flash freerider

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Messages 1 - 31 of total 31 in this topic

ashtond6

climber

Sheffield, UK

Topic Author's Original Post - Oct 19, 2014 - 03:26pm PT

Rumor has it, whittaker flashed freerider

Anyone know?

GDavis

Social climber

SOL CAL

Oct 19, 2014 - 03:27pm PT

Just saw on Facebook. Gnarly. Those guys are the real deal.

nah000

climber

canuckistan

Oct 19, 2014 - 05:59pm PT

tom and pete posted about it on their wide boyz blog

congrats to both of them on another great team effort!

stevep

Boulder climber

Salt Lake, UT

Oct 19, 2014 - 07:34pm PT

That's proud. Congrats to Pete.

go-B

climber

Cling to what is good!

Oct 19, 2014 - 07:37pm PT

Cheers to the wall boyz, Pete!

mikeyschaefer

climber

Yosemite

Oct 19, 2014 - 07:54pm PT

I'm a bit confused at exactly what happened up there. It appears they rapped to the ground after the first day which in my book is an interruption of a continues free ascent which is something I consider fairly important in bigwall free climbing. But maybe this is just a rule I set for myself.

The below quote from their blog also makes it sounds like they did indeed fall which isn't exactly a flash. As far as I know a flash is starting from the ground and going to the top without falling. Doesn't sound like that happened. Maybe the brits have a slightly different definition that I'm not aware of?

I narrowly missed flashing the problem falling from the last move after not spotting a crucial hold. I was really annoyed as I felt as though i could have done it. I made a quick redpoint to make sure I still had a ‘safe tick’ of the route on the cards. The holds are quite thin on this pitch and as it got warmer Tom couldn’t quite claw his way up in the increasing heat.

Damn good effort though!

nah000

climber

canuckistan

Oct 19, 2014 - 08:04pm PT

^^^^

where the route has two variations they first tried the huber variation. when they fell on this they went back down and then continued up and pete flashed the teflon corner variation...

when it comes to big wall free climbing this is a bit of a grey one... i'd bet most people would consider the "flash" on the route as a whole to be lost at this point.

the other thing that wasn't made explicit was whether pete flashed every pitch on lead [as yuji and others have attempted to] or whether he "flashed" some of them while seconding...

regardless probably the only legalistically correct way to describe this is as they do at the end of their post: "[Pete] managed to climb the whole of Freerider [via the teflon corner pitch] without taking a fall"

to call it a "flash" would seem to be a bit of a stretch when after they fell they just turned around and tried another variation...

still awesome though...

mikeyschaefer

climber

Yosemite

Oct 19, 2014 - 08:19pm PT

Definitely an impressive effort and one step closer to a proper no falls ground up ascent of El cap.

RP3

Big Wall climber

Twain Harte

Oct 19, 2014 - 11:23pm PT

WOW! Very impressive effort. A ground-up no falls flash is right around the corner!

clinker

Trad climber

Santa Cruz, California

Oct 20, 2014 - 05:46am PT

What exactly is the Brit definition of flashing? Full moon on Freerider?

Port

Trad climber

Norwalk, CT

Oct 20, 2014 - 06:44am PT

Not a flash... But impressive!

nah000

climber

canuckistan

Oct 20, 2014 - 07:30am PT

while i personally disagree with characterizing this ascent as a flash, it's not as black and white as some seem to imply...

to most people, redpointing every pitch constitutes a redpoint for a big wall free ascent, [except to the hubers, who don't accept just returning to the last belay after falling] why wouldn't the same logic apply to a flash ascent...

in this case pete did flash every pitch on the teflon corner variation of freerider...

point being i can see how someone would call this a flash, even though it's a definition that doesn't work for me...

HighDesertDJ

Trad climber

Oct 20, 2014 - 07:50am PT

I met these guys in Camp 4 last month and they mentioned they had big plans. Good to see it's working out for them. I was also heartened to see on their blog that they thought the 5.7 chimney after the Hollow Flake was as hard as I did.

Vitaliy M.

Mountain climber

San Francisco

Oct 20, 2014 - 08:25am PT

When I was on the Salathe in the Spring, Ethan Pringle attempted to flash the Freerider. He had one fall, I believe, and redpointed one of the crux pitches, but aside from that did it all free with just one bivy. That was super inspiring to witness. Him and his partner were really fun to climb around too. Fun times.

Inspiring cliff, from Saturday:

Texplorer

Trad climber

Sacramento

Oct 20, 2014 - 08:51am PT

. . . at least there were no hood ornaments used in this ascent.

Trashman

Trad climber

SLC

Oct 20, 2014 - 09:38am PT

Seems like another astrisk flash, albeit a proud one. Serious question, does leaving the valley during the trip down change things? Personally I think the previous trip up the salathe by the Anderson brothers is a bigger issue, but coming down mid ascent seems like a bigger issue in the case of the wide boyz. http://www.climbing.com/news/twins-free-el-cap/

stormeh

climber

Oct 20, 2014 - 01:05pm PT

It is sort of hard to tell exactly what happened from their narrative, but it seems to me that this is a flash for Pete. Quoted from the blog "Tom had managed to free his second big wall on El Cap and somehow I’d managed to climb the whole of Freerider without taking a fall."

Grats Pete and Tom! Another one for the history books...

Quick question, is the "Huber Variation" or the "Teflon Corner" considered on the route proper or are both variations to a pitch that is considered the standard for the Freerider?

