Discussion Topic |
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Todd Gordon
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jul 9, 2007 - 03:39pm PT
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This guy has done over 100 (!)
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Todd Gordon
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 9, 2007 - 03:41pm PT
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Tucker has 31 ascents.
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Todd Gordon
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 9, 2007 - 03:43pm PT
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I have one (!) Dihedral Wall
(I need to do a few more, I suppose..)
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Nice portraits there Todd.
And it is noteworthy that Gerby started out as one of the Curry Boys.
He turns out modest (almost bashful), highly proficient, super productive.
A true champion.
Outstanding!
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Lambone
Ice climber
Ashland, Or
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7- not enough...
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James
climber
A tent in the redwoods
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Steve Gerberding = Original Gangster
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seamus mcshane
climber
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1
Zodiac 9/99 in full-on "sport-wall" mode.
Tarbuster- you hit the nail on the head with your description of Steve. "modest...almost bashful", totally the vibe I got.
Same with Dano, same with Charlie Fowler, same with Brad Jarrett.
All truly luminous Spartans, yet all with that everyman quality of foibles.
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v10gripper
Boulder climber
Joshua Tree, CA
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0... guess i better get after it...
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ricardo
Gym climber
San Francisco, CA
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3 routes
4 ascents
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Can I count Moby Dick Center?
I did The Bong, it sure felt El Cap size.
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G_Gnome
Trad climber
Knob Central
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None, and it will probably stay that way. I really prefer a different avenue of torture myself.
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YetAnotherDave
Trad climber
Vancouver, BC
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In that case, I have 2: the Nose and Pine Line
Or would that be 1 1/30? :)
Many more on the ticklist...
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Seamus, good points. about that list, tell me that Brad Jarett is still with us. Only climbed with him once, at Balch camp, but he left an impression!
A mere 8, for me.
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snyd
Sport climber
Lexington, KY
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Off Topic, sorry!
I notice that Tucker has a bottle of "the bread of my affliction" in hand. I'll never forget him saying that! Priceless.
The last time I saw him after 10 years he said without,he says "Oh, It's you". I like to think he just forgot my name but on second thought, perhaps not.
I like to remember Tech, hunkered down in a lawn chain in the parking lot, covered in head to tow with weaping sores of Poison Oak after he and I hiked up to some obscure finger crack above and to the right of Arch Rock. heh good times!
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Duke
Social climber
PSP
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A great guy indeed.
I think Steve has also done a big route or 2 in Patagonia as well as well as put up A5(at the time) on El Cap.
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GDavis
Trad climber
SoCal
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Not a one, but I have gripped a few v10's out there.
What a geek. Ppphhhbth.
-Troll Champ out.
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WBraun
climber
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El Cap can't be done.
You only get to visit.
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Levy
Big Wall climber
So Cal
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Interesting but how many separate routes? Hans Florine has done over 100 ascents but maybe 45 of them were ascents of the Nose. I believe that Steve Gerbeding has climbed over 60 separate routes on El Cap. Mike Corbett & Steve Schneider have done a bunch too!
I've done 28 ascents of 25 different routes not counting East Buttress.
Maybe I need therapy but I'm in good company. I know a few folks out there who have done at least 30 ascents.
I think Hans's site has a list of people who have over a dozen routes. Sorry that there's no link to his site but I'm away from my home computer.
Levy
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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3
and now its been over thirty years ago.
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BluntMan
Social climber
92595, ca
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I'm 1 for 2 = 50%. 1st time I broke my foot in a fall above grey ledges, rapped down, crawled/limped back to my car, drove to the hospital, and was in a cast for 6 weeks. Next time, I made it to the top at the ripe young age of 49. Leading the Great Roof was the highlight of my big wall experience. I'm light.
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G Murphy
Trad climber
Oakland CA
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43 and counting.
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seamus mcshane
climber
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Jaybro
As far as I know Brad is alive and still wearing long pants in 110 degree weather while climbing. Lives in Portland, Ore with Heather,Caleb and ???kin.
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elcap-pics
climber
Crestline CA
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Yo... I climbed the Dihedral wall with Brad in 92. A better climber and man I have not met. Also did the Muir Blast in 89 with Tucker... it was interesting and a learning experience for me ... he was and still is I'm sure, a real stoic and a rock solid partner. My first climb on the big stone was the nose in 71 with the great Paul Sibley, always compitent and fun. Did 3D with grahm sanders from australia in 83 ... he was a good partner and much more proficient than I. The last success was in 95 with Dave Mcknight (?) maybe the wrong last name... he was a newbie and I was an oldie on my way out at 51.... we almost died of thirst.. I have bailed one more time than I have succeeded, even though the odds were heavily stacked on my side... just got scared!!
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Jello
Social climber
No Ut
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Salathe in '69, NA in '70 and TD in 71. Taught me the secrets to being at home in steep high places.
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wayne w
Trad climber
the nw
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So far, 14 ascents, 12 routes. Each was one was such a powerful and memorable experience.
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Handjam Belay
Gym climber
expat from the truth
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14 topouts, 1 solo, 2 single pushes...countless moments of growth
There is only one El Cap
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asioux
Trad climber
pasadena,ca
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Hello Todd. It's Armando. Hot in Josh? Anyway. Has anybody heard anything about climbing restrictions and or banning climbing on El Cap. A co-worker of mine saw something on the news on Sunday about, how tourist are making it unsafe for the climbers on El Cap and next year 2008. Yosemite is doing something about it. Is it true? Any info? I hope not.
One of my main goals in life as a climber is to climb El Cap! (The Nose). I have only climbed some base routes. But dream to climb up that beautiful stone. Just need some aid practice and a passionate partner that shares the same dream.
Armando
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Oakville, Ontario, Canada, eh?
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El Cap is still the standard against which all others are compared. Open any climbing magazine, and you'll always find at least one photo of the thing somewhere. It should be every free climber's goal to one day climb The Nose, and every aid climber's goal to one day solo El Cap.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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9 routes, 12 ascents, plus 2 times up the West Face (with bivy) and one time from Heart to the top of the Muir (my partner had done the lower Muir 6 months prior, but his partner finished it with someone else, so I got the partial ascent; still good fun).
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mtnyoung
Trad climber
Twain Harte, California
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Nine El Cap Grade VI aid walls, bottom to top. More than nine starts which ended in failure.
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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"Shoulda heard Chappy up there on Excaliber tryin to stack 2x8 doug fir cutoffs with bongs. He cut em the wrong way and they were splitting on him every time. Man was he pissed. We had a feast of food and water after we decided to bail, and then we dropped a haul bag with a down jacket zipped around it, and screamed as it fell with the arms flapping wildly. Alan Bard was at the base and was sure one of us had cratered. He didn't think it was funny."
LOL!!! That made my day. Climber humour at its best. (Worst.)Though I guess the down jacket didn't survive the ride.
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Ottawa Doug
Social climber
Ottawa, Canada
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Nose in '83
Shield in '93
failed on everything in 2005
spring '06 Lurking Fear
Fall '06 Zodiac
spring '07 soloed Mescalito
The best part is that I'm 47 and don't think that I'm even half done yet.
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T2
climber
Cardiff by the sea
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18 ascents 15 different routes, 1 solo and 1 winter ascent(in true winter conditions) First one was in 85' as long as I've been at it seems like I should have more.
Gerby is truly a class act! You could not have picked a finer example to lead off for a thread with this title.
Hey Levy, I agree that more respect goes out to the one with more routes than with multiple ascents via the same route. Stevie and E probably set those standards. If Hans has been up the Nose that many times out of a hundred, how many times do you think he's been up the Salathe'?
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Nose in '79 & Salathe in '81.
I then Guided the Nose in '87 & Salathe in '88.
The guided ascents were superb experiences as I had fit, well prepared clients.
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Maysho
climber
Truckee, CA
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Old days list
West Face 3rd free ascent (3 days after the FFA) '79
Zodiac '80
Horse Chute '81
ZM FA '81
Aurora FA '81
NJ Turnpike '83?
attempt on FA "heart of darkness" renamed Wyoming Sheep Ranch '83
Nose guided 3 times '84-89
Modern list
NIAD "least amount of gear" no jumars no aiders '93
Three routes with my son Braden
Zodiac (clean+fixed), ZM 20 years later(99.9%clean+fixed), NIAD
still many I hope to do!
Peter
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Ksolem
Trad climber
LA, Ca
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One attempt, one ascent. I did Mescalito with Rob. It was great. Smooth sailing on an easy route.
Of course it is very impressive, what people do climbing the Captain over and over again. But it is after all a roadside crag. If that sucker was 15 miles into the mountains over a high pass… well you see my point?
Such crags exist, btw.
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10b4me
climber
bitd
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Jul 10, 2007 - 12:33am PT
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I'm 1 for 2 = 50%. 1st time I broke my foot in a fall above grey ledges, rapped down, crawled/limped back to my car, drove to the hospital, and was in a cast for 6 weeks. Next time, I made it to the top at the ripe young age of 49. Leading the Great Roof was the highlight of my big wall experience. I'm light.
good to see you here Bob.
remember me, Rockreation in CM, 1995.
climbd with you in Josh too.
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theLoop
climber
Northwest Montana
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Jul 10, 2007 - 12:42pm PT
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16+ routes (I know I'm forgetting a couple...)including a solo of The Shortest Straw.
Wall climbing became to routine so I switched my focus to another form of self inflicted torture... the Marathon. It's definatly more brutal (for me anyhow). My Mantra: "3.5 hours of running is surely more pleasant than 3.5 days on El Cap" but somehow I don't find it convincing.
Incidentally, I'm 7 months pregnant and anticipate this journey as a test of strength and wits equal to all those athletic pursuits!
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Jul 10, 2007 - 12:53pm PT
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Let' see... in order; Salathe, Dawn Wall, Mescalito, Zodiac, Tangerine Trip. Bailed off of Horse Chute from way up. No attempts since about 1979.
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Oakville, Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Jul 10, 2007 - 09:42pm PT
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32 ascents by 32 routes including eight solos.
There's no place like El Cap - cheers!
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bringmedeath
climber
la la land
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Jul 10, 2007 - 09:52pm PT
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none
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Gene
climber
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Jul 10, 2007 - 09:58pm PT
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Welcome back BMD.
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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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Jul 10, 2007 - 10:34pm PT
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I think the only ascent that really counts, soul wise, is the first one. I did the Nose with English climber, Ron Fawcett, in 72. Everthing after that felt like a repeat. Others felt otherwise. Tastes differ.
JL
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ricardo
Gym climber
San Francisco, CA
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Jul 10, 2007 - 10:40pm PT
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true dat largo ..
.. the first time up i thought i had a 50% chance of living or dying ..
.. hasn't felt like that since..
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Loom
climber
The Whiteboard Jungle
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Jul 10, 2007 - 10:53pm PT
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I forget exactly what it was that someone (Bridwell?) said to Klaus that inspired him to focus primarily on FA's--something about everything else being just wanking.
I've wanked my way up El Cap 15 times with some awesome partners. Hmm, maybe that doesn't sound quite right.
Let me see if I can remember all of them--
'92 Muir to Nose w/ Vince DePasque; '93 Salathe w/ Vince Depasque; '93 Nose w/ Vince DePasque; '95 Space w/ Steve Sutton; '96 Shield w/ Vince DePasque; '97 Zodiac w/ Linus and Roadie Steve; '98 Tangerine Trip w/ Captain Kirk; '98 Wall of Early Morning Light w/ Roadie Steve; '99 Pacific Ocean w/ Roadie Steve; '99 Mescalito w/ Pooh Bear Paul; '00 Zodiac w/ Andrew McGarry; '01 Luniac w/ Dan Oppenheim; '01 Albatross w/ Dan Oppenheim; '02 New Dawn to Tribal Rite w/ Eric George; '02 South Seas w/ Dan Oppenheim
That was a fun little stroll down memory lane--I need to get my ass back up there; nothing else has ever done such a good job of feeding the rat.
Scott
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N0_ONE
Social climber
Utah
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Jul 10, 2007 - 11:08pm PT
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I've been to gray ledges Via the Muir, Moby Dick start. First time in the Valley, WOW, what a great place! I had a great time. Someday I do it again, maybe with my son or daughter?
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Owlman
Social climber
Montucky
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Jul 10, 2007 - 11:11pm PT
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In order:
Zodiac (83), with Bill Thomas and Hood Man
Muir (85), with Bill Thomas and Mike Zambon
Lurking Fear (85) solo
Zodiac (89) solo
Eagles Way (2000) with Bam Bam
Tangerine Trip (2005) with Texas Bob
Two flailures: Mescalito and Lunar Elclipse.
Just turned 48 and still got plans.
I think T-trip and Muir have been my favorites so far.
Muir was like a Wilderness of rock. It rained, snowed, and the sun blazed in the final huge dihedral. The first ascent party was down to a few pieces of dried fruit at the end.
oooohhhh!
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Loom
climber
The Whiteboard Jungle
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Jul 10, 2007 - 11:18pm PT
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I've had the same experience Largo.
My first time up was the most intense, affecting and genuine. Every time after that was a little less so.
It was like chasing after and trying to re-capture some intense drug experience or first love. I remember that I read Lord Jim at the bivies, determined that I would not abandon ship and hide in shame on some backwater island. I've re-read the book since then, but it too wasn't as affecting an experience as reading it for the first time on my first El Cap route.
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Brutus of Wyde
climber
Old Climbers' Home, Oakland CA
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Jul 10, 2007 - 11:40pm PT
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10 ascents by 9 routes.
First was the wildest.
