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Oso Flaco
Gym climber
Atascadero, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Sep 8, 2016 - 01:47pm PT
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Hi Gentlemen,
I recently climbed Sacherer Cracker, 5.10a, at the base of El Cap and found it to be probably the hardest 10a I've encountered. I looked up the FA and it was done in 1964 by Frank Sacherer. What's the history there? I'm blown away that this was free climbed without climbing shoes, cams, nuts, or other modern equipment. Anyone have any details or stories of the first or early ascents?
My imagination shows a climber hanging by a thin hand jam, hand-placing an angle pin, whacking it into the crack single-handedly while smearing the wall with lug boots, a hemp rope dangling below, shirtless while wearing knickers...
Thanks! AF
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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There were climbing shoes and nylon ropes in 1964....
He climbed lots of 5.10s that year.
Probably in Kronhofer shoes, which were not great for thin cracks,
but they were quite good for face climbing and friction.
There used to be a fixed angle piton at the crux, too.
You should still be able to see the rust stains where it was.
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deuce4
climber
Hobart, Australia
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I believe it was one of the first climbs, and the first thin crack route, to be clearly harder than the top o' scale 5.9 at the time.
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Other than the hemp rope, you're on target. The lack of modern wide protecting gear was doubtless why Roper described it in the 1971 guide as "difficult to protect."
John
Edit: I should add that Frank was notorious for running it out.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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skill sets at the time were more well developed across the community such that one's protection was their technique.
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Levy
Big Wall climber
Calabasas
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Protection used to be better back then for the top section, there was a slung natural chockstone that is now gone.
It does feel stout for 5.10a though, it always has.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Outside the Asylum
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When I first did the route (1976?) there were two fixed angles at the crux thin hands section, which were quite handy. They might have been left there by some hapless second, although as one rappels the route that seems unlikely. Perhaps they were deliberately placed around 1970, before good hexes became available?
Slack Centre was done in 1958, and in the 1970 guidebook Sacherer Cracker (not named) is only mentioned as "A variation of its first two pitches". But perhaps during 1958 - 64 people had climbed Slack Centre, and rappelled down Sacherer Cracker, or even aided some or all of Sacherer Cracker.
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Oso Flaco
Gym climber
Atascadero, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 8, 2016 - 02:47pm PT
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Awesome history, thanks guys! I did the route last Friday and there is still a chockstone at the bottom of the OW with a couple slings around it. Saw some other posts about a missing chockstone. Maybe there was more than one?
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Levy
Big Wall climber
Calabasas
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Oso- yes, there used to be 2 chockstones up there and the 1st allowed you to mount the 2nd more easily. Now it's harder for sure to get into the wyde part. ;)
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jgill
Boulder climber
The high prairie of southern Colorado
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I believe it was one of the first climbs, and the first thin crack route, to be clearly harder than the top o' scale 5.9 at the time
Maybe in that locale and for thin cracks, but in general 5.10 levels of difficulty go back to 1910.
For example, from Clint's list:
6b (5.10c) 1949 Goodro's Crack Wasatch (UT) Harold Goodro
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BruceHildenbrand
Social climber
Mountain View/Boulder
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Back in the mid-70's(AKA before SLCD's, hexes only) there used to be a fixed angle about 30 feet up the hand crack section where you could actually get a good jam.
You did the first 30 feet or so up to the ledge where the crack started; got a rest; looked up at that pin which seemed a long ways away and just gunned it to the jam where you could clip the pin.
A friend of mine fell just before getting to the pin and took a 60' ground fall. He called his mom up from the Yosemite Hospital and told her he had slipped while hiking.
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clinker
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
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The man was Frank and he freed some serious sh#t in his day.
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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There used to be a fixed angle piton at the crux, too.
Hey gang, the fixed pieces on el cap must be replaced with bolts. Woot!
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Mike Sherrick is around at various gatherings, he's listed on the FFA...
but I'm not sure he follows STForum... or if he does, what his username is...
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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the 5.10a is the thin hands section in the middle...
the OW at the top is a test piece, if you have good technique it is very easy (and Sacherer had that technique in spades), if you don't you will flail and fail...
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clinker
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
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the OW at the top is a test piece, if you have good technique it is very easy (and Sacherer had that technique in spades)
I was told that when it got wide enough Sacherer swung his cojones in for a no hands rest.
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Bushman
climber
The state of quantum flux
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Proud route, stoker!
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Oso Flaco
Gym climber
Atascadero, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 8, 2016 - 08:40pm PT
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I was told that when it got wide enough Sacherer swung his cojones in for a no hands rest.
You mean...his jockstones
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Tom
Big Wall climber
San Luis Obispo CA
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The first time that the Valley Giant VG12 was used in anger, it was at the top of the Sacherer Cracker.
Before then, REAL men didn't need a big cam.
"Our technique is our protection" - Chuck Pratt
Nowadays, the paradigm is sometimes this:
"My protection is my technique" - Tom Kasper
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Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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A few of my photos of Peter Haan starting up it 1970 or 71. Check out the rack!
I posted a few more of Peter on it somewhere on ST.
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NutAgain!
Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
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Before I climbed it I had heard so much about the wide part up top that I didn't think about anything else. The thin hands in the first half almost killed me- definitely a proud onsight for me the day I did it, fully at my limit.
I still remember going through the wide part with Scuffy's voice in my head from prior training sessions- it was like he was Obi Wan and I was Luke and he was telling me "use the outside foot Luke." That part went relatively easy for me.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Climbers were tougher, bolder and climbing was less forgiving back then, Skinny bear
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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When I read the opening post, I thought that it was a little over the top to equate Sacherer Cracker with something so difficult for the time. But, I looked it up. It probably was ground-breaking for the time for a thin crack.
