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Trad
Trad climber
Northern California
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Topic Author's Original Post - Apr 2, 2007 - 11:41pm PT
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Having been totally shut down on the Sacherer Cracker offwidth (twice, now) it's clear I need more practice. Well, Steve and I were headed up to Sugarloaf on the day before April Fool's day and he's told me stories of relaxing evenings at Zander's Steck-Salathe' machine, so I suspected it wouldn't be hard to talk him into toproping Fat Merchant's Crack (.10a X). I was right.
To get to the Fat Merchant's anchors you have to climb something else first and we chose Bolee Gold (another option is Harding's Chimney). Here's Steve on the first pitch of the "approach":
Here he is on the 3rd pitch of Bolee Gold. (Note: after the 2nd bolt go up and to the right, even though it looks like you should go left.)
From the top of the south summit we rapped down to the big chockstone at the top of Fat Merchant's Crack, cleaned up the anchor a bit, rapped off, and got ready for some fun!
First it was my turn. This was my second go at Fat Merchant's this year and I probably could've cruised it but I didn't want to show off, so I effected a leisurely pace and took time to inspect the rusty piton fixed in a downward-pointing flake 30 or 40 feet up and deep inside the chimney. (This will be your first pro when you decide to lead it.) Eventually I made it to the crux and slowed down even more, making phony grunting noises and faking a lot of awkward struggling. Ha ha. I'll bet Steve thought I was actually having trouble!
Unfortunately, I "forgot" to leave my camera within Steve's reach and thus no photographs exist to demonstrate my fine style in triumphing over the crux.
Anyway, (what felt like) several hours later it was Steve's turn. Here's Steve moving up at a good pace, a couple minutes after starting the chimney.
Here he is ~10 minutes later after making it to the cruxy part, where the chimney narrows down and tries to spit you out:
And here he is another ~10 minutes later, at about the same spot.
Some time later...
And later that day...
At some point I had the bright idea to capture Steve's struggling, grunting, and cursing on video for posterity. You can see that at the link below (I rotated the frame before posting but Photobucket switched it back. If someone knows how to get around that please let me know.) Unfortunately the sound is poor because of the wind but if you listen really close you can hear a good grunt about 2/3 of the way through.
http://s159.photobucket.com/albums/t123/Trad_Muenter/FatMerchantCrack/?action=view¤t=SteveNotMoving.flv
Also unfortunately, the camera batteries died after 17 seconds so I don't have any more pictures. I told Steve I was going to post this, though, so maybe he'll have something to add.
Well anyway, all in all it was a good day and I think I actually learned something about chicken wings.
 Tom
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spyork
Social climber
Land of Green Stretchy People
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Yeah, hmmm, that didnt go so well. Back to the drawing board.
You probably could have tied off to the tree and hiked out for a drink at the local tavern and came back and I would have still been there.
I finally went upwards using the well used technique of struggling. Hey, my gear was up there!
Steve
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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It's all fun 'till someone pokes an eye out with a bigbro and starts crying.
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Russ and Ed are drooling....
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Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder
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Hey Trad,
what a cool post.
the edge of that crack is tempting, looks like something to grab
but,
I might face the other way.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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oh the humanity!
looks like there was a lotta fun to be had this weekend... many people across the state were looking for really big cracks to crawl around in (yuk, not a good image).
Steve welcome to the kicked-butt club!
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frisbee
climber
{this page left blank intentionally}
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Excellent! I am no stranger to the not-moving experience.
Jake
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Funny. Cruel, but funny. Could have been the subject of an Andy Warhol movie.
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Crimpergirl
Social climber
St. Looney
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An excellent TR. You make this climb look so tempting!
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nutjob
Trad climber
San Jose, CA
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How many times have I slept within half a mile of that spot and never known such a luscious opportunity for struggling was so close?
Might not make it to Lover's Leap next time I'm on Hwy 50.
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spyork
Social climber
Land of Green Stretchy People
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The good news is that I can now cruise a 5.7 chimney (thats the rating on the lower section). The 10a was where I got stuck.
The reason we were left side in was on the advice of a gentleman who has led it before. I flipped around right side in, it didnt help much. I liebacked and stemmed to get to the directionals.
I can't comprehend leading this. The single pin for pro would not keep you from decking as you oozed out from the transition from the squeeze to offwidth.
Steve
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mack
Trad climber
vermont
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Nice pics..at least it looks like a clean crack and not all grungy like they are around here.
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Zander
Trad climber
Berkeley
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Tom,
Thanks for the photos. I wish there were some of your immaculate ascent!
Steve, it looks gnarly in there! I was in Yos with Ed, Gary, ScuffyB, and Bob. I got hammered by both Secret Storm and Doggie Do. I got my knee stuck, again. Who said having fun is easy? The other guys did better. My camera died early so I'm hoping Ed got some good shots and can give us the full report.
Climb On!