Brutus
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humblepie
climber
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Jul 13, 2007 - 04:26pm PT
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pete, do you have a list of your ascents, dates, partners, etc. on the net. it's very interesting. thanks, D
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Jul 13, 2007 - 04:42pm PT
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Yeah I'm with Largo, Brutus, Loom, and no doubt others, on this. Once you do it once, and know you can do it, it changes, (kinda like some other things) none the less, there are still landmarks, as you go on.
I did the first season ascent of The Zod, in 83(?) after Slater and,?, had done a major clean up of fixed stuff the last ascent of the fall before. It was my first wall as head nailer, and my partner's first time up the cap; (no tiny cams, sticky rubber, or a bunch of other, newfangaled, stuff) Later, he told me he was scared the whole time. We only had 70 biners.
Your first has the most mojo, but there is still adventure to be had!
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Jul 13, 2007 - 04:55pm PT
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Once, the Salathe, with Alan Bard, in the early 70s.
Two additional attempts: West Face solo and the Nose with a client (both mid-70s).
Hey Kevin, do you remember what year Alan and I climbed the Salathe? I cannot remember.
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Pierre
Big Wall climber
Sweden
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Jul 13, 2007 - 05:41pm PT
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18 so far..
-the most memorable was climbing "realm of the flying monkeys" in a push with only 70 oz of water, did that with erica kutcher..
-the most beautiful has to be "sunkist"..
-the hardest for me must be "zenyatta mondatta"..
-the fastest is "zodiac" in 12.5 hours..
-the most fun climb is probably "the shield", done it twice..
-my only solo is "tangerine trip" before the retro-bolting..
-so many memories..
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Rudyj2
Trad climber
UT
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Jul 13, 2007 - 06:40pm PT
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3 and a 1/3.
First attempt in April '93 on the Muir. Made the Heart and just couldn't fathom how much wall was still above us, or maybe it was the constant rain and ice falling off the wall, no it was the size of the wall, and bailed.
Tangerine Trip in Oct '96. Got a little better in between attempts, but the smaller route helped.
The Nose in March '04. Only party on the Nose, seemed like the only party on the wall or even in the valley.
Lurking Fear in Oct '06. Most memorable time up the Captain as I was the senior partner on this one. Unfortunatly our experience was marred by the accidental amputation of part of my partners pinky finger.
Fall '08. Back for the Muir, hopefully.
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426
Sport climber
Buzzard Point, TN
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Jul 13, 2007 - 08:39pm PT
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Hey--i'd rec mescalito over the muir, but that's just me.
Pierre, we saw you guys on the way (near LF) and off the wall back in the meadow. Some big truck almost ran you guys over as you were crossing the road (barefoot). Great effort, my condolences.
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WBraun
climber
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Jul 13, 2007 - 08:52pm PT
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Why should anyone go up that wall El Cap?
What to speak of multiple times.
There's nothin up there.
Like the tourist in the meadow asked me if I'd been up there?
"Nope not me, I'm not crazy like those climbers"
Yep he said: "They're nuts"
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bachar
Trad climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
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Jul 13, 2007 - 08:56pm PT
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I did my first El Cap route with WB!
Would've died up there without his wisdom and sh#t....heh heh
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Ksolem
Trad climber
LA, Ca
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Jul 13, 2007 - 09:11pm PT
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OK. It took me a minute to remember the full sequence but here it is, in order:
Mescalito.
By then I had nearly 30 years in climbing, mostly free routes. I will never forget walking up to the Captain that morning. We had the first few pitches fixed and were going to blast off. I felt something I had not felt in years, that intense feeling of anticipation, where every breath drawn is precious. Guess I was scared or something.
Thanks Rob.
Rob Brown, Capitan of The Bismark...
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Jul 13, 2007 - 09:57pm PT
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do the free blast, east butress, and west face count? all most excellent adventures. someday i gotta write a book....
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Jul 13, 2007 - 10:01pm PT
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"By then I had nearly 30 years in climbing, mostly free routes. I will never forget walking up to the Captain that morning. We had the first few pitches fixed and were going to blast off. I felt something I had not felt in years, that intense feeling of anticipation, where every breath drawn is precious. Guess I was scared or something.
WOW! well put, dude. when you've got so many decades under your belt, the old "butterflies in the stomach" thing becomes a feeling to be treasured. it transports us back to our earliest days of climbing, when every day on the rock was a life-altering adventure. i'm right there with ya, bro. keep on keeping on!
great pic, too. luv the shades.
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Todd Gordon
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 3, 2007 - 12:43am PT
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Over 100 El Cap ascents and THIS is what I get in return?
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
Otto, NC
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El Cap never looks so big as when you finally walk up to actually climb it for the first time.
I miss it.
Rob
Trip, Sean, 1994
Salathe, Shaggy, 1997
2 bails (partners lost mojo).
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nature
climber
Flagstaff, AZ
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Lurking Fear in '92 with Floatin' Fred
Lunar Eclipse in '95 with Floatin' Fred
The Trip in '96 with Floatin' Fred
The Trip in '04 with Ludwig
East Buttress a few years ago
Bailed off of The Salathe after leading The Hallow Flake.
Pretty good success ratio
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the kid
Trad climber
fayetteville, wv
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Gerbbie is the man when it comes to el cap- Han's speed ascents are cool but....generic after the 30th time.
first route was west face free with HB from Australia. too much fun climbing with that guy! 1984
salathe with Mike Corbett- the undisputed king of el cap in the 80's. learned off-widths and how to haul from the master. 1985
lurking fear with ken ariza. nothing but fun on this one. dropped my shoe near the top and had a nasty walk off in fire's! 1985?
nose- with rick lovelace. he taught T2 and myself how to climb.
rick and i got on a roll in 86 and did 4 in a row. i think we had the good connection cause these walls were fun. 1986.
zodiac- with lovelace. three days after doing the nose. 1986
shield- with lovelace after 4 days off. 1986
mescalito- with lovlace- couldn't get enough of suffering and good green buds and did this route after 4 days rest...
muir wall- yes that muir wall. i had been looking at this line since 1986, and by 1994 i as ready. cosgrove and eppie joined the fun and the rest is his-tory. best crack climbing anywhere! 1994
zm- after my divorce it was time to solo el cap. was always in awe of ZM and the stories behind it. scared the crap out of me! best 9 days of my life. two whippers put me on edge for the whole route. 1995
so it's been too long since my last route... time for another one... T2 you game?
ks
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wayne w
Trad climber
the nw
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Had solid partners for what would have been my first ascent in 83. Getting hit by a car on my bicycle changed those plans. In 85 a crazy driver in rush hour traffic in S.F. set back my recovery dramatically when he changed lanes into me on my motorcycle. I finally did Zodiac in 1990 with Larry Zulim and Sheldon Wilcox for my first. The following Spring I suffered major injuries which left me able to walk only very short distances, with much difficulty.
By 94 I had recovered sufficiently enough to get back up there and did Lurking Fear with my old friend Steve Schneider. I cleaned all but the two traverses (for expediency, Steve back cleaned them in a few minutes each). Paralytic Polio when I was nine months old left my right leg severely atrophied. By the time we topped out I had totally overused the bit of quadriceps I had then from carrying the rack as I cleaned. Crawled to the top of Zodiac where we spent the night. I couldn't have been any happier in spite of same. Felt the elation of my first ascent all over again. Powerful stuff.
The following year Steve and I had plans to do the west Face in a push. That changed when I was injured by a knucklehead partner the week before on the way down the Muir after he decided to bail. The only time I haven't finished a route I began on El Cap. Torn muscles bilaterally took 3 months to heal, no workouts during that time left me starting all over again. The following summer I tried to do a push of Half Dome during a major heat wave. My partners made it 7 pitches up before deciding they had suffered the oppresive heat for long enough...my left knee was injured again as I was lowered too quickly. It wasn't until the following fall that it was solid enough to attempt another wall. Did Lunar Eclipse with the host of this site and Erik Sloan.
In 98 Kevin Thaw, Russ Mitrovich and I did Tangerine Trip, and a week later I did Native Son with Chris Mc Namara and Todd Offenbacher. That Fall I finally got in my first ascent in a push, Bad Seed with Hans Florine and Brian Mc Cray (in 19:12).
In 99 Chris, Erik and I did Zodiac in half a day with a 9:00 PM start to avoid 100* temps. Erik, Ian Wren and I did The North America Wall later that Summer, and that Fall Erik, Todd Offenbacher and I did Eagles Way.
In June of 2000 Hans and Jacqueline Florine and myself did a 15 hour ascent of Zodiac, my first CTC in under 24 hours, barely.
In May of 2001 Chris, Erik and I did Triple Direct in 17 hours. 34 days after I had a double hernia repair done.
In June of 2002 Hans, Nick Fowler and I did Zenyatta Mondatta in just under 29 hours
In 2003 I fell hard, which resulted in a bone bruise to my tailbone that took forever to heal. Had to cancel plans for a fall ascent. Rained out in 2004, but did get up the Chief that year, as well as 05.
2006, the Nose, with Hans and Tico Alulee in 22 hours. My top jug started sliding on the rope not long after sickle. Made things interesting to say the least. Not to mention really slowing me down.
2007, a March ascent of the Trip with Erik and Jean Reedle.
To be continued...
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Buggs
Trad climber
Eagle River, Alaska
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Survival has ten I think, surprised he hasn't chimed in and listed.
I've looked at it alot.
Then pissed myself...
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survival
Big Wall climber
arlington, va
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I just got done reading the WHOLE thing!
Wow, there are some truly bad a## people out there.
Thank god there weren't so many back in the day, I might've gotten discouraged and given up.
Here's my (hopefully) unfinished list.
*The Nose, 78 with Rob Lesher
*Pacific Ocean Wall, (9th ascent?) 80 with Bob Williams, John Dale
*Tribal Rite, New Dawn start, 3rd ascent 81 with Lesher and Chris Friel
* North America Wall, 81 with Keith Royster and Chris Friel
*Half of Mescalito, 82 with Lesher and Jay Kerr
*Lurking Fear, 83 with Keith Royster
*The Shield, 84 with Doug Macdonald
* Salathe, 85 with Rob Lesher
* West Face, 1 day, 87 with Scott Burk and Jim Cambell
* Excalibur, 96 with Keith Stevens
They were ALL soul changing, just when I needed it. Thank you El Capitan, our spirit stone.
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Oakville, Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Well, since someone bumped it, I can add Horse Chute last fall and come up to 33 routes.
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Watusi
Social climber
Newport, OR
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12 aid routes, 13 ascents, most memorable...Cosmos with Mike Corbitt and Scott Cole in '82...Aquarian with German Michael Brauser in '82 (he had been climbing less than 6 months!) But I could go on as it seems in retrospect that every one was memorable...As far as free...I got to do the West face with Eric Erickson in '82, which was cool!!
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TYeary
Mountain climber
Calif.
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Three walls, most notable, Zodiac w/ dissapear'in Don in '85.
Enough for me. Went on to big mountains. Much easier than walls!
Tony
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Gary
climber
Desolation Basin, Calif.
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Zero. Is that wrong?
I have no aid skills, and none of my partners have aid skills. Should I hire a guide?
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Anastasia
Trad climber
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None!
Three bails all because of little ole' me.
:( AF
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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8, I understand that E butt and West face don't count.
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Mark Hudon
Trad climber
Hood River, OR
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13 ascents, 9 routes, 19 attempts.
in order
The Salathe with Peter Cole in 1974 (our first route together)
The Nose with Max Jones in 1976 (our first route together)
The Tower Start to the Dawn Wall, with Peter Cole and Rainsford Rouner in 1976
The North America Wall with Eric Sanford in 1977
The Magic Mushroom, 3rd ascent, with Peter Cole and Mark Richie in 1977
The Mescalito, 5th ascent with Max, 1977
The Zodia, with Max, 1977
The Salathe, free attempt, with Max, we led and followed every pitch (even the aid) 1979
The West Face, 2nd free ascent with Max, 1979
The Nose with Max, we led and followed every pitch (even the aid) 1979
The Tangerine Trip, with Rainsford Rouner in 1979
The West Face, led the whole route with Shelly Presson, 1984
The West Face, with Bill Wright, 2001
Hopefully I'll do the West Face again and the Nose in a day before I die.
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WBraun
climber
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Why is El Cap so important?
If you done one you've done them all. They're all the same.
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Mimi
climber
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Werner, stop being a wall bigot! LOL!
Alas, the Zodiac was next, but I left the Valley.
Never Never Land, Nadime and Plunket (86)
Lurking Fear, Scott Cole (87)
Salathe' to the Hollow Flake, S. Cole (87)
Shield, Spike Davis (87)
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Ammon
Big Wall climber
El Cap
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Yeah, Steve is a class act. I remember watching him and Stowe on some of their push ascents when I was first learning how to wall climb. I dreamed of the day I could be confident enough to walk up to The Captain, start climbing and keep going until I was on top. He was one of the biggest reasons I went in the direction I did with climbing. I was even more impressed that he took time to talk to me (a nobody) and answer a few questions that I asked him…. eeer’s to ‘em!
Ok, put your gortex on:
53 Ascents, 39 Routes, 29 Push Ascents, 22 Speed Records, 20 Current Speed Records, 19 One Day Ascents, 10 First One Day Ascents, 8 Solo Ascents, 1 First Ascent Variation (only a couple of pitches)… and never climbed the Salathe and only The Nose twice.
