A Long Walk to Nowhere...TR

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ladyscarlett

Trad climber

SF Bay Area, California

Topic Author's Original Post - Jan 25, 2014 - 08:15pm PT

Long read, no pics...This is your disclaimer.

It’s really just a long walk to nowhere. I know of a shortcut, but it’s still a reeeally loooong walk. It violates the general rule to not let the approach be longer than the climb itself. And for what? Maybe 2 pitches of rock that is commonly referred to as ‘not really worth it’

Except I can’t stop thinking about it, because Nowhere keeps calling to me, from high up in the mountains.

I have only memories, no pictures, for it was early in my climbing life, just beginning to lead, a climber without a rope, and still so proud of my shiny n00b rack. My ‘Rack of 3’ I called it, consisting of 3 locking carabiners, 3 trad draws, and a #3 Camelot, each piece arduously added one at a time. No camera, which now seems impossible, but I was n00b enough that a camera would be a distraction from trying to stay alive and well in what was still a very new and foreign environment.

The desire was riding me hard that early summer and I’d convinced some of my city friends to have me drive them to Tahoe, covering my gas. I’d drop them off in town, head out to the higher places, and pick them up when I was done. I’d arranged to do the thing my non-climbing friends cringe to hear, and used the internet to go meet a complete stranger in the wilderness.

We meet at the trailhead and I’m excited. The drive in was distractingly beautiful, and I’d never been to that area of Tahoe before.

“I know a shortcut, it’s still a long hike, but it’s a nice hike and it is shorter.”

“Sounds good to me!” I answered, my eagerness ridiculous, I’m sure. He’d pointed out our destination to me earlier and although it was dauntingly far away and high up, it looked...SO COOL!!!

The details of the shortcut are fuzzy, but the sheer enjoyment of it is undiminished. This was a shortcut that humans found while spying on elves. Walking along a creek, through the woods, and steadily up, up, and up. There was a trail, but my unschooled city eyes were unable to see, and to me, we were just striking out into the wilderness. How wonderful it was, and although each upward step was sweaty and laborious, I found myself smiling.

He wasn’t kidding, it’s a beautiful shortcut, but it was still a long hike, the bulk of it continuous elevation gain. My awareness of the passage of time took a backseat to trying to keep a steady pace, not sounding like a dying horse, and not...actually...dying. At some point the terrain begins to flatten and I acknowledge that we are still about an hour from the base of the climb. We’ve gained enough altitude that it looks and feels like we’re touching the edge of the alpine. I’m no alpinist, but days like this feed my addiction for the alpine in it’s earliest stages.

Some hours later, we reach a large tree where we gear up and stash our packs for the climb. He got the first lead and in all honesty, I can’t really remember the climbing itself, only that I was able to climb, and didn’t have to be hauled up like a sack of rice. I can’t even remember if it was two or three pitches. I DO remember him tied into a sturdy anchor on the belay ledge standing at the bottom of a distinct cleft in the rock.

“You should lead this one” he says.

“Really? Don’t we have to be conscientious about time? If I lead it, it’ll take forever…”

“You should lead this pitch, it’s absolutely within your climbing level”

I don’t know why I believed him, but I did. After all, I was just beginning leader, and although I had no confidence and little skill, I still wanted to lead. So I rack up, my rack supplemented by his, and not for the first time that day, notice just how cool roped nuts really are. It was my first time seeing them on a ‘working’ rack, and I was fascinated. Roped nuts...! Even though I’ve seen roped nuts less than a handful of times since then, the fascination and appreciation born on that day has not diminished. I was less impressed with the single roped hex as it plain confused me. Racked and ready, I start climbing. As with the first pitch, I don’t exactly remember the climbing of the second pitch. I remember being able to place pro and move up the rock without fearing for my life, but the nature and quality of the climbing has been lost in a haze of the past. I DO remember placing 2 roped nuts, and it was great each time. They were solid! I continue to ascend what must be unremarkable territory and I know I’m out of sight of my belayer. I don’t really know where I’m going, but the easiest way is upwards towards an gentle arrette. Its a faceful of rock for every move until I move over the arete and look out... WHAMM!!!

Lake Tahoe, by which I’ve never been hugely impressed, stops me in my climbing tracks with my most memorable view of one of the most beautiful parts of the Lake. And I thought 'THIS is how Lake Tahoe is meant to be! From atop a high mountain, with rope...preferably on the sharp end.'

“WHOOOHOOOOO!!!!” I hear ringing through the air. Who WAS that? And I realize that it was me, unable to hold in the moment. I let loose even louder.

“WHOOOOOOOOOOO!!!OOOOOO!!!!”

When my follower joined me on my belay ledge, I thanked him for prompting me to lead that pitch even though I was a n00b and not a little intimidated at the whole concept.

“It’s pretty, isn’t it”

“Yup, Lake Tahoe just slapped me silly.... And oh MAN, it was amazing!”

I don’t remember much about the downclimb other that it felt steep for little short me and it was more a downclimb then a descent. Even still, we got back to our packs in good time, gathered our things and began the long walk down.

