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WBraun
climber
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Mar 20, 2015 - 08:35am PT
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If your hands don't fit in the cringe just lay-back the whole thing ..... :-)
Yowza !!!!!
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Mar 20, 2015 - 09:50am PT
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Astroman is next level physical compared to Rostrum - a full step up in burl
+1
Astroman is about two notches up in burl IMHO. But if you can do the Rostrum and feel pretty fresh after, I think you would do good on Astroman...
Enduro Corner is the softest 11c I have done in Yosemite, BUT it will leave you drained. If you are leading it, it will kick your ass (if you are one of the people that has to worry about it). It will also be burly for whoever is following with a pack. Something similar to it could be found on Waverly Wafer at the Cookie Cliff. Some physical climbing in the corner with a layback getting out of the pod and than more very thin pumpy first knuckle jams.
I will try to type up an article with a bunch of tips for making long HARD free routes more enjoyable, and post it as a TR? Maybe some people will find it useful.
Werner, or anyone, have you done the Fish Crack? Is it true people layback the crux, or do some people jam it?
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JLP
Social climber
The internet
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Mar 20, 2015 - 10:52am PT
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Fish Crack - the Valley's most overgraded 5.12 - right next to the Cringe, the Valley's most sandbagged 5.12. You'd think such a contrast would at least be a few more feet apart.
The crux of Astroman is to get past all the stories and wankery and just get on the thing. You climb 5.11 at the gym just fine, don't you?
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Mar 20, 2015 - 11:39am PT
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The crux of Astroman is to get past all the stories and wankery and just get on the thing. You climb 5.11 at the gym just fine, don't you?
Very true as well. When you overthink it, it is the worse. I couldn't pull a move on an 5.11c route yesterday in the gym. Found nothing as hard on Astroman. There is nothing that gonna kill you up there, unless you f*#k up big time, so just try it. You can always bail and come back stronger, and with a better plan.
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Mar 20, 2015 - 01:21pm PT
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All of this makes me wish I would have hopped on it years back. One summer I and a buddy decided to climb at Arch and the Cookie instead of doing the Captain and did a bunch of things like New Dimension, Leanie Meanie, Nabisco Wall. But Astroman's reputation makes it seem like such a big step up we never even considered trying it. Sad face.
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Levy
Big Wall climber
So Cal
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Mar 20, 2015 - 01:34pm PT
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Vitaly, why would anyone waste their one and only onsight attempt if you're not feeling fit and ready? Train, get fit, do other, similar climbs, then make an honest attempt to climb Astroman in style.
If someone goes up there and plays on the lower pitches, then the route becomes another project. Classics like Rostrum and Astroman deserve better. Raise your standards to the climb, don't bring the climb down to your standards.
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Mar 20, 2015 - 01:38pm PT
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^^^
That's always been my mindset as well. Make myself worthy of the climb for a strong send, or at least a strong effort. I've seen trip reports from people who basically dogged their way up. Fine for them I suppose, but not for me.
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David Wilson
climber
CA
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Mar 20, 2015 - 03:28pm PT
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Werner, way to go on the static - hairball
Bill, you're probably right. I just found that lower part of the enduro so hard.......
I've clearly built the damn route up too much at this point. Only did it once BITD and psyched to do it again soon
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Mar 20, 2015 - 03:46pm PT
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Vitaly, why would anyone waste their one and only onsight attempt if you're not feeling fit and ready? Train, get fit, do other, similar climbs, then make an honest attempt to climb Astroman in style.