Here's my list (a little incomplete):
North American Wall - solo: 97 (9 days/first wall)
Mescalito – w/Captain Kirk: 98
Iron Hawk – w/Joe Auer: 98 – w/Cedar Wright (30:42): 04
Tangarine Trip – w/Sara Sharpsteen:98 – w/Cedar Wright (10:24): 02
The Shield – w/Sam Shannon & Scott Thelan: 98 – w/Kathy Dicker: 99
Sea of Dreams - solo: 99 Third Solo Ascent
Tribal Rite – w/Kevin Conti: 99
Shortest Straw – solo: 99 – w/Ivo Ninov & Austin McNeely (26:00): 04
Zodiac – 2 solos (sub 24): 02&03 - w/Cedar (8:43) : 99 – w/Alexandra Arnel: 00
Zodiac – w/Alex Huber (6:15): 02 – w/Nick Fowler(5:57): 02 - w/Don Perry & son: 99
Lurking Fear – w/Jon Blair (8:55): 00
Lost in America – w/Kathy Dicker: 00 – w/Brian McCray (18:04): 04 - FOD
Zenyatta Mondatta – solo: 00 – w/Ivo Ninov & Keven Jaramlio (22:56): 05 - FOD
The Heart Route - solo: 00
Eagles Way – solo: 00 – w/Brian McCray (9:08): 04
New Dawn – w/Jose Pereyra: 00
Bermuda Dunes/Heart – w/Andrew: 01
Plastic Surgery Disaster (21:07): 01 – w/Brian McCray - FOD - Fifth Ascent
Lunar Eclipse – w/Jose Pereyra & Chongo (19:58): 01
Born Under a Bad Sign – w/Chris Van Luevan & Eric Walden 22:22): 01 - FOD
Get Whacked – w/Brian McCray (12:49): 01 - FOD - Second Ascent
The Nose – w/Dan McQuade (18:00): 02 – w/Thomas Huber, Ivo Ninov & german friends Klaus & Oulie: 05
New Jersey Turnpike – w/Brian McCray (14:00): 02
South Seas – w/Gabriel McNeely: 02
Jose Memorial – w/Gabriel & Austin McNeely: 03
Never Never Land – w/Chris McNamara (16:00): 04 - FOD
Sunkist – w/Brian McCray (19:57):04
Horse Chute – w/Chris McNamara (20:39): 04 - FOD
Wall of Early Morning Light – w/Brian McCray (23:43): 04 - FOD
Atlantic Ocean Wall – w/Brian McCray (23:38): 04 - FOD
Pacific Ocean Wall – w/Ivo Ninov (33:02): 04
Pressure Cooker - w/Ivo Ninov (23:41): 04 - FOD - Third Ascent
Jolly Roger – w/Cheryl Seger: 05
Magic Mushroom – w/ Ivo Ninov & Keven Jaramillo (55:15): 05
Space – w/Cedar Wright, Sean & Timmy O’Niell: 05
Virginia – w/Ivo Ninov & Gabriel McNeely (17:24):05
Native Son – w/Ivo Ninov (23:53): 06 - FOD
The Reticent Wall – w/Ivo Ninov & Dean Potter (34:57): 06
Surgeon General - solo: 07 - Fourth Ascent
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WBraun
climber
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Ammon -- Mescalito – w/Captain Kirk
Was that after that big whipper he took and got scalped?
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Ammon
Big Wall climber
El Cap
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Yeah, we did it a year later after his scalping, haa haa. His eyes got super huge when he talked about it.
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TrundleBum
Trad climber
Las Vegas
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- feeling impotent lmao
if Moratorium/East Butt don't count then simply:
(first of a few times, with Paul Boissenault 78)
#######
-Nose 83' with Mark Grant
we did it in two bivy's,
almost one but we lost a headlamp at first bivy and it was inevetiable we would top out in the dark, so we opted for a second biv on C-6. No hauling, second jugged with a pack, we used a 100 meter peice of 9mm Edleweiss Xtreme and did it in about 17 pitches.
I stopped climbing when I moved to Hawai'i in the early 80's.
Just started again last spring.
I look forward to those 'butterflies' again some day :)
#######
Mark Hudon...
When you were climbing with Peter Cole back then,
did he have his buddy 'Ace' the 4-paw-drive, wonder dog?
I remember running into Peter coming down the trail from the Cirque of the Towers in the winds. His dog was about 300 yrds ahead of him. The dog looked at and sniffed me. I looked him over (and 'ad a sniff or two) we were trying to figure out how we knew each other, when Peter came into sight and it was apparent.
The previous time I saw Peter and his dog they (yeah the two of them) were soloing up in Huntington's a couple seasons before. That was one seasoned canine.
(that should be a thread... canine soloists)
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E
Social climber
Tujunga CA.
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Ok guys, here's what I have so far.
1. West Face Mike Paul, 82
2. Lurking Fear Mike Lechlinski 85
3. Lurking Fear Kevin Thaw 96
4. West Butresss Ken Klis 97
5. Diehedral Wall, Ken Klis, 97
6. *Octopussy Tommy Thompson 04 Storm and pluckage 1 pitch from Thanksgiving
7. Never, Neverland Greg Byrne 84
8. Aquarian Wall Russ Walling 81
9. Horsechute Driver, Mike Lechlinski 85
10. Cosmos Bill Leventhal 97
11. Pacemaker Kevin Daniels, Brian Jonas 98
12. Flight of the Albatross Bill Leventhal 00
13. Sunkist Bill Leventhal 93
14. Jolly Roger Bill Leventhal 07
15. Magic Mushroom Greg Byrne 84
16. Shield John Sherman 83
17. Muir Wall Bill Leventhal 92
18. Salathe Tim Sorenson 80
19. Triple Direct Bill Leventhal/Will Oxx 99
20. Grape Race Bill Leventhal 03
21. The Nose Bill Leventhal 98
22. Tribal Rite Mike Lechlinski 06
23. WOTEML Bill Leventhal 93
24. New Dawn Mike Lechlinski 06
25. Mescalito Mike Lechlinski 83
26 Spacealito Mike Lechlinski 07
27. South Seas/Space Bill Leventhal 96
28. Pacific Ocean Wall Dave Evans 87
29. Sea of Dreams Bill Leventhal 06
30. North American Wall Robert Brown 95
31. Wyoming Sheep Ranch Bill Leventhal 03
32. New Jersey Turnpike Bill Leventhal 98
33. Alantic Ocean Bill Leventhal 05
34. Iron Hawk Robert Brown 96
35. *Native Son Russ Walling 91 Finished with Bill Leventhal 04
36. Aurora Brian Jonas 02
37. Tangerine Trip Greg Byrnes 86
38. Virginia Bill Leventhal 02
39. Lost in America Walt Shipley 96
40. Zenyatta Mondatta Greg Byrnes 86
41. Zodiac Dag Kolstrud/Mike Lechinski/Alan Nelson 1980
42. Zodiac Bill Leventhal/Will Oxx 99 25 hour push
43. Shortest Straw Tommy Thompson 01
44. Kaos Kevin Thaw/Bill Leventhal 97
45. Lunar Eclipse Bill Leventhal 91
46. Born Under A Bad SignBill Leventhal 02
47. Bad Seed Jean Delatiade 01
48. Eagles Way Greg Byrnes 83
49. Waterfall Route Bill Leventhal 02
42 hrs
that's I have......for now
xoxo
Erik
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mikeyschaefer
climber
Yosemite
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28 trips up the Big stone. many repeats, many failed attempts, a free ascent, and few guided ascents.
Hey Ammon! How bout the salathe? i bet we could get up that one together.
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Ammon
Big Wall climber
El Cap
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That's one 'ell of a list Erik, thanks for posting. It's cool to see the dates you climbed all the routes in, I guess I should add mine. It's interesting to read everyone's El Cap history. Cheers!
Edit- Yeah, Mikey I'm game on the Salathe... I was kinda saving it for D. Yerrian but I could always do it again. Hey, I tried to call you a few days ago... I'll try again.
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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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Another interesting list might be who has climbed all the main (big) formations: Rostrum, Ribbon Falls, Leaning Tower, Middle Cathedral (to the top), El Cap, Sentinel, Was. Col., Half Dome, Quarter Dome, Watkins, Yos. Falls Wall, (plus a few others).
JL
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James
climber
A tent in the redwoods
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A very small 3.
Zodiac in a day with Jamie Mundo
Lurking Fear in 12 hrs with Jens Holsten
Nose in 3.5 days with Max Hasson
Next time I summit El Cap, it'll be because I freed it.
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deuce4
Big Wall climber
the Southwest
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I've been up it a couple dozen or so times:
West Face (5 hours with Dave Schultz 6/84)
West Face (8 hours valley to valley with Steve Bryne, 10/85)
Never Never Land (first solo ascent, 5 days, 5/85)
Cosmos (1990 or so with Jimmy Dunn, new direct finish)
Shield (Solo, 4 bivies total--2 of which were on Chickenhead Ledge: had a bunch of food and water, so I spent a whole day hanging out reading books on Chickenhead, 6/84)
Shield (One day attempt with Mike Corbett, made it to Chickenhead in 18.5 hours, next day off in a big storm, 1985).
Shield (movie rigging for "Rock and Road", Sutton set ropes for us from the top to Chickenhead, so it doesn't really count).
Flight of the Albatross (FA with Will Oxx, 1990's)
Magic Mushroom(4 bivies, Corbett, 4/85)
Salathe (1983 with Swiss partner)
Salathe (1990's with Walt and friend)
Nose (1980, Steve Chardon)
Nose (Derik Hersey, 10/84)
Nose (Dave Schultz, 10.5 hours, 12/21/85, shortest day of the year)
Nose (Jeff Hollenbaugh, around 12 hours valley to valley, late 80s)
Nose (with "friend", 1990's)
Nose (with "friend", 1990's) *covert guiding missions, more than 7 years ago*
Nose (?, forget right now, I just remember that I've climbed the Nose 7 times)
Tribal Rite (Steve Quinlan, with right side of El Cap Tower start, 1991, stormed every day)
Mescalito (Alex Lowe, 2 bivies no pitches fixed, Hockey Night start, 1984)
Pacific Ocean Wall (Werner Braun, 3 bivies with three pitches fixed, 8/85)
North American Wall (2000 or so, for film shoot)
Wyoming Sheep Ranch (Xaver Bongard, 1990 or so, with new direct finish out the Cyclops)
Atlantic Ocean Wall (FA with John Barbella, 1985)
Iron Hawk (Russ Walling, 5th ascent, summer 84)
Zenyatta Mendatta (Walt Shipley, 2/85, first winter ascent)
Zodiac (Lydia Bradey, 1981)
East Buttress (a bunch of times)
For Largo's list, all the formations he mentioned, except for Quarter Dome (which I have been up a few pitches only--what a horrendous approach from Valley floor--never went back, the way to approach this one is from the top, apparently...)
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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That's all, E?
-Moma Mia!
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cragnshag
Social climber
san joser
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5
All with BigWallPaul. I think he's been up the Cap'n a dozen and a half times.....
Haven't been up since I got a real job several years ago. Wanted to go last year but was held back by psoriatic arthritis in my achilles, toes, and fingers. Thanx to a drug called Remicade I can actually walk straight and climb again! I'll be back up there this season- maybe with BWP if he can find a babysitter!
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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interesting Largo list. Never been on 1/4 dome, or to the top of watkins, do Arrow direct and chimbly (no tip either time)plus Freestone,count as Falls wall? Only been to the catwalk on middle, 3times each up sentinel and 4,WC, though, okay, I give.
Farther afield? How many up texas Tower? Or tha tiny crag by Bluff (blanding?) before Jello broke it?
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goatboy smellz
climber
colorado
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Gee if the west butt doesn't count then I've only done three.
Dihedral Wall - Mark Kelly '95
Zodiac - Alex Paxton '96
Tangerine Trip - Mary Summners '97
I gotta get back to cali...it's been too long.
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Jonny D
Social climber
Lost Angelez, Kalifornia
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dihedral 79 - philippe grenier
triple direct - philippe grenier
zodiac 82 - thierry renault
salathe 82 - antoine savelli
aquarian 82 - pascal etienne
nose 85 - jean noel, bertrand roche (10 year old!)
west face 00 - john ryer
bad seed 01 - E
zenyatta 03 - mark davis
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T2
climber
Cardiff by the sea
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Wow E and Ammon those are some pretty impessive list's. Thought I would lay may humble list out there.
Lurking Fear w/Stu Richie 85'
Octopussy w/Erik Eriksson (plucked 1 pitch from Thanksgiving 04')
Salathe w/Jim Erdman & John Wrap 85'
Shield w/Karen Roseme
Muir w/Rick Lovelace 89'
WOEML w/Rick Lovelace 91'
Mescalito (Solo to the Molar then joined Paul and Bill)
Pacfic Ocean Solo 97'
Atlantic Ocean w/Rick Lovelace 94' (4th ascent)
Iron son w/ Steve Muse 03'
Lost in America w/Dave Bengston 96'?
Tangarine Trip w/Lynn Ramono 95'?
Kaos w/Rick Lovelace (2nd ascent)?
ZM w/Rick Lovelace Ed Collins Dec 90'
Shortest Straw w/Erik Eriksson 02'
Zodiac w/John Collins 89'
Zodiac w/Mike Hatchett and Rick Lovelace (filmed for Masters of stone)
Zodiac w/Forrest Dobson
Zodiac w/George Hoover
Lurking Fear w Jim Erdman 89'
Hey Aldude or anyone out there by Gerby, see if you can't get him to make a cameo hear on this thread that is basically in his honor. I am sure I am not the only one that would love to hear from the Master.
YEEEHA
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Dave Tapes
Trad climber
Silverado CA
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Wow there are thousands of ascents all together from this group.
Just 10 for me not counting the West Face and the East Buttress.
DW
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pyro
Big Wall climber
Calabasas
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G_Gnome you "sona of itch". You said that the triple cracks is your pitch!
i've climbed el cap more than six times but less than ten!
