Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
Messages 1 - 48 of total 48 in this topic |
The Alpine
climber
|
|
Topic Author's Original Post - Jul 5, 2014 - 07:55am PT
|
Pretty awesome stuff here. Hopefully Jimmy doesn't mind the copy and paste from his Facebook post.
Soul Garden..."Right now your grief is this giant gaping hole with sharp edges but as you move forward in life the edges soften and other beautiful things start to grow around it. Flowers and trees of experiences. The hole never goes away, but it becomes gentler and sort of a garden in your soul, a place you can visit when you want to be near your love." these are the words that Sean Leary wrote to comfort a friend who, like Sean, had lost the love of their lives.
Now Sean is gone, and the hole in my heart is still sharp and jagged. But before Sean left us he gave me a seed for my soul garden to begin growing.
Sean began working on a free climb on the south face of Mt. Watkins in the summer of 2012. By the end of the summer he had made it halfway down the wall and was convinced it would go free. He asked me to come check it out that fall, and I spent two days, totally blown away, climbing amazing splitters that just kept going on and on! The seed was planted!
The following April Sean and I started working out the lower half of the route. The climbing was fantastic, but more memorable for me was the fun times camping next to the river, eating gourmet steak burritos, and washing it down with "Jack O Max" . Yes thats right, Jack Daniels and Cytomax... your head might hurt a little the next day but your muscles will feel great!
Once the road to Tuolumne opened we began working on the upper half of the wall and crux of the route. We maintained our high level of indulgence by climbing five star splitters by day and Fun times at night! We spent about 20 days all together on the route figuring out climbing and protection for the endless 5.12 pitches and the mid 5.13 crux. We were getting real close!
Then I got the call that Sean was missing in Zion. I wasn't surprised. The relatively new "sport" of base jumping was claiming lives weekly and Sean was at the forefront.
While trying to process the loss of my best friend and climbing partner my resolve to complete the route only grew. I was lucky that my good friend Seth Carter had the ability, time, and psych to help me complete Sean's vision. Seth and I spent 6 days working on the route and stocking supplies for camping on the wall. We, of course, continued the tradition of fun days on the wall and great times camping. Seth, being the" Granite Ninja" that he is, didn't need much time to get things figured out. We were ready!
We started climbing from the ground on June 25th and topped out on June 30th. It was an amazing adventure complete with a soaking rain storm and ensuing heat wave. The highs and lows, the cussing and woohoos, and the crazy emotions we felt on route deserve their own page.
I had completed my most challenging and certainly most meaningful climb to date.But most important was that I had realized Sean's vision and planted the first seed in my Soul Garden.
Soul Garden (VI 5.13b) FFA Sean Leary, Jimmy Haden, Seth Carter
|
|
BooDawg
Social climber
Butterfly Town
|
|
FABULOUS!
|
|
mucci
Trad climber
The pitch of Bagalaar above you
|
|
This must be right around tenayas terror.
Proudest part of the wall.
Bravo!
|
|
phylp
Trad climber
Millbrae, CA
|
|
Beautiful - beautiful words, beautiful route, beautiful memories, beautiful enduring tribute
|
|
Spider Savage
Mountain climber
The shaggy fringe of Los Angeles
|
|
Here's the good stuff! More! More!
|
|
StahlBro
Trad climber
San Diego, CA
|
|
Love Mt Watkins. Gorgeous looking route and great tribute.
|
|
micronut
Trad climber
Fresno/Clovis, ca
|
|
Beautiful.
|
|
BASE104
Social climber
An Oil Field
|
|
Great!
You know, there is an incredible amount of unclimbed rock in the valley. El Cap is the only major cliff in which every conceivable flake or crack has been climbed.
With the stratospheric growth of free climbing ability, there are probably quite a few lines left to do if you don't mind walking.
|
|
limpingcrab
Trad climber
the middle of CA
|
|
Sooooooo awesome. Would love to see more pics
|
|
NutAgain!
Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
|
|
Outstanding.
|
|
donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
|
|
Awesome!
|
|
mikeyschaefer
climber
Yosemite
|
|
I'd rapped Sean's fixed ropes a couple years ago for a little photo project and gotta check out the line. Looks great. Sean had asked me a few times to go check it out with him but I had my own project to complete. Sure wish I'd made time to go hangout with him on it.
Congrats to Jimmy and Seth for completing Sean's project. Way to go guys!
|
|
Urmas
Social climber
Sierra Eastside
|
|
Awesome accomplishment! I know how much fun you guys must have had on my favorite wall in Yosemite.
|
|
Flip Flop
Trad climber
Truckee, CA
|
|
Thanks Jimmy for the write up.
|
|
Wade Icey
Trad climber
www.alohashirtrescue.com
|
|
thank you
|
|
Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
|
|
Looks nice. Location seems to be left of the South Face,
maybe near Hook, Line and Sinker.
Look forward to seeing more about it.
[edit to add:]
OK, I see now. Both the South Face and Tenaya's Terror veer out left
of the big tower seen in the first photo.
(So Soul Garden is not left of the South Face).
|
|
The Alpine
climber
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jul 6, 2014 - 01:00pm PT
|
I just wanted to clarify that I had nothing to do with this route/ascent. I merely copied it from Jimmy's facebook feed.