Climbing is a very individual practice, like yoga, photography and art. Individual has the control over the style they pick for a particular climb on a particular day. I heard of people going to the top to top rope the last pitch because they really wanted to climb the route but didn't feel ready for 5.10R. I heard of others getting a rope gun. Me personally? I gave the Rostrum a very good attempt when I thought it was likely harder than I can do. But I like to give the climb a chance to defeat me too. I like doing things at my limit when the outcome is not guaranteed, but not always. At times I just feel like top roping a bunch of pitches I have led, or have not led and get a workout. Anyway, I ended up falling twice that day on the Rostrum, but was happy with how hard I tried and how well I did in general. It was my birthday too! Came back another time and climbed it clean. First attempt was a much more memorable day that I feel more proud of if that makes sense. On one winter day a friend and I did the first pitches of Astroman because he wanted to RP the Enduro Corner. We were doing JoJo and back than I didn't think that I would ever have a chance to free the Astroman so I was happy to follow. haha. Personally, I do not care as much about my style on established routes, it depends on the day, my partner and what I feel like doing. It is good to be honest with yourself you know. There is no one out there that I care to impress but myself. Usually I try much harder when it comes to doing new routes etc. Established routes are more like training ground to me. I don't even know if there is a free route out there that I am aware of that I want to go and onsight...maybe the Vampire because people say it is really good? Not too many established routes that aren't on big peaks that really excite me. At times I am stoked to onsight or red point some pitch which is challenging for me. But yeah, many ways to skin the cat.
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WBraun
climber
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Mar 20, 2015 - 04:30pm PT
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Fish Crack? Is it true people layback the crux, or do some people jam it?
I've done it many times.
Laybacking it? Yikes!!! Maybe superman can do it that way?
I've always jammed it although there is a trick to it at the crux that's not obvious.
You have to "read" the crack and you'll "see" .....
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
sawatch choss
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Mar 20, 2015 - 05:45pm PT
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I used to be on the 'save it for the proud onsight' team.
Now I just like to climb stuff. Life's too short.
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LongAgo
Trad climber
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Mar 20, 2015 - 06:06pm PT
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Agree with Levy:
"I still think the best prep for Astroman is the Rostrum."
Although, the Slot is something else again. Might have to climb around underneath the Bombay doors of an old B52 for part of that one.
Tom Higgins
LongAgo
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Jon Clark
climber
philadelphia
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Mar 20, 2015 - 07:12pm PT
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Vitaliy,
You make a number a valid points, but I think there is a big difference between having a reasonable shot (i.e. your two hang initial effort on The Rostrum) and being completely unprepared (the OP). I'm with Levy and feel that something like Astroman deserves an honest onsight attempt.
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ß Î Ø T Ç H
Boulder climber
extraordinaire
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Mar 20, 2015 - 08:10pm PT
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Astroman prep A full frontal lobotomy might be in order.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Mar 20, 2015 - 10:33pm PT
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The crux moves going from hands to feet on the jug in the Harding Slot is definitely one of my most memorable passages. A sixteen year old Hugh Herr lead it and thoroughly bloodied up his knees in the tussle. Hugh had lead only three or four chimney pitches of any grade before he drew this one.
A big Clog wired wedge was fixed by the jug and I fumbled the transfer and watched the Chouinard flat biner spin off into space. After a long tracking gaze I had to break it off as vertigo was catching up with me.
Hugh and I did it in an afternoon starting right when the Enduro Corner went into the shade. Six and a half hours hauling a small pack and one of my best days in the Valley. We had one false start when I lacked the Enduro necessary for the Corner and fell after slinging a fixed POS bong a couple moves short of the no hands rest. I did my best to suck Hugh through the stance biner but down we went.
Astroman demands flexible technique as several pitches involve face climbing and less than ideal protection.
If you are feeling burly then do it like Ron and Werner!
http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/1358030/Ron-Werner-Do-Astroman-Galen-Photographs-Rock-Ice-1987
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martygarrison
Trad climber
Washington DC
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Apr 15, 2015 - 09:46pm PT
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Geeze the Cringe is way harder than the Enduro corner. The corner is really pretty much 5.9/10a hands to the stem rest where I would jam a couple more moves, place a 1.5 friend and fall into a layback. The Cringe was hard move after hard move at an angle for ever. No comparison.
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