Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
hobo_dan
Social climber
Minnesota
|
|
|
Topic Author's Original Post - Jun 11, 2007 - 02:40pm PT
|
1986 spring break comes and I have just bought my brand new off the lot Toyota truck $5500 bucks. So for the first time ever we have a vehicle that WILL make it across the Dakotas with out a break down.
Devils Tower
We scrape off the winter rust by going to do the durrance route. There are about 15 people hanging out at the base and its a good scene until some guy from Bozeman cries out Rock and then silence and SCRAPE- real low-the rock goes scrape and then it goes BOOOOOOM and thoooom and its getting louder. I crawl into a hole about the size of coffee cup and this pig keeps coming down bouncing wall to wall down the bowling alley. this guy had just run for cover when this big assed rock lands exactly where he was sitting. like an X on some comic cartoon pirate map It smashes into a million fist size pieces. After the obligatory cry of fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!,like munchkins we all come out to get back to Oz. All of the safe places to hide were taken and one dude was forced to crawl into his own ass to hide!The climb was finished with no other theatrics
We then go over to Walt Bailey and enjoy the small to big fingers to hands
After rapping Walt I am stoked to go back to camp and drink beer when Shawn sez- We are going to do Hollywood and Vine and YOU are going to lead it.
Good move on his part because I never would have come near this part of the world if I knew we were going to do something so stupid.
This is a 10c route and what makes it a little different is that its crux is a thin face instead of the usual tower crack.
Its pretty low angle and I am thinking that I'm the best for the first 50 feet and then things run out. I am about 10 feet above a wired stopper. There is a three finger hold/jam and smearing feet and reaching and reaching and then BANG I get a pretty good finger lock and I twist until I hear bones cracking and then pull up and get in a good jam and man I felt like a star about to Nova.
I thought that move was one of the hardest I ever did.
You go from complete terror to being totally satisfied because of a rock climb.
What a stupid sport-but for a long time I kept going because I was not just a nobody, half assed, college student, on academic probation
NO! I was a nobody, half assed, college student, on academic probation who had led Hollywood and Vine with no falls!
In the '70s Henry Barber had a bad scene soloing this route. i can only imagine
murf
|
|
caughtinside
Social climber
Davis, CA
|
|
|
Jun 11, 2007 - 02:47pm PT
|
What a great little vignette! thanks!
|
|
hobo_dan
Social climber
Minnesota
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 13, 2007 - 04:21pm PT
|
thanks Caught The Hollywood and Vine route was sort of a test piece for the crowd I used to climb with
murf
|
|
Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
Otto, NC
|
|
|
Jun 13, 2007 - 04:31pm PT
|
Cool story! We should post more of these...
|
|
Jaybro
Social climber
The West
|
|
|
Jun 13, 2007 - 04:44pm PT
|
Cool story of a cool time on a cool route, Hobo!
I first climbed Hollywood and Vine about '78, Eb's, painter's pants, Rugby shirt,beard, pony tail, the works. I followed off route chalk and mantled on a hold on the left side arrete, oops! After confirming that I was beached, I attempted to downclimb back back on route and ended up taking a mini whipper onto a stopper. Never made THAT mistake again.
was the Guillotine (sp)still there in '86?
hot Henry said that almost dying soloing H & V made almost dying while soloing Gorilla's whatever (?) seem like a walk in the park.
|
|
hobo_dan
Social climber
Minnesota
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 13, 2007 - 04:50pm PT
|
20 years ago today but I don't remember anything being loose. in 1978 that must have been very hard-at least in minnesota there was like very few 5.10 climbers
. I remember my first trip to DT in the summer of 1977 and meeting a short wide strong guy- i have no idea who- and he was looking to climb the 5.11 cracks- if he was good me must have been salivating with all the routes that were available.
murf
|
|
yo
climber
The Eye of the Snail
|
|
|
Jun 13, 2007 - 04:57pm PT
|
Yeppers, I was up there on that H&V dinking around and on that route next door to the right (?) some old dad was belaying. A guide situation, I believe. Anyway, thinking I wasn't really applying myself, or maybe using too many cams or something, this dude starting waxing poetic about the Vine. This stud who decked. This other big-name who did something else memorable and semi-frightening. And the climax: his recollection of watching Hot Henry through some binos from the road. Recounting in unnecessarily vivid detail the many tenuous up- and down-climbs around the crux and his decision, finally, to set aside the binoculars before it went ugly.
Helluva a route. I didn't get the thing but I can blame it on the distractions.
|
|
Jaybro
Social climber
The West
|
|
|
Jun 13, 2007 - 05:04pm PT
|
Hobo, in '77 i'm guessing the short wide guy was eithr;
1) Dennis Horning (aka Dingus Mcgee) Longish Brown hair, glasses
or
2) Bob Scarpelli, short blond hair (almost red)blue eyes
or possibly
3)steve Petro, I thin had hair then and maybe a handelbar mustache
okay back to progress reports
|
|
Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
|
|
|
Jun 13, 2007 - 05:25pm PT
|
I always encourage folks to label off-topic posts but this one needed to be labeled On_topic!
|
|
Jaybro
Social climber
The West
|
|
|
Jun 13, 2007 - 05:36pm PT
|
Oh yeah, the guillotine was a huge, teetering flake, shaped like the lid of a grand piano. You used to climb right next to it. I jammed behind it on a few ascents. it was poised to polish off the belyaer if it ever left it's eyrie.
