What was the worst climb you ever did?

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goatboy smellz

climber

लघिमा

Nov 28, 2014 - 10:22am PT

This one with Roy and Tim in Boulder Canyon.
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=2053632&msg=2054854#msg2054854

Still more fun than a day at work.

Reilly

Mountain climber

The Other Monrovia- CA

Nov 28, 2014 - 10:51am PT

I would put the choss I've climbed, where the rope was merely a formality
(or a psychic connection to your partner if you want to get touchy feely),
up against anybody's, but that doesn't justify it. And there was certainly
nothing enjoyable about it other than surviving it.

climbski2

Mountain climber

Anchorage AK, Reno NV

Nov 28, 2014 - 11:02am PT

I spent the first few years in the sport climbing on the Seward highway..

One good thing about that is everything after seemed like 5star climbing.

Trad climber

Calgary

Nov 28, 2014 - 11:26am PT

Possibly the Calgary route on Yamnuska featuring squeeze chimneys that are probably 5.6 but feel like 5.9.

Fritz

Trad climber

Choss Creek, ID

Nov 28, 2014 - 12:18pm PT

Summer 1982 I decide a “direct start” for the classic North Ridge Goat Perch route in Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains would be an “interesting challenge.” Goat Perch is in the same valley as Elephant’s Perch and looks inviting from near “the Perch.” I had already climbed the North Ridge and thought rock quality would be good.

I went in with Bruce: a friend that I had climbed with very little. That mattered not, since Bruce was in every way my superior. He had the good genes to the max and was: athletic, intelligent, tall, handsome, and fearless. In fact he was just out of the Navy and had been a fighter pilot and then was in the Blue Angels. Oh-----and he was a born-again Christian, but he tolerated my pagan ways. He even secretly carried a six-pack of beer up to the lakes under Elephant’s Perch, for my drinking pleasure.

The first lead on our north-face Goat’s Perch route, was up a steep chimney/gully, with a jam crack at its back. At the end of the first lead, the choice was overhanging off-width, or an inviting ledge that went left to less-steep terrain above. Bruce led left and quickly turned a corner. The rope stopped. Then he called back, “there’s a little loose rock here.”

In the next half hour, he must have pulled off 10 tons of rock. The snowfield below was soon a blackened war zone. Slowly, the rope played out, then more crashes and booms would shatter the quiet.

At last I heard “On Belay” and followed the lead. The traverse was just horribly-loose, but then I reached the line that he had climbed up to his belay. The granite was simply stacks of small loose blocks, at a 70-80 degree angle. There was some “protection” slotted between obviously loose blocks. It was not an easy lead to follow, and when I reached Bruce I was both scared and angry.

“How could you justify leading that?” I barked. “Everything is loose and your protection wouldn’t have stopped a falling squirrel”

Bruce thought for a minute and then calmly replied: “It was pretty iffy, but whenever I got to a tough spot I asked Jesus where to go.” He then smiled and added: “he takes care of me.”

Never before had someone asserted to me: that Jesus took a personal interest in his climbing.

I was truly staggered. I clipped into the belay nuts, noting that they were worthless to stop a leader fall. Rappeling was out of the question, since we were now above an overhang. Down-climbing did not seem like a good option either. After some water and a little small talk, I decided that based on prior success: Bruce and Jesus could lead the next pitch too.

That pitch was not as bad, but it was worse for me: since I was now in the direct line of rock fall. I hung the pack above me and cowered as stones clattered by. The only rocks that hit me were mercifully small. Once again, when I followed the lead, the rock was all loose. The protection that Bruce & Jesus had placed would probably not have stopped a leader fall.

Another similar, but easier lead for Bruce & Jesus followed.
When I reached Bruce again, I realized we were very close to where the North Ridge route started. We had done a “significant direct-start variation.”

I was able to do a traverse over to the North Ridge on reasonably good rock. Bruce was however, very disappointed in me. I adamantly refused to continue up the standard North Ridge route with him and Jesus.

I did not write the route up, since any future parties might not have the divine protection that we had experienced. I also confess: I did not “see the light” and continued as a pagan.

ThomasKeefer

Trad climber

San Diego

Nov 28, 2014 - 12:43pm PT

SW face of Lone Pine Peak overcame the impressive scenery and length with some pretty sh#t rock... Never again.

The Larry

climber

Moab, UT

Nov 28, 2014 - 12:54pm PT

Haha. Nice story Fritz.

Ive climbed a lot of choss. Hard to pick just one.

Trad climber

Calgary

Nov 28, 2014 - 02:59pm PT

I climbed the Greenwood-Locke on Mt Temple in 1986 and the hard pitches were excellent but some of the choss pitches were the worst I have ever done. 5.6/5.7 on loose rock with no pro and bad anchors. 5.7 on a big Rockies North wall can be a horror show.

rincon

Trad climber

Coarsegold

Nov 28, 2014 - 03:02pm PT

Can't remember my worst climb...
must not have been that bad.

SicMic

climber

across the street from Marshall

Nov 28, 2014 - 04:04pm PT

Monte Paterno in the Dolomites. It was an ugly rubble heap. I'm not opposed to rubble, but it was very poor. Quite scary and extremely loose.

MisterE

Gym climber

Bishop, CA

Nov 28, 2014 - 04:15pm PT

I felt fairly secure soloing the 5.4 access route to gain The Monk and I know some of the boulders are a little more firm.

Thanks for the beta I will never use, Jebus! ;-)

Did I mention the backdrop setting for this choss-pile is the urban sprawl that is Phoenix? I seem to remember noise and smog that day, too.

Really, just all around crappy.

Sierra Ledge Rat

Mountain climber

Old and Broken Down in Appalachia

Nov 28, 2014 - 04:36pm PT

How about any pitch on El Cap's diorite?

KabalaArch

Trad climber

Starlite, California

Nov 28, 2014 - 04:43pm PT

Something at the Pinnacles

Big Sky? Jim Beyers FA.
Desperato /Chuteout was our 1st climb on the West Side. If you don't know what to expect, than what ever turns up is okay!?

Kor/Ingalls is such an OW sandbag. Looks good on paper, but really the N Chimney offers both aesthetics...and the summit.

The K/I bottom pitches, at 5.6 or so, just sucker you into the 5.9 wyde above. You can hear parties over on the K/I, through the vert faultline between it and the N Chimney; some are reduced to tears, while getting a pulley hoist TR from the leader. It's that bad.

hobo_dan

Social climber

Minnesota

Nov 28, 2014 - 05:42pm PT

2nd pitch of "The cave" Devils tower--all crude bottoming hands for about 150 feet

rincon

Trad climber

Coarsegold

Nov 28, 2014 - 05:55pm PT

How about any pitch on El Cap's diorite?

+1

But it's usually over in a couple of pitches, then back to golden granite, and that's always a happy time.

donini

Trad climber

Ouray, Colorado

Nov 28, 2014 - 06:11pm PT

The worst climb I ever did is still better than the best climb I never did.

mike m

Trad climber

black hills

Topic Author's Reply - Nov 29, 2014 - 08:40am PT

Always wanted to do the first pitch of the cave route. 2nd pitch not so much.

Gunkie

Trad climber

East Coast US

Nov 29, 2014 - 11:55am PT

I've done quality climbs with shitty partners and I've done shitty climbs with great partners. I think I would rather do the shitty climb with a great partner, at least these days.