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FredC
Boulder climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jan 4, 2014 - 05:45pm PT
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An Indian Rock Outing: January 1, 2014
Last week, the first day of the year, I had hoped to be xc skating at Royal Gorge but my snow dances have not worked. So my sweetie and I got up and I ran (hobbled?) up to the top of Mt. Tam to greet the New Year. A great view, a great place.
After that we found our way to Mill Valley to get our espresso fix and to watch a little white boxer run around with a skateboard in his mouth. I doubt the owner ever saw that board again. The dog figured out how to run with his head a bit sideways and the wheels rolling along beside him, that little dude was fast.
Finally we planned to meet an old friend at Indian Rock to try our very occasional ascent of I-12. The last time we did it was on December 31, 2000 with my friend Rodney and Ben Borson. My notes say we climbed it at sunset. The only difference is that we are now 13 years older.
I warmed up a bit on beginners crack and watercourse. Those routes have gotten harder over the time I have been bouldering there. In the past few years I have pretty much avoided Indian Rock. That place gets way harder in your 50s. All those holds that seemed fine 30 years ago have gotten smaller and smoother. But as I warm up I am thinking “Good old I-12 should not be too hard…” I had never had any trouble with it in the past. I have probably not done it more than 10 times altogether.
Some background on I-12:
March 1932: The Cragmont Climbing Club formed.
Dick Leonard, Kenny May, and Bev Blanks went out with “a 1/2 inch cotton rope of doubtful strength”. The Cragmont Climbing Club is still alive and well. We sometimes see them at the Berkeley gym and I know a couple of members. Seems like a great bunch even today.
Back in the 1930’s when this group of folks went to Indian Rock, Cragmont, and Pinnacle Rock they got to put up all the first ascents and named them C1, C2… at Cragmont and I1, I2, etc at Indian Rock. As of 1970 and still today, the only routes I know in the area that are still called by these original names are I-12 and I-13 at Indian Rock. There was an I-14 put up in the 1970s as well and its name honors the old convention.
This is the first description of I-12 that I found, it was written by Dick Leonard in his 1939 guide to local rock climbing.
“Traversing on an overhang into a very open overhanging chimney with almost inadequate holds.”
There is another mention in “The Yodeler” in 1939
“INDIAN ROCK, COMING & GOING
A week ago Sunday, repeated attempts were made (on I-12), each try ending in an ignominious fall. The route doesn’t look bad, until the angle of the overhang is realized. All the necessary holds are on hand. This was proved almost a year ago, when Dick Leonard climbed both portions of the climb, a traverse and an overhanging 160˚ chimney, in two installments. He had to rest in between pitches, the holds being too insignificant to allow a climber to hang on for more than a few minutes.”
In 1939 men were sure men because there is no way I could go out there and hold on to those holds for “a few minutes”. By today’s standards the climb is probably 5.10ish and has about a dozen moves altogether, It should only take a minute or so to do it.
As of January 7, 1941 Indian rock’s I-12 was mentioned in an article as still being “unconquered”.
The next mention seems to be describing what was either the first ascent or an early one. (Yodeler 1941)
“INDIAN ROCK
A record turnout of 30 kept Kenneth Adams and Robin Hanson busy with practice belays and climbs. Prusik knots and piton falls kept the experienced happy. The climax of the afternoon was the ascent of I-12 by Robin Hanson.”
It seems like Robin Hanson did the first ascent sometime in 1941. (Maybe someone knows better?)
Ten years later in January 1951 a report of an RCS (Sierra Club Rock Climbing Section) trip to Indian Rock written by Bill Long gives some idea of the state of the art at that time.
“INDIAN ROCK BESIEGED
Bill Dunmire proved master of the day by climbing the difficult I-12 pitch. The number of climbers who have made this climb can be numbered on one’s fingers. Bill was not given a free dinner at the Adam’s home, but he was allowed to watch the television and Mount Waddington slides free of charge.”
Now, January 1, 2014:
When we arrived, some guys actually had a toprope on I-12. That was a shock since no one climbs it any more. I don't think many of the new kids even know it exists. It turned out that they were actually climbing Watercourse and then the easy face to the right of I-12. I asked for a belay on I-12 and was granted one.
One thing that was immediately obvious was that lichen has been doing really well on that part of the upper rock over the last few decades. (It looks to me like an interesting MS degree in ecology might be possible here!) There is not very much bare rock to hold any longer, especially on the traverse. I did the left and downward traverse without much problem, stepped left and reached to the left hand lieback hold that is the key to the route.