I'd rather climb 1/2dome!
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Ammon
Big Wall climber
El Cap
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I would love to see Gerby’s El Cap list, I especially like the dates and partners and it would really be interesting to see his detailed list.
Oh, T2… bro, don’t sell your self short. You have inspired MANY, myself included. See you Sunday and will call you tomorrow.
Oh, funny how we both described Steve as a class act, just noticed it after going back and reading it again… maybe it stuck with me subliminally, not sure.
class act: an example of outstanding quality or prestige
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lucho
Gym climber
San Franpsycho
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And my dick is four inches...when I fold it in half.
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Maysho
climber
Truckee, CA
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Well Lucho,
Don't worry, if you are careful with the position of your leg loops, even you could probably get yourself up El Cap someday.
Peter
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Ghoulwe
Trad climber
Spokane, WA
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Wow, do I feel unworthy in this group! 2 ascents for me, but that was several decades ago.
#1) Salathe - Old Style. My 1st grade 6 and man was I in awe of the big stone.
#2) Triple Direct - Went to do the Nose but due to many attempts and epics going on lower down on the Nose, we started up 3D and when we got over to Camp IV, we had the route to ourselves.
#3 almost...) Had an aborted attempt on the Shield (one of the "attempts" that Hudon refers to above.)Had ropes fixed up above Mammoth when some slow-movers above us knocked a huge bunch of rock onto us and peppered our ledge and bags with baseball-sized rocks. Scared us more than hurt us, but we bailed anyway. Never have made it back.
Eric
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Maysho
climber
Truckee, CA
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Eric Barrett?
Hey I did not know you posted here. Welcome!
The road to El Cap success begins with great mentors, so Thank You for your willingness to let me, as a little punk, come along on those great days at Donner and the Leap way back when. I still see some of the old gang around here in Truckee, I climb with Bullit regularly, run into Victor rarely, and I had dinner with Jim Orey recently.
Peter
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Ghoulwe
Trad climber
Spokane, WA
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Feb 10, 2008 - 09:55pm PT
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Greetings Peter:
Yep, I do more lurking than a posting, but I do read ST.com regularly. Been living in Spokane for the last 6 years and I'm still climbing regularly (though not too hard these days...), lots of mountain biking too. Say Hi to the Truckee gang when you see them. I've seen Victor a bit in the last few years but it's been years since I've seen Jim or Gary. I do stay in touch with my Sacramento buddies and Hudon still.
Take care and I'm sure we'll cross paths again.
Eric
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Oakville, Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Feb 10, 2008 - 10:38pm PT
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OK, 33 ascents by 33 different routes:
#1 The Nose - fall 88 with Kurt Haire. Haven't seen him since. He was a guide at Outward Bound in Oregon. Hoped for 3 1/2 days but it took 5 1/2. The Star Trek V film crew had just come down, and we scarfed some of their leftover food and water out of grey plastic buckets fastened to the wall at El Cap Towers.
#2 Salathe Wall - fall 95 with Thomas Frischmann of Frieburg, Germany. Haven't seen him since, I sent him an email once but he never responded. Not much of a writer. It was he who said "you must alvays have a vell-organicized belay and a vell-organicized bivi."
#3 West Face - late fall 95 with Thomas. Great route! One of my prouder moments back before Free Climbing Retirement. Actually got the first two pitches on toprope on sight with no falls. We bivi'd on Thanksgiving Ledge rather than climb to the summit in the dark. Built a big campfire in the cave and fell asleep on the sand. Woke up cold every hour or so, threw some more wood on the fire and went back to sleep. West Face definitely counts for me, as it is the route which would give me the most trouble were I ever to try to repeat it.
#4 Zodiac - fall 95 with Neal Weiss, who writes as Lovegasoline on McTopo. My most clusterf*#ked El Cap ascent ever! Borrowed a home-made portaledge which broke - sheesh. We were out of food, water and light on top.
#5 - Lurking Fear - fall 96 with Dean Brault, a lawyer from Arizona I think. Drove this old yellow Mercedes. He taught me about cordelettes. Some Brit climbers climbed it in a 24-hour push. We did it in three eight-hour days. We had more fun. One of the Brits saw my big wall crab and said, "Oi, a spy-dah!"
#6 - Mescalito - fall 96 with Neal Weiss. Pretty good ascent. All of the partners above I met in Camp 4. I nailed more pins in one pitch on that route than I had done in sixteen years of climbing.
#7 - Sunkist early May 97 - Dave Benton, a guy from back home who I met in the climbing gym. His first wall, a great partner. What a superb route! It should be climbed a lot more often because it's brilliant. Above the brilliant orange headwall you climb straight up this exposed arete, and I watched this peregrine falcon begin soaring from the base, and he flew by me so close I could see the stripes on his breast and curve of his talons.
#8 - Pacific Ocean Wall - May 97, the big flood. Jon Fox and his wife Lisa. He introduced me to big wall coffee, definitely the Better Way. I remember we made the approach, and climbed and hauled to the top of 4 to bivi there the first night. Cool bivi on Island in the Sky. We couldn't really find the Highbrow Bivi, not sure exactly where it is, over towards the Igloo somewhere I guess.
#9 - fall 97 - Chongo told me I ought to solo something, so I chose something longer and harder than anything I had yet done, Iron Hawk. I knew nothing about the route except Warren Hollinger told me he liked it. It was quite the adventure, I was on the wall 16 nights. I took a daisy chain fall down low on The Spoon, it's a traverse, and when I fell the daisy caught me under my rib, and I might well have cracked a rib cuz it really hurt. The free climbing up top was desperate, fully gym-rat side-pull 5.10 thirty to forty feet above psychological [not real] pro. Definitely DFU. I was using a Solo Aid so I had to pay out the slack BEFORE I made the move! Possibly the second solo of the route, Odd Roar Wiik told me that Xaver Bongard told him X. had solo'd it.
#10 - fall 98 - Aurora with Dave Benton. Another superb line that ought to get climbed more often. The expando Gong Flake is particularly memorable.
#11 - fall 98 - Reticent Wall eighth ascent with Chris Geisler and Sean Easton. Pretty darn hard, that! I remember Leo Houlding taking his 200-foot factor-one falls off the summit. When he hit the end of the rope, his chalk bag exploded.
#12 - fall 98. I attempted to solo Native Son the spring of 98, but got El Nino'd off. I returned in the spring of 99 and sent it. On my first attempt I took a twenty-foot fall after the flake I was hooking ripped and I fell onto a duct-taped skyhook on the second pitch, which miraculously held. [these were the days before I had Screamers]. That hook was almost completely straightened, so I found a crack and bent it back. Near the summit on the Golden Nipple pitch, Chris Falkenstein rapped down and took some pix of me. One appeared on the front cover of the Yates catalogue one year. The film footage appeared in the Reid aid climbing video, which is not a great video. Fourth solo ascent I think.
#13 - Jolly Roger eighth ascent fall 1999 with Jon Fox. Probably my favourite El Cap route. Superb sustained climbing the whole way. I did the hard aid, Jon the hard free climbing. Some real DFU pitches on that one. The hardest hook move I have ever made!
#14 - May 2000 Muir Wall with Christian George, Thad ? and Tim ?
#15 - Tangerine Trip solo - spring 2001 - great fun. Met up with Gerald a guide from Austria who was climbing with a Kiwi named Froggy. They passed me, and when I was bivi'd one pitch above I rapped down with my ghetto blaster, beer and whisky for a big wall beer party, and we blasted out AC-DC. "Zis vas ze best bivi I haf ever had!" declared Gerald.
#16 - Sea of Dreams - May 2001 with Nick "Rambo" Ginn. I met him on the summit after he climbed the Ranch with Tom Morrow and his girlfriend. Ammon and Gabe pendulumed over from South Seas to P.O., and Chongo jugged his fixed ropes, and we had a big wall keg party on Big Sur Ledge. Great times!
#17 - Zenyatta - fall 2001 - solo. Seemed like a good route to do. I was nailing an "expando" flake when the bloody thing blew off with me attached to it, and a thousand pounds of granite and I met in mid-air prior to the thirty-foot fall. I still have the scar on my elbow. I fell onto a slung spike of rock, and the sling was almost cut through.
#18 - Excalibur - May 2002. Tom Kasper [Tom on McTopo] made his superb 9" and 12" Valley Giant cams just for our ascent. You should see my slide show of Frosty's Claustrophobic Bivi on rockclimbing.com.
#19 - Shortest Straw - spring 2002 - solo. Great route! I sent that one pretty fast for me, about a week I think. I was definitely on-form for that one, wheras I am usually off-the-couch.
#20 - Lunar Eclipse - fall 2002 - solo. A nice line, actually. Not very hard, not A4, probably just A3+. Superb bivis at Cats and Frogs Ledge [more properly Lady Bug Ledge since BUBS was climbed first] and also above the Devil's Brow just before you swing onto Zodiac.
#21 - Scorched Earth - fall 2002 - with Tom Kasper. The fourth ascent, sort of. I dropped Tom's pig - containing all our big cams and half our food and water - from the Poison Pill. Without the big cams we had to bypass the Leavittator, Tom's reason for climbing the route. I enjoyed the A5 pitch down below, the one with the 15-foot Lovetron move! There's a really cool 30-shot slide show on Rockclimbing.com. You can read how I dropped Tom's pig. Sheesh. With half our food and water gone, we had to rocket to the summit, and I led all the pitches in blocks, four per day. People thought we bailed because after our leisurely one-pitch-per-day pace, we were suddenly "gone" from the wall, until they looked up. "Wait, they're near the top!"
#22 - May 2003 - Bermuda Dunes - Fourth ascent with Tom Kasper. Probably my second-favourite route after Jolly Roger. I asked ASCA to sponsor us to replace bolts, but wouldn't guarantee I would drill no new holes because I had never replaced a bolt before. So Chris Mac said "no" for now. Anyway, Tom made us some "tuning forks" and we replaced I think 23 old rusty 1/4-inchers with new fatty 3/8-inchers, all in the same holes. Hole count remains unchanged. We took photos, and got full future sponsorship from ASCA. There is some f*#king AWESOME climbing on Bermuda Dunes, man. It doesn't get climbed because people see "200' pitch, no pro" on it. That's the Hollow Flake of Salathe Wall, you come in at its bottom, but it's thin there. The fat stuff isn't til up higher, so if you can climb Salathe you can climb Bermuda Dunes. Of course we had Tom's big cams to C1 it. You climb through some of the biggest roofs on the Captain, right near the top. Amazing exposure, brilliant climbing. What a superb route!
#23 - June 2003 - Lost in America - my seventh solo of El Cap. I was accused on McTopo of drilling the two chicken rivets on the sixth pitch, but I didn't, though I used them. And cuz I used them I didn't chop them. Note - there is no 5.8 bypass to this crux pitch. Of course I hooked the rest of the pitch.
#24 - September 2003 - Eagle's Way - my eighth solo of El Cap. Fun route, not too hard. Circuitous annoying climbing at the bottom til you reach the headwall. Nicest C1 thin crack you'll ever do near the top.
#25 - October 2003 - Never Never Land with Sean ? and Jean-Paul Brackin who writes as diesel_smoke on McTopo. Nice route, a moderate. Pretty good climbing, actually. A real epic up and over the top of Lurking Fear. We had a lot of food, water and beer and were going slowly. The whole time Sean was fretting about his wife at home, poor bugger. Timbuktu Towers and Pinnacle of Hammerdom are superb bivis, as is of course Thanksgiving Ledge. I determined if I ever reached Thanksgiving Ledge again I would not go over the top, but rappel Lurking Fear.
Spring 2004 - fell off of Wyoming Sheep Ranch and busted my leg. Big time surgery, in a cast all summer.
#26 - August 2004, took out the one pin in my leg so I could walk. Sept 2004, Son of Heart with Tom Kasper. My least favourite route I think. Grungy with lots of wide stuff. I was so slow because of my still-healing leg, it was a long way below par, that's for sure. Traverse at the top of the corner to Sunkist is quite brilliant though, really cool solution pockets with crazy-ass pin stacks.
#27 - spring 2005 - Tribal Rite with Tom Kasper. Another great big wall camping trip, we went up via New Dawn and spent two nights on the superb Lay Lady Ledge. Great photo essay on Mctopo.
#28 - fall 2005 - North America Wall with Cybele Blood. Not sure I really liked this route that much, it just wanders around a bunch. Nice bivi in the Black Cave - it rained and we stayed completely dry. Great rainbow photos from there.
#29 - spring 2006 - Dihedral Wall with Cybele Blood. Another not-so-great route. Just not great climbing, y'know? Cybele and I finished the legit four-pitch finish, very "different" up a huge gully, some wet climbing. We rapped the gully, then rapped Lurking Fear to finish.
#30 - spring 2006 - Cosmos with Tom Kasper. We were all tooled up with ASCA bolts for Wings of Steel, but I wasn't prepared to do fifty-foot runouts on truly-sick hooks to climb the route. Probably the hardest route on El Cap. Now there is a superb study in "resentment" - all of it recorded on McTopo. Should be a magazine article on that route, man. Cosmos, we replaced a bunch of bolts. We trundled a huge piece of rock off of Cosmos - it had stopped the previous team on P6 where they had drilled a rap bolt. I drilled a three-rivet ladder around it, then after cleaning the pitch trundled it with one hand, after removing the booty #3.5 Camalot of course. I think we reckoned it weighed about 6000 pounds. Amazing explosion at the base. I chopped the rivets afterwards, as there is a thin crack where the flake used to be. Rapped Lurking Fear again.
