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Gunkie
climber
East Coast US
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Sep 22, 2006 - 08:45pm PT
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Nice and thanks for sharing. Next time you'll nail it. Once you reach Camp 4, the pitches go much quicker. Besides you already did the 'technical' crux; in the Gunks we would say that we did the climb even if the are some easier 5.10R roofs above the 5.10+ very well protected pitch we just did :)
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blake
Trad climber
Berkeley, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 22, 2006 - 09:18pm PT
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[Is that big pendulum required on the normal bail route? I thought there were anchors straight down the face below El Cap Tower???]
Lambone- our understanding was that you could rap straight down from dolt, or straight down from stuff above pitch 17 (king swing), but not in between (when the route swings wide to the right to and from el cap tower). could be wrong, of course, but we didn't see anything straight down from el cap tower. anyway, swinging around gave us something to do on the way down. .
by the way, i used one cam hook exactly once, and that was in the little "C2+" section on pitch 3, where i used it as a regular hook in a pocket i didn't have the right size hybrid alien for. thank goodness for cam hooks, ha ha.
blake
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blake
Trad climber
Berkeley, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 22, 2006 - 09:24pm PT
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Clint,
we ended up doing some real rope tomfoolery around sickle. we fixed and hauled all the way to the top of pitch 6, left a 70m rope from there back to sickle, then a 60m (our eventual lead line), a 50, another 50, and a 40 back to the ground. after juggin up in the morning, we dropped the 40 and two 50's for pickup, which was successful. i guess it worked pretty well, although it seemed to take a long time dealing with all the ropes ..
meanwhile, there were a bunch of other fixed ropes from sickle to the ground, and then there were a bunch of other parties just jugging and rapping on which fixed rope was free at the time. it's a shame because it's so easy with a lot of weight to burn up a rope rapping that far on a single line with a regular ATC-type device and without much concern for "someone else's ropes". . oh well, we all made it.
Nose or Bust
blake
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Sep 22, 2006 - 09:44pm PT
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Great report, spectacular photos. That is what the spirit of climbing is all about. I envy your adventure, You put me back there!
Next time try to allow more time before deadlines, (they have shut me down, before)and, really, don't worry about being slow! You'll get faster as you go and get it increasingly together. 'Up there'is the only place it's going to happen.
My first El Cap route (Aquarius,82) took six days, we dropped stuff (my bag, pins, nuts, flakes) sat out a storm (where we ran out of supplies) and all the rest. But just doing it once gave us the confidence to manage several other, proud, slow, ascents, and eventually we got faster.
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Irisharehere
Trad climber
Gunks
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Sep 22, 2006 - 09:49pm PT
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That wasn't a failure - it was a successful reconaissance......
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Slakkey
Trad climber
From a Quiet Place by the Lake
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Sep 22, 2006 - 09:50pm PT
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For once I agree with Juan, This is the best thread of the week. Blake you guys did great no failure what so ever. Great Pics, Great views. You guys are a true breath of fresh air to this site. Never give up.
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onepitch
Social climber
berkeley CA
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Sep 22, 2006 - 10:17pm PT
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Nice go Blake and Pete,
I was sure you guys would make it. I figured it would be in the middle of the night when you topped out but I was sure. I'm inspired to restart my wall career because of you guys(not that I had one but you know what I mean).
Anyway, hopefully Pete is not too bogged down with this new school stuff to climb regularly.
Jeremy
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Mimi
climber
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Sep 23, 2006 - 12:20pm PT
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Cool pics/TR Blake! Sorry you had to bail. You did gain valuable experience regardless. Can't wait to see your TR when you do send that thing.
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