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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jan 20, 2018 - 12:29pm PT
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Pretty sure it was 1981- Thanksgiving weekend. Joshua Tree. Indian Cove. Near where site 63? is today maybe? Low angle slab split with a crack that was kind of wide and scruffy.
Tennis shoes for footwear. A goldline hip belay above me protected me as I whine'd my way up.
Later that weekend... Short Wall and other climbs would be tried.
later, and much much later, Rubidoux, Suicide and Tahquitz would infuse me with a much needed life long pursuit.
Changed my life.
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Jon Beck
Trad climber
Oceanside
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Jan 20, 2018 - 12:46pm PT
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The Dolphin at JT, 1985, bagged a few firsts
First roped climb
First lead
First OW
Not the first time I almost killed myself
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okay, whatever
climber
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Jan 20, 2018 - 01:03pm PT
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First roped climb? Kiener's, the easy way up the east face of Longs Peak, in August 1971.
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Don Lauria
Trad climber
Bishop, CA
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Jan 20, 2018 - 01:16pm PT
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Spring 1962, Tahquitz Rock. Failed to complete the White Maiden.
Did a lot of bouldering at Stoney prior to Tahquitz, starting in September of 1961.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Jan 20, 2018 - 01:26pm PT
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Climbing onto a horse at 5 was pretty scary.
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dee ee
Mountain climber
Of THIS World (Planet Earth)
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Jan 20, 2018 - 01:33pm PT
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Other than TRs at Stoney Point, Angel's Fright, Tahquitz with my Dad and Lincoln, 1967/68 (10 yrs. old).
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jeff constine
Trad climber
Ao Namao
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Jan 20, 2018 - 01:34pm PT
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Dave's Deviation to Gallwas Gallop 1981. Tahquitz Rock With just perlon slung nuts.
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rgold
Trad climber
Poughkeepsie, NY
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Jan 20, 2018 - 01:35pm PT
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Sixty years ago as of this past summer, I was fourteen years old on a camping trip to the Tetons. Did the Grand with the Exum guides.
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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Jan 20, 2018 - 01:43pm PT
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Where: An known private conglomerate cliff in Rhode Island, about 50 feet high and 1/4-mile long. Reminds me a lot of climbing at Pinnacles.
When: Early 1970s, I was about 12 years old. A high school friend took me free-soloing.
What: We climbed the cliff, walked along the top about 30 feet, and then down-climbed he cliff, walked about 30 feet along the base, then climbed up, etc.
It was all a game, and I was hooked.
We spent a lot of time learning to climb there throughout high school. The rock was heavily covered with lichen. The cliff wasn't very high, but it was pretty long, so we did a lot of girdle traverses, equally as scary for the follower as the leader.
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MH2
Boulder climber
Andy Cairns
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Jan 20, 2018 - 02:50pm PT
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A guy we took climbing for the first time, with the Brown-Pembroke Outing Club, put it this way; "It puts chemicals into your bloodstream." He was a musician, or at least a good singer, who did a memorable, "Mammy's little baby loves shortnin,' shortnin',..."
Well done, Munge.
edit: and others
Did you receive any encouragement from your mentors?
The very first roped climb I did was Friction Face (5.0) at Quincy Quarries in the autumn of 1967. I remember terror. What I think may have been equally if not more influential was getting praised by the trip leaders later in the day for getting up a 5.4. In my sneakers, but I had no idea that made any difference and it didn't, really.
I am curious about what hooked Don Lauria.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Jan 20, 2018 - 02:55pm PT
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Somewhere in Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina in the Summer of 1964. I was with my Special Forces A Detachment doing mission training. Two British SAS were with us. One day they set up a top rope on a small cliff near our camp. I spent a couple of hours top roping and never looked back.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 20, 2018 - 02:58pm PT
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"Failed to complete the White Maiden."
ah, but what a spectacular place to not complete something.
Same here. We backed off of Hard Lark on an early trip for me.
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Don Lauria
Trad climber
Bishop, CA
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Jan 20, 2018 - 03:18pm PT
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Well, seeing some of the comments above, let me add that in 1939 I used to chimney to the roof of my garage in the space between the garage and an adjacent brick walled hotel in Hollywood.
