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madbolter1
Big Wall climber
Denver, CO
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Jan 16, 2018 - 04:09pm PT
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Plaidman & Big Mike = Gimli & Legolas
Cam and I were actually calling Plaid "Gimli" at times. Hehe
Actually, similar passion and loyalty, that one.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Jan 16, 2018 - 06:19pm PT
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And dwarves Are Scottsmen...
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Studly
Trad climber
WA
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Jan 16, 2018 - 06:41pm PT
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He dwells in caves like Gimli
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Plaidman
Trad climber
West Slope of Powell Butte, Portland, Oregon, USA
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Jan 24, 2018 - 10:46am PT
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Thanks everyone for the great pics and stories.
I feel very appreciated.
Someone found my twin riding a goat. Not really my thing.
I’d rather get my thrills climbing.
Plaid
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Studly
Trad climber
WA
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Jan 24, 2018 - 02:16pm PT
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Hmmm. Plaid,I thought that you Scotsman usually rode the goat and sheep a little further back....
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MH2
Boulder climber
Andy Cairns
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Jan 24, 2018 - 02:23pm PT
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Interesting.
I, too, have assembled gear for an ascent that did not go all the way up the Column.
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couchmaster
climber
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Jan 24, 2018 - 07:49pm PT
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LOL Studly!
Hahaha! Classic shot! Which one is you Plaid?
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Plaidman
Trad climber
West Slope of Powell Butte, Portland, Oregon, USA
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Jan 24, 2018 - 10:25pm PT
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Couch, I’m always on top.
Studly, I’m feeling a little sexual harassment coming on.
Plaid
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Risk
Mountain climber
Olympia, WA
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Jan 24, 2018 - 10:38pm PT
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Yay, Plaid! Keep going!
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bringmedeath
climber
la la land
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Jan 25, 2018 - 05:41am PT
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Funny to see Towertown mentioned. I went there once with Tyler and we drug all this gear out there and started up some steep part of one of the larger towers. We placed a ton of beaks in a row following some blank seam. At one point there was a bulge and I placed a beak up in it. It ripped out a bunch during tests but I kept trying. Tyler wanted me to place a bolt since he didn't think risking a fall was a great idea. But I had a brief moment of courage. After a while one kind of stuck. Thinking it would never hold but it held some tests, so I was forced to get on it. Sure enough it levers out of the sand and I take a fall onto all these other beaks in sand. I think we probably just laughed since we didn't know if it was A4 or A1. I go back up to the bulge and get told I should probably just place a bolt. But ended up getting something to stick and onto the next beak placement. I think all we placed on that pitch was beaks. It was getting late and we placed some 12" bolts for an anchor at some point.
We had just taken turns on this pitch and mostly hung out the whole day and had a BBQ lunch. Probably smoked about an oz of weed. Hahahaha. I think that was the last time I climbed with Tyler.
We always thought Plaid was such a joke in the beginning. He seemed so over the top. With getting sponsors and what not. Tyler hated it. I thought it was a joke but didn't really care. But looking back I can see it was just his journey to what he has become. I don't climb anymore but I still check out this site because once and a while there is cool stuff
. I saw some fisher tower thing that plaid did. That was really cool! Over the past few years plaid has really come a long long way. And I am happy to see that. I know even Tyler would be stoked on some of the stuff plaid is now a part of. Good job at sticking with it!!!
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Plaidman
Trad climber
West Slope of Powell Butte, Portland, Oregon, USA
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Jan 25, 2018 - 01:37pm PT
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Yeah Bringmedeath Tyler inspired me. I followed the route with he did with Bill
and saw how he used the peckers into the rock. Well a loosely understanding of the soft sandy petrified tuff there in Tower Town. It’s almost rock. Without his technique I’m not sure I would have figured it out.
On my route on the river side I used 32 peckers and 3 drilled angles. I called the route “The Talon”. Only had one pecker shift but it didn’t pull. That climb was a good Plaid day.
