Did the 2nd ascent the following April. The valley was getting hit by continuous storms and I couldn't get anyone to go on a wall. I was young and impatient, so I decided to do the Prow solo. I'll never forget that experience! It was A4 at that time, and I remember zippering an entire pitch, when just a few feet from a bomber placement, I stupidly nailed a pin in an expanding flake. I must of fallen 80 feet. John Dill,( before he was involved with Yosar), was watching me thru a spotting scope, and told me later that I went completely out of his view when I fell. I went back up, not making the same mistake twice. I did the belly crawl, to a great bivy, under an overhang, just before a big storm hit. I was perfectly dry all night, and real happy, knowing I would be off next day. Got hit by another storm one pitch from the top. I remember the hail going down my sleeves into my armpits and hoping the lightning wouldn't zap me as I was freeing up the last pitch.
Later that summer, I was in the Tetons hanging out at the climbers ranch. I was talking to Ivon Chouinard and Royal Robbins
pulled up with his wife Liz. Robbins rolled down the window and the first words out of Chouinards mouth were, " Royal, your all washed up-this kid just soloed your route". Robbins got real pissed and pointed his finger at Ivon and fired back," you wait-youl see", and then he drove off. Many years later, I met a much more mellow Royal back East, who I'm sure forgot the incedent.
this is a super classic line, regardless of the pin scars...
i did this route with my high school buddy and big wall partner, Rick Lovelace in 1986. This was the first wall that we had "done in a day" and it was a memorable experience to say the least!
We got on a big wall binge and ended up doing 5 walls in 6 weeks.
Its funny, I look back and can see that I did it June 28 to the 31 with Bydryka and Maclolm Ives. It was their first wall. But I didn't put a year on it and cannot remember when. Had to be around 74, because that was about the time I met Malcolm, working for Curry. I guess I always figured I would just remember the year, it never occurred to me that I would spend as many years there as I eventually did. A fine route, but as slow as I climb it took parts of 3 days.
Near the top, somebody fed my rope down into the crack to store it out of the way. A loop formed and jammed so tight, a three to one haul system wouldn't rip it out, though I tried, I just visibly stretched the hell out of it. After hours of my bitching, I finally had to cut it and get on with the route, so we could hit the NDG in daylight.
So I am the guy who trashed the route, leaving my garbage behind. I am sure the rope is still there. I think it was green colored like the one in the picture above, but maybe not.
The route was such a trip as an aid climb, too bad "somebody" had to free it.
Trust me, if I couldn't climb it, I probably trashed it.
these are all great stories that tie us together!
I did the prow in a day on sight with rick lovelace. It was both of our first one day nail ups and got us on a 4 route el cap binge right after our send. that was 1986 and one of my best years of climbing and adventure..
kurt
I guided the climb during the summer of 2001. We jumped on it the morning after a series of thunderstorms, which cooled everything down for a couple of days. We had the route to ourselves. It was great.
Winter ascent of the Prow between Christmas and New Years 1983 with Bill Crouse. There were a lot of fixed RURPs in place at the time. We had great weather.
Great route. I did it back in '01 I think, with a Valley n00b.
It was his first wall.The plan was to swap leads, but after he
pulled the first A1 piece and decked I decided to lead and haul
all the pitches.
He dropped my swiss army knife but made up for it by opening
the cans with a hammer and modified hook. He clipped a piss
bottle on top of the haul bag with all the water which I
touched to my lips before realizing what it was. Lucky I
didn't take a chug.
felt good to see how much i forgot about the route. still is a badd ass wall route for it's size and location. me and dave took our time and had alot of fun on it smok'n and drink'n!
this is the only thing i did'nt like about the prow.
the last haul set up on the prow.
it would be nice to see those two pine tree's on the top live their life.
please set up ur haul on something else.
hopefully some yosemite local's put some bolts there.
I remember the Prow as the one of the funnest walls I ever did (93). I got to lead all pitches except one and they were all exposed strait forward and sweet, almost all clean. What a great line, seams out in the middle of a blank arete. I remember all the hoopla surrounding the FA. I also remember the Graham/Sorenson epic during a period of way bad weather, also in the late '70's. Those of us on the valley floor were mega concerned (Easter?).
Way fun, and we didn't almost die on the descent like I almost did on my S. Face solo in the '70's.
Let us know!