Several years ago, for the Sacherer Remembrance in the Valley, I prepared a summary of Frank's climbs to put them, and his influence, into perspective. At the time, I commented that Sacherer was the first 70's free-climber, although he didn't climb in Valley in the 1970s. He was the first climber to focus solely on free-climbing (followed by Bob Kamps), with one of the most productive periods in Yosemite climbing history.
This table shows the iconic climbs of Yosemite and when they were free climbed. Sometime around 1963, Sacherer refocused his energies to free-climbing only. He did the first free ascents of routes he had previously climbed with other partners with aid. He made a big dent on existing classics. From a historical perspective almost all of the 1960's climbers viewed free and aid as equal means to climb. Robbins and Pratt were good at both. Sacherer was the first Yosemite regular to focus only on free. In 1967 or 1968, Ascent magazine included a short listing of the free and first-free ascent, most of which were climbed by Sacherer and Pratt. This was before Roper's 1970 guide and was a marked departure from the 1964 guide. This showed a major shift in climbing sensibilities and was a major benchmark in the shift to all-free climbing. When the 1970s climbers showed up, free-climbing-only showed a clear path to new routes in the Valley; Mark Klemens, Barry Bates, Steve Wunsch all focused their efforts on only free. Bridwell joined the crowd. Dinky little cracks full of dirt eventually got cleaned out and free-climbed; no one prior to Sacherer's influence would have thought it was worth the effort.
I did not know Sacherer, but Eric Beck and Dick Erb, both of whom post on ST, climbed with Sacherer and knew him well. Maybe they can describe the specifics of Sacherer Cracker's first ascent.
Eric has reported that he and Sacherer were in incredibly great shape from running circuits at UC Berkeley. Eric has also reported that Sacherer had a list of climbs that he, Sacherer, thought would go free. Eric looked at the list and thought some would never go. I think Sacherer did most, if not, all of them.
As for the idea of comparing current climbing to 60s and 70s climbing, there were very different sensibilities. Parallel cracks are hard to protect with nuts and a pain in the neck to protect with pins, and, by the early 1970s, we stopped using pins to reduce pin scars. Longer run outs were the norm on hard climbs and leaders did not fall--really. Or, at least not on purpose to wire the moves. That came later in the early 70s. So a leader would lock-in crack technique and go for it. Nobody died.
Sacherer rated the variation of the Slack, the Sacherer Cracker, 5.9.
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skitch
Gym climber
Bend Or
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We just suck at the wide stuff these days! I would consider Sacherer Cracker to be harder than any 5.10 that doesn't go bigger than 4"...
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AP
Trad climber
Calgary
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How was it done?
With talent, courage, and ability
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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You can sort of style the Sacherer Cracker if you have the technique, and as Ed commented, the top, though sparely protected, is a simple chug if your heel-toe/arm barring is tight.
Not so, Ahab, which I believe Frank did the same week (if memory serves) with Bridwell. Also at the base of El Cap, you basically had to do the entire crux (bottom) sans pro, on ultra greasy rock - still not way severe (5.10b), but no room for error or you were into the dirt from 30 feet.
Now you can slide a big cam up the pitch as you climb it, enjoying a top rope, bottom to top.
Even still, I reckon Sacherer Cracker gets done 50 to 1 over Ahab.
Frank was a hero to many of us 70s climbers - for all the right reasons.
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Rollover
climber
Gross Vegas
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Best to try this one in cooler weather and NOT in the sun..
1000's of ascents have polished this thing..
It was slick as snot in 1993, very early on for me as a leader.
Wonder what it's like now?
I remember the upper bit being an eye opener for me
cuz there was no way to protect it. Hehehe. Not hard but a
little spooky committing to the worm.
Once I locked a knee I was secure though..
Character building for a noob like me..
Classic pictures of Peter!
I wonder what shoes he has on..
Look smooth-soled to me..
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Roger Breedlove, that is an awesome chart. Really puts some of Frank's accomplishments in perspective.
One I am very inspired by in particular, is the FFA of North Buttress Of Middle Cathedral. Even though I climbed it as a relatively new to climbing, and understand Frank climbed as a dedicated climber for years, it is still stunning when you think of the gear they had etc. Impressive folks with primitive gear looked up giant faces like that and went for it. I don't say this word often, as it is well overused in the climbing community, but it is inspiring!
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EP
Trad climber
Way Out There
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The second chart should read Chuck Ostin , not Otis.
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Oso Flaco
Gym climber
Atascadero, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 9, 2016 - 02:21pm PT
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Thanks guys for sharing all the awesome history so far; I have much admiration for Frank and the early ascensionists.
Here is my experience of the route as originally posted here:
https://www.mountainproject.com/v/sacherer-cracker/105945535
"Does anyone else think that this climb feels every bit as hard as Five & Dime (10d) or other 5.10+ climbs in the Valley? Harder with the wide section...it is definitely the toughest 10a I've ever done. I can't imagine climbing this route in 1964 with no climbing shoes, cams, nuts, or modern equipment. Frank Sacherer was pretty BA.