Clint Cummins

Trad climber

SF Bay area, CA

Oct 20, 2014 - 01:21pm PT

Freerider is essentially defined as finding the easiest free variations to the Salathe' Wall.
So it skips the p19 corner via the Monster ow,
and it skips the headwall by traversing left at the roof.

As for the Boulder problem vs. the Teflon Corner,
The Teflon was used on the FFA, but it is often wet in the spring.
So the Hubers found the Boulder problem.
Most people have used the Boulder version of this pitch,
but then a hold broke.
So the Teflon Corner may be the easiest way now, at least when it is dry.

Elcapinyoazz

Social climber

Joshua Tree

Oct 20, 2014 - 01:22pm PT

Cedric Lachat and Mike Anderson both had "sort of, almost" flashes. Lachat did essentially the same thing as Whitaker, tried one version of the crux pitch, fell, went to the other and sent.

If I recall correctly, Stephane the canadian who rope soloed it also flashed it or came close.

Grippa

Trad climber

Salt Lake City, UT

Oct 22, 2014 - 08:30pm PT

SOOOOOOO inspiring. Falls or no falls they crushed the route. I'm training for a flash attempted of Astroman next spring. PSYCHED!!

GDavis

Social climber

SOL CAL

Oct 22, 2014 - 08:34pm PT

Has this ascent been verified by Valley D#@&%ebags (VDs)? I would like to submit a formal complaint that their ascent was never approved nor endorsed by the El Portal Committee and is heretofore invalid.

Please bring your passport, Work Visa, Patagonia Live Simply hat and Hipster beard for further examination before entering Yosemite Valley. Not everyone is born in California, you know, some of us have to EARN it.

Hanging Belays. A0. Next.

mucci

Trad climber

The pitch of Bagalaar above you

Oct 22, 2014 - 08:43pm PT

^^^LOL

mikeyschaefer

climber

Yosemite

Oct 23, 2014 - 03:36am PT

Gdavis I can't really tell if you are talking sh#t or not.

No one needs their ascents validated, approved or endorsed but when a possible important benchmark in climbing is claimed I think a critical eye and discussion is important. If not now then when? I've been called out on things I've done in climbing and it was good for me. It made me stop and think about my decisions, about the way I choose to climb and if I was holding myself to the highest standard that I could.

Do people think its important to free climb big walls in continues ascents or does it matter if your rap down to eat warm food, take a shower and sleep in a bed? All I'm saying is for ME it is important that i start on the ground and go to the top in one continues climb, and I thought it was for others. Maybe I'm wrong? I'd like to hear others thoughts on this.

And the standard I've set for myself regarding claiming a flashed ascent, means no falls, on the WHOLE route. If I were to leave the belay and go the wrong way and fall while off route and then come back to the belay and find the correct route and climb that way without falls I wouldn't claim I flashed the route. Maybe I'd say i flashed the pitch but not the route.

What Pete Whittaker did is an incredible effort and something that without a doubt he should be super proud of and totally psyched about. Its really damn impressive. But I'm still excited to read about the day when someone climbs El Cap from the ground to the top in one continues ascent with zero falls on his or her first try.

Grippa

Trad climber

Salt Lake City, UT

Oct 23, 2014 - 06:30am PT

thanks for adding to the discussion Mikey! I think Gdavis is just ribbing you a little bit, and as a result got a much better follow up to your original post.

I agree in that although he didn't flash the entire route he did give it a great effort, and is transparent about his asterisks on the boulder problem. The media hypes it, and every believes it so who needs to think any further? Clarity is key, and I applaud Petey for giving us all the dirty details of the trip.

I think an el cap flash will happen very very soon.

clinker

Trad climber

Santa Cruz, California

Oct 23, 2014 - 06:39am PT

Gdavis I can't really tell if you are talking sh#t or not.

No one needs their ascents validated, approved or endorsed

Oh yeah? Especially Brits. I formally endorse anyone named Peter who hails from an island, and is brave enough to put up on a proper continent.

GDavis

Social climber

SOL CAL

Oct 23, 2014 - 07:58am PT

Gdavis I can't really tell if you are talking sh#t or not.

aldude

climber

Monument Manor

Oct 23, 2014 - 10:58am PT

Kinda agree on the hanging belay/AO comment.

SweetCrimp

Big Wall climber

Bay Area

Oct 23, 2014 - 11:04am PT

All I'm saying is for ME it is important that i start on the ground and go to the top in one continues climb, and I thought it was for others. Maybe I'm wrong? I'd like to hear others thoughts on this.

If you want to claim a "flash", that would be right. From what I understand, if you have done Freeblast (or even a few pitches of it) prior to your GU ascent, it would not be a flash?
I am very impressed by Pete's achievement though. As a personal accomplishment, I believe it to be as impressive as a true flash. At least he knows he had the skills and came prepared for what he came for. Hats off!
Wouldn't be surprised if Mirko did a true flash in a few years. Kid has the strength to lay-back the whole thing, linking it with a 3000ft rope and not even get pumped! New generation of climbers are quite incredible.

Kinda agree on the hanging belay/AO comment.

Sure someone would. It was sarcasm however. I hope. haha If you are so anal, than every time someone sets up a portaledge while free climbing a route they should have their ascent downgraded to A0. Ice climbing and mixed would be A1, or whatever. Personally, I would have to laugh it off and disagree. Climbing is anarchy, everyone can have their opinion.