Plaid
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Jan 27, 2018 - 10:39am PT
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As one who possesses virtually no natural talent, and had to work for pretty much everything I ever achieved in climbing, I can assure you that Plaid is just the same. Which just goes to show you what determination - a LOT of determination! - can help you get.
It's not about talent or ability, it's about desire. And this is what Plaid has. And when he wants something, nothing will stand in his way.
There is something to be said for perseverance - just having the ability to endure and "win by attrition" is a way to get up big walls. And if Plaid can endure three weeks with Yours Truly, he must indeed have perseverance! Above you see him doing the job on Tempest.
But what struck me in the posts above by those of us who are blessed enough to know him and love him, is he truly is like a dog who grabs hold of the bone, and just won't let go - ever.
Plaid led the Rubber Band Man pendulum, which gave me such a hard time when we did South Seas that I passed it off to him. He didn't do it the "right" way or perhaps shall we say, the "usual" way, maybe he went too low, I can't recall. It's a tough penji, though. Anyway, Plaid figured it out, and got the job done.
But what happened next is a show of willpower I have seldom seen on the big wall. After Plaid finished leading the pitch, he tagged up the haul lines, constructed the upper anchors, and proceeded to rap back to our portaledge camp a couple pitches below.
Jerry and I were watching his headlamp descend in the dark, when all of a sudden he went into total freefall! We both thought Plaid was dead! It was terrifying! Plaid lost control of his GriGri rappel device, and fell over thirty if not forty feet til he ended up in the loop of haul line between us and the upper anchor! Scared the piss out of all of us!
Plaid learned his lesson, but paid the price of rappelling without gloves. I guess he got these burns by clutching desperately at the rope?
So I'm like, "Holy sh#t, dude! Are you OK? Do we need to bail??"
And Plaid was like, "Look, it's no big deal. I'm a welder, I get burns all the time."
Plaid sucked it up - it must have hurt like hell - and he never said another word the entire wall! Not ONE word of complaint. That - ladies and germs - is the hallmark of a big wall climber, one who makes it to the summit. It's all about desire, and attitude, and Plaid has what it takes.
Below you see the benefits of perseverance....
Cheers, eh?
"Pass the Pitons" Pete
P.S. Rather a large part of that last photo above is missing these days ... ahem, sorry 'bout that... Nice view of the Twin Towers, though - I think they're still there.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Jan 27, 2018 - 11:17am PT
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Plaid’s Tube station...
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Studly
Trad climber
WA
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Jan 27, 2018 - 04:02pm PT
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Mudchute. that reminds me of a Plaidman story. Plaid had found a remote cliff with a perfect round chimney up the cliff inside of it. He put up a first ascent up it and was going to name it "Manhole". I think he finally got talked out of the name. I think he ended up naming it "Into the Mystic". Do you have a photo of that climb Plaid? That was a very strange unusual void in the rock. Didn't you think it was artificial at first as the chimney was so perfectly round?
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Plaidman
Trad climber
West Slope of Powell Butte, Portland, Oregon, USA
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Jan 28, 2018 - 01:04am PT
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Yep Studly. You got that right. I thought someone dug that out as a mining shaft. Found an old ladder from the 1930’s at the base. I could tell the age of the ladder by the nails that were used. I was convinced that there was gold or a stash or something up there but alas no. Turns out it was a steam vent when the rock was molten from lava. Crazy wild climb. And I did call it “Into The Mystic”.
We should go climb it. Pic posted below.
Plaid
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Jan 28, 2018 - 09:10am PT
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The Plaid’s preferred cru...
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Plaidman
Trad climber
West Slope of Powell Butte, Portland, Oregon, USA
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Jan 28, 2018 - 03:15pm PT
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Reily do they make a non alcoholic variation?
And I never bring mud into the house cause that would really piss off my wife.
Unless she’s drunk.
Plaid
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