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Darnell
Big Wall climber
Chicago
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May 26, 2007 - 03:22am PT
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To clean the Kor roof I use an organic cleanser which will not harm the ecosystem (bleach will kill the endangered Albino mudskipper's that nest in the crack)
I mix 4 gallons of Merced water with a half pint of the following
Yarrow
orange peel oil
urine from bear #46
Calendula
Ovaltine
Lichen from the Columbia boulder
Carrot butter
Patchouli
Boonsfarm strawberry hill
22 packages of relish from Degnan's Deli and one cup of coffee from the lodge
Shake it (don't stir)
I fill up a giant spray bottle and tag more up as needed on the wall.
I use an assortment of brushes from the small toothbrush to the giant titanium brush, duct taped to an extendable painter's pole.
The Kor Roof donesn't take me long to clean, bout 4 beers and it's done. The 7th pitch takes about 7 beers as it's a chimney.
As far as I know the last pitch has never seen a clean ascent, it took me too long and I ran out of beer!
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Oli
Trad climber
Fruita, Colorado
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May 26, 2007 - 03:56am PT
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You say plan on three days for the route? That seems strange. In 1967 I did it with two friends in about 8 hours, going pretty slow and taking in the scenery, not even trying to go fast. Why the extra two days? I know some go up in the evening to the ledge below the Kor roof (or did in my day) and start the next morning from there. A couple easy hours to that ledge, then a few more hours to the top the next day, would still be an easy day broken by a bivouac. But maybe things have changed and there are people all over the walls. I guess I'm forgetting that possibility.
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hollyclimber
Big Wall climber
Yosemite, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - May 26, 2007 - 03:58pm PT
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Brand new wall climbers climbing Grade V's in Yosemite do not climb the the South Face in a day. Typically, they don't even finish it in two days. After several years of helping to coach new aid climbers attempting to climb the South Face, it turns out that planning for three days led to success.
Same thing for the bolts on the first 2 (climbed as one) pitches of the WF of LT. Brand new aid/wall climbers stuggle cleaning this pitch more than any other aspect of the route, in my opinion. Clipping every bolt on this pitch (which certainly is not 52!) really helps a lot in building confidence, reducing the struggle and creating success.
While the WF of LT is normally climbed in 2 days, again, very new parties planning for 3 days have been able to better assure themselves of success. Sometimes what happens is simply having enough food and water for three days (which is barely more really) just gives them the confidence up there to go for it even if they are slow the first day. Some of those parties end up doing it in two, but the extra rations keep them from bailing after a slow day one.
And yes, the South Face is typically very crowded and any time that I have gone up there "aiding" I have waited most of the day for someone on the Kor Roof.
Keep in mind that my recommendations here in this post are for people planning to climb what is likely their first aid climb. I have found that new climbers often struggle a lot with the proper distance to bring their jumar up to a piece they want to pass and I have seen people spend painful hours cleaning the Kor Roof. The gri gri cleaning method I described here may not be needed by seasoned pros. But, it is easy and safe and every new person to whom I have taught this method has become FASTER than they were before at cleaning. Their brain is still processing all the steps of cleaning and the mechanics of weighting and unweighting ascenders and because of that, the Kor roof pitch in some ways is a tad beyond their current cleaning ability. These climbers usually are doing just fine, maybe a little slow, on every other pitch, and get roadblocked on the Kor Roof and then become very discouraged.
So, this is one method to try to overcome the cleaning obstacle there and at the first bolt ladder on WF of LT.
Cheers! And hope you are all safely away from the Valley Floor this Traffic Weekend!! I AM!!
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Moof
Trad climber
A cube at my soul sucking job in Oregon
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May 26, 2007 - 08:09pm PT
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Hollyclimber,
I know there are not 52 bolts, probably only 48 or 49. The thought of carrying enough draws to clip EVERY bolt makes me cringe just thinkign about it. I'll count them this time. Last July we got baked off the thing. I down-aided, and then had to go back up to clean the draws and all. I probably had about 10 draws total in, and cleaning was pretty easy. Thrashing around a little to unweight the draw so it can be unclipped as Shack noted is fast and efficient. You jug a couple feet and it is in perfect cleaning range (even easier if you leave a tether attached). I actually think that having too many draws becomes encumbering.
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hollyclimber
Big Wall climber
Yosemite, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - May 26, 2007 - 09:36pm PT
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Here's me, after soloing the WF of LT, looking like I have been TERRIBLY over-encumbered with carabiners, just before finishing my one day ascent/descent on July 5, 2006, in an extremely COOL temperature of 102 degrees, after which I hiked my over encumbered load of rack and two ropes in one hump almost all the way to the lodge because I had no car. But maybe the reason it worked ok for me was that I brought zero quickdraws.
http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=103094584&albumID=0&imageID=6170355
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Oli
Trad climber
Fruita, Colorado
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May 27, 2007 - 04:31am PT
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That seems strange to me that anyone would need more than a day on the South Face of Washington Column. We did it with pitons in 1967 in a casual 8 hours or so, if that long. Now with nuts, friends, aliens, it's so straightforward but for a moment's awkwardness at the Kor roof and a tiny move above, but then perfect cracks...
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scooter
climber
B loop site 15
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May 29, 2007 - 01:05am PT
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Holly, ole' trundles always leaves me a few double lengths to yard off. Mainly cause I am a whimp. And because he dosen't bring enough gear. Ha.
P-Dub
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Shack
Big Wall climber
Reno NV
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May 29, 2007 - 03:18am PT
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Holly, that is quite a feat!
The only thing I did different,other than the standard was to use an adjustable daisy on the upper jug when I got to the traverse.
When I passed the piece w the upper jug, instead if weighting
it with my foot, I would cinch down the daisy and then lower off the piece.
Make sense?
It also seems like less chance of the jug popping off
since it doesn't get torqued on the rope.
YMMV
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Moof
Trad climber
A cube at my soul sucking job in Oregon
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Jun 21, 2007 - 02:49pm PT
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I forgot to count the bolts on the first pitch, but there were 26 bolts on the second pitch, plus a piton. So my ballpark of ~50 bolts to clip into is about right. The first pitch has the short crack section, but also has somewhat less reachy bolts due to the angle.
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steelmnkey
climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
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Jun 21, 2007 - 03:08pm PT
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Pat - I'm guessing that the answer to your question is that a lot of today's climbers get on the South Face of the Column as their first wall, so they don't consider the possibility of free climbing much. Also, I'd guess most of those beginners don't lead 5.10 (at least Valley 5.10), so they treat most of the climbing as aid, and end up taking quite a bit of time because they're not free climbing much at all, which obviously speeds things up immensely.
I did it as my second wall with a couple of friends and we rigged it to be a fun overnighter. We were off the wall at 1:30 on the second day, so a one-day was well within our capability.
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Jun 21, 2007 - 04:12pm PT
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I'd just like to remind new folks reading this that folks comtemplating doing a wall should absolutely practice aid on one pitch climbs as much as possible before heading up a wall.
If you make your first aid climbing on a wall, you WILL fail. (some crazy exceptions out there but don't count on it)
There is a bolt ladder on the Boulder at the Leconte Memorial which is great practice for the Kor Roof, both leading and cleaning
peace
Karl
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