Incidentally, at that time I was living 8 blocks from Royal Robbins and attending the same grammar school - Vine Street Elementary School. We never met until 1962..
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guyman
Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
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Jan 20, 2018 - 03:18pm PT
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Good topic- Munge
Whilst on a family camping trip at Mono Hot Springs, when I was 5, my cousin Gordon and I climbed a shallow groove chimney thing to the top of a small granite dome. The parents flipped out cause they couldn’t climb up to us and summoned the Rangers to rescue us.
10 years later I was on a ski trip in Garmish, Germany. Because there was no snow, one of the German ski instructors asked if anyone wanted to climb the Zucspitse (sp?) Germany’s tallest peak. I was down immediately and a swami, along with runner and a locker were given to me to use. That was fun and scary, 2,000 feet of exposure will really wake up your senses, and I loved the feeling.
When I was twenty I was invited to come out to Stoney Point and join in a Sierra Club RCS group. I learned how to hip belay and catch the “sierra sow” and how to rap... down the huge face and finally they let us top rope. As the day was winding down I asked about one of the TR’s that was hanging down over by Turlock boulder and I asked if I could try that one. One of the group leaders sort of laughed and said “that’s for experts only”. Anyway they let me try it and I flashed it!
Ever since that day I have been addicted to climbing. And that’s a good thing. I still get the
excited feeling when I tie in.
Climb on.
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clinker
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
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Jan 20, 2018 - 03:19pm PT
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Chockstone Dome, Pinnacles National Monument(Park) 9/80
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jogill
climber
Colorado
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Jan 20, 2018 - 03:40pm PT
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Some obscure rocks in North Georgia in 1953. Before names and ratings existed.
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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Jan 20, 2018 - 03:42pm PT
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My French Canadian friend Jean Guibord lead me up Three Pines, at The Gunks. Then, after we hiked back down to the Uberfall he said "Okay, now it's your turn to lead." It seemed fair enough. He pointed me to Horseman. With a few old Clog nuts and hexes, EB's, and no technique, that was something to remember. Looking back at the consequences of a fall after traversing across left out of the corner was motivation enough for me and my totally pumped arms to finish that weird move up onto the ledge. We did it in two pitches.
Did I mention I was instantly hooked?
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 20, 2018 - 03:58pm PT
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"The First Climbs Are Always Free"
-Climber Dealer to Potential Addict
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hellroaring
Trad climber
San Francisco
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Jan 20, 2018 - 05:14pm PT
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My first roped climb was on some nondescript cliff band just off the Beartooth highway near Cooke City Montana. It wasn't very high and I was pretty freaked out, but I too got bit by the bug...
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duffer
Trad climber
Sonora, CA
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Jan 20, 2018 - 07:22pm PT
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August 1970 on an outcrop near Lake Ediza in the Ritter Range. My brother, Jerry, brought a rope along on our backpacking trip and we tried to rappel with the knowledge (or lack thereof) he had gleaned from a library book. Later, some "real climbers" with ice axes and ropes came through our camp. They showed us how to belay and rappel and we top-roped a short pitch. They were members of the Rock-Climbing Section (RCS) of the Sierra Club. I went home and looked up the RCS in the phone book. Signed up for their basic class that winter and one of the instructors was Armando Menocal. I have been happily hooked ever since.
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Ballo
Trad climber
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Jan 20, 2018 - 07:38pm PT
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Elementary school playground before lawyers and helicopter moms. Got to the 2nd story of a structure and got gripped; had to be talked down by the teachers
(by 6th grade all the fun stuff was gone)
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Jan
Mountain climber
Colorado & Nepal
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Jan 20, 2018 - 08:39pm PT
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The Third Flatiron above Boulder with Joe O'Laughlin.
Second climb was Redgarden in Eldorado with Layton Kor and Larry Dalke.
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cragnshag
Social climber
san joser
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Jan 20, 2018 - 08:57pm PT
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1973 I climbed out of my crib and jumped/fell through a window.
1979 Climbed up some 4th class buttress behind Ward Lake in the Sierra NF with my older brother.
1984 First roped climb J-Tree toproping on a Boy Scout camping trip. I wasn't too jazzed with the toproping at the time and preferred the freedom of scrambling and exploring the rock piles.