#31 - fall 2006 - Magic Mushroom with Tom Kasper. Another not-so-great route. The upper corners are really awkward and hard to climb, not fun. Replaced a bolt or two. Nice bivis along the way at Mammoth, Grey and Chickenhead ledges. Tom got off-route at the penji below the pinnacle, and we climbed two pitches of Flight of the Albatross by mistake, after which we followed an obscure traverse over to rejoin the Mushroom.
#32 - spring 2007 - rematch on Wyoming Sheep Ranch with Kate. Big wall camping at its finest. I replaced lead rivets on Welcome To Wyoming pitch, a Real Live Death Pitch, that, with an incredibly sharp lip to a roof that could well cut your rope if you fall.
#33 - Horse Chute with Holly Beck, fall 07. The big corner was OK, but not everything it was cracked up to be.
See you next spring for #34!
P.S. Would like to hear you guys' take on the quality and climbing on these routes:
The Heart Route, Pacemaker, Grape Race, NJT, AO, Kaos, BUBS
If you're interested in any routes, I have annotated topos, so drop me an email and I can send 'em your way.
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Trusty Rusty
Social climber
Tahoe area
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Feb 10, 2008 - 10:56pm PT
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Yeah. . .Tucker, your looking sweet these days! Is that Popcorn in yer hair . . .or a dab of Butter?
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Gagner
climber
Boulder
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Feb 10, 2008 - 11:08pm PT
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Lots of ascents of the big stone on this thread. Wish I had done more, but at 47 y/o still trying. My short list:
1979: Nose with Rick Harlan in 2 1/2 days-could have done it in two days but slowed down by a party of three jugging with packs, not hauling.
1979: Zodiac with John Barbella and Karl McConachie. With an old curry ledge, and the 3rd always took the swing - yee haw!!
1980: Mescalito with Steve Schneider. Spent two nights partying on the Bismark.
1980: Pacific Ocean Wall with Chris Bellizzi - somewhere between the 10th and 13th ascent, who knows..?
1985: Son of Heart with Gary Thunen. Great route ... 6th ascent?
1985: Salathe with Jim Woodmency
1986: North America Wall with Renny Jackson
1987: Muir Wall with Bill Crouse in super cold and stormy conditions.
1987: Lost in America with Eric Brand - 2nd ascent. Hauled a ton of supplies for the total 'fat man' ascent - 11 days!!
1988: Nose in a day with Tom Davies
1988: West Face in a day with Steve "Lucky" Smith
1989: Nose in a day with Steve "Lucky" Smith
1989: (I think): Salathe in a day with Steve "Lucky" Smith - 3rd one dayer.
1999: Zodiac in a push with Steve "Lucky" Smith
2001: West Face again with Steve "Lucky" Smith
2003: Shield with Lee Lambert
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Gagner
climber
Boulder
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Feb 10, 2008 - 11:15pm PT
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Ummm I don't remember Kathy...:)
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Trusty Rusty
Social climber
Tahoe area
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Feb 16, 2008 - 04:52am PT
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Nice publish Pete.
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Oakville, Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Feb 16, 2008 - 11:33am PT
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Thanks, Rusty. Be sure to go back and check out some of the others like Ammon and Erik E. and Bill and Tommy T - some very impressive ticks. And also some glaring ommisions - as in, "routes with no second ascents". And let's get Gerby on this thread!
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clustiere
Trad climber
Rock Ridge/ Oakland CA
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Feb 16, 2008 - 11:56am PT
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3 fer 4
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Chicken Skinner
Trad climber
Yosemite
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Feb 16, 2008 - 12:37pm PT
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T2,
When you did Zodiac with Hatchett and Lovelace, did you get rained on heavily near the top?
Ken
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Oakville, Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Feb 16, 2008 - 12:58pm PT
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P.S. Still waiting to hear you guys' take on the quality and climbing on these routes:
West Buttress, The Heart Route, Pacemaker, Grape Race, New Jersey Turnpike, Atlantic Ocean, Kaos, BUBS
And I'm available to answer questions or provide beta if anyone's interested - cheers.
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aaronj
Big Wall climber
KY
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Feb 16, 2008 - 01:27pm PT
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26 ascents, 18 different routes, 8 solos, 15 ascents during the 2007 season
#1 lurking fear-tyler jette, matthew thomsen, 3 days 9/04
#2 south seas-solo, 14 days 6/05
#3 zenyatta mondatta-scotty vincik, jake hector, 33 hrs 6/05
#4 tangerine trip-zak tourville, jake hector, 25 hrs 7/05
#5 scorched earth (10th pitch variation)-scotty vincik, dan oppenheim, 36 hrs 7/05
#6 shortest straw-solo, winter, 8 days 2/06
#7 native son- solo, 10 days total, 7 days of storms 4/06
#8 eagles way-lance lemkal, carson, 36 hrs 8/06
#9 lost in america-solo, chopped chicken rivets, 8 days 8/06
#10 zodiac-tim, jason, 5 days 10/06
#11 north america wall-lance lemkal, jean redle, 5 days 10/06
#12 virginia-dave turner, matt thomsen, 26 hrs 5/07
#13 zodiac-matt thomsen, lance lemkal, 26 hrs 5/07
#14 dihedral wall-ivo ninov, 3 days 5/07
#15 NA-lance lemkal, ted, 3 days 6/07
#16 shield-lance lemkal, ted, 3 days 7/07
#17 zodiac-solo, 26 hrs 7/07
#18 zodiac-solo, 18 hrs 7/07 (same week as^)
#19 tangerine trip-ivo ninov, 16 hrs 8/07
#20 nose-corbin usinger, 17 hrs 8/07
#21 tempest-solo, 9 days 9/07
#22 nose-corbin usinger, 12 hrs 9/07
#23 zodiac-solo, 12:52 9/07
#24 aquarian wall-alik berg, 26 hrs 10/07
#25 zodiac-lance lemkal, 8:30 10/07
#26 tangerine trip-ivo ninov, 14 hrs 11/07
plus leaning tower, washington column, h-dizzle and the porcelain wall
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GDavis
Trad climber
SoCal
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Feb 16, 2008 - 02:09pm PT
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how do you solo zodiac in under 13 hours.....
f*#k.
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aaronj
Big Wall climber
KY
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Feb 16, 2008 - 04:23pm PT
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only one 70 m rope
lead pitches 1-3 until bolt ladder to hook transition, rap/clean
leave biner on last bolt in ladder on pitch 3. loop belay to pitch 3 anchor. again loop belay and back clean all of pitch 4 to anchor. pull rope, rethread thru anchor backclean all of pitch 5. repeat pitch 6. self belay with grigri as normal, pitch 7 (black tower), 8, 9 and 10. rap cleaning the nipple f*#king sucks. thread rope thru anchor below mark of zorro, loop belay to above lip of roof, backcleaning everything. repeat for the rest of route.
all in all i only belayed (traditionally) for 4 pitches and did the rest of the route facing 150-230 falls if i popped as i only used 2 daisies.
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James
climber
A tent in the redwoods
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Feb 16, 2008 - 04:28pm PT
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And if he hadn't stopped for so many smoke breaks, he would've done it in 10.
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GDavis
Trad climber
SoCal
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Feb 16, 2008 - 04:34pm PT
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Amazing. Good description, I can see how that works.
*balls shrink into stomach thinking about it*
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lucho
Gym climber
San Franpsycho
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Feb 16, 2008 - 09:02pm PT
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Sorry about that previous obscene comment James made me do it! Now to answer the question, 3 times up the big stone.
First - 26 hour push on Eagles Way
Second- No falls ascent of West Face
Third - Attempt to free FreeRider in 3 days, climbed 21 pitches with no falls then fell apart on pitch 22 the "crux" boulder problem pitch. Nevertheless tons of fun!
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T2
climber
Cardiff by the sea
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Feb 17, 2008 - 10:13pm PT
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Chicken Skinner: I don't believe we encounterd any weather when we did that. To be completely honest though it is hard for me to remember for sure. I can tell you that we had a great time up there. My job was basically to advance the rope up higher on the climb while Mike would film Rick releading certain pitches below.
PTTP: I am really poor in the beta department, I rarely give it because in my opinion no beta is better than bad beta.
Kaos: I would describe as rope stretcher piches, loooong reaches for any rivits, and heads up climbing. Z.M. felt easy when we got there. Steve had told us they used 200' ropes and streched them out. The thing that I remember the most was my first lead (the second pitch) I ran out of rope 20' shy of the belay, strung out on thin gear (beaks and heads) I was forced to tie the trail line into the lead line, put myself on belay with a clove hitch to make the last 20'. Scarry head up sh#t.
Atlantic Ocean wall: I felt this one climbed a super cool part of the wall between the N.A. feature and Iron Hawk. It is almost like a buttress that divides the diorite and that golden granite. It is fun to say I got to climb about 3 pitches that now rest at the base. The true Atlantic Ocean wall from the start has not been climbed since Steve Gerberding soloed it right after Rick and I climbed it back in 94'
The pictures I have posted before but I am sure it has been a few years.
On my post that list's my ascents the last one listed was supposed to be Lunar Eclipse not Lurking Fear with Jim Erdman. My edit button doesn't appear for some reason.
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Oakville, Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Mar 18, 2008 - 02:02pm PT
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I'm a speed climber now! Zodiac was my 34th ascent.
Nanook - still waiting for your numbers - did you figure it out? Wasn't our push of Zodiac your 60th El Cap ascent??
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WanderlustMD
Trad climber
Lanham MD
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Mar 18, 2008 - 02:05pm PT
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Zero!
Maybe this season.
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Scott Cole
Trad climber
Jackson, WY^
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Mar 21, 2008 - 10:15am PT
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Only 17.
Scott
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dee ee
Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
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Mar 21, 2008 - 11:54am PT
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I have done 8 routes defined as those that go from "bottom to top." That's not many in this circle of big stone fanatics.
Nose-Sibylle Hechtel
West Face- Craig Fry
East Butt.-Fry
Zodiac-The Troll
Aquarian- Charles Cole
Magic Mushroom- Rick Lynsky
Pacific Ocean Wall- E
Lurking Fear- Margy Floyd and Jeff Clapp
I have done at least one rt. in 4 out of 5 decades of my life.
I like John's comment that the first one is the only one that matters.
We used to say you weren't a "real" climber until you had climbed El Cap.
Cheers!
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enci
climber
Hungary
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Ammon, second ascent of Get Whacked was done by Thomas Tivadar and Gabor Berecz in '97.
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seamus mcshane
climber
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PTPP,I believe Brad Jarrett did the second solo of Iron Hawk 1994-95 ish.
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Oakville, Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Yes, Odd Roar Wiik told me that.
34 routes, 35 ascents after South Seas to PO.
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Alas, only four:
Zodiac, 1983
Shield, 1991
West Face, 1992
POW 1995
Would've been lots more but between people poaching my lines on the Nose, storms on Mescalito and Lurking Fear, a buddy who showed up to do Iron Hawk with busted ribs, two knee reconstructions, undergrad, work and grad school (and now marriage and kids), I think I finally have to concede that I'm done...unless my kids (4.5 and 2) want to drag their old man up it fifteen years from now.
aaronj: impressive solo times on Zodiac, but you must be real young or real crazy.
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dave goodwin
climber
carson city, nv
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one the shield 2007
one failed attempt NIAD. Bailed at Dolt Tower.
take care
dave
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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From my quick read-through seems like Jello has the first recorded (so far) Supertopian ascent of El Cap. What about Oli, DR, LongAgo, jstan -- has somebody got Jello's '69 beat?
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Dogtown Climber
Trad climber
The Idyllwild City dump
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Jun 10, 2008 - 04:49am PT
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Sadly only two.But I'm still young.Ha Ha
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OldEric
Trad climber
Westboro, MA
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Jun 10, 2008 - 12:13pm PT
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Two - Nose and Salathe. Hadn't thought about it but today might be the 30th year anniversary of the Salathe.
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Hoots
climber
Tacoma, Toyota
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Jun 10, 2008 - 02:18pm PT
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Finally got one! Bailed at Dolt twice but finally completed Lurking Fear last week. But more to come for sure.
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climbera5
Trad climber
Sacramento
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Jun 10, 2008 - 03:03pm PT
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Just a few but soloing the Zodiac in 87 changed my life. Per Largo, the other major formations would be destinations all their own if located anywhere else. Done all but two. Fabulous memories all.
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drljefe
climber
Calizona
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Jun 12, 2008 - 02:16pm PT
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Jim Erdman is the f-ing man!
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shipoopoi
Big Wall climber
oakland
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Jun 13, 2008 - 01:50pm PT
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cool thread, just thought i would mention that there is another steve here that has done a few trips up the big stone. i've done 95 trips up via 34 different routes. i'm in third place behind steve gerberding's 105 or so, and hans florine 124ish ascents.
pass the pitons pete, you gotta have the highest ascent to route ratio of anybody. i've done the nose 24 times, lurking fear 16, salathe 9. hans has done the nose about 63 times.some records for me include
first one day solos on salathe and the nose
3 el cap routes in a single day(nose, lurking fear, west face)
1st sombrero ascent lunar eclipse 1982ish
i'd like to see a point system favored heavily on free climbing, as in you get one point for a 13a, 2 points for a 13b, and 5 points for a 14a on each climb you do. nothing for 12d or lower. extra points for ferst free ascents, and one day free ascents.the nose would be worth say 3 points, sea of dreams 5 for five days. of course tommy would win big, with the hubers doing quite well.
but i think the real number is ascents, of course, seeing how i am perched on the edge of 100.
shipoopoi
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GDavis
Trad climber
SoCal
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Jun 13, 2008 - 01:55pm PT
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Steve, I read somewhere in an old climbing rag that you wanted to do 50 el cap routes, 100 5.13's and like 10 8000m peaks.
