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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Topic Author's Original Post - Nov 27, 2014 - 08:12pm PT
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I have lots to be thankful for, but I won't be thankful for doing ......
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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Nov 27, 2014 - 08:35pm PT
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Tough one Mike. The ones that I escaped with the skin of the teeth intact often have good value and I wouldn't want to give up those experiences, but if you asked would I want to relead it now? Well, I got a couple of those.
Though I loved doing Premeditated (post hoc reasoning here), I don't know that I would want to go back up on lead on it.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Nov 27, 2014 - 08:36pm PT
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^^^^ What would cause one to go up something like that?
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 27, 2014 - 08:49pm PT
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Funny cause the rope thread made me think this might be a good topic, but I have bee having a hard time identifying one. I guess a bad day of climbing beats a good day of work any day. But if pressed I guess it would have to be the North Chimney on Longs on a very dry year when I caused a rock slide about three pitches up that almost took out my younger brother. We then bailed from Broadway when there were people were on the route we wanted to do. . We should have known it was going to be a bad day when we got tooled by a ranger in the parking lot before leaving for taking a nap before our planned departure time at midnight.
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Moof
Big Wall climber
Orygun
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Nov 27, 2014 - 09:27pm PT
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Your mom?
Actually, I can't think of any route that was memorably bad just now.
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enjoimx
Trad climber
SLO
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Nov 27, 2014 - 09:57pm PT
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Something at the Pinnacles
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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Nov 27, 2014 - 10:29pm PT
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Yeah, it's those routes where someone gets really hurt that leaves the worst taste.
As much as we need the adventure/unknown/risk elements, we don't really want those tragedies to occur.
I can think of couple of trips too where I got injured on the approach, fairly minor injuries like a rolled ankle. Those were more like worst climb I did at some point, but at the one time it sucked.
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j-tree
Big Wall climber
Typewriters and Ledges
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Nov 27, 2014 - 11:00pm PT
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I would gladly go up and do premeditated again, I think I could get it clean this time. But I probably would only go up there again because it's been long enough to forget. I do have notes from the climb that repeat over and over, "never ever ever again." But that's the hallmark of a great aid climb.
To answer the why of a climb like that, aid climbing is often about pushing yourself as far as possible. The rock on premeditated really tests your idea of what you're willing to stand on since if one placement blows, the rest probably aren't going to stop you either
I'm getting the beta on an aid FA in the pinnacles, can't wait to go up and mix my tears with the crumbling dust again.
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yanqui
climber
Balcarce, Argentina
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Nov 28, 2014 - 02:47am PT
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I tend to avoid choss, but one of the few longer routes I swore I'd never do again was the North Face of Dragontail Peak (in the Stuart Range). The route basically involves tiptoeing up loose blocks in an avalanche chute with a few 5.6 or 5.7 rock moves mixed in. I suppose it could make for an interesting ice (mixed) route if conditions are right, except I'm a rock climber, not an ice climber.
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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Nov 28, 2014 - 03:07am PT
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Worst in what way?
Worst, like the worst/scariest rock?
Worst, like I was going to die?
Worst, like the least enjoyable?
I would have to say that the "worst" climbs that I ever did were the ones that always involved multiple rappels on loose rock and shitty anchors and stuck ropes and pacts with God to stop climbing if I got down alive.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Nov 28, 2014 - 06:52am PT
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The first pitch of Serenity Crack....a complete abomination.
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Gnome Ofthe Diabase
climber
Out Of Bed
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Nov 28, 2014 - 07:07am PT
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I agree with Donini's and Sierra Ledge Rat's posts. Define the question or refine is better, do you mean heralded 'stared' routes that do not live up to the hype?
As in the case of the first pitch of Serenity Crack, a bashed out environmental scar that is an embarrassment and a strong warning to clean climbers??
The last forty feet of some pile of crap mixed trickle of exhaust fumes and mossy wet snow
that God let me survive?
The climb on Military/government property that could of led to a SNUFU or Leavenworth if we had been detected?
Some thing only mild and of no account except for the sad loss of a soul, or some literal Lightening Strike, a sudden mishap?
Worst? a word like Nice not enough info.
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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Nov 28, 2014 - 08:07am PT
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The worst climb I did was probably still a lot more fun than the best day at work.
Edit- well maybe not at the time
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AP
Trad climber
Calgary
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Nov 28, 2014 - 08:51am PT
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I haven't done it but there is a route at Skaha called "A Real Piece of SH*T" The old guidebook description was "an awful crack climb disowned by the first ascentionists"
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RP3
Big Wall climber
Twain Harte
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Nov 28, 2014 - 09:27am PT
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Funny this topic has come up. Mtnyoung took me to Pinnacles for my first time last weekend. He gave me a tour of a whole bunch of AMAZING pitches and I cannot wait to return.
However, I also got to climb that new pitch of Mungie's on the west side of the Balconies. I understand that it is an access pitch to much better-looking climbing above, and I definitely appreciate the effort and bravery that goes into a Pinnacles FA, but good lord, that pitch was awful!! Munge - You have definitely lived up to your Avatar!
I must add that I say all of this with the utmost amount of positivity and respect. I suppose my climbing career has been somewhat sheltered...
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east side underground
climber
Hilton crk,ca
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Nov 28, 2014 - 09:41am PT
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did a fa in the portal up the meysen lakes trail called it " enlichenment" you get the picture
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mtnyoung
Trad climber
Twain Harte, California
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Nov 28, 2014 - 10:00am PT
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... I suppose my climbing career has been somewhat sheltered...
Only up until now. It's downhill from here buddy; we're gonna make you a Master of Mud.
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mtnyoung
Trad climber
Twain Harte, California
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Nov 28, 2014 - 10:09am PT
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Probably the scariest climbs I've ever done were at Pinnacles National Park. I've done a fair number of climbs there.
But I refuse to call any of them "worst." These were pretty bad, but hell, now that I've done them (and never ever have to go back), I like them a lot:
TOP FIVE SCARIEST LEADS AT PINNACLES (that I have done; not in any intentional order):
- 520.5. Seldom Seen Pinnacle - West Face 5.8 X (Take a rope, it'll make you feel like you're not free soloing. Besides, with a rope, if the second pitch leader falls, he might take the belayer with him. Did this with David Harden. One of several routes of this type at Pinns put up in bold, bold style by Glen Denny and Gary Colliver.)
- 854. Herchel Berchel 5.11a R (I had to be rescued from the third pitch of this the first time I tried it - thanks again mynameismud. Did that first try with Mungeclimber. Then did it with mynameismud - he led the crux pitch though. So I went back and led that pitch again with R2D2. I've led all three pitches.)
- 0.5 Flake Don't Break 5.9+ (Will any of your gear hold a fall? Will any of your holds stay on the rock? I would definitely recommend this one to my worst enemies, if I actually had any enemies.)
- 413. Needful 5.8 R (We joke about "kitty litter" at Pinns. On this one it's true. Total crap rock and total crap gear. For most of a rope length. I estimate that, while leading this, I knocked off a cumulative total of at least 100 pounds of rock. Did this with Mungeclimber.)
- 828. Desperado Chute Out - Denny Colliver Direct 5.9 R (Start on an easier route, at a one bolt belay 200 feet up. But that one bolt is backed up by gear scattered between knobs at your feet. And then it's only one rope length to the top; I used a 75 meter rope and still had to brace myself among lodestones for the belay. With no anchor. Oh, and bonus, there's a bolt protecting that 75 meters of climbing. And yes, that's meters, not feet. Both bolts are nearly 40 years old. Did this with Ubergoober.)
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