The Alpine Finish.

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micronut

Trad climber
Fresno/Clovis, ca
Topic Author's Original Post - Aug 13, 2015 - 02:12pm PT
We've all been there.
"DUUUUDE!!!" You yell from your precarious belay stance, your silhouette bends to the east in long shadow.
"Climb faster! That sun's goin DOOOOOWN!"
You watch the sun dip below the horizon that seems to bend downward in a condescending frown, not proud of how you squandered the gift of daylight. You will be rapping in the dark. Or huddled in a nook trying to hide from the wind. Your mouth is dry. Your stoke gone. Your feet and hips raw. Wandering and fear and uncertainty lie ahead for sure. "Why do we do this to ourselves?" you ask yourself. Over and over. The beauty of the sunset is lost on you cause you know its gonna be a long night.

The Alpine Finish. The wicked stepsister of the Alpine Start.


This post inspired by Grippa's Alpine Start thread

donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
Aug 13, 2015 - 02:14pm PT
The Alpine Finish....if you're still alive chalk up a win.
looks easy from here

climber
Ben Lomond, CA
Aug 13, 2015 - 02:16pm PT
Nice bookend, micronut. I don't have any pics from my only brush with an epic; too busy trying to not get crushed in a landslide.
norm larson

climber
wilson, wyoming
Aug 13, 2015 - 03:18pm PT
That moment when you finally admit to yourself you ARE going to bivy.
clinker

Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
Aug 13, 2015 - 03:23pm PT
Nice.
climbski2

Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
Aug 13, 2015 - 03:26pm PT
That last 100 feet as you stagger to the car, the bastion of stashed goodies and hot drinks or cold beer.. dirty, frozen, worn out, sore and happy...

Never did the unplanned bivy thing.. sorry. Where I came from they were not much of an option so I never got in the habit.
mike m

Trad climber
black hills
Aug 13, 2015 - 03:29pm PT
Some pictures from Jack and my last trip up DT. Didn't start til 5 so I am not sure Alpine is the right word.
splitclimber

climber
Sonoma County
Aug 13, 2015 - 03:49pm PT
not many experiences, but the best was my wife and I all alone on the top of solar slab in Red Rocks. It got dark right when we found the rap station down into that awesome bowl. A looong tiring hike out. Cairns saved the day and an unplanned bivy.
adrian korosec

climber
Tucson
Aug 13, 2015 - 05:45pm PT
Topping out on the King Fisher Tower and looking at your partner noticing how the bright evening alpenglow is on his face.

Did you bring YOUR headlamp?
steve s

Trad climber
eldo
Aug 13, 2015 - 05:52pm PT
I like the alpine finish better than the alpine start ! Hopefully ya got "somewhere".
cat t.

Sport climber
CA
Aug 13, 2015 - 05:55pm PT
Pretty? You think this is pretty? Well you should not be on the summit right now. Things are about to get real.

Hahaha this is great
le_bruce

climber
Oakland, CA
Aug 13, 2015 - 06:22pm PT
Yeah baby, Micro and Grippa getting me through an extended work day. Love you guys!

Wandering and fear and uncertainty lie ahead for sure.

Something I vocalize each morning while looking into the mirror.

Ghost

climber
A long way from where I started
Aug 13, 2015 - 08:30pm PT
The best alpine finish of all is the summit bivi.

That's when this...

Leads to this...
cleo

Social climber
wherever you go, there you are
Aug 13, 2015 - 08:39pm PT
le_bruce

climber
Oakland, CA
Aug 13, 2015 - 09:47pm PT
Never lose the stoke, benighted be damned!

Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
Aug 13, 2015 - 09:55pm PT
Oh, here's to the everlasting romanticism of settling in to a nice long night of not knowing
if you'll still have functioning toes in the morning!
climbski2

Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
Aug 13, 2015 - 09:58pm PT
Yeah..but you gotta remember these are summer sierra climbers..developing bad habits.

Kinda like getting benighted in Kauai

Now that I think of it I did get benighted once in Alaska.. but it involved tequila and my front lawn.

I coulda died.
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
Aug 13, 2015 - 10:24pm PT
HaHa, climbski, sadly that happens a lot up there on the mean streets of
Bethel and Anchortown, doesn't it?
micronut

Trad climber
Fresno/Clovis, ca
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 13, 2015 - 11:08pm PT
Climbski2,

I don't think I like your condescending tone about us "SummerSierra Climbers." You make it sound like we never suffer down here. Four weeks ago night fell on us down near the Needles. It got real sketchy real quick. We only had one bottle of scotch after my buddy broke the other one when it fell off the tailgate of my truck. We almost sent out a SPOT for a rescue.
micronut

Trad climber
Fresno/Clovis, ca
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 13, 2015 - 11:09pm PT
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