If you need a partner for another route on the cap'n... :)
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shipoopoi
Big Wall climber
oakland
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Jun 13, 2008 - 01:57pm PT
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AND WHAT ABOUT THE WOMEN
sue mcdevitt is the undisputed queen with an estimated just under thirty ascents, she used to guide it a bunch with her hubby for yms
my wife, heather baer seems to be in second place with 18 ascents, and has bandalooped on the big stone more than anybody ever.
i think jacqueline florine is in third with an estimated 15 ascents including first female soloes on the nose and lurking fear. i would guess that there is a few women in double digits, and a lot that are close. shipoopoi
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GDavis
Trad climber
SoCal
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Jun 13, 2008 - 02:01pm PT
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Holdplease has to have a lot, maybe she can chime in.
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shipoopoi
Big Wall climber
oakland
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Jun 13, 2008 - 02:05pm PT
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hey gdavis, whoever you are, it was only 3 8000 meter peaks, not ten. i might be blonde, but i'm not stupid. as far as the big stone, i'm most proud of free climbing 3 routes on el cap(el nino and golden gate for first american ascents, and freerider after those, which was never even on my "big three things to do "list. i'm still the oldest person to free climb el cap(freerider at 45) although the hubers should take care of that in a few years. shipoopoi
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E
Social climber
Tujunga CA.
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Jun 13, 2008 - 02:45pm PT
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Hey Steve , ummmmm last time I checked I thought that I had the second most el cap ascents at clearly 46 seperate routes(Hans doesnt update my ascents on his website anymore so its stuck on 42.) The unreported routes incude new dawn, tribal rite , Space, Sea of dreams, and jolly rodger(leading all aid cruxes)
I'll agree that piton pete has spent the most time up there
but he's got a long way to go before catch'n up. If you want to have a points system imho yer scoring a thousand until you drill and thats one thing that I have never done on the captain.I got a lot more to say about ethics and what I've seen up there.
Erik Eriksson
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Jun 13, 2008 - 02:55pm PT
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"What about Oli, DR, LongAgo, jstan -- has somebody got Jello's '69 beat?"
I'm reasonably sure that Oli did the Nose in the mid 1960s. It's in Swaramandal.
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Jun 13, 2008 - 02:56pm PT
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Do Harding and Caldwell hold the record for the longest consecutive time spent on an El Capitan route? Were they beaten by the guys on the route which we dare not name?
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Texplorer
Trad climber
Reno
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Jun 13, 2008 - 05:00pm PT
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I thought it wasn't about how many el cap routes you have done but how many El Cap Climbers you have done. . .
150 gay points for that comment
OK, I'll chime in with my paltry 7 ascents
Salathe -2002
Nose -2003
Nose -2003 1 day ascent
Mescalito -2004
South Seas to PO -2005
Zodiac -2005 Solo
Eagle's Way -2006 Push
ZM -2006 bailed @ pitch 8 -unfinished business
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T2
climber
Cardiff by the sea
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Jun 13, 2008 - 05:45pm PT
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The thread ask's "How many El Cap Routes have you done?" Not "How many times you have been up El Cap"
In my humble opinion: That means the one with the most number of different routes wins the point game.
The free climbing that is going on up there is truly bold badass stuff. Entirely a differnt game with different players. That thread would start off with a picture of Tommy Caldwell, not Gerby.
Steve it was a pleasure to meet you and your lovely wife on the top of the Zodiac last week.
Best Regards
T2
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T2
climber
Cardiff by the sea
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Jun 13, 2008 - 10:09pm PT
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Hey Captain don't take me so literally my friend. My comments are only in reference to Shipoopoi's above post, using his analogy to express what I feel is most viable in regards to this thread.
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Russ Walling
Social climber
Out on the sand.... man.....
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Jun 13, 2008 - 10:12pm PT
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How many points do you need for the free Toaster?
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T2
climber
Cardiff by the sea
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Jun 13, 2008 - 10:19pm PT
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I believe you recieve the new toaster after freeing your first route Russ. When you hit triple digit ascents I think you get the new color TV.
I wonder what you get after you free 100 routes
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WBraun
climber
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Jun 13, 2008 - 10:29pm PT
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"I wonder what you get after you free 100 routes"
Tendinitis .....
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Russ Walling
Social climber
Out on the sand.... man.....
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Jun 13, 2008 - 10:30pm PT
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hahaha.... looks like camp toast for me..... wait..... I *am* toast!
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Jun 13, 2008 - 10:40pm PT
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Anders,
> Do Harding and Caldwell hold the record for the longest consecutive time spent on an El Capitan route? Were they beaten by the guys on the route which we dare not name?
Neither, at least according to my recollection. See the 2006 thread Record for the slowest El Cap climb
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.html?topic_id=185629&msg=185650#msg185650
where I posted:
---------
If we consider days continually on the wall, I think the recent records are:
 29 days, Wall of Early Morning Light, Warren Harding and Dean Caldwell, 1970
39 days, Wings of Steel, Richard Jensen and Mark Smith, 1981
42? days, Verano Magico?, Luis Gallego and Javier Gallego, 1985?
My memory on the last route is hazy - my recollection is that it was over 40 days.
---------
The Gallegos seem to be into staying up there for very long periods of time. In 1995, they spent 45 days doing a route called Mar Menor on Mt. Watkins (3/27 to 5/10).
http://www.senderistas.com/enciclopedia/index.php/Garc%C3%ADa_Gallego,_Jos%C3%A9_Luis
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Jun 13, 2008 - 11:37pm PT
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Hmm, those Gallegos fellers seem to like being up there.
I wonder which climber has bivouaced the most times, total, on El Capitan? That is, adding every night on the wall (not the base or top) together?
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Russ Walling
Social climber
Out on the sand.... man.....
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Jun 13, 2008 - 11:56pm PT
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Pete (PTPP) was telling me the other day in email that his FISH Ledge just went over the 365 nights mark..... that would be a year for you guys in Berkley....
Pretty impressive on a few fronts..... even if a guy does some standard times, that is like 80 El Cap routes.
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hollyclimber
Big Wall climber
Yosemite, CA
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CHICKS ON THE BIG STONE
I have 20 routes and 24 ascents. My neighbor Sue McDevitt has 26 ascents and we have to recount her routes but its around 12 or so. Beth has the most ascents for a woman, with 34 ascents on Hans' site right now (12 routes).
Aimee Aucoin has reported around 17 ascents on this topic and I would guess that after me she has the most number of routes ascended on El Cap by a woman.
Steve Schneider reports 18 ascents for Heather, but I am sure that includes repeats. I used to know how many El Cap routes Kate had - I think its around 9 or so with a lot of hard ones: Virginia, Mescalito (solo), ZM, Lost in America, The Straw?, Wyoming Sheep Ranch, Reticent, Tangerine Trip, Born Under a Bad sign (in progress? assume success is eminent). Kate's into quality, not quantity I would say.
Other notables: Amanda Tarr and Kathy Dicker have quite a few routes and Lorna Illingworth, Erika Kutcher (RIP) and Jean Redle have a fair number as well.
At any rate, chicks are tearing up the Captain pretty good I would say!
I was most inspired by Amanda Tarr and Sue McDevitt as I started my wall climbing adventure. Amanda for her amazing trip reports on RC.com and Sue for her first ascent, huge number of ascents, first one day of the Nose with Nancy Feagin and her appearance in the Green Gear Video Guide to Aid Climbing, which I must have watched 20 times while learning to aid climb. Also of course hugely inspired by Bev Johnson, after whom I pushed myself to solo the Dihedral Wall as my hardest adventure on El Cap personally, irrespective of the grade of the climbing.
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Oakville, Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Jul 27, 2008 - 10:46pm PT
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I gotta do the arithmetic, Russ, but I think I'm sitting around 360 nites of big wall camping on the side of El Cap [not counting summit and base bivis] - almost every dang one in my Fish double Crab-O-Ledge.
35 routes and 36 ascents of El Cap, what with my recent climb of Born Under A Bad Sign with Kate.
Will try to get a trip report written and some photos uploaded for yous guys to see. Pretty Darn Hard route, mate!
Nice work, Holly. Time to get you on some A4 this fall, doncha think? Aurora's the one for you....
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WBraun
climber
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Jul 27, 2008 - 11:48pm PT
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The only time that counts is the first time.
I saw a hummingbird feed off a flower up there.
I was so beautiful.
I didn't want the climb to ever end ........
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Oakville, Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Jul 28, 2008 - 11:05am PT
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You'd have loved it up there this spring season, Werner. The hummingbirds were all over the place, especially in the flowers on the Bearing Straights of P.O. Wall. One morning on BUBS, a hummingbird flew right inside my portaledge straps, and buzzed around me for ten or fifteen seconds. I offered him some coffee, but he took off for flowers instead - amazing!
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steveA
Trad climber
bedford,massachusetts
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Just thought I would chime in here with my "impressive" total of 2!
More to mention the names of 3 oldtimers who many of you know"
The Nose with George Myers& The Salathe with Jim Donini back around 1972- 1973. Just had a long conversation with Jimmy Dunn about an hour ago.
He did the 1st ascent-solo of the Cosmos. He's still out there climbing-almost everyday. I just broke my ankle,AGAIN, and am spending more time than usual surfing the net. 1972
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Oakville, Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Steve! You gotta talk to Jimmy Dunn and get him to post here on McTopo! I'd sure love to hear his tales. His was the first solo first ascent made on El Cap. I've climbed Cosmos - great route. We trundled one big-ass column of rock off the fifth or sixth pitch.
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steveA
Trad climber
bedford,massachusetts
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Jimmy is very modest and avoids publicity; however, I am hoping an article just written by him (today), will be published in Alpinist magazine. It is about the 1st free ascent of the Diagonal route in the Black canyon-done by him and the late Earl Wiggins. It is really GRIPPING! One pitch (rated 5.11) Jimmy did with 2 crappy pieces of gear-neither of which would of held any kind of fall. He essentially
soloed that pitch -way back in 1976!! Jimmy told me about Wiggins, on another occasion, soloing Outer Limits and Bridwell had to turn his back. They couldn't watch it, since they were certain he would fall. That was some bad ass kind of climbing back then. Jimmy emailed me the article and it was really well written. It's about time he finally wrote about his climbing exploits!
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big wall paul
Trad climber
tahoe, CA
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Well, since this thread is at the top again, I'll reveal my meager numbers: 12 ascents by 9 routes.
Highlights were my getting into continuous push climbs with a 24.5 hour ascent of zodiac,
and a 32 hour ascent of the nose.
Last climb was 5 years ago, gotta get back up there before I get too old. 40 yr old now.
Drywall Paul.
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Captain...or Skully
Big Wall climber
Yonder (out in the sagebrush)
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Tell it to Frost....(too old?)
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Not a lick of self pity or doubt to be found on his ever grinning face! I love this shot that Ryan took during the season of reprises. Totally inspiring!
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Jan 19, 2009 - 09:45pm PT
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What?! None of you monkeys has updated your list after the fall wall climbing season? I think it's aboot time, eh?
So I'm now at 37 El Cap ascents by 36 different routes, with my ascent this fall of KAOS with Kate. That makes for 372 nights on the side of the Big Stone, not counting base and summit bivis, and almost every night I slept on my Fish Crab-O-Ledge.
Here's Kate hooking up onto one of the A4 crux pitches.
This is her view back down over all her manky gear. It was pretty thin and crumbly up there - a lot of really crappy beaks with a few taped-down hooks, but an easy pitch for me to clean! Lots of stuff in the rock, but is any of it really good enough to be considered "pro"?
Now here I am enjoying one of my best days on the whole route! I got to sit in the sun all day on this nice little flat ledge, and drink some beers. If you look carefully, you can see the opened cans in the bag in front of me - woo-hoo!
Hope to make a run up Zodiac this winter - how's your ankle doing, Nanook? Gonna be in Yosemite the last two weeks of Feb and the first of March, so stop by for a beer, eh?
Cheers,
Pete
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Captain...or Skully
Social climber
North of the Owyhees
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Jan 19, 2009 - 09:51pm PT
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Repeats are so "old Cow", dude.......Woot!
Do a freshie, if you're knott running out.........
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Prod
Trad climber
A place w/o Avitars apparently
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Jan 20, 2009 - 11:50am PT
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1 Zodiac. Can't wait to get back up there.
Prod.
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Captain...or Skully
Social climber
North of the Owyhees
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Jan 20, 2009 - 11:52am PT
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I have a half dozen.......goin' back for more, also.
It's the Big Stone, after all.
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Rudder
Trad climber
Santa Rosa, CA
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Jan 20, 2009 - 11:56am PT
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"How Many El Cap Routes have You Done?"
Hundreds. Oh, are we talking real or imagined? ;)
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Lambone
Ice climber
Ashland, Or
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Jan 20, 2009 - 01:44pm PT
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13 now.
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Jan 20, 2009 - 02:09pm PT
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Oh! I just remembered, I saw the picture of Gerbo at the start. Just before I headed up on Kaos, Steve told me he had made [url="http://speedclimb.com/yosemite/compare.htm"]108 ascents of El Cap by 57 different routes![/url] Cal took a hilarious photo of Steve and me standing side by side, with arms outstretched. My fingertips reach to about the middle of his forearm - sheesh. And if you think I'm short, you should see how Kate would measure up by comparison! I think she was fixing or hauling or something when I was in the Meadows with Steve, so she didn't get in on the photo.
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Captain...or Skully
Social climber
North of the Owyhees
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Jan 20, 2009 - 02:29pm PT
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Ya know, the Compare & Declare address is dead, so there will be no more updating your big list, unless, you have an alternate. Knott that it matters or nuthin'.