One spring we went up H&V and it was gone!
I later heard some smack about some guy from a nearby Bates motel, prying it off in the dead of night in the dead of winter ... but you know how those stories go ...
|
|
pc
climber
East of Seattle
|
|
|
Jun 13, 2007 - 05:39pm PT
|
Very nice feel that that story Murf. Thanks,
pc
|
|
Mike Friedrichs
Sport climber
City of Salt
|
|
|
Jun 13, 2007 - 06:40pm PT
|
Around 1982 when we were young, reckless and invincible, John Wilke and I were at Devils Tower for our annual Easter trip. As usual it was cold, snowing and miserable. After getting John to agree that we weren’t climbing I joined him in drinking beer and imbibing in various other substances. Of course John had been drinking beer since breakfast. Sometime later in the day the snow stopped just long enough to convince John that we should go climb Hollywood and Vine. Against my better judgment I agreed as long as he was willing to lead. He was more familiar with climbing in an intoxicated state than I was. The approach was enough to scare me that day. So I ended up belaying with frozen fingers while John started fighting his way up the pitch. The wind was howling. John had a habit of running it out when he got pumped. He was brilliantly talented but never in shape. He was shaking like crazy and I could barely hear him in the Wyoming wind. He just kept getting farther and farther away from any gear. He couldn’t let go to place anything so he just kept climbing. He also had a habit of retching when he got scared. He must have been 30 feet above his gear, shaking and retching his way up the open book. I was sitting on the block at the base wondering if I should untie and get out of the way so I wouldn’t get squashed if/when he came off. As usual he pulled it off though.
John got the coveted first ascent of Spectreman and Vedauwoo in much the same style.
|
|
hobo_dan
Social climber
Minnesota
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 13, 2007 - 07:27pm PT
|
That spring trip i was with Shawn Callahan-now lives in tucson area- He was a really strong climber and he had great energy. We used to shake hands at the top of routes and he had these big mitts and he would just crush me
We also did Tulgey Wood- a long fist crack that was an epic for shawn on the lead but I was loving life with that big fat rope above me
Our last climb was El Matador. another Shawn lead and the only time I ever hung off of finger jams to rest my feet.
That was about the best spring trip I did for number and quality of routes- i could never go day after day. The weight from all those tall rocks would eventually psych me out and then it was time to go home.
murf
|
|
spectreman
climber
|
|
|
Jun 13, 2007 - 08:24pm PT
|
Frank told me that he was watching when Hot Henry soloed H&V. He said it was pretty Scary to watch.
Nice story Murf.
|
|
Jaybro
Social climber
The West
|
|
|
Jun 13, 2007 - 08:25pm PT
|
How come Frank never shared that one with me?
Did he tell you the belayer without a thumb story?
|
|
MZiebell
Social climber
Prescott, AZ
|
|
|
Jun 14, 2007 - 08:58am PT
|
Anyone know what Dingus is up to these days?
|
|
Tom
Big Wall climber
San Luis Obispo CA
|
|
|
Jun 14, 2007 - 11:50am PT
|
As mentioned in another topic, Klaus is a kidnapper and a sadist. That thing is PTPP's Big Wall Wee-Wee crab, which Klaus stole last year.
|
|
Jaybro
Social climber
The West
|
|
|
Jun 14, 2007 - 11:53am PT
|
Last I heard Mr Mcgee was in Laramie being a carpenter.
Did you know he has a titanium plate in his head now?
|
|
Dragon with Matches
climber
Bamboo Grove
|
|
|
Jun 14, 2007 - 12:06pm PT
|
If anyone were to be so sporting as to kindly recount the story about Mr. Barber's adventure... we'd be must obliged.
Had heard he'd hiked; never knew there was drama.
|
|
Jaybro
Social climber
The West
|
|
|
Jun 15, 2007 - 03:23am PT
|
The Barber story; ( he told us this story going on 30yrs ago (this fall) and we were all drinking heavily, so the facts MUST be right)
He signed out to climb Hollywood & Vine and the attendant tried to talk him into something a little easier. He became indignant and proclaimed he would do it solo!
So he got up there thought it was hard, hemmed, hawed, went, backed off a move etc. Then went for it 'knowing he was gonna die™!' but he made it!
was that the year Frank was a Ranger? '76 timing would be about right.
Another one from my own quiver ...
Once upon a time three of us; Myself, Mr Friedrichs, from a few posts up, and Will Gilmer climbed it. Fred led the crux with style to spare, and for some reason I followed wearing a pack with a gallon of water in it. I think I figured I'd done it enough times and was such a stud, that I would likewise cruise and be It would a good workout.
-wrong, again!! at least I did get a good workout.
but the funniest part happened on Will's turn. During my flail I wasn't able to clean anut stuck near the crux, we decided that would be Will's job. Through careful planning the nut tool was at t he upper belay.
As I lowered it, enthusiastically, down the climb, it bounced on a nub or something the beaner opened and the tool of damocles shot toward Will's face, at the last moment he jumped out of the way.
I don't remember if Will got the wire out, or not.
I may have combined two events seems like that might have been when Frank got Married, but I don't think Will was there for that.
|
|
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!