Devils Tower Speed Record?

Search
Go

Discussion Topic

Return to Forum List
This thread has been locked
Messages 1 - 10 of total 10 in this topic
mike m

Trad climber
black hills
Topic Author's Original Post - Sep 27, 2013 - 02:38pm PT
For years I have heard that Todd Skinner had done it in 17 minutes, but this week I was talking to a photography professor who said one of his colleagues was meeting with a French guy at the tower this week who now held the record and it was in the 11 minute range. What this means I don't know, but I do know that I would have a hard time getting to the base of any one route in 11 minutes. Anybody know anything about this?
sac

Trad climber
Sun Coast B.C.
Sep 27, 2013 - 03:40pm PT
Rad!

D'ya think ROct. would be a good month to climb DT?
mike m

Trad climber
black hills
Topic Author's Reply - Sep 28, 2013 - 08:02am PT
One of the best. Heading there right now.
Ksolem

Trad climber
Monrovia, California
Sep 28, 2013 - 12:04pm PT
I don't really get the whole speed record thing, but more power to 'em...

I would think that Frank has a few pretty quick ascents.

luquitos

Trad climber
santa cruz, ca
Jun 25, 2016 - 02:13pm PT
I heard that one of Franks ex-guides had the record for 12 minutes up the walt bailey route from base of route to summit.
Jaybro

Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
Jun 25, 2016 - 07:08pm PT
Details / specifics, are everything in this sort of record keeping. WB from belay spot to summit In 12 is fast, but totally doable.

I soloed 4 rtes car to car in just under four hours once. Walt, a wiessner, bonhomie and el cracko, iirc. Did Bon home,( Dingus variation,) first, dragging and fixing two ropes for the rap. Hung out on top each time, and talked to people along the way. Kept after it, but didn't rush. A determined record breaker could cut that Way, down...
BruceHildenbrand

Social climber
Mountain View/Boulder
Jun 25, 2016 - 08:02pm PT
I always thought the record was from the ranger station where you used to have to sign in and sign out to the top not from the 'base?'of a given route.
Tom

Big Wall climber
San Luis Obispo CA
Jun 25, 2016 - 08:19pm PT
I don't really get the whole speed record thing, but more power to 'em...


That's the great thing about climbing - you make your own rules, and keep score your own way.


The only rule in rock climbing is: Thou Shalt not Retrobolt, Chip or Epoxy.



I prefer to linger and be up there as long as possible. After all, that's why I am up there in the first place: to be up there.

Racing back to the car and plugging back into civilization seems self-defeating, to me.

I can't even come CLOSE to what 90% of climbers are doing today. So, speed climbing is not even a remote aspiration for me.




I once played golf with a guy who was really, really irritated that I wasn't going to keep score, or even count how many strokes I took. I was just out there to take a walk, swing the clubs, and get a sun-burned face. But, for him, it was blasphemous. He got over it by about halfway through, when he realized my cretinous lawlessness didn't affect him if he ignored me.


I mention that, because when I first did Reed's Direct, my belayer went crazy when I ran out of gas near the top (after placing too much pro) and had to hang on a piece.

You would have thought he was scared WVB was going to show up and confiscate all our climbing gear, before we hurt ourselves, because we were so inept on a puny 5.9 climb.




The one time I was at the Devil's Tower, it was during a road trip, with no climbing gear, and barely enough time to run towards the base, and look up those long, clean dihedrals.

It is a very impressive piece of rock, very dramatically dominating the otherwise mostly flat landscape. The outsized talus ring around the pillar notwithstanding, the rock appeared to be very solid and wonderful. Basalt?


Someday, someday, someday . . . . . . . . .

xtrmecat

Big Wall climber
Kalispell, Montanagonia
Jun 26, 2016 - 07:02am PT
Definitely ask Frank. About two years ago I spent a rain day hanging out with a guide in the back of the gear shed and overheard a conversation of two guys yacking about the guides soloaround 7 minutes andrive change.
Of course he was too humble to jump into the conversation and it didn't matter to me. Frank would know the skinny on this one for sure.

Burly Bob and
SGropp

Mountain climber
Eastsound, Wa
Jun 26, 2016 - 08:17am PT
I don't get the whole speed thing as well.
It seems as if the whole moment and experience passes by far too soon as it is anyway.

On a related note, the Race to Alaska is about to start in a couple of hours, unpowered, unsupported 750 miles up the Inside Passage from Port Townsend, Wa. to Ketchikan, Ak. by boat.

My friend Karl is going for it on a standup paddle board and I wish him well.

The course might get run in as little as a week, depending on conditions.

I did the same trip several times 30+ years ago in a rowing boat. Each time it took over two months and it all seemed to go by way too fast.

What's the point of racing through something incredible ? so you can rush back to some crappy job ?

Messages 1 - 10 of total 10 in this topic
Return to Forum List
 
Our Guidebooks
spacerCheck 'em out!
SuperTopo Guidebooks

guidebook icon
Try a free sample topo!

 
SuperTopo on the Web

Recent Route Beta