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clarkolator
climber
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Jan 20, 2018 - 09:07pm PT
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Chimney Column, Skinner's Butte columns, Eugene OR 1977.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Jan 20, 2018 - 10:41pm PT
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Reading Annapurna when I was 6 or 7. I was there!
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perswig
climber
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Jan 21, 2018 - 03:13am PT
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SLR, what a classic NE shot.
Thanks!
Dale
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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Jan 21, 2018 - 05:05am PT
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"Okay, now it's your turn to lead." It seemed fair enough. EEEEK!
Young and invincible
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Mike Bolte
Trad climber
Planet Earth
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Jan 21, 2018 - 09:23am PT
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well, I'm in good company with Jim D. and John G. doing my first climb in the south. "The Prow" in Linville Gorge, 1974. That same trip we stopped at Yonah Mt in northern Georgia where the Army Rangers trained. The routes had ID numbers spray painted at the base of the climbs. I bet Jim D. climbed there too.
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jogill
climber
Colorado
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Jan 21, 2018 - 12:14pm PT
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Nice photo, Ballo. One of my pet peeves is the decline of challenge in playgrounds over the years.
1818 Hassenheide outdoor gymnasium and playground.
Over forty feet tall.
From the mid 20th century.
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Ledge Rat
Trad climber
Michigan
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Jan 21, 2018 - 12:25pm PT
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First top-roped climbs at Grand Ledge, MI 1982.
First leads at Seneca Rocks 1982 or 1983.
Jeff
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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Jan 21, 2018 - 05:27pm PT
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took a bouldering fall at 5yrs old that required 5 stitches. lots of scrambeling and caveing as a kid much of it at Deer Leap in killington VT which would be the site of my first roped rock climb many years later. lots of scrambeling on shist ledges on the hillside above the horse pasture. even tried rapelling there once when I was about 11 or so? I had a boys outdoor survival book with pencil drawings on how to do cool stuff like build lean toos, sling shots, bows and arrows etc. they had a page on rapelling that showed how to wrap the rope under your butt and over your shoulder. I got some old hemp rope out of the hay barn and gave it a try. the rope broke and I went ass over tea kettle landing in a generous pile of oak leafs. My first real climb was East face of Teeweinot in 1981 that following winter I learned how to ice climb back east, getting up chapple pond slab and Pinnacle gully that first season. Summer came and it was rock climbing full tilt.
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Bruce Morris
Trad climber
Soulsbyville, California
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Jan 21, 2018 - 05:36pm PT
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One of the easy 5th class routes to the summit of Mt Starr King with the Carlmont Alpine Club in October 1961.
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Gary
Social climber
Desolation Basin, Calif.
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Jan 21, 2018 - 05:39pm PT
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Joshua Tree, Lizard's Hangout, Lizard Taylor 5.5 on top rope.
Before that, who knows, some third class moves deep in some cave in midwest karst country.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 21, 2018 - 09:42pm PT
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good stuff all
cool cross thread tie in reference to Armando.
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pyrosis
Boulder climber
Bishop, CA
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Jan 21, 2018 - 10:09pm PT
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Tree Route, Dome Rock, summer of 1994, with Greg Smith and Patrick Paul
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Inner City
Trad climber
Portland, OR
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Jan 22, 2018 - 01:57am PT
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Enjoyable thread....it was late April of ‘86...Dave Holmes led me and my girlfriend up Snake Dike..the exposure was amazing and I remember thinking that climbing felt much different than anything else I hsd ever done...
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Nick Danger
Ice climber
Arvada, CO
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Jan 22, 2018 - 07:26am PT
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This thread totally rocks! First actual climb, not including all of the trees I had been climbing since I was but a wee lad, was summer (May or June) 1966 in the Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs. There was some slab climb on South Kissing Camels Rock we did (probably 5.6), then went and did "the finger" (probably 5.7) on North Kissing Camels Rock. Goldline ropes, steel biners, white 1" tubular webbing for a rappel harness. We tied into the end of the rope with a bowline on a bight. None of us were old enough to drive so we chad to bribe someone's older brother nito hauling our sorry selves out to "the Garden". The local rock was pretty soft and untrustworthy and the local ethic was "the leader does not fall". I have sort of been drawn to chossy climbs ever since.
