The Alpine Finish.

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noriko nakagawa

Trad climber

sin city

Aug 21, 2015 - 10:57am PT

I'll take an alpine finish over an alpine start any day.

rgold

Trad climber

Poughkeepsie, NY

Aug 21, 2015 - 11:44am PT

Sadly, I've managed to bracket a few days with both an alpine start and an alpine finish. Oh, I have excuses mind you. But still.

My last AF was in Red Rocks after getting a rappel hung. Below, the view of Vegas from lower down after finally recovering the hung rope. We were still rappelling when the shot was taken.

Once the raps are done, finding your way around in the desert by headlamp light can be tricky. Everything looks like the trail. Nothing looks like a trail.

Reilly

Mountain climber

The Other Monrovia- CA

Aug 21, 2015 - 12:01pm PT

My worst alpine finish was after my well-known pardner, who shall remain nameless,
dropped a large rock on my knee. Since nobody knew where we were we figured
we had to finish as a descent seemed more improbable. Well, 14 pitches
later, (oh, yes, I counted them) with a leg that was splinted (but could bear
some weight) we got to the top as the sun was setting. He headed down the
glacier on his own to get the Mounties while I settled in for a romantic
night alternately shivering and fighting off wee furry beasties who were
trying to eat the boots on my feet! Oh, yeah, and I also lay there looking
at the lights of the distant town torturing myself with thoughts of people
eating steaks in nice warm restaurants.

Sierra Ledge Rat

Mountain climber

Old and Broken Down in Appalachia

Aug 21, 2015 - 01:10pm PT

torturing myself with thoughts of people
eating steaks in nice warm restaurants.

hee-hee

Jay Wood

Trad climber

Land of God-less fools

Aug 21, 2015 - 01:13pm PT

A few of the usual suspects:

Seamstress

Trad climber

Yacolt, WA

Aug 21, 2015 - 01:16pm PT

Alpine Start to Alpine Finish = A Fabulous day and mini-epic.

Once you accept that the dark doesn't hurt, you learn to savor the alpine finish.

WyoRockMan

climber

South Fork of the Shoshone

Aug 21, 2015 - 01:21pm PT

BrassNuts

Trad climber

Save your a_s, reach for the brass...

Aug 21, 2015 - 01:32pm PT

Mar'

Trad climber

Fanta Se

Aug 21, 2015 - 02:07pm PT

haha!! what a great sentiment and lead-in to some very epic tales over dinner and drinks (later)…

Oh, just one night on Mt Mendel in October in the early 80s. I'm sso glad the air was dead-still all night!

We started at 3:30am. My partner dropped his axe at the bergschrund and had to go all the way back down to get it. I led every pitch. Ya, one look over the north side from the top at sunset and I knew I wasn't going to be doing that at that hour.

No food, no water, no bivi anything. Eventually the feet went into the Dachstein mitts and then into the little pack. Loooooong night.

At first light, we dropped down into Dusy Basin and walked ALL the way around and back up to the base of the north side and out the col.

hehe. Alpine finish~ never thought about it that way. hehe.

NutAgain!

Trad climber

South Pasadena, CA

Aug 21, 2015 - 03:39pm PT

Jay! That was a wonderful day! I love the mood in that amphitheater in the winter time.

And how many folks here have been on a day climb and enjoyed watching the last rays on half dome?

melski

Trad climber

bytheriver

Sep 1, 2015 - 04:58pm PT

hopefully this thread is endless,,Climbing in the dark is;nt much fun to me unless I;m in the sooutheern serria,,with a full moon,and a head full of wizards,[ been along time since i rock and rolled ] theres worse places to spend a loooong night,,