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Ljohnson
Social climber
The land of ice, snow and rocks
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Topic Author's Original Post - Dec 14, 2013 - 07:56pm PT
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This has made the rounds a few times, but was your first, first ascent any good?
All of mine are total piles- at best, a couple are worthy of second ascents if someone has nothing better to do. Most fall in to the "I wouldn't recommend it my worst enemy category."
My point is, out of the climbers BITD with more rock and bigger balls at their disposal, were your first-first ascents any good?
(This message is endorsed by the keep it on-topic, on the first page movement.)
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climbrunride
Sport climber
Golf Wall, CO
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Dec 14, 2013 - 08:09pm PT
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Mine was worth doing again. And recommending to friends. A bit run out, but later on someone added another bolt with my permission, so I think it's pretty popular now.
And then I got into the crappy, chossy, don't-bother-unless-you-like-to-be-scared first ascents...
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Dec 14, 2013 - 08:20pm PT
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Pervertical Sanctuary
Haven't repeated it, but I think some have.
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BBA
climber
OF
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Dec 14, 2013 - 08:22pm PT
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Coonyard, and it was good. Fun and lasting. I can still see that first pitch above Monday Morning Slab. I thought it was incredible no one had climbed there before as it was so easy on the brain and body compared with the classic Steck Salathe of Sentinel.
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Ghoulwe
Trad climber
Spokane, WA
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Dec 14, 2013 - 08:30pm PT
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My first 1st Ascent started out as a short practice solo-aid session back in the late '70's. I was living in the Valley and had wall aspirations, so went looking for a place where I could practice on my own, without a bunch of people watching me flail. I found an interesting, short dihedral over by Mirror Lake and commenced to figuring out how to aid-climb with a prussic system. From the top of the corner, maybe 70 feet up (if I remember correctly), I rapped and cleaned the munge out of the crack and it looked like it might be kinda fun as a free climb so I returned a few days later with a buddy and free-climbed it at 5.9. Top-roped a face climb to the right too.
I mentioned it to Don Reid and didn't think much more of it until I saw it printed in his yellow Yosemite Climbs guide listed as Eric's Book and Thin Man. I climbed there a few more times and it turned out to be a pretty fun little area!
Eric Barrett
Spokane WA
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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Dec 14, 2013 - 08:53pm PT
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Southwest Face, Mt Lyell July 1963, age 14 along with other youths, Dennis Schmidt, Vern Muhr, led by Les Wilson. II 5.6
Choss heap of course but amazing place.
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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Dec 14, 2013 - 08:57pm PT
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Spiders from Mars 5.9 A2+ 1986 it has since been freed by Zeb Jacobs @ 5.11d scary. went unrepeted for 10 years has been done maybe 6 times total. with 3 or 4 of those ascents by myself. Yea, It's a pile ;)
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Edge
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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Dec 14, 2013 - 09:15pm PT
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We had this 170' granite cliff located about 5 miles from my high school, so logically I would skip days worth of classes to explore it. This was my fourth lead ever; and the first of 8 or so FAs that we put up that year and the next. Due to access concerns the cliff sat unexplored until 2011, when a crew of friends secured access and began putting up new routes to fill in the blanks. Of the 65 routes on the cliff, I have about 25 FAs.
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McHale's Navy
Trad climber
From Panorama City, CA
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Dec 14, 2013 - 09:40pm PT
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My first first-ascent that got recorded was Danny Gore out at Joshua Tree in 1968. It was 5.6/A3....now 5.11. I have not been back there to free it! I remember the shaky block almost like it was yesterday. Free-climbing it with cams probably wouldn't make it budge. It got its name because I banged a finger and was dripping blood straight down onto my belayer Joe Brown.
My best known early first ascents would be those at the Needles in California; 1st ascent of Warlock, 1st ascent of Voodoo Dome; Pea Soup, first ascent of the Magician; Sidewalk Magic, and Hermit Spire. I wrote a story here at ST about being in on the 1st ascent of the east face of Mt Powell. Story is on this page;
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=2072695&tn=20
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life is a bivouac
Trad climber
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Dec 14, 2013 - 09:59pm PT
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Hi all, As a So. Cal. boy I grew up at Stoney... I did quite a few Firsts there, which were all nailing back then, and are pretty much free climbed now... One sunny and bright blue day, I think it was 1965, I soloed a first ascent on a block in the back of Stoney with four or maybe five placements; it's now known as the Yabo Arete. Another I was pretty jazzed about was the Patio to Coonyard traverse. Then bigger still was the N. E. face of Mt. Brewer. Those still put smiles on my face...
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Jingy
climber
Somewhere out there
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Dec 14, 2013 - 10:16pm PT
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not totally sure of the date/time…
But in Bishop Ca., Happy Boulders has a little trail on an off the desk piece of rock I called "High Anxiety" V1-2…
Set on a ships prow type boulder just south of the more water less power area, to the left…
I used to look at it and wonder why not… Then I helped clean it up and sent it…
Not sure how many (if any) sends it has seen.
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Dec 14, 2013 - 10:26pm PT
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HA!! Speaking of piles, my first was nearly the end of me. A no-nothing teen trying to emulate the mountaineers he was reading about in library books.
I took a picture of the canyon cliff this summer.
I actually made it without dying!
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bhilden
Trad climber
Mountain View, CA/Boulder, CO
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Dec 14, 2013 - 10:32pm PT
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Shakey Legs, 5.10c at Tollhouse Rock, CA, 1978. It gets 2 out of 3 stars in the latest guidebook and helped usher in ground up first ascents at the area. Thank heavens the locals removed the soft iron pin which protected the crux and replaced it with a solid bolt.
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Fritz
Trad climber
Choss Creek, ID
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Dec 14, 2013 - 10:37pm PT
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Great to see you folks posting 1st ascents and new routes. I always was at my best on "new-ground."
Idaho climbing ethics are somewhat stern about writting up new routes, since they tend to remove the adventure from what little adventure remains.
I do know that the best adventures of my life were on new routes, and the next-best adventures were on established big-routes, with only a paragraph in a guidebook to describe the route.
So the first, first ascent?
The June Phallis, under Boulder Peak, near Ketchum Idaho in June 1970. Chris, Gordon, & I were very proud.
We did not submit it to the AAJ.
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AP
Trad climber
Calgary
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Dec 14, 2013 - 10:43pm PT
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Joe Simpson's 1st first ascent didn't go too well. Neither did his 2nd
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McHale's Navy
Trad climber
From Panorama City, CA
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Dec 14, 2013 - 11:38pm PT
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His first book made up for it.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Dec 15, 2013 - 02:52am PT
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I suppose the moki steps i cut to the cliff dwelling my brother and i made when we were kids qualifies.
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Bruce Morris
Social climber
Belmont, California
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Dec 15, 2013 - 04:00am PT
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Think it was in the quarry on the north side of Crystal Springs Road between downtown San Mateo and the Crystal Springs Dam when I was 15. Absolutely horrible piece of choss. I was belayed by a friend I dragged over there from Parkside housing project. Yes, I used a white line (not gold line) rope, pins and a tiny piton hammer I bought at Ellingson's Sporting Goods on the El Camino Real.
Very lucky to have survived the experience. Doubt it has ever been repeated.
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