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Gunkie
Trad climber
Valles Marineris
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Jan 22, 2018 - 07:58am PT
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"Betty" 5.3 in the Gunks circa 1978. Didn't have climbing shoes or slings or a guidebook (didn't know they existed). Climbed on a 120' chunk of 7/16 Goldline tied around the waist with a bowline and had like 7 army surplus steel biners. Got to the Gunks and walked the carriage road in awe. Looked up and saw the broken, low angle off-width and wondered if we were the first to climb it. Started grappling up the crack with my belayer only holding the rope in his hands until some kind soul took pity and showed him the right way to belay (not tied in, of course). After working my way up the first 20 feet I found and old ring piton and yelled down, "someone else has been here before us."
Did the first pitch of "Betty" and wandered over onto the 2nd pitch of "Raubenheimer's Special" because it looked like the way a mountaineer would go. I ran it out to the top with a much better belay (but still, no tie in on the ledge 60 feet off the ground).
Set up a rappel on the double 120' rope and made to within 10 feet of the Betty ledge. As any good mountaineer would, I'm sure Gaston Rebuffat would do the same, I jumped down the final 10 feet and stuck the landing.
I should be dead right now.
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Mtnmun
Trad climber
Top of the Mountain Mun
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Jan 22, 2018 - 08:10am PT
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Golf Ball Route, Tuolumne 5.7.... 1989ish We did Cathedral Peak the next day and I was hooked on climbing.
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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Jan 22, 2018 - 08:33am PT
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Northwest Chimney (5.2), Old Woman, Joshua Tree, Oct. 1969. Slugging in pitons and climbing in Lowa Alspitz hiking boots. Jack Schnurr guided me up. Thanks, Jack.
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Pete_N
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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Jan 22, 2018 - 08:35am PT
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Something at Woodson with the RCS from San Diego...probably around 1977. The first roped climb I did independent of any "grownups" was a couple months later when my friend and I belayed eachother to the top of a slabby Woodson boulder near the bottom of the road with 2 bolts (we had a rope and maybe 4 biners). I could be making it up, but I remember the bolts as having homemade hangers and loose ones at that. We later convinced my cute nineth grade English teacher to drive us to Woodson. Afterwards, when she dropped us off at my parents' house, she told them that it probably wasn't proper for her to climb with us.
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rincon
climber
Coarsegold
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Jan 22, 2018 - 08:42am PT
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My first roped climb was on Kernville Slab in 1989. My partner and I were total newbies with only RR's Basic Rockcraft as teacher but we managed to have fun and not die. We did 'The Lieback' rated 5.5 in the Rock and Ice 33 mini guide. There was no mountainproject.com back then. Most people had no computers and if you wanted a topographic map you had to go to REI or A16 and dig through the drawers of maps.
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throwpie
Trad climber
Berkeley
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Jan 22, 2018 - 09:04am PT
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Our house in merced, 1952
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matisse
climber
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Jan 22, 2018 - 10:11am PT
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Burgers and Fries. Smoke Bluffs Squamish, 1986. w/ Danny Redford
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kpinwalla2
Social climber
WA
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Jan 22, 2018 - 12:40pm PT
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Some obscure crack in 1974 at Natural Bridge State Park in the Red River Gorge. The park is now off limits to rock climbing.
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clode
Trad climber
portland, or
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Jan 22, 2018 - 12:58pm PT
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1970, 15 years old, Mt. St. Helens, South Side, with the Mazamas, long before she blew! Hooked ever since.
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Bruce Morris
Trad climber
Soulsbyville, California
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Jan 22, 2018 - 01:04pm PT
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Come to think on it, Mt Starr King in October 1961 wasn't my first climb. Actually, it was climbing the decomposing metamorphic cliff that leads up to the water tower above the Bay View district in San Francisco sometime in 1955. That's why my parents moved down to Parkside in San Mateo: To keep me away from that cliff where I always used to go to play. Attractive nuisance for a 7 year old!
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MH2
Boulder climber
Andy Cairns
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Jan 22, 2018 - 01:35pm PT
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Our house in merced, 1952
Must be something in the air there.