As you were........
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Wayno
Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
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Jan 20, 2009 - 04:19pm PT
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Two.
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salad
climber
Escondido
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Jan 20, 2009 - 04:43pm PT
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Still just 1. Turning 40 in October...what better way to spend it? Double up!!
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Jan 20, 2009 - 05:13pm PT
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Damn straight, double 'er up! Still lots of time for a young whipper-snapper like you. I managed to get my 365 nights in before turning 50, thus spending [wasting] more than 2% of my life up there. I am far more of a big wall camper than a big wall climber, although climbing the rock is a necessary chore to reach the bitchin'est campsites.
I love to meet first time summiters up top - they're always so psyched. Go send the Big Stone!
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Jan 20, 2009 - 07:40pm PT
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I plead the 5th.
But I'm spending another week in the Valley soon. Prow time first.
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klk
Trad climber
cali
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Jan 20, 2009 - 07:57pm PT
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Four.
None of them went to the top.
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ericz
climber
Ogden, UT
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Jan 20, 2009 - 10:52pm PT
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A magical stone,.. that laughs with all the shadows, clouds and otherwise. Reminds me of a romp up the West Face, a few years ago with GK. The rock is warm with the afternoon rays, I'm off on the last pitch to chickenhead ledge. Just another rope stretcher on the 70,.. laybacking on the 5.7 toward the boardwalk, oh yeah life is good. When the mind is relaxed, the body will follow.
Push and pull, push and pull,.. when,.. my foot slips. Ooops! When one is suspended between moments, thoughts can come quickly. I'm leading on a skinny cord, way above my last piece of gear, more than 200 feet of rope out,...this is going to be a looonng one! The sensation of the rock moving by, my hands skimming along on the lip of the crack,.. the vertical plummet. When, lo and behold my foot catches the wall, causing my hands to abruptly tension against the layback. Uuuggghhn,.. I stop falling. At times like this,.. one just feels a sense of luck. I do recall a deep and primal bellow ushered forth, before continuing on to the belay.
My nerves, along with a post adrenaline buzz soaked into the horizontal flatness of chickenhead. Whew. Thoughts came and went,.. Yabo's exploit on the Good Book drifted by, we are here, we dance,.. we,..
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Captain...or Skully
Social climber
North of the Owyhees
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Jan 20, 2009 - 10:52pm PT
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Mungie!!!!
If you can send the Prow, you can kick out TT, or the Zode.
In your sleep, Mon. Serious. You will groove on the camp up high..........
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dogtown
climber
Cheyenne,Wyoming
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Jan 21, 2009 - 04:39am PT
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Only three sadly :(
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luggi
Trad climber
atwater california
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Jan 21, 2009 - 08:38pm PT
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Just for info...does Gerberding or Stowe post here...I would think in Stowe's case how many routes he has done towing people up or rescues would be interesting. Also... it does mean more if you get to name the route. I don't have to ever worry about the naming part.
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Captain...or Skully
Social climber
North of the Owyhees
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Jan 21, 2009 - 09:04pm PT
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No, I don't think those monkeys are typin' away on the Taco.
Just can't see it.They have real things to do.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Jan 21, 2009 - 09:29pm PT
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Skully, I like your psyche! I'm of the same mind set. Just need to get some endurance going. Finding partners is tricky too. oooh, I got a thread subject, brb...
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Captain...or Skully
Social climber
North of the Owyhees
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Jan 21, 2009 - 10:01pm PT
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Woohoo....Mungey thread comin' up.....yow za!
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Johno
Big Wall climber
Cape Town / Japan
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Jan 22, 2009 - 01:38am PT
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10 walls via 10 routes.
The 1st was the Nose in '84 in EB's on 9mm ropes with no sleeping bag. A total adventure.
The last was Dihedral Wall in '05, 21 years later.
What a place, I can never get enough of the Valley.
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apogee
climber
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Jan 22, 2009 - 01:44am PT
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3 attempts: Nose, Zodiac, Shield
2 successes: Zodiac, Shield
1 faux EC route: East Buttress
Nowhere near the glory of some of the ST wall rats, but my time on the Captain (especially the Shield Headwall and the White Circle) are in my top ten climbing experiences.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Jan 23, 2009 - 12:30pm PT
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Only ten for me.
Tangerine Trip with Mason Frichette- 77
Shield with Gary Hervert- 78
Jolly Roger with Charles Cole- FA 82
Turning Point- FA solo 84
The Competitive Edge(aka Real Nose)- FA with Charles Cole 84
Horsechute via Horseplay variation- FA with Sue Harrington 84
Salathe Wall with Jay Ladin- 85
Central Scrutinizer with Jay Ladin- FA 89?
Muir Wall with Jay Ladin- First hammerless ascent 90
Nose route- 94?
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Jan 23, 2009 - 12:37pm PT
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So how hard is the free climbing [and aid climbing] on The Real Nose? [I think I might need a rope gun....]
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Jan 23, 2009 - 12:45pm PT
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Pete- you would crap yourself inside out--- but then there is always your trusty drill....
Bugger somebody else's efforts please...
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Jan 23, 2009 - 01:26pm PT
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Uh dude,
Except to replace anchor bolts on a bunch of routes, and to replace rivets on Bermuda Dunes and the Ranch, I haven't drilled anything on lead, with the exception of one new rivet on Native Son when the flake I was hooking blew, and there was no other way to make the move. [However I would probably crap myself on your route, for sure! I get pretty scared at times, and Jolly Roger was one of those times...]
Cheers,
Pete
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Lambone
Ice climber
Ashland, Or
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Jan 23, 2009 - 01:39pm PT
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Didn't you guys place (replace) some bolts on sheep ranch?
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Jan 23, 2009 - 02:28pm PT
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Drill never touched stone on the Jolly Roger----Bullshit!
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Jan 23, 2009 - 06:58pm PT
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On the Ranch, I replaced four rivets and two anchor bolts. I meant to replace a whole bunch more anchor bolts, but didn't due to an oversight on my part. I was handed a bunch of bolting stuff at the last moment just before we blasted, and I didn't go through it to make sure there were 3/8" bolts in it! I had drills, rivets, tuning forks, everything you needed, except new bolts. My bad. There are some pretty scary rusty old quarter-inchers on the Ranch, one of which failed with only my weight on it! We did a lot of equalizing to build our anchors on that route.
Drill didn't touch stone on lead on Jolly Roger, that's for sure. I did, however, add one convenience rivet to hang my portaledge from on the belay on the right side of the Heart. At the time [1999], I thought it was OK beef up a belay, but I have since learned this is not legit and no longer do it. I regret adding that rivet, and do apologize for it.
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Captain...or Skully
Social climber
North of the Owyhees
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Jan 23, 2009 - 10:43pm PT
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It's ok, we're chopping everything, EVERYTHING! That oughta make it right.
And we'll use better methods than Silly boy Robbins(caveman technique).
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Sir loin of leisure...
Trad climber
X
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Jan 23, 2009 - 10:47pm PT
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i drilled bivy rivets and apoligize to no one...I like my bivy just so...don,t mess with my bivy..
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Captain...or Skully
Social climber
North of the Owyhees
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Jan 24, 2009 - 10:39pm PT
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Or me Lucky Charms......
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deuce4
climber
Hobart, Australia
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Jan 24, 2009 - 11:33pm PT
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Repent Pete!
Say 12 "O hail Royals", and you'll be forgiven.
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Jun 16, 2009 - 01:15pm PT
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Virginia was El Cap route #37, with 381 nites on the side of the Big Stone. I chose this route as the weather was appalling, and this route was the only one in this steep/dry section of El Cap that I had not yet climbed. It rained most of the days we were up there, yet we never felt a drop, and only used our flies when we bivi'd beneath a wet roof. The only water that hit us was seepage, and we frequently observed the rain pouring down in sheets forty or fifty feet out from us, the route is that overhanging.
Leo and I spent a couple days schlepping and fixing, while bivi'd on the ledge ten metres above the ground at the start of the Trip, but I didn't count those two nights.
Virginia is actually a pretty good route, and would probably get done more often if it appeared in the McTopo guide. The first pitch is wicked steep and a legit A3 with a bit of expando nailing to keep you entertained. There is a superb bivi ledge at the top of 2, a great place to hang out and make coffee and listen to tunes. I put in a new 3/8" bolt at the top of 3, replacing the first crappy machine bolt rivet in the ladder, which was itself probably a replacement.
We bivi'd again at the top of 4, under the drips of the Tangerine Trip roof. A good sized lake accumulated on the top of Leo's ledge fly, and I should have loaned him Herbie the Big Wall Sponge.
From here, the route breaks right of the Trip on a rivet ladder, although the first ascensionists missed a small right-facing corner which would have saved them about five holes. Leo then led a thin beaking corner that was also full-on A3, placing eight beaks in a row with good fall potential, finishing with a barely-balanced beak on top to make the long reach to the first rivet.
I led the sixth pitch, which featured some fun hooking up and left to a nice right-facing corner that looked expando that wasn't, probably around A3-. Then Leo finished up Virginia on the seventh pitch, not too hard but he decided to make it spicy and take a twenty-five footer when a "fixed" head blew.
I warned Leo about the alarming practice of certain @ssholes, some of whom frequent this forum, of placing "booby trap heads", which is where you place a head with the intention that it will hold just long enough for someone else to get on it, but then fail as he climbs it. This takes a fair amount of skill - knowing how hard to hit it to make it stick and appear placed, but actually not so hard as for it to be a good placement. It appears as though Leo fell on one of these.
Sooner or later, someone will get hurt by this. Knowing how to properly bounce-test a fixed head [not too hard, not too softly] might save you.
Once we joined the Trip, the whole character of the climbing and the experience changed. I had soloed the Trip back in 2001 and enjoyed a nice big wall camping excursion [in fact, I climbed the Trip rather faster when soloing than I did with Leo when we climbed Virginia, but that was our diabolical plan] but I have to concur with Leo that the Trip is basically a heap. The quality of climbing was a huge disappointment after Virginia. Even so, we chose to slow down as the weather had been cool, and we had extra food, water and beer to consume before reaching the summit. But the last couple of days we were basically "walled out", and decided to get off quickly.
Leo was a talented, motivated and most especially fun big wall partner, and we were a great match. He's an ex-pat Israeli, a tough little bugger, with a quirky sense of humour that kept us laughing almost all the time, as other parties around us seemed to be fighting for their lives. He learned English from Brits, and was able to do a superb English accent, getting the vowels just right.
Over on Zodiac, we were unaware of who was climbing, and we kept hearing the voice of "The Polite Englishmun" issuing rope commands to his partner Paul. We now wonder if this was my mate Andy Kirkpatrick, who is something of a British version of Dr. Piton. So for a couple of days, Leo and I spoke to each other very politely in Brit-tish accents, and called each other Paul.
I'm sure Leo has a few hilarious anecdotes he can share. He was sleeping on one of those gigantic Metolius double ledges, and it was a real epic setting it up every night. I don't know who was louder, him cursing or me laughing. In fact, I don't remember climbing a wall where I had more fun than climbing Virginia with Leo. Talk about being on the right route at the right time - we saw so many people around us bail because of the weather.
And speaking of climbing steep routes to stay out of the rain, it is amazing and appalling to me just how incredibly lousy you wall climbers are at jugging free-hanging ropes! All around us, people were jugging free-hanging ropes using the traditional Yosemite system, although a few people used the Texas system and sometimes even the Grigri and Yvette Ratchet. Why don't you wankers take a lesson from the cavers [even more pathetic wankers who have nothing better to do with their time than perfect their rope climbing systems] and go get yourself a Croll ascender, a Torse chest harness [the best twenty bucks you will ever spend] and a CMI ankle ascender and learn how to do a Froggy rope walk? I was routinely climbing three to five times as fast as guys half my age. Get with the program, lads. You know where to find the link.
Cheers, eh?
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jenren
Trad climber
Sac, CA
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Jun 16, 2009 - 01:23pm PT
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Yes we saw you start it was "quite aqueous" hehehe cheers! J : )
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Ropeboy
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Jun 16, 2009 - 03:03pm PT
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Two routes and counting.
Nose in 72, when the green guidebook only listed eight lines on El Cap. The Nose was attempted by many and the bail out rate was high because many parties did not have multi day aid experience and could not climb fast enough. Feeling intimidated in El Cap meadow the night before. Days of sunshine, pendulums, Robbins boots, and a topo copied by hand on a picnic table. Progress marked by the ring and thwack of pitons and occasional nut. Very few fixed pins on the route. (No cams, draws, or chalk for us in those days.) Doing the stovelegs mixed free and aid bearing a heavy rack of 40 pitons and dragging a haul line. Reaching the bivy ledges early each day and relaxing with a view. Finally getting to do the great roof after gazing at it for a couple of years. Relief each morning because the haul bag was getting lighter and lighter.
After four and a half days of error free climbing and being comfortable with the exposure, getting spooked on the jumar up the last pitch, hoping nothing bad would happen to me with the end of the adventure so close.
Triple Direct in 75 with a buddy who was doing his first El Cap route. Amazed that we could make Mamouth ledges in one day. Then a been there done that repeat of the uppper part of the Nose.
The first time's a charm.
Two routes and dreaming.
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Leo Gokovski
climber
AZ
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Jun 17, 2009 - 05:37pm PT
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quite aqueous is right....
The bivy on pitch two reminded me of chinese water torture....
"Hey Pete..."
Drip
"yeah, Leo"
Drip
"Are you catching any of those?"
Drip
"Any of what?"
Drip
"Any of those F*cking drips!"
Drip
"Ahhhh, no. maybe every now and then..."