In the fall 2014 I jumped on this route with my friend Ryan C. I struggled up the 5.8 offwidth start, hung on a cam on the first fingers/lieback section, huffed and puffed up to the good rest stance before the wide hands section, almost completely ranout the wide hands section up to the chockstone because it's so fun and secure, placed a #4 below the chockstone and an offset nut between the chockstone and the wall, then took a 15 footer out of the OW above. I batmanned up to the chockstone and tried several other techniques trying to make progress up the wide crack. The inside of the crack is quite polished and it is difficult to get a good heel/toe to stick on the slick surfaces. I finally committed to stacking a couple fists, pulling up high, and wedging a secure knee in the crack. That's as far as I made it. I slipped down the crack a bit and my knee became painfully wedged in. I was stuck. 15 minutes later, after trying to free myself, I called down to my belayer and friends to call YOSAR. It was pretty humiliating and humbling. My belayer was running down to his truck to get a #6 cam in effort to help me pull myself out while my wife and friends ran down the trail to find cell phone reception in order to call search and rescue. While I was there alone, the anchor tied off below, I begged a prayer to God to help me get out of it. Soon after, I realized that part of the problem was that my right foot was also stuck, which prevented me from being able to shift my knee. I managed to get my shoe off and my foot was free. I stacked fists again above my head, pulled up hard and was able to wiggle my knee free and rest on the rope. When my wife and friends arrived they were relieved and called off the YOSAR team that was on the way. Afterward, everyone was over climbing anymore for the day and I escaped with my tail between my legs, a couple scabs on either side of my knee, and a lost offset nut and 'biner. God answers prayers, even when they are to rescue ourselves from the dumb decisions we make and situations we place ourselves in.
I recently came back to this route for round 2. My buddy Aaron S. floated the 5.8 OW approach pitch, handed me the sharp end, and it was my turn to slay the dragon. I liebacked up the thin crack start and almost peeled a couple times as my left foot smeared on the smooth face left of the line. One might also be able to jam this section using off-fingers jams, but the crack isn't straight in, it cuts into the wall at an angle from right to left, allowing a lieback to be used. I placed a finger sized cam and gunned it for a thin hand jam up high. I made it through the lower section using this strategy of placing gear from the occasional pod hand jam and fighting to the next one. Eventually the crack allowed for solid hand jams up to a good rest ledge. I took a breather there, and asked Aaron S. to tag me up his number 6 (4.5"-7.5" cam), #3 big bro, and Valley Giant #9 (6"-9" cam). I hung these on a shouldered sling and left all the other cams and gear I wouldn't need hanging from a cam near the ledge. I then struggled up the off-hands crack, placing and bumping a couple number 3s (wide hand sized cams) along the way, all the while fighting the giant, unwieldy cams that kept swinging in front of me on the shoulder sling. I must have been pretty tired from our attempts on the Steck Salathe and Gold Wall's Silent Line the two days before, because this section felt much harder than it had before. Approaching the chockstone and horizontal crack that mark the beginning of the real fight up the offwidth, I slapped in a #4 (fist sized cam) and clipped the couple bail slings that were already around the chockstone. I then climbed up to a stance atop the chockstone and horizontal crack for a respite before the fight. Reaching high, I placed the #6 deep into the crevice and started offwidthing right side in. I was able to effectively use the knee lock this time for a couple feet which provided a good upper body rest during the start. Fortunately, the number 6 bumped adequately until about 2/3 up the OW where it settled into a tipped-out but secure position. Gasping for breath and sweating away my friction, I planted the Giant up high in the last bit of the wide and thrashed my way up, almost within reach of the exit jug on the left. I wanted so bad to just grab the cam and make the pain go away, but decided to risk the fall and the skin as I was continually slipping back down against the hard won inches whenever I let up on my body tension or breath. Man did it feel good to finally get that jug in hand. As I mantled up to victory my left foot suddenly skated off the smooth left face, as if to say, "It's not over yet!" Thankfully, I held on, and stood up to clip the chains. Yesssss. Hardest fought 10a of my life...so far. It's 6 days later and my scraped up right shoulder, right knee, and shins are still getting the Neosporin treatment.
Thank you to Wendy, Ryan, Rudi, Kristina, Aaron, and YOSAR for putting up with my shenanigans on this one.
Needless to say, my offwidth and wide climbing experience and technique is limited, so be ready for a fight if you're not dialed on 5.9 offwidth."
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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we usually do it with a single 70m from the ground in one pitch...
the 5.7 at the start is tricky and being too casual here can be bad, it's the place for an old #5 camelot and an attentive belay
after that, the crack starts at something like 3/4" and goes to something like 18" the chockstones at the top of the fist section are the last pro, then a few moves in the OW to the chains.
5.10a is a strange grade in the Valley, for climbs put up around 1970 it represents the boundary between the old 5.9 grade and the then new 5.10 grade, this is especially true for OW, one 5.10a OW can be very different than another.
As for Ahab, Largo is probably right (though I hang out with a very twisted crowd) and the grade, 5.10b, is problematic, there aren't many climbs like it anywhere else.
As far as bring dialed on this, Sacherer looks like he did the FA using "standard" technique staying on the outside of the crack, which is incredible given how slick that is...
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Supposedly John Marts of Seattle did the second free in '66 IIRC and then
went to Chamonix and did the second ascent of the American Direct.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Sacherer Cracker reaches fine with a single 60m, too.
It helps if you have the lower 5.7 wide dialed - I place a #4 Friend there and then backclean it after it gets easy.
Crux is ringlocks with slick feet.
I've never climbed the ow at the top, as it's easier to
traverse left on a flake and finish on the Slack Center knees width chimney.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Outside the Asylum
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Anyone attempting Sacherer Cracker should recall that it is in an area of high rock, and gear, fall. Although you'd probably want to leave your helmet at the start of the upper offwidth.
The Canadian Alpine Journal for 1972 has the following report from Hugh Burton (excerpt):
"Gordie Smaill, arriving a month later [i.e. May 1971], caught the tail end of the bad weather, but managed to climb the strenuous West Buttress of El Capitan. Later, Smaill took a 150' peel on Sacher's Crack. Unfortunately, he hit a passing ledge and broke his pelvis."
Gordie was and is a very strong climber, but perhaps this was during the "run it out" period that Roger refers to.