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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Jan 22, 2018 - 09:09pm PT
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T Hocking, we (Stonemasters) all learned how to edge and crimp on the English Smooth Sole Slab. Rugged sh#t in the old RDs and PAs.
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BigWall Chris 101
Trad climber
Vail
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Jan 22, 2018 - 11:17pm PT
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Some rocks in Branchland, WV. At 12 years old. We borrowed a few clothes lines. Probably almost died? My Stepbrother was a Eagle Scout and knew a few important knots. My idea to rap the clothes line around the trees on top for friction and belaying.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 27, 2018 - 07:25am PT
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Some classic lines mentioned. Also some choss.
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Jan 27, 2018 - 08:26am PT
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https://mountshastatrailassociation.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/black-butte-trail.pdf
Black Butte is a cluster of overlapping dacite lava domes in a butte, a parasitic satellite cone of Mount Shasta.
It is located directly adjacent to Interstate 5 at milepost 742 between the city of Mount Shasta and Weed, California.
My dad took my older brother and me up Black Butte in Shasta County in the late fifties. We were traveling to Etna in Trinity County to visit my mom's parents.
We pulled over off Hwy 99 (I-5 was a few years in the future) and parked near the railroad tracks. Leaving Mom and the two youngest in the station wagon, we three ascended the west slope and intersected the trail, following it to the top. I think we took the trail on the descent and reversed the climb.
The descent was a great one, done at great speed with much sliding and gliding on the loose cinders and scree. It might have taken two hours.
Dad wanted us to experience what he'd done one time in his travels up and down the Sacramento canyon when fishing with his dad and brother, who both lived in Redding.
First roped climb was Sunnyside Bench with Jeff Mathis. We were soloing it and met up with two young women who asked us if we'd like to tie in for the upper section. This was in 1968.
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Rick Linkert
Trad climber
El Dorado Hills CA
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Jan 27, 2018 - 09:59am PT
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Here is a “first climb” post from a few years ago on a Leaning Tower Traverse thread. The huge drooping loops of goldline rope and me not having a clue at the time still sends a shiver...
Believe it or not the Leaning Tower Traverse was the first climb I did in the Valley. I was @14 (1965)and had never done a climb with any significant exposure. Somehow I got hooked up with a lunatic hanging around Camp 4 who started climbing because of what he later described as a pathological fear of heights. Turned out to be an accurrate description. He selected the climb because he had made an unsuccessful attempt with another victim the week before and wanted to retrieve an over-driven 1" angle located near where they turned around and retreated. He dredged up another guy from Berkeley who was a bit older than me and we took off. I had no clue as to what I was getting into. I still remember huge loops of rope drooping between pitons and trouser-filling exposure. For most of the climb, you are shufling along above enormous, overhanging exposure. Our leader appeared absolutely gripped at all times- profuse sweating, incoherent cotton-mouth conversasations and self-directed pep talks. We were wearing swamis and had absolutely no clue whatsoever about self rescue. I remember some rotten rock and loose flakes. Any time something came off, there was a sickening wait until the sound traveled back up from far below. There was one pretty good size ledge part way across where we pulled in somewhat shell-shocked. Our leader noticed several huge blocks that looked to him like candidates for some Olympic-caliber trundling. "Do you think that's a good idea?" as he went to work doing a leg press to dislodge one rather large block teetering on the edge. We screamed "rock" as we saw that he was really going to do it. An eternity later we heard a distant "boom". Our leader shivered and cackled with excitement and anxiety- scaring the hell out of me. We coaxed him into leaving the trundling and completed the climb up to the rim, skipped the trip to the top of LT, waded across Bridalveil Creek and made our way down the Gunsight.
If you are looking for an unusual, sometimes loose, wildly exposed adventure in a very scenic position, the LT Traverse is something to consider. I'm sure I would have had difficulty with 5.8 at the time and would have been even more gripped than I was. I think it was 5.5 or 5.6. I can't imagine it is climbed very often and you definitely won't have to stand in a que once you get past the start to the West Face. Probably would be a good idea to be up on ascending a free-hanging rope in the event you pitch off most anywhere on the route. Oh yes- he did get the 1" angle but broke one side of the eye when he retrieved it.