Apparently the line does indeed follow Tenayas Terror after Sheraton Watkins - with a few variations.
|
|
Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
|
|
Great post, thank u for sharing
|
|
JakeW
Big Wall climber
CA
|
|
:)
So psyched for these guys, the beautiful free route, and the completion of Sean's fantasy. I love the route name.
Sean and I spent a ridiculous amount of absolutely peaceful days together out at Watkins lapping the South Face, working our separate projects, and flying high and free in one of the most beautiful places in the known universe: Tenaya Canyon.
I hope no one else has to die young for me or someone else to get motivated and send free the Bob Locke Memorial Buttress.
I'm currently completely out of shape for anything except scrubbing floors, and too distracted by a human creation project(and associated working for $) to make any headway on rock climbing projects of this magnitude. I hope to rally back someday and do both of these amazing Watkins free climbing experiences.
Love Jake
(Just so everyone knows, Jimmy is a complete badass and crushes ridiculously hard even after months of no climbing and just pulling strings around football stadiums, drinking beer, and dream surfing hotel beds.)
|
|
JakeW
Big Wall climber
CA
|
|
|
|
tinker b
climber
the commonwealth
|
|
scrolling down and coming to the picture of sean gave me goose bumps.
the passage he wrote was so beautiful.
amazing job jimmie... what an amazing tribute. proud.
and jakey looking forward to seeing the kind of mishcief your baby project and finn stanley get into up there... good work on the daddy prep.
j
|
|
Bad Climber
climber
|
|
Holy cats, that's great.
Well done, lads. You did Sean proud.
BAd
|
|
Guernica
climber
dark places
|
|
Beautiful in every way.
|
|
BuddhaStalin
climber
Truckee, CA
|
|
Nice work Jimmy, proud and grand. Lets have a beer and a shepherds oven soon.
|
|
Impaler
Social climber
Berkeley
|
|
This is really awesome! Thanks for posting!
|
|
Larry Nelson
Social climber
|
|
Great post, great tribute. Thanks for sharing.
|
|
The Alpine
climber
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jul 10, 2014 - 10:44am PT
|
This thing is begging for a repeat.
|
|
survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
|
|
Jul 10, 2014 - 11:25am PT
|
This thing is begging for a repeat.
"Not by me." said Captain 5.10b........
South Face of Watkins. One of my favorite places in this world, even though I've only done the standard route.
Wow. Good job you guys!
|
|
JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
|
|
Jul 10, 2014 - 01:07pm PT
|
Wow! Thanks for linking the write up of a great effort and tribute.
John
|
|
gee double
climber
victor idaho
|
|
Jul 16, 2014 - 10:09am PT
|
Tremendous ! Much respect and appreciation...Is there a topo available ?
|
|
erieger
Trad climber
Colorado
|
|
Jul 17, 2014 - 09:43am PT
|
A very fitting tribute. Incredible. After just losing a friend and partner I needed very much to be reminded of those words from Sean.
|
|
wbw
Trad climber
'cross the great divide
|
|
Jul 17, 2014 - 10:28am PT
|
Sean's words are remarkably wise.
|
|
Elcapinyoazz
Social climber
Joshua Tree
|
|
Jul 17, 2014 - 12:48pm PT
|
Is there a topo available?
|
|
alina
Trad climber
CA
|
|
Jul 17, 2014 - 02:33pm PT
|
Congratulations! An amazing tribute.
|
|
Rudbud
Gym climber
Grover Beach, CA
|
|
Jul 17, 2014 - 05:55pm PT
|
Heres a video I made of Seth making 12d at Owl Tor look like 5.9, He's a crusher.
[Click to View YouTube Video]
Nice work on the New route guys!
|
|
RP3
Big Wall climber
Sonora
|
|
Jul 18, 2014 - 10:14pm PT
|
That topo was made last fall with beta from Stanley. I am sure some aspects of it have changed since then, but it gives the general idea. Fantastic work, once again. A truly inspirational line.
|
|
gilly
climber
Mohawk Valley,Ca
|
|
Jul 21, 2014 - 10:57am PT
|
Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy - What can I say? I am sorry you lost your friend and brother.Truly great work in carrying out the dreams and vision.It must not have been easy.I have great respect for you and your partner.
A peak,a path and a line less taken.....Gill-y
|
|
The Alpine
climber
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 5, 2014 - 06:43pm PT
|
Anybody get on this thing? 'Tis the season...
|
|
Off White
climber
Tenino, WA
|
|
Oh darn, I was hoping it went at about 5.10b. Nice work though.
|
|
Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
|
|
Sep 11, 2015 - 01:38pm PT
|
Was reading about the ascent in the AAJ yesterday. Even though tragic, it is a story I was able to take some meaning to life out of, thanks for sharing. The passage Sean wrote which was used in the introduction is golden.
Wonder if anyone went out to do the climb, and if not, BUMP for all you crushers looking for a big climb to do in the Fall.
|
|
L
climber
California dreamin' on the farside of the world..
|
|
Sep 23, 2015 - 03:17pm PT
|
Wow.....this was a spectacular TR from beginning to end.
Thanks for bumping it.
|
|
FRUMY
Trad climber
Bishop,CA
|
|
Sep 23, 2015 - 03:29pm PT
|
Yep TFPU
|
|
Messages 1 - 48 of total 48 in this topic |
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|