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Sep 10, 2016 - 02:13pm PT
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Vitaliy,
This is a complete list of Sacherer's ascents. My list post up-thread was narrowly focused on Sacherer's impact on the shift of Yosemite climbing to free-climbing-only. Sacherer's contribution to Valley climbing is pretty spectacular.
Regarding the North Buttress of Middle, Sacherer grabbed Bridwell to free climb the route. This was before Jim became Bridwell. He had no idea what he was getting into. The North Buttress is a big rock and Frank had one rope and one quart of water. On the crux pitch, over the bulge, Jim was leading and fell off and landed on Frank. Sacherer was furious. He would not let Jim lead any more pitches.
The Sacherer climb on Middle which is most impressive is the FFA of the DNB with Eric Beck. They climbed it in one day, re-routing about five of the lower pitches. This was in 1965. That was also the year that Eric and Frank climbed the West Face of Sentinel in one day. At the time, Sentinel was a Grade VI.
El Cap Tree Direct 5.9 A4 IV FA 1961 Glen Denny Frank Sacherer
Coonyard Pinnacle 5.9 R FFA 1961 Chuck Ostin Frank Sacherer
Bishop's Balcony 5.5 A3 FA 1962 Frank Sacherer, Gary Colliver
Reed's Pinnacle Left Side 5.10a FA 1962 Frank Sacherer, Wally Reed, Gary Colliver; FFA 1962 Frank Sacherer, Dick Erb, Larry Marshik
West Buttress Ribbon Falls 5.8 A3 IV FA 1962 Frank Sacherer, Bob Kamps
Crack of Despair 5.10a FA 1962 Frank Sacherer, Galen Rowell; FFA 1964 Frank Sacherer, Chuck Pratt, Tom Gerughty
Wendy 5.9 FA 1962 Frank Sacherer Bob Kamps; FFA 1970 Kim Schmitz Marty Martin
Right Side Worst Error 5.10a FA 1962 Frank Sacherer Galen Rowell
Right Side of The Hourglass 5.10a FA 1962 Bob Kamps Frank Sacherer FFA 1964 Frank Sacherer Tom Gerughty
Koko Ledge, Continuation A4 FA 1962 Glenn Denny Frank Sacherer
West Face of Lower Cathedral Rock 5.8 A2 III FA 1963 Frank Sacherer, Wally Reed
Tweedle Dee 5.8 FA 1963 Frank Sacherer Jim Baldwin
Lower Cathedral Spire, Northeast Face 5.9 FA 1963 Mark Powell Frank Sacherer Bob Kamps
Moby Dick, Left 5.9 FA 1963 Bob Kamps Frank Sacherer
The Rorp 5.7 FA 1963 Wally Reed Frank Sacherer
Moby Dick, Center 5.10a FFA 1963 Frank Sacherer Steve Roper
The Flakes 5.8 R FA 1964 Frank Sacherer, Mark Powell
Moby Dick, Ahab 5.10b FA 1964 Frank Sacherer, Jim Bridwell
Reed's Pinnacle Direct 5.10a FA 1964 Frank Sacherer, Mark Powell, Wally Reed, Gary Colliver, Andy Lichman, Chris Fredricks
Sacherer Cracker 5.10a FA 1964 Frank Sacherer, Mike Sherrick
Sacherer-Fredericks 5.10c FA 1964 Frank Sacherer, Chris Fredericks
Bridalveil East 5.10c FFA 1964 Frank Sacherer John Morton
The Dihardral 5.10c FFA 1964 Frank Sacherer Tom Gerughty
East Buttress of El Capitan 5.10b FFA 1964 Frank Sacherer Wally Reed
North East Buttress of Higher Cathedral Rock 5.9 IV FFA 1964 Frank Sacherer Jeff Dozier
North Buttress of Middle Cathedral Rock 5.10a V FFA 1964 Frank Sacherer Jim Bridwell
Observation Point 5.9 III FFA 1964 Frank Sacherer Wally Reed
Yosemite Point Buttress, Direct Route 5.9 FFA 1964 Frank Sacherer Don Telshaw
Salathe Route, Half Dome 5.10b R IV FFA1964 Frank Sacherer Bob Kamps Andy Lichtman
Lost Arrow Chimney 5.10a FFA1964 Chuck Pratt Frank Sacherer
Dromedary 5.8+ FA 1965 Frank Sacherer, Gordon Webster
Lower Cathedral Spire, Fredricks-Sacherer Variation 5.9 FA 1965 Chris Fredericks Frank Sacherer TM Herbert
Direct North Buttress of Middle Cathedral Rock 5.10b V FFA 1965 Frank Sacherer Eric Beck
East Buttress of Middle Cathedral Rock 5.10c FFA1965 Frank Sacherer Ed Leeper
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Sep 10, 2016 - 05:37pm PT
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Hey Kevin,
The long list is Ed's work. In fact the narrower list I put together is taken from Ed's Valley route database. Impressive output. You are one of only a few Valley climbers whose first ascents are in that league.
One of the most impressive bits about Sacherer is that he committed to free climbing by free climbing half the definitive aid routes in the Valley from the late 1940s to the early 1960s, in addition to all of the new stuff he found. It is as if he took on the whole of the climbing community and forced the issue. He could just as easily gone off and climbed new routes in obscure areas.
BTW, have you seen any pictures of Sacherer Fredericks on Middle. It is one of the few Middle routes that I never did. Aside from Largo, I don't even know anyone who has done it.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Sep 10, 2016 - 07:28pm PT
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Regarding the North Buttress of Middle, Sacherer grabbed Bridwell to free climb the route. This was before Jim became Bridwell. He had no idea what he was getting into. The North Buttress is a big rock and Frank had one rope and one quart of water. On the crux pitch, over the bulge, Jim was leading and fell off and landed on Frank. Sacherer was furious. He would not let Jim lead any more pitches. Hmmm, I don't remember a bulge on the pitch I think is the crux (pitch 11). Reading your Middle Cathedral Commentary article, I believe you are referring to pitch 7, which has a bulge with a 5.9 move (now that they freed it).