As soon as I got it my mind said calmly, “HOLY S__T! Did this hold break off, how did it get so small?!” In the gym there are few holds like there are at Indian Rock and my body was freaked by the idea of pulling on this (relatively) tiny thing. I struggled for a bit and then after getting the sequence wrong I ran out of gas! I don’t think I have fallen off this route since about 1971! I gave it one more try but I had used so much energy on that left hold that it was hopeless.
Photo: N. West
The guys with the rope left and my friend Rodney showed up so I set up another toprope for him to try. He did really well but failed after getting a bit farther than I had gotten. Finally I decided it was worth one more try and somehow I managed to make it this time after a long rest.
Photo: F. Cook
So in a long tradition, the highlight of my afternoon was the ascent of I-12, late in the day on the first day of 2014.
As you get older, things that were easy warm-ups become harder and then over time become impressive and finally they become impossible. This is what happens to all of us if we get old enough.
It’s like we get to step back to the past and relate more directly with the challenges of our “ancestors”. The one constant is that the spirit you bring to your climbing is unchanged, you have to bring all your technique, you have to dig deep.
Maybe that spirit is the only thing that ever mattered anyway.
Fred C.
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Maysho
climber
Soda Springs, CA
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Cool Fred!
I never got on that thing...maybe in 10 years when you set it up again, I will join you!
Skate skiing is actually pretty good, within very narrow parameters. The Telegraph to International trail near my house, along the cold side right above Van Norden Meadow...holding snow and well groomed. Maybe not worth a drive from the Bay, but adequate for a local racer. Tomorrow we have a good 10k going on at Auburn Ski Club, due to the great shoveling efforts of many volunteers. A small snowstorm looking likely mid-week...we need it, and hopefully a larger one soon.
Thanks for your support this autumn! Means a lot to us, and our work.
Happy New Year!
Peter
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klk
Trad climber
cali
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more rodney!
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Indian rock style bump!!!
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FredC
Boulder climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 5, 2014 - 12:57am PT
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Hi Peter!
I am so bummed about the winter. I have not even waxed my skis.
I can't believe you never did I-12, you started with the Sierra Club RCS as I remember. But I guess those guys did not really work on that route in the early 70's. They did a lot of jumping off the top of Watercourse with body belays and goldline. That is what I remember from those days. I sort of shied away from that stuff.
More Rodney! You bet. I have known Rodney for about 53 years. We did cub and boy scouts together. His dad was our scoutmaster. Rodney's whole family are really good people just like he is.
FC
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Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Fred,
This is a wonderful read for me! I find I struggled for a bit and then after getting the sequence wrong I ran out of gas! almost inconceivable coming from you, but yeah, it's been since about 1971 since I've done it and you have a few more miles on the frame, so: maybe.
Happy new year! That was a good way to start.
Darwin
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scuffy b
climber
heading slowly NNW
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Thanks for a great report, Fred.
I can't think of I 12 without Bruce Cooke coming into my mind.
I think most of the ascents of I 12 that I saw were done by Bruce.
One time I did the climb, not many months after his death.
When I got to that lieback flake, I suddenly was "informed" that it was time
for his distinctive re-arrangement of the feet, not the most obvious move to
do at that point. I had forgotten the move, but it felt like Bruce was with
me, encouraging me through the proper sequence.
There was a period when Luke Freeman frequented Indian Rock, after his years
in Yosemite. He would routinely solo up and down I 12.
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Thanks for the report and thread, Fred. I'm with Scuffy -- I always think of Bruce Cooke when I think of I-12. It's interesting that Steve mentions Luke Freeman, because I remember when Luke was on the route (roped) in 1969. Bruce was in The Pit, calling out directions and encouragement.
Thanks for jogging great memories of wonderful people and places.
John
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bergbryce
Trad climber
South Lake Tahoe, CA
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Great TR and kudos for providing climbing content.
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FredC
Boulder climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 6, 2014 - 04:34pm PT
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Hi Randi, in the light of what the kids today are up to this old thing is pretty small stuff. I like the history of the route from the old Sierra Club and Cragmont Climbing club writings. I liked your China stuff, I was there for 10 days or so last year. The air is interesting there.
Darwin, oh man, that left hand hold has changed (or maybe I have). I was really expecting something more substantial.
rrider, I remember seeing belayers pulled up in the air trying to hold the fall from the top of Watercourse. Bruce told me something about some of those guys taking deliberate screamers from some local tree around the same time. Do you remember anything like that?
John & Steve, I remember seeing Peter Haan and Luke Freeman doing it unroped and they looked solid. It was a low key big deal at the time. People would get all quiet and such. I was moved by that event at age 15-16 for sure.