It was a loooong hike back. Enjoying the luxury of taking many soothing deep breathes, I strolled through high mountain clearings that looked like the meadows where Bambi played with his forest friends. It sure was good to be high…

When I picked up my city friends they asked “Where did you go?”

I gave them a satisfied smile. “Oh...It was a super long hike a ways up to the middle of nowhere. At the top, Lake Tahoe slapped me silly.”

“Huh…” and it didn’t matter that they didn’t understand. I felt satiated and satisfied with my mountain time and I was floating on the afterglow.

I haven’t been back there since, but each year, it calls. As seasons go by, the call gets stronger. But it’s a long hike. Nowhere isn’t worth the effort it takes to get there.

Keep moving, nothing to see, no climbing to be done here….

But this year, striking out blindly, through the forest that comes before the endless hours of sustained elevation gain seems less scary. Surely if I go there, it’ll be familiar. The drenching sweat that comes from dragging this sorry piece of meat called my body up to the base of a climb seems warming rather than uncomfortably hot and sticky. The steep unknown downclimb from the summit is significantly more daunting, but it doesn’t feel as insurmountable as it did in seasons past. All of this is capable of conquering my inherent laziness, so perhaps this season, perhaps next.

The mountain calls, the rock calls, and the desire to take that Long Walk to Nowhere for a route that is barely worth the sweat isn’t going away.

Jeez, how depraved can a deprived climber get?

Cheers

LS

Mark Rodell

Trad climber

Bangkok

Jan 25, 2014 - 08:49pm PT

Thanks and I don't think pictures would have made it better. It's good as is.

Ghost

climber

A long way from where I started

Jan 25, 2014 - 08:55pm PT

Jeez, how depraved can a deprived climber get?

Just wait a couple of decades and you'll find out. You're only beginning to touch the depths of depravity available to a deprived climber.

Thanks for the story.

MisterE

climber

Jan 25, 2014 - 09:09pm PT

Great story, LS.

It takes me right back to the approach to the Early Winter Spires in the North Cascades - as you say, BAM!!!!!

MH2

climber

Jan 25, 2014 - 09:17pm PT

There is magic in the hills.

Charlie D.

Trad climber

Western Slope, Tahoe Sierra

Jan 25, 2014 - 09:19pm PT

I suspect you've been bitten by the infectious mountain bug. The condition it leaves you is not fatal but it is chronic. The mountains call to our hearts and our brain gets us there and back, thanks for posting LS I enjoyed reading about that place of nowhere......right there in our hearts.

Berg Heil,

Charlie D.

mouse from merced

Trad climber

The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.

Jan 26, 2014 - 01:38am PT

Mark's nuts. Two racks worth. One older, one newer.Tasty. Bon apetit.

donini

Trad climber

Ouray, Colorado

Jan 26, 2014 - 09:38am PT

Nice remembrance, you must have climbing DNA.....a #3 Camalot was one of your first pieces of gear.

Srbphoto

climber

Kennewick wa

Jan 26, 2014 - 01:19pm PT

Jeez, how depraved can a deprived climber get?

They're called climbing gyms :)

Darwin

Trad climber

Seattle, WA

Jan 26, 2014 - 04:13pm PT

Riveting and a little haunting story LS. Thanks.
Darwin

Rhodo-Router

Gym climber

sawatch choss

Jan 26, 2014 - 04:32pm PT

The call of the wild is strong with this one.

Thanks!

SteveW

Trad climber

The state of confusion

Jan 26, 2014 - 04:56pm PT

Awesome!!!!
4 stars!

bluering

Trad climber

Santa Clara, CA

Jan 26, 2014 - 06:10pm PT

When my follower joined me on my belay ledge, I thanked him for prompting me to lead that pitch even though I was a n00b and not a little intimidated at the whole concept.

Sometimes a mentor needs to prod a young learner into the action. I know that's how I started onto the sharp end.

Nice job! Was it Eagle Peak that you climbed?

SCseagoat

Trad climber

Santa Cruz

Jan 26, 2014 - 08:42pm PT

Oh Ms Lady Scarlett...that was one pull on the heart, mind, and soul strings. Moving, without being melodramatic. Crystal clear, yet still muted with wonderful nuance.
I'm more than impressed you are able to capture that moment in the past so beautifully.

Susan

ladyscarlett

Trad climber

SF Bay Area, California

Topic Author's Reply - Jan 27, 2014 - 02:58pm PT

Thanks so much guys!

Nice remembrance, you must have climbing DNA.....a #3 Camalot was one of your first pieces of gear.

Heh! The logic behind the #3 was that it's bigger than I can fist...jam.

And it's held up pretty well to that. Now I have 2! So far, the only size I have doubles.

Nice job! Was it Eagle Peak that you climbed?

I think it might be the buttress and not the rumored 5.8 route, but yup yup! That moment where the real beauty of that area of the Sierras sure is seared into my mind...and I'm not sorry to say that it pleasures me that it really is a 'climber's only' spot.

It's a view that truly follows the notion...No rice without effort!

To many more...this time with a camera!

Cheers

LS