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Sep 10, 2016 - 07:37pm PT
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Hey Clint, The spot at which Jim fell onto Frank is the spot you point out in your comment above. Your comment also points out why I never rated anything in the Valley.
I climbed the North Buttress three or four times; I always thought that the bulge was the crux, maybe not 5.10, but still the hardest move. I could never find any 5.10 up higher on the face: just places where you had to think about protection and visualize a sequence to get to the next stopping point. 1960s climbers were very reluctant to rate anything 5.10, Sacherer in particular. It feels a little strange to think about now, but my sense of ratings when I climbed in the 70s was closer to Sacherer's. I was fine with 5.9 being really hard and also okay with someone else calling it 5.10.
Case in point: Ahab, a serious, dangerous route in the 60s and early 70s, was 5.9 offwidth. But the 5.10 rating was appropriate since there was really no protection and did not really have a place to launch from or return to. Nowadays, the 5.10(b) rating (I think) is appropriate, even with large-cam protection, because off-width is a weird skill and most climbers don't feel comfortable with it.
I even remember having a serious conversation with Dave Bircheff when we free climbed the Steck-Salathe about if there was really any 5.9 on the route. I think the rock has changed now and there are 5.10s sections;l but we didn't find any. That said, YDS is consensus rating, so it is what the tribe says it is.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Sep 10, 2016 - 07:45pm PT
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I attempted the Sacherer Fredericks on MCR way back when with Mark Chapman. We were both climbing well, but apparently not as well as FS was when he did it.
I'm guessing that route rarely gets done, but it takes a nice line up a steep and otherwise unclimbed chunk of Middle.
Btw, that route is way harder than Sacherer Cracker! I agree.
It took me 3 tries to get up it.
1. 4/25/1987 - I led p3 (crux is p4), and my partner was ready to follow, but we heard this big noise off left that we thought was rockfall. Then I heard jangling of gear. It was a double fatality accident, when a belay failed on a team climbing the East Buttress. So we bailed and drove over to SAR and reported the fatalities.
2. 5/26/2003 - my partner started leading p3, but the fixed pin was sketchy and so were the (original 1964) belay bolts. So we bailed.
3. 6/8/2003 - we came back with a hammer and bolt kit - replaced the belay bolts with 3/8" stainless and reset the pin. There was still a very loose appearing flake above, but it didn't come off, fortunately. The crux was hard - I thought it was 5.11b. Even a sketchy bush that my parter grabbed on lead.
I remember there were loose flakes/blocks in a couple of places, which confirms little traffic. We trundled a couple of them (like a flake at the start of p3 which partly broke when my partner was resetting the pin. Trundling was tricky, though, because Melissa and J were climbing directly below us. Higher up we couldn't see them and had to stop trundling.
Up high, it's not that hard, but still 5.9/5.10a. I remember my partner needed a break from leading, but I was also real tired, so convinced him to keep leading. It got dark and we missed where the East Buttress exit crosses it, going straight up instead. Eventually we got down and drove home; I recall my partner had a meeting at 8am that morning and got two hours of sleep at my house. :-)
I wrote a trip report, but no photos, as I had stopped shooting slides and didn't have a digital camera yet (they were expensive then; got a used one 6 months later).
http://www.stanford.edu/%7Eclint/rep/036ysacf.txt
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Sep 11, 2016 - 06:05am PT
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Thanks Clint.
Pretty rock. Someone should garden the crack.
Interesting that Sacherer rated this 5.10, one of only a few of his climbs he rated 5.10. Your description also supports the gossip that the route was desperate with Sacherer pulling up on weeds.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Sep 11, 2016 - 10:09am PT
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Middle Rock is SO not climbed out...
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Jan
Mountain climber
Colorado & Nepal
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Sep 11, 2016 - 11:03am PT
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I never heard Frank mention a rating of 5.10, only "hard 5.9".
It would be interesting to have a discussion on when and who originated 5.10 or maybe that thread already exists?
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jogill
climber
Colorado
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Sep 11, 2016 - 11:53am PT
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Good point, Jan. I was climbing in that era and I don't recall when I first heard "5.10".
I do remember Yvon and others from CA praising Frank's abilities!
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Sep 11, 2016 - 02:12pm PT
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Hi Jan, Hope you are doing well. In 1967 (maybe 1968), Pratt wrote a concise list of updates on Yosemite climbing. It was mostly about Frank's new climbs and his all-free ascents of aid routes. I cannot find a copy of the actual text, but I am pretty sure that Chuck included the free ratings. I did find this summary that Steve Moyles posted in July 2010.
I don't think this contradicts Frank only talking about "hard 5.9," and not 5.10, but it shows Chuck's take on the ratings at the time. Chuck was the author of the Crack of Doom which was the first 5.10 in the Valley, so he would not have been shy about rating Frank's harder climbs 5.10.
They offer route descriptions similar to Roper's guides. I believe the
1967 Yosemite Notes is edited by Chuck Pratt. At the end of the
descriptions of the new routes, Pratt lists 25 climbs which had all the
aid eliminated from them, with brief description, date and attribution.
A paraphrased example: Reed's Pinnacle 5.10 Difficult jamming to the
right of the A4 crack.
Some of the new climbs listed had names different than their current ones,
such as Fredericks' Folly on Middle Cathedral Rock, and South Face,
Washington Column (the Bridwell/Faint route).
If anyone out in ST land has a copy of that Ascent, please scan and post it. It was a significant hinge point in redirecting new climbers to all-free climbing.