The only other guy I saw do this was Cliff Coleman. I don't know how many people actually did I-12 unroped. I did not know Scott did it until he mentioned it last week.
Fred
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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nice thread
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Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
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Bruce Cooke. Amazing. In his 60s and he would do a one-arm pull-up in a hand jam in that "fork" of a two branches of the tree down in the Pit. I was impressed. Nice guy too.
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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I-12; unroped one of many times; probably 1971-1973
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Speaking of Cliff Coleman, perhaps clu will correct me if I'm wrong, but I seem to remember Cliff and Charlie Lu trying the Robbins Leap blindfolded.
John
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rmuir
Social climber
From the Time Before the Rocks Cooled.
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Bruce could also hang the Hell out of Lichman's Lick—the killer crimps below I-12.
Perhaps the finest thing about true bouldering–compared to the ephemeral nature of routes in climbing gyms–is that as one ages, you've always got a yardstick with which to measure yourself. Living in SoCal since 1970, I relish every opportunity to return to the place that helped shape my climbing. Dale Bard, Peter Haan, Chris Vandever, Ben Borson, Bruce Cooke, Galen Rowell, Royal Robbins (whenever he'd drive up from the Central Valley), Luke Freeman, ScruffyB... What an ecology!
It's pretty remarkable to remember the shape and feel of every hold in that Amphitheater—even after forty-five years!
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FredC
Boulder climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 7, 2014 - 12:10am PT
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John, I have seen "Charles" at the gym within the past year although not lately. If I see him I will ask if he remembers.
Mr. Muir, I would add Mr. Higgins to that group. I never met RR out there. I had those darn blue shoes for a while though. That was as close as I ever got to him. As Randi mentioned above, apparently RR could and did 3rd class both I-12 and I-13.
I guess climbing has come a long way in all those years but given that all those people did not have gyms and didn't seem to work out as much as the later generations, the best people did really impressive stuff back in the day.
I don't see people routinely doing the I-12 type climbs without ropes. I'm sure many could physically. It seems like there are always pretty daring people involved in climbing but as a percentage of the total, I think the number is lower today than it was in ~1970.
And Peter, that is a cool photo. It looks like the rock is brand new and fresh. Right out of the oven. The surface has changed a lot.
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Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
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Yeah I had the privilege of bouldering with Tom, Galen and others, watching and learning. I saw RR there a couple of times.
The "ape" traverse (what I called it at least) on the boulder by the road was great for pumping your arms. Okay, if you peeled off it'd only be two or so feet to the dirt.
But one of the best things about Indian Rock, was watching the sunset over the Bay at the top, drinking a beer and toking on a joint (well, as the saying goes, "I went to college".) And yes Billy Boy, I did inhale.
Across the street from the main area was this one boulder that had a good traverse. Of course Cragmont was an okay alternative if Indian got crowded. But the one "crag" up on Grizzly Peak Blvd had a couple of okay routes, if you do not mind wading through broken beer bottles.
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Speaking of Lichtman's Lick, I first saw someone on that when Andy himself, in tennis shoes, demonstrated it to a friend he was showing around the Rock. I actually got to boulder with Robbins a couple of times when he drove up from Modesto in his red VW bus.
One other Indian Rock denizen who went on to other things was Joel Grube. I remember a survey he gave us for his social psychology class. He found an almost perfect correlation between lack of self esteem and climbing ability. The less self esteem, the better the climber. In the late 1980's or early 1990's I heard him (now Dr. Grube, PhD) being interviewed on NPR about some psychological issue I've since forgotten. We can all say we knew him when.
John
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FredC
Boulder climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 7, 2014 - 03:32pm PT
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Wow, that could be the start of one of those BIG threads here.
Self-esteem and climbing.
I think for me at 15, I got to this magical place with all these Huge grownups who were all really smart and articulate and athletic and some were really graceful (Peter, Jim, etc.) which made it not just athletic but also added beauty and artistry in some way. The whole thing was really magical to me at the time. I have often reflected that I'm glad I started where and when I did because it was a special time and place and people.
I know many people were very intimidated by the scene there, I encouraged many during my early years. I felt pretty included somehow, when I reflect on why I think it was Bruce and Jim were very kind to this little kid from Oakland.
It did not take long before my 15-16 year old brain started thinking and identifying as some sort of "climber" or "boulderer". I got pretty good at it and so I think bouldering helped me be successful in an arena I cared about. I think the experience has helped me all through my life.
I learned what it takes to be good at something and those lessons were incorporated.
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scuffy b
climber
heading slowly NNW
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Jan 10, 2014 - 02:55pm PT
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My self esteem was plenty low back in those days.
Why wasn't I a much better climber?
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