Zander
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L
climber
The Rebel L Gang
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Trad--Hysterical! Great photos, too!
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Hi Steve,
I have not done this particular bit of insanity, but comprehending getting up them does not really rest on the quality of the pro. It almost always sucks.
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Russ Walling
Social climber
Out on the sand.... man.....
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hahaha! good one guys!
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Trad
Trad climber
Northern California
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 3, 2007 - 09:27pm PT
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I am no stranger to the not-moving experience.
frisbee was my climbing partner on the first Fat Merchant's adventure, earlier this year. He gets extra points for doing it with a sprained ankle!
Hey Zander, have you gotten on TM's Deviation yet? I'm still eagerly waiting to hear how it compares to Steck-Salathe' (besides the fact that it's about 14 pitches shorter, and only has a 20 minute approach).
Tom
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Zander
Trad climber
Berkeley
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Hi Tom,
I havn't got to TMs yet. I'm kinda roped into this OW thing. I will definately post a trip report when I do! Thanks again for this TR.
See ya,
Zander
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john bald
climber
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I remember no pro on this exciting lead back in the late 70's.
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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yup, that's what makes it a good solo.
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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I have to admit that despite picture after picture clearly delineating the completely lack of gratuitous pleasure associated with all this "wide" business - it does have a perverse sort of attraction if you look at them long enough. Definitely an anti-monkey activity; more like squeeze slothery.
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scuffy b
climber
The town that Nature forgot to hate
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Joe, I've been wondering about the "inexplicable" appeal myself.
I learned a little way back when but somehow managed to minimize
my exposure to wide stuff for a really long time.
I don't know how much stock to put into this, but here goes:
Here we are in our mid-50s. We're not going to the hardest thin
crack climbs of our lives; that happened long ago. Same goes with
almost any aspect of climbing.
Over the next season, I'll probably be able to say, several
times, "That's the hardest OffWidth I've ever done in my life."
How big a factor is this? Who knows?
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Well, other than the epi chimney, I've never climbed anything wide that I can think of offhand, certainly not like anything you folks have been posting. I need to come down and get an initiation in this peculiar and obviously ancient art. These seem like the sort of things the old blue Robbins boot would have been good for.
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hoipolloi
climber
A friends backyard with the neighbors wifi
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Feb 11, 2010 - 03:55pm PT
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great thread bump!
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Captain...or Skully
Social climber
شقوق واس
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Feb 11, 2010 - 04:30pm PT
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Thanks, Hoi Polloi, I'd missed that one.
Is he still up there?
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nutjob
Trad climber
Berkeley, CA
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Feb 11, 2010 - 04:57pm PT
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Steve-O, post up to let us know you're still alive!
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Captain...or Skully
Social climber
شقوق واس
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Feb 11, 2010 - 07:01pm PT
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He's in there someplace....
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mongrel
Trad climber
Truckee, CA
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Feb 11, 2010 - 08:20pm PT
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Between the OP and today's bumping of this hilarious thread, Donini or someone posted on the first, or an early, free ascent of the gnarly OW on Basket Dome, recounting one of the all-time great calls from a second: "up rope, I'm not moving!" Seems very applicable to these photos of Fat Merchant. If someone can find the link to that thread, post it up. It was a good one.
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G_Gnome
Trad climber
Pebble Wrestling.... Badly lately.
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Is there a good reason why you don't simply stand up and face climb next to that stupid crack? Looks pretty low angle and you could always step to the other side if the going got tough.
Not that this would help your offwidth skills but it would get you out of this particular predicament.
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PellucidWombat
Mountain climber
Berkeley, CA
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Looks pretty low angle
It's not all that low angle. It would probably be a much harder rating than the OW? More like 5.10+ face climbing at the easiest compared to a 5.10a OW?
BTW, you can see bolts for neighboring face climbs in some of the pictures.
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Norwegian
Trad climber
Placerville, California
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the pitch leans out,
so your friction means to oppose the downward pull in the crack, which is not overhanging,
but you also need to resist the outward pull, which is definately overhanging in it's orientation (not apparent in these photos)
pretty desperate as you reach the crux at 60' with no gear
and the crack narrows to just-narrower-than you can drag your hips thru,
so you gotta move out to the very edge and flap a knee out there as
you look at the hungary talus and memorial cairgn a ways below.
switching into lie-back mode has never occurred to me. no f*#king way.
thank you for the photos trad.
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Salamanizer
Trad climber
The land of Fruits & Nuts!
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^^^^
I agree with that statement 100%. Exiting the marginal security of that gaping maw for some fictional thin crisps out on the edge would be an epically unfortunate event at best.
I always face the other way, and go nearly horizontal with my left leg facing down for the knee bar. At least the chicken wings in this thing are bomber and it's every bit of 5.10b.
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Willoughby
Social climber
Truckee, CA
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Mar 19, 2014 - 01:09pm PT
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Fat bump!!
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| Messages 1 - 35 of total 35 in this topic |
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