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Off White
climber
Tenino, WA
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Jan 27, 2018 - 10:00am PT
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First with a rope was some grungy dirt road cut with stolen hemp rope and scavenged railroad spikes with BVB round about 1969, but that was really just simulation. For reals on T-day weekend, Indian Cove at Josh with the Sierra Club Rock Climbing Section in 1974.
edited to add: Great story Rick!
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Charlie D.
Trad climber
Western Slope, Tahoe Sierra
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Jan 27, 2018 - 10:54am PT
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Ha Rick, we’re contemporary’s....I was 14 in 1965 when I did my first multi-pitch climb. It was November, it had already snowed and me a bunch of Boy Scouts head up the snow filled Trough at Tahquitz. We had an epic and managed to survive the icy descent at night and ended up in Humber Park frozen. Charlie Raymond was climbing the Vampire that day and his girl friend or wife (?) took us kids into their VW van and wrapped us up in down bags. How we survived those early days was likely credited to my mother with her rosary beads whenever we’d head out to the mountains. Such fond memories of those days, Berg Heil.
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Rick Linkert
Trad climber
El Dorado Hills CA
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Jan 27, 2018 - 11:41am PT
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Hi Charlie -
I had my own epic on The Trough with the U C Santa Barbara Mountaineering Club. One guy went catatonic about half-way up - a real scene but nowhere near as cold as yours. He could probably write an interesting "my first climb" story.
Cheers
Rick
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Jan 27, 2018 - 12:52pm PT
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According to Timid TopRope (his photo of one hanging in Bill Nickell's home) this is of Vern Clevenger and Bill Nickell's early days on the rocks. Never looked at it real closely, but now I do, it looks like Indian Rock. Bill is from Oakland, so Vern must be a Bay Arean, too.
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Hubbard
climber
San Diego
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Jan 27, 2018 - 08:00pm PT
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The ramp at Mission Gorge on a top rope. January 1978. Bought a rope the next day.
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Rick A
climber
Boulder, Colorado
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Jan 28, 2018 - 01:41pm PT
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Largo’s post made me smile as my first climb was also that Northwest Chimney on the Old Woman (fka North Fourth in the John Wolf guidebook). That was November of 1970.
I was a junior at Upland high school and had signed up for a climbing class taught by a charismatic and extremely self-assured senior. He led the chimney with ease and I was one scared hombre, but got up it. The hook was set.
My instructor? One John Long.
To paraphrase Rick from the movie Casablanca, that was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
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OnsightOrGoHome
Trad climber
Fair Oaks
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Jan 28, 2018 - 10:56pm PT
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In 1978, the face problems on the far right side of Joe Brown Boulder on Mt Rubidoux.
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Jay Hack
Trad climber
Detroit, Michigan
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Jan 29, 2018 - 09:33am PT
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First top rope was Rattlesnake Point Ontario in the early '90s.
First Ice climb was '95 at Cathedral Ledge in NH
First Alpine Climb where I was leading was 1998 on the Tooth in Washington State.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Jan 29, 2018 - 10:09am PT
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The family was ensconced chez Desert Hot Springs, so Mum and Granny could soak. This was a regular occurrence so I had planned accordingly by bringing Granny’s clothes line. I kid you knott. I’d just seen “Third Man On The Mountain” so I figured I had it sussed. I told the authorities that I was taking the Twin Monsters ‘hiking’, which was true, to a point. They were 9 and quite possibly unlikely to see 10. Did I mention that I was 13? We went up one of the canyons above town until we got to the ‘climb’. I tied Monster 1 in with a bowline ( I was a sailor) and showed him how to belay like James MacArthur. Then I headed up into the unknown, even though it was plainly in sight. I ran it out to the bitter end of the rope’s 50 feet and reached a nice ledge, on of many available for a pittance. Then I brought up the first Monster. I untied him and tossed the end down to Monster 2. A plaintive “How do I tie the rope?” wafted upwards. “You should have paid attention!” He managed something resembling his shoe laces (shoes still had laces then) and bravely ascended. We did another ‘pitch’ or so before walking off into the adjoining gully. I was God thenceforth.
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Spider Savage
Mountain climber
The shaggy fringe of Los Angeles
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Jan 31, 2018 - 01:42pm PT
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Moscow Mountain, somewhere on the ridge east of Section 9 pond.