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jgill
Boulder climber
The high prairie of southern Colorado
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Sep 12, 2016 - 03:24pm PT
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That's a nice piece in R&I. Unfortunately people who write these tributes are not necessarily cognizant of the history of the times. E.g.,
at a time when chalk, rock shoes, nuts and cams were as unknown as 5.11,
I introduced CA climbers in the Tetons to chalk in the mid and late 1950s, but some chose not to use it. We certainly had decent rock shoes - my PAs were excellent even though sticky rubber had not arrived. And the idea that Frank was somehow initiating a movement to free climbing may have been true in Yosemite, although I think I recall conversations I had with Chouinard before and during that period indicated an earlier trend in that direction.
Certainly the emphasis on free climbing was in bloom in other areas outside CA. Especially where the routes were short, like Devils Lake.
But I could be mistaken in my dotage. Oldtimers from that era should correct me if I'm in error.
None of the above is meant to disparage one of the finest American climbers ever.
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Jan
Mountain climber
Colorado & Nepal
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Sep 12, 2016 - 05:09pm PT
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First I've never heard that chalk was introduced to the Valley that early. None of the climbers I knew in the '60's were using it, thinking it was just for bouldering if they knew about it at all. Frank certainly never used it and never would have I'm sure.
As for Crack of Doom being 5.10, one of the reasons Frank would not call it 5.10 I'm sure, is that a girl (Bev Johnson) had climbed it. I remember Frank and Chuck Pratt saying back about 1968, that a few women could get up 5.9 on the Apron but no woman would ever climb a 5.9 crack. When Bev did the Crack of Doom and we got word of it in Europe, he went into a depressive funk for 3 days. He sure wasn't going to give her credit for doing a 5.10.
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jgill
Boulder climber
The high prairie of southern Colorado
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Sep 12, 2016 - 05:34pm PT
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I think Pat Ament must personally have introduced climbers in Yosemite to chalk in the mid 1960s. Chouinard, Weeks, and others gave it a try on the slick pegmatite boulders in the Tetons earlier; Yvon chose not to use it. I can't recall whether Royal used it in the Needles of SD when he and I bouldered around. Tom Higgins and Rich Goldstone might clarify things a bit for that time period.
However, this is a side issue that is irrelevant to the thread.
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Sep 12, 2016 - 07:46pm PT
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Hi Jan,
I think that your assertion that somehow Bev climbing Crack of Doom affecting it's rating is severely telescoping time. The route was well established as the first 5.10 in Roper's 1964 guide; Bev's climbing in the Valley was well after that and she was not climbing in the Valley when Frank was climbing the routes we now all rate 5.10. So Frank's 5.9 ratings were articulated prior to Bev's climbing. However, your assessment that somehow girls' could not climb 5.10 was accurate for some climbers and it even spilled over into the 1970s a little. But Bridwell's notion (and Bridwell ruled ratings) of how to rate climbs on a consensus and comparative basis would not have taken a female ascent into account: a climb was rated in comparison to other climbs benchmarked to a specific grade. In any case, Jim never disparaged anyone's successes.
Hi John,
It seems to me your sense of the Rock and Ice's author conflating and jamming up changes in climbing attributes is correct. It is jarring to read bits that seem so jumbled. But my guess is that it does not matter that much to someone younger peering back so far--it is all sort of unfathomable history. (And we have the curse of having been young once, while the young cannot imagine ever being old.)
Regarding how Sacherer affected the tribe's sense of the relative importance of free climbing, I think the evidence is that in Yosemite, Sacherer's singular pivot away the norm of aid and free equality to a free-climbing only was unique: Sacherer moved the needle for younger climbers particularly in 1969 and 1970. I would also say that Sacherer followed your lead, so to speak, in focusing on hard free-climbing.
A notional way to characterize it is that while Royal, Chuck, Yvon and Tom were climbing the world's hardest aid climb, the North American Wall, in 1964, Sacherer put up 5 all free routes and climbed 12 aid routes all free: sort of an in-in-your-face statement for all of us, collectively, to reconsider the norm in Yosemite. In hindsight we did not catch-up to his sensibilities until the early 1970s.
Speaking of chalk, Yvon came to the Valley one year in the 70s and I tagged along for a mass assault of some nondescript crack. When it was my turn, I chalked up and noticed a commotion at the base: Yvon objected so he left. Never occurred to me that there was a difference of opinion prior to that. We were still friends.
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John Morton
climber
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Sep 12, 2016 - 08:36pm PT
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From Clint:
There were climbing shoes and nylon ropes in 1964....
He climbed lots of 5.10s that year.
Probably in Kronhofer shoes, which were not great for thin cracks,
but they were quite good for face climbing and friction.
I remember Frank as a fan of Spiders, known as an edging shoe. But Kronhofers might have been a better choice for a thin crack, because the Spider toes were hard and incompressible. Funny, I don't remember climbers picking a certain shoe for a certain climb in those days, too expensive to have two pair, I guess.
Beck and Erb will remember which shoes.
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AP
Trad climber
Calgary
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Sep 12, 2016 - 08:42pm PT
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So what would Frank be climbing if he were alive and 25 years old?
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TomCochrane
Trad climber
Santa Cruz Mountains and Monterey Bay
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Sep 12, 2016 - 09:36pm PT
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Interesting how my presence in the valley disappears...
Frank and I first climbed together when I led free the East Chimney of Rixons and he followed me up what he called harder than 5.9. Pratt and others couldn't follow us at the time.
Then Frank and I climbed The Slack together when the first pitch was still aided. We thought the pin scars might make it freeable. So we went back and worked on it. I was climbing in Wyoming when Frank went back and freed it. Shortly afterwards Royal went up and led it free and I followed it free after Frost backed off.
