1, 2015 - 09:34pm PT
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Aaaa! Don't kill my thread, psycho-n00b!
This one time on Green Dragon I set a #2 Loweball and found out that you can't shift on them while weighted or they pop?
That was a ride...
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TacomaDome
Trad climber
Tacoma, WA
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The view from the upper town wall is spectacular.
There is something about Index, hard to put my finger on, but it's one of those places that can inspire me to climb harder and push myself like no other place.
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rbolton
Social climber
The home for...
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Really good bolts.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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I am definitely going to take yer word on those bolts' integrity, Mr Bolton!
But you must have had some doubts in that you did equalize them*. ;-)
* Or whatever that lashup is. :-)
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rbolton
Social climber
The home for...
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Yeah, I think that one is called the "Young and stupid" tie in. That's my cousin Don in the photo around 1978. He was more gifted in the fashion department than the rope handling skills area.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Somebody please post a picture of Princely. I can't find it in my book. What's the grade?
If no one else comes through, I'll post something when I get home tonight.
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Hardly Visible
Social climber
Llatikcuf WA
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Here's 2 of Princely Ambitions
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MisterE
Gym climber
Being In Sierra Happy Of Place
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 3, 2015 - 12:16pm PT
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I love that flake-hole on Princely where you can just throw a carabiner into the hole and clip the rope into the other one - BOMBER!!!
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StefanS
Trad climber
Leavenworth WA
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When Princly was established there was tree cover right up to the wall. It seemed like you climbed up into the leaves and disappeared, at least in the summer.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Princely Ambitions was one of those climbs that was an obvious possibility in the photo in Fred Beckey's guidebook,
but nobody had bothered because it wasn't very hard and there was a lot of moss, dirt and loose blocks in the lower section.
I cleaned it out solo on a rainy day, and the mud trashed my rope and wore deep grooves in my biners in the biner brake.
I was worried about a long blank move at the start, but when I trundled one of the loose blocks, it randomly created a foothold there. "Unintentional chipping" :-)
There was originally a huge detached flake (15' x 15' x 6") where the mantle / hand traverse is now.
I checked it when cleaning by pulling on it real hard, but it didn't move. On lead I underclung and liebacked it.
A few years later it apparently simply fell off during the winter [Edit: summer - see Dave Davis' post below]. Good thing nobody was aboard!
Finally I was worried that the blackberry vines in the corner above the mantle would keep growing back and the climb would suck.
But since it was one of the few moderates at Index, I guess the traffic has helped keep it clean.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Squeaky! And a yey for more moderates unearthing in Index!!!
For me, the best moderate climb at Index is DGS on the Upper Town Wall. You can search upthread for some info and photos.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Could one call DGS "well protected"? More importantly, would I?
Yes, one could. And yes, you would.
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TacomaDome
Trad climber
Tacoma, WA
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"Squeaky! And a yey for more moderates unearthing in Index!!!"
Lots of stuff getting scrubbed and FA'd this year, but you will have to look for them on MP, sorry.
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Dave Davis
Social climber
Seattle, WA
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If memory serves me right, I believe the big flake on Princely Ambitions fell off during the summer. I think it was Tom Hargis who told me he was at the lower wall when it happened. Still a good climb, but a bit harder now.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Dug out a few pictures of the day a couple of years ago that Wayno and I climbed DGS...
You might have to click on this one to enlarge it a bit...
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Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Wayno's smiling on that ^^ pitch. That's encouragement for me. It was hell'a hot up here last weekend, and I didn't get out climbing. I did walk up a nearby road that I think Ghost knows well, when I spied this. The bizzaro color wasn't intentional, but just resulted from auto color balance and contrast expand applied to a very flat color depth hazy day image. I want to call it something like "The Portal on Dana Barrett's Refrigerator".
That ^ would probably not be a moderate. ;-)
In the quest for Index moderates, I came across photos of a really nice looking pitch on Peanuts To Serve You . Although I'm being way optimistic considering an Index 5.9 "moderate" for me. Here's a link to derekpearson's photo on mtn project.
The link is http://www.mountainproject.com/images/69/67/107396967_medium_c63b16.jpg
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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I did walk up a nearby road that I think Ghost knows well, when I spied this.
The only road near Index that I know anything about is the road that goes up to the top of the clearcuts below Zeke's Wall. Closed to vehicles since the ORV guys trashed it. But I don't remember anything about psychadelic refrigerator portals. Only fabulous climbing on the wall above.
From the end of the road a pleasant 40 minute hike gets you to the base of the wall. Although the trail is probably overgrown now.
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Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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This was up the gated FS-62 (aka Proctor Creek Rd ) up towards Persis. I was thinking Ghost had been up there, but I was confusing it with;
http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/1570361/Killing-your-partner-seriously-uncool
which I guess was up towards/at Zeek's(?)->Zeke's.
Actually my walk up gated FS62 was kind of neat 'cause on the nicest day of the summer so far, I didn't see a human soul. I did see neat birds and heard a lot more. I didn't get any photos for the bird thread though.
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Wayno
Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
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Wayno's smiling on that ^^ pitch.
I had fun on that climb but don't confuse a smile with a grimace. It was effing hot that day. Ball soup. We didn't even do the the last easy pitch, it was so hot. The only other climber we saw was none other than Dick Cilley, going up to do some traxing.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Jun 13, 2015 - 08:05pm PT
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I had fun on that climb but don't confuse a smile with a grimace.
All smiles and no grimaces today. Mari and I made our annual pilgrimage to DGS, the best moderate climb at Index, and had nothing but fun.
Darwin, you really should get up there and get on it. Long hike, and it's undergraded at 5.9, but it'll eat as much pro as you can carry.
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