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NutAgain!
Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
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Jan 31, 2018 - 01:53pm PT
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I don't remember my first climb, but I remember my first lead. Gallwas Crack at Mission Gorge, with a set of hexes I bought from REI. Felt steep and scary, but I don't remember feeling like I was gonna die. Maybe I just blacked out that part. Would have been 1993-1994.
Snagged this pic (not of me) from MP:
edit: My first 5.something climbs most definitely were solos, probably scaling high-rise buildings in college (and a certain Russia incident), or scrambling at J-Tree. Did sporadic top-roping outside and in a gym for a year before trying to lead.
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Munke
Social climber
Boulder, CO
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Jan 31, 2018 - 01:55pm PT
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1989, Coopers Rocks West Virginia. It rained almost every weekend that summer and we spent lots of time waiting for the rocks to dry off. My father had taken a top rope class and found it so fun that he thought the whole family should take up climbing. We had yards and yards of striped pink webbing to make anchors from the trees at the top of the cliffs and little pieces of carpet to wipe the mud off of our climbing shoes. I'm the only one who caught the full on climbing bug.
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Old5Ten
Trad climber
Berkeley and Sunny Slopes, CA
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Jan 31, 2018 - 03:12pm PT
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when i was a young lad, must have been late 60's, my grandmother would take me to burg liechtenstein outside of vienna. i was a chunky and absolutely uncoordinated kid, but had this innate desire to climb the southern flank/buttress up to the tower (0:09 and 1:50s). many, many tries finally landed me solo at the base of the wall, scared shitless and wondering how i was going to get back. didn't 'really' start climbing until '88 ;-)
[Click to View YouTube Video]
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Cheldric
Sport climber
Colorado Springs
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Rooster Rock - Columbia Gorge. Summer 1981.
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EdwardT
Trad climber
Retired
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Beech, NC
1969
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aaron4peace
Trad climber
Santa Fe
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In the late 80's, I had just gotten a job down the street at A-16 cleaning used condoms and pocket knives out of rental backpacking gear (I still have a nice collection of them, knives that is). I signed up the first weekend to be an assistant to Peter Hayes (RIP) teaching a beginning climbing class at Stoney Point. Therefore, my first climb was Beehive Crack and then Beethoven's Wall.
The next week, back at work, John Long stopped by on his normal day to use the shop facilities/tools available to him at probably any backcountry shop in town. He was into kayaking at thte time and was rigging up some new system or repairs, I dont quite remember cause I wasnt paying much attention. Of course I had no idea who he was at the time, and he would just talk my head off while I wondered who this nutty old hack was, keeping me from listening to my Iron Maiden tapes while trying to get through washing a lot of tents. He was psyched for me, learning to climb, and made me promise to get out to Joshua Tree the next weekend and wrote me a tick list of must-do's. They included Right Ski Track and the Bong, and other classics under 5.6.
So I talked my parents out of some extra cash, bought a nice 11mm rope, fist full of nuts and hexes, some cord to string them all up, and then convinced my hapless best friend that we were going to J-Tree to do some rock climbing. I even tied him up a nice swiss-seat harness out of 2" seatbelt webbing. We were gonna have us some fun.
We started on the ski track, and I had never really feared for my life until that first day. And I never looked back at a life without climbing.
Returning to work the next week, I saw Largo again and was sure to let him know that his list was "no problem" and I also made a point to inform him how to properly execute the moves and place gear on these lines, now that I was an expert. To his credit, I don't remember him rolling his eyes.
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martygarrison
Trad climber
Washington DC
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First climb very early 70's. Lost Arrow Tip with the Tyrolean. We were so slow we had to sleep on the top of the spire.
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Steven Amter
climber
Washington, DC
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My first climb was Easy Keyhole in the Gunks, then rated 5.2. It was the summer of 1974, I was climbing with my best friend; we were both 17.