Royal and I also repeated Frank's free ascent of El Cap East Buttress. Liz was with us and used a few points of aid.
I think the route Frank and I put up on Glacier Point was the hardest either of us did.
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BLUEBLOCR
Social climber
joshua tree
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Sep 12, 2016 - 10:26pm PT
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this has rumbled into a great thread!
Thank you sirs.
history is so telling of the future:)
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Sep 12, 2016 - 11:52pm PT
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Tom,
I think the route Frank and I put up on Glacier Point was the hardest either of us did. I have a possible idea where the crux stemming corner is (a left facing corner, above Coonyard Pinnacle, but below The Oasis),
between 3 and 14 in this photo.
I just have to check it and if it matches your stemming description, then we'll have a fairly accurate location of the pitches for the guidbook.
The regular Coonyard to Oasis climbs the face above 3.
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Sep 13, 2016 - 11:15am PT
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I didn't know Frank, either, but my long-time law partner, Wally Upton, climbed with him quite a bit in the early 1960's, and gave me a perspective that differed somewhat from the daredevilish reputation I had come to believe. Wally said that Frank simply believed that he could think his way up any climb.
I never heard Frank mention a rating of 5.10, only "hard 5.9".
Jan, I note that he and Beck rated the FFA of the DNB as 5.9, and he and Pratt rated the FFA of Lost Arrow also as 5.9, which conforms to your observation. They did rate the Sacherer-Fredericks "provisionally" 5.10, but required confirmation by a later ascent to be certain of the rating.
John
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Jan
Mountain climber
Colorado & Nepal
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Sep 13, 2016 - 11:37am PT
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Thanks for the remembrance John.
As I recall, we discussed in Europe in late 1969 or 1970 that 5.10 seemed to be a solid, well established grade by that time as noted by various California correspondents who kept us somewhat in touch with the Yosemite scene. I believe it was our brother-in-law John Morton who mostly wrote to us of the changes going on.
Having pronounced that no woman would climb a 5.9 crack and then having one climb a 5.10 was definitely depressing to Frank. He was not one to discuss feelings (men in general didn't during that era). On the other hand, he wasn't exactly subtle about his negative emotions as other stories from that era will attest, so yes, I can say he definitely was depressed over Bev's success which was following the Crack of Doom, not leading it, as far as I know.
In addition to his views on women climbers, I think he was in the situation of all top athletes whose achievements are surpassed by others younger than themselves. Frank always held himself to the highest standards so instead of focussing on how long he ruled free climbing in the Valley, he focussed on how soon his achievements were overcome by others in the early 1970's. Later, he went on to develop his skills at ice climbing to a high standard.
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jgill
Boulder climber
The high prairie of southern Colorado
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Sep 13, 2016 - 04:28pm PT
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Having pronounced that no woman would climb a 5.9 crack and then having one climb a 5.10 was definitely depressing to Frank
Like the observation from early British climbing: From test-piece to "an easy day for a lady".
Being only three years older than Frank I can remember attitudes from those times. I recall being surprised when a young female climber met me at the Jenny Lake boulders in 1958 and asked me to spot her as she tried a few problems . . . sadly to say, unsuccessfully, although I was very encouraging. At the time it was hard for me to imagine what was going to come to pass when, years later, eleven year-old girls would be able to scamper up my hardest problems.
At Devil's Lake at roughly that same time period there was a young lady who was a ballerina and who had wonderful balance and poise on some problems but lacked upper body strength. On the other hand my first meeting with Jan Conn in the late 1950s opened my eyes as she squirmed up tight cracks in the Black Hills Needles, rope trailing behind her. Earlier, her performances in the DC area along the Potomac had astounded a number of muscular men.
On the other hand when John Dietschy led the Irene of Irene's Arete on that first ascent in 1957 few eyebrows were raised, although at the time the climb was designated 5.8 -> 5.9. However, the world of rock climbing changed dramatically when the gymnast Lynn Hill made her debut two decades later. It was shortly after this that Pat Ament and I began joking about climbing eventually becoming women's gymnastics.
Lynn, at 5'2" and 110 pounds these days, is not much smaller than the reigning champion all-around Olympic male gymnast, Japanese, who is 5'3" and 121 pounds. Androgyny may be the future of both gymnastics and rock climbing.
Just a few rambling comments FWIW.
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hamie
Social climber
Thekoots
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Sep 14, 2016 - 01:23am PT
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I read somewhere that there were no photos of Frank climbing in the Valley. It was an interesting and pleasant surprise to see the 2 pix of him on Ahab. Are there any other Valley rock climbing shots?
Here is a shot of Frank belaying[not climbing]somewhere along the El Cap apron. He and his partner were attempting the FFA of something, perhaps La Escuela? They had a late start and ran out of time. Bridwell and I had done The Slack, so it was close to that climb. [JB led all the pitches.] Perhaps someone can id it. We grabbed a ride back to C4 with Frank. Better than walking.
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DrDeeg
Mountain climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
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Sep 30, 2016 - 10:02pm PT
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I knew Frank pretty well. He, Eric Beck, Steve Thompson, Dick Erb, and I were roommates at the Great Pad on Regent St in Berkeley in 1964-65. Frank didn't like lima beans; often we others served mixed vegetables when it was our turn to cook, so we could watch Frank pick them out. I recall that the highest rating he gave to any of his FA's or FFA's was "5.9+." But he was willing to say that 5.10 existed. After Thompson and Fredericks had done the FFA of East Buttress of Lower Cathedral, Frank climbed it later in the summer of 1965 when Thompson, John Morton, Bill Peppin and I were in the Dolomites. Frank set us a letter in which he said to Thompson, "made the move on EB of Lower, seems like 5.10."