The entire day was memorable in several ways. We hitchhiked from NYC. We did 30 minutes of really nasty bushwacking up from the hairpin turn in an effort to evade paying the $1.50 daily use fee - and upon reaching the base of the cliff instantly encountered a ranger who of course charged us. Walking along the carriage road I gawked upward in fear at the clmbs, then passed a topless women belaying Maury Jaffee on Low Exposure (then rated 5.10-). After Easy Keyhole, we did two other climbs, Horseman and Betty, I think. By the end of the day, my forearms were so tight I could barely hold a fork. Needless to say, I was instantly hooked on climbing, apparently for life.
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paul roehl
Boulder climber
california
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In 1969 with Bruce Price, Monday Morning slab and then over to Sunnyside Bench. There was still a Sierra Club register at the top of Sunnyside. Price was older and seemed like superman at the time. We were both working at the Ahwahnee. When I went home at the end of the summer I went to Kelty in Glendale and bought a S##t load of gear. I was hooked. Climbing really saved me; for the first time in my life I had a passion for something, and I was able to discover that passion in so many more things as a result.
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burp
Trad climber
Salt Lake City
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August 12, 1986: Lisa Falls, Little Cottonwood Canyon in an old pair of Royal Robbins resoled at home using a 5.10 rubber kit that was available back then. Followed my older brother up it. Finished up on the friction variation (~5.9) to the top which made me excited for much more!
From that day forward, Climbing has always been there as other things have come and gone.
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Reeotch
climber
4 Corners Area
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Something at Mt. Diablo, fall 1980.
Did the Amazing Face in Puma running shoes.
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hossjulia
Trad climber
Carson City, NV
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Whales Tale, Eldorado Canyon, 1983, 2 routes, I led the second one. 5.1? & 5.4? That would've first roped climbs.
I grew up on the last street ( Rumson) before the Santee boulders. Scrambled around there as a pre-teen. Went back to boulder in the late 80's and was surprised at how hard some f those scrambles were. Up to 5.10.
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Tiny thread drift...
Paul Roehl, you are the first person I know on ST that knew or climbed with Bruce Price. He sure had some good stories to tell.
We two attempted the Gold Wall once in '71, the only time I got to climb with him.
He was living in El Portal, driving the school bus to Mariposa then. and he drove his '57 Chevy on the Merced Canyon like Parnelli Jones.
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WyoRockMan
climber
Grizzlyville, WY
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I was 6 the first time I roped up. A little crag on the Gallatin, just outside of Bozeman. It's now closed to climbing by the landowner. 1978.
Some little 40' route, but enough to hook me.
Some OW action later that summer at Practice Rock.
I climbed this one a couple years ago, seemed hard for a 5.8, but I wasn't feeling well.
My Mom was (and is) pretty awesome. Raised us right.
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NutAgain!
Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
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WyoRockMan, looks like you got the jackpot growing up!
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MH2
Boulder climber
Andy Cairns
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Love the WyoRockMan Origins.
Also nice to see a reference to Maury Jaffee(sp?) who I think I helped break psychological barriers for me at the Gunks, grade-wise, by leading climbs up to the crux, lowering, and letting me take the lead with gear in place. Low-budget tattered gear, if we are talking about the same person. This would have been between '71 and '73.
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paul roehl
Boulder climber
california
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Paul Roehl, you are the first person I know on ST that knew or climbed with Bruce Price. He sure had some good stories to tell.
Interesting! Gotta couple of those stories myself. Price was one of the original "wild and crazy guys."
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cornel
climber
Lake Tahoe, Nevada
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This incredible passion for me came with an Interesting lesson right off the bat. It all started with a Rock climbing class offered from Holubar Mountaineering Supply in Early 1973 at Big Rock, Lake Paris CA., Africa Flake Direct, 5.6 was the route. Well, The instructor led the climb then handed the waist belay to the first student up then left walking down to the base. There were 5 other students Who followed the climb. Each conveying to next what they thought was a Safe belay.. or so the instructor had hoped. I was 6th and the final follower. So by the time I got to the belay the rope was merely held in the open hands of my belayer.. I didn’t know much at the time but I knew that was not a belay. I told him you are Not belaying me.. the rope should be around your back.. he insisted his hands were good.. Anyway, Needless to say from that day to this I have made sure that my belayer knows what a belay is..
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cornel
climber
Lake Tahoe, Nevada
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T Hocking nice pics!
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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Jason, looks like one of those boys is holding a beer? hope it was moms beer ;)
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