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TomCochrane
Trad climber
Santa Cruz Mountains and Monterey Bay
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It turns out that Kronhofers are perfect for narrow cracks. They lack the rubber around the sides of the leather uppers, that are found on all modern climbing shoes. This allows inserting the narrow toe into the crack and then twisting the flexible toe to form a sort of cam lock. This is brutal on your toes and mine still show the damage.
We used to buy the tightest pair that we could cram on our feet, then walk in water and wear them until they dried. We'd wear out several pairs each year. There don't seem to be any remaining examples around as we wore them to shreds.
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TomCochrane
Trad climber
Santa Cruz Mountains and Monterey Bay
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Nov 12, 2016 - 02:10pm PT
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Clint, I really appreciate your research and wonderful photos!
It is hard for me to match my memories exactly to the photos without actually getting back on the rock. There are two arches between your 3 and 14 that are likely candidates. At Frank's high point under the arch there was a very small smooth ledge and a shallow pin scar for just the tip of a regular angle pin, basically worthless. I stepped far out to the right onto a small nick in the sharp outer edge of the dihedral. Then there was about 80 feet of very marginal unprotected slab climbing to a ledge where I was able to drive an angle pin straight down behind a block to secure our survival. That ledge might be the top of the horizontal intrusion band a couple of pitches above 3 in your photo.
I think we were both wearing Kronhoffers, though Frank sometimes wore Salewas. Gill can comment on their relative merits.
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jgill
Boulder climber
The high prairie of southern Colorado
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Nov 12, 2016 - 03:19pm PT
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I wore Zillertals or Kronhoffers in the late 1950s, but switched to PAs and RDs in the 1960s. Chouinard introduced me to Zillertals, which were great for edging - the Kronhoffers seemed better for friction, but both were inferior to PAs and RDs, IMHO. I don't recall Salewas.
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TomKimbrough
Social climber
Salt Lake City
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Nov 12, 2016 - 04:56pm PT
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When I led it in the mid '70s I had beta from Eric Beck. This was pre-slcd but Eric knew exactly what stoppers and hexes were needed and the exact order of placement. His beta worked perfectly. I don't think there were any fixed pitons but I certainly could be wrong.
I don't remember the off-width being any problem but I expect it is super slick now.
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TomCochrane
Trad climber
Santa Cruz Mountains and Monterey Bay
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Nov 12, 2016 - 09:35pm PT
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i preferred Kronhoffers to all the other contenders, including PAs, RDs, Shoenards, Robbins, etc.
The problem with Kronhoffers is wearing them out quickly and trying to find the right sized replacements
Currently I wear Kaukulators for rock climbing and La Sportiva Trangos for alpine rock and summer ice
The Sacherer Cracker and many other El Cap routes would not go free without all the pin scars. El Cap was famous for shallow bottoming cracks that required a lot of pounding on 4130 Chromolly Steel pitons in order to manage marginal direct aid. The dirty little secret of modern rock climbing is that most of those 'free' routes would not go all free without all the pin scars. Imagine going up there and filling in all the pin scars and then seeing how climbers manage.
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jstan
climber
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Nov 12, 2016 - 09:45pm PT
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When I first saw Serenity in the early 70's, as best I could tell it had started out as a rurp crack filled in
with quartz. I'm guessing it had been a flush seam.
Things have gotten pretty desperate when I have to post on climbing threads.
At the time I felt that was cheating and suggested that if we aren't going to grab bolts,
then we shouldn't grab pin scars.
Pin scars took away from us the chance to measure ourselves up against five million year old natural
problems. The loss brought us closer to a world where
"it is people(not turtles) all the way down."
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TomCochrane
Trad climber
Santa Cruz Mountains and Monterey Bay
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Nov 12, 2016 - 09:51pm PT
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Yes, I recall Frank Sacherer coming to me all excited about the wild idea that the pin scars on Serenity Crack might now make it able to be done free.
At the time I felt that was cheating and suggested that if we aren't going to grab bolts, then we shouldn't grab pin scars.
I guess that view of climbing ethics didn't gain popularity...
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JerryA
Mountain climber
Sacramento,CA
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Nov 13, 2016 - 08:44am PT
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Once ran into TM at the base of West Crack at Daff Dome & he described Sacherer's remarkable first ascent .
No one who climbed before sticky rubber fails to appreciate how difficult 5.9 + was on hard soles . The difference on familiar routes wearing my first Five Ten Fires was astounding !
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the goat
climber
north central WA
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Nov 13, 2016 - 12:16pm PT
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Perhaps there's a thread regarding the difference between the early shoes, but EB's were a quantum leap forward when it came to friction. Hard to believe you could call Kronhofers, PA's or RD's friction shoes. They all had the stickiness of tap shoes. Ridiculous. Great for edging though.
I still marvel thinking of Mead Hargis freeing New Dimensions in Robbins boots and using pins.
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martygarrison
Trad climber
Washington DC
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Nov 13, 2016 - 10:21pm PT
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Yep the thin section had a couple of fixed pins around the 73+. I remember climbing it a few times around then and not going back to it until cams were around. I had forgotten how good it was.
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TomCochrane
Trad climber
Santa Cruz Mountains and Monterey Bay
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Nov 13, 2016 - 10:42pm PT
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Kronhoffers changed their soles around the same time PAs and EBs became available. I thought my first pair of PAs were less sticky than my new Kronhoffers, which had an interesting sole pattern that seemed good for both smearing and edging. Plus you could get your toe right into narrow cracks where the PAs and EBs had to smear the outside of the crack.
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jstan
climber
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Nov 14, 2016 - 05:24am PT
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Early on those lucky enough to have Kronhoffers swore by them. I had about two dozen pair of RD's
myself. Good shoe. The only design I had resoled recently was a pair of those Russian slippers.
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