Drip
"hmmmmm"
Aftre two nights on that bivy, Pete thought it would be good to bivy under the trip's roof at pitch four.... Basically, I graduated from the Chinese water torture and bivied in a shower. After 380 some odd nights, Pete knows to pick his bivy spot. note that he is under the roof, where there are no water streaks.... Now look at the poor little bugger on the left, enjoying a jet shower head right at the black water streak....
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Leo Gokovski
climber
AZ
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Jun 17, 2009 - 05:51pm PT
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O.k, how do I post a pic on this site ?
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Captain...or Skully
Social climber
North of the Owyhees
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Jun 17, 2009 - 06:22pm PT
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Host it on photobucket.com or imageshack or somethin', and copy from there.
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
a greasy pinscar near you
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Jun 17, 2009 - 06:35pm PT
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you have to store your digital images online e.g. photobucket or flickr, etc.
then paste the URL for the image between two 'tags'
sorta like this...
[img]http://www.flickr.com/image.jpg[/img#]
but take out the "#" character in the second tag!!!
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ChrisW
Trad climber
boulder, co
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Jun 17, 2009 - 07:00pm PT
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4 1/2 if you count the East Butt.
R.I.P. Chris Hampston.
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Ottawa Doug
Social climber
Ottawa, Canada
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Jun 17, 2009 - 07:34pm PT
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Hey Pete,
Loved that story of Virginia.
Doug
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jiff
Mountain climber
autin, texas
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Jun 17, 2009 - 10:08pm PT
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I'm sure they would say YES.
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Jun 18, 2009 - 01:58am PT
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Ooooooh! I would *love* one of your hand-painted shirts!
The value of one's Ground Crew can never be understated.
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Jun 18, 2009 - 02:43am PT
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I hope you mean "can never be overstated". :-)
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Jun 18, 2009 - 02:44am PT
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Er, um, yeah. Tired. Knocked off some scary hooking today with a bad ledge fall.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Jun 18, 2009 - 10:41am PT
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I always think that when someone "counts" how many routes they have done on a cliff or an area or how many times they have done a particular route, that they are not traveling enough. I guess it's human nature to want to find and nurture a "comfort zone"- too bad.
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WBraun
climber
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Jun 18, 2009 - 11:16am PT
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donini -- " I guess it's human nature to want to find and nurture a "comfort zone"- too bad."
Then you better throw away your harness and rope.
Then you better start sleeping on a bed of nails.
Then you better start, etc. etc. etc ......
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Jun 18, 2009 - 12:10pm PT
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eKat - If I supplied you a route name for the fall, might you be motivated to produce a small batch? Can you paint my crab?
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Leo Gokovski
climber
AZ
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Jun 18, 2009 - 02:51pm PT
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quite aqueous is right....
The bivy on pitch two reminded me of chinese water torture....
"Hey Pete..."
Drip
"yeah, Leo"
Drip
"Are you catching any of those?"
Drip
"Any of what?"
Drip
"Any of those F*cking drips!"
Drip
"Ahhhh, no. maybe every now and then..."
Drip
"hmmmmm"
Aftre two nights on that bivy, Pete thought it would be good to bivy under the trip's roof at pitch four.... Basically, I graduated from the Chinese water torture and bivied in a shower. After 380 some odd nights, Pete knows to pick his bivy spot. note that he is under the roof, where there are no water streaks.... Now look at the poor little bugger on the left, enjoying a jet shower head right at the black water streak....
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Leo Gokovski
climber
AZ
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Jun 18, 2009 - 03:02pm PT
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Pete was the perfect partner if your goal was to savor the flavor...
We almost never moved a limb in an an upward attempt before noon, spent a lot of time taking in the journey, making a point of getting comfortable up there.
I could have taken as much or as little time to lead a pitch or perform any of the big wall tasks.... it didn't matter.
Pete was happy just to be on big stone.... since we had enough provisions and gear for another week ( on top of the nine nights we spent up there ), there was no doubt in our minds we were going to summit. with that pressure taken off, we could just relax, laugh a lot, come up with the most random anecdotes and unusual conversations, have quite a few wine tasting nights ( complete with seven different types of cheese and several different types of crackers ), discuss music, art, philosophy and, incidentally, if we felt like it, climb....
As pete says - " climbing is just a way to get to the most bitchin' camp sites..."
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ChrisW
Trad climber
boulder, co
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Jun 18, 2009 - 04:55pm PT
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I just go up there to get away from the tourists.
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hoipolloi
climber
A friends backyard with the neighbors wifi
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Jun 18, 2009 - 06:36pm PT
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I heard that Tucker Tech once soloed 4 walls (on the captain) back to back.
Can someone attest to the truth of this rumor?
Now, I also heard that he would haul by clipping the pig off to his belay loop and jumaring with it while he cleaned! ho-man!
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Captain...or Skully
Social climber
North of the Owyhees
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Jun 19, 2009 - 12:54am PT
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y'know, this is a persistant rumor.....I've heard the like.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Jun 19, 2009 - 12:58am PT
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El cap has pretty much "Done" me, in, however many times it is that I have traversed it's height.
I think I went there to BE a tourist....
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Jun 19, 2009 - 02:53am PT
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eKat that is VERY COOL! You're a kick-ass ground crew and summit!
I'll get you some pix and caricatures of Wee-Wee to have a look at after we get down.
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tinker b
climber
the commonwealth
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Jun 19, 2009 - 10:46am PT
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hoipolloi...maybe you should ask on the tucker tech thread...at least todd is always posting over there, he may have an answer.
oh and jeremy you should stay home. even though i have been the only team on route on the two routes i climbed...
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NFB
Mountain climber
SLC UT
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Jun 19, 2009 - 11:49am PT
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Only done one, this year... I climbed Lost with Calder Stratford, His brother Travis and Enoch Palmer. Trav and Enoch had never done a multi-pitch route before. It was super fun. Calder had not done any climbing in 6 years prior to this route!!! He has been busy sailing and flying airplanes.
Calder has been up the Captain a lot of times. He was doing routes like The Sea when he was in high school!
The Captain has me mesmerized. I will be back many times to come. Thanks for all the great photos and stories!
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martygarrison
Trad climber
The Great North these days......
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Jun 19, 2009 - 01:03pm PT
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Just 2. NA Wall in 76 or 77? and the Nose in 78.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Not counting Pine Line, just one. Lurking Fear
It sucks you back in. Like an overweight moth to flame...
lol
cheers all,
M
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shipoopoi
Big Wall climber
oakland
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thought i would bump this one.
i believe the top 3 for different routes is
1) steve gerberding with 57 or so
2) erik erikson with around 50
3) ammon mcneely with upper 40's
i'm not sure about 2 or 3, just that gerby is in the lead
as for most ascents(ie repeats count)
1) Hans Florine 142(i believe)
2) Steve Gerberding 109
3 Steve Schneider 108
yes, i am just one behind steve gerberding, although we are NOT in a competion with each other and are trying to coordinate to do our 110th ascent together. shipoopoi
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shipoopoi
Big Wall climber
oakland
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Jan 18, 2010 - 02:43am PT
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i'm at 109 ascents, tied with steve gerberding. he did on the waterfront solo for 109, probably third ascent and first solo. i just did genesis for my 109, probably third ascent and first solo also. second ascent, of course was by steve and wife cal. i knew i couldn't just do a cheap lap on the Fear to tie him, it had to be something good. hopefully steve and i can get together to do 110 tegether, it would bwe our first el cap route together, shipoopoi
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Jan 18, 2010 - 02:51am PT
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right on, nice and proud way to tie it up.
I'm looking at my whopper #2 EC route this coming summer. Good stoke!
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gonamok
Trad climber
poway, ca
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Jan 21, 2010 - 07:59am PT
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tried 3, climbed 1
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Jan 21, 2010 - 10:10am PT
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Congrats, Steve - now tell us about Genesis!
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Feb 24, 2010 - 08:22pm PT
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Gads - way overdue on this one. After Virginia last spring, Kate and I climbed Bad Seed. Then this fall we climbed Octopussy.
So that's 39 El Cap routes, and 401 nights on the Big Stone, not counting base or summit bivis.
I'll post up some pics when I get a chance.
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Gobee
Trad climber
Upward Bound Col. 1:19-20 Grace By Faith
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Feb 24, 2010 - 10:05pm PT
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East Buttress
Nose
Salathe
Zodiac
Shield
PO Wall
West Face
Aquarian
Nose
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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May 17, 2010 - 12:43pm PT
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Almost that time again! Post up if you haven't updated from last season. Hoping to make it 40 real soon.
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Lambone
Ice climber
Ashland, Or
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May 17, 2010 - 01:00pm PT
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14 now, 10 different routes
T.D.
Nose
Zodiac x4
Shield
T Trip x2
NA Wall
Muir Wall
Mescalito
South Seas
Zenyatta Mondatta
on the short list are:
Sunkist
New Dawn
Tribal Rite
Lost in America
Shortest Straw
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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May 17, 2010 - 01:54pm PT
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Still stuck at four (Zodiac, Shield, PO Wall, West Face)... :(
Alas, with another kid due at the end of the summer, that's not likely to change soon.
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krutley
climber
here, now
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May 17, 2010 - 02:24pm PT
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Did the nose 1 1/3 times in the 70's, too young. Put my hand in a turd, slept in some butt bags, backed off some 5.7 pitch near the top. Scared me all the way to 2015. Bill Price was a man at 15.
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gonamok
Trad climber
Dont look at me like that
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May 17, 2010 - 07:48pm PT
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Dam, this makes me wish i hadnt sold all my wall gear
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deuce4
climber
Hobart, Australia
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Aug 11, 2010 - 10:25am PT
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just came across this:
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Nice list, Deucey, even if they're a quarter-century out of date. Why don't you drive your wheelchair up to the base and have another go? Just try not to run over your long grey beard, eh?
Where are you at these days, anyway?
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WBraun
climber
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One ascent of El Cap is all one needs.
Any more then that and you're not normal.
Somethings vedy vedy wrong here .........
:-)
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Since when did I ever claim to be normal? ;)
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E
Social climber
Tujunga CA.
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Dec 20, 2010 - 03:31pm PT
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47. Son of Heart-June 2008 with Leverthal
48. Octopussy-Oct. 2008 with Holly Beck
49. Lost world-May 2009 with Ken Klis
50. Genesis 4th ascent-May 2010 with Kate Robertson
51. Squeeze Play-June 2010 with Lechlimski
52. On the Waterfront 4th ascent-Oct.2010 with Holly Beck
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Chief
climber
The NW edge of The Hudson Bay
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Dec 20, 2010 - 04:57pm PT
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Eight and not enough.
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deuce4
climber
Hobart, Australia
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Dec 20, 2010 - 05:12pm PT
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E = Energizer Bunny
Keeps on going, and going, and going...
Good to see Mike Lechlinski getting up there too! You guys are inspiring.
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Dec 20, 2010 - 10:27pm PT
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41 - Flight of the Albatross sans the flight with JP Brackin
42 - Aquarian Wall with Kate
Both routes fall of 2010.
Albatross quite a superb route. Climb Sunkist/Magic Mushroom to Grey Ledges. The pitch above the Canoe is a legit A4 these days - lots of recent beta on that somewhere here on McTopo.
Aquarian is so-so, but better than I thought. Some really great bivi ledges up there, for sure. OK climbing I guess.
Total nights on the side of El Cap, not counting base or summit bivis, is 446.
Cheers,
Pete
Big Wall Camper
There's a good listing here of El Cap ascensionists, that is mostly up to date, though I see E is one higher than shown:
http://speedclimb.com/yosemite/compare.htm
It's damn hard to keep up to the three guys ahead of you when they are all "moving targets"! But this old fart is far from done - see yous in the spring for a couple more, eh?
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Captain...or Skully
Big Wall climber
leading the away team, but not in a red shirt!
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Dec 20, 2010 - 10:30pm PT
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No lists, nor promotion. Yer missin' the point, maybe.
Just maybe. Cheers.
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Dec 20, 2010 - 10:33pm PT
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Of course it's a list, Kirk. This post specifically asks the number, so we respond accordingly. I love to read what the other guys [and girls!] are up to, and who climbs what. There are some amazingly obscure routes listed above, which to me are very very cool to read.
A better question, though, might be why some of us just keep doing it. It might be because we are really really stupid, and don't know when to quit [which does help you reach the summit]. It could be because our bollocks continue to shrivel with terror every time we hike our loads to the base.
OR it could really just be a ton of fun, and there's no other place we'd rather be. ;)
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Captain...or Skully
Big Wall climber
leading the away team, but not in a red shirt!
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Dec 20, 2010 - 10:35pm PT
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All good. Have at it.
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shipoopoi
Big Wall climber
oakland
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i've done 38 routes now, hopint to get to 40 soon, steve
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Steve, we really need to do a wall together this fall, if you catch my Drift.
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Jan 27, 2012 - 09:49pm PT
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Wow, how did this post get forgotten for a year? It's been a great year on El Cap, for sure. Lots of proud ascents and solos.
I think we had a total of three Second Ascents this year, did we knott? First and foremost, Ammon and Kait finally knocked off the second ascent of Wings of Steel, which is far and away the bitchin'est climb of the year I would say. And if that weren't enough, Ammon and Richie went on to make the second ascent of Hole World by Eric Kohl [aka Klaus the Crustacean Kidnapper].
There have been some great routes climbed on El Cap in 2011, so let's hear all about 'em, eh?
In late May 2011, photographer David Blattel and I made an attempt on the Squeeze Play variation of Lost World, over on the left side in the West Buttress area, starting just left of the NNL-Aquarian Wall start, and finishing on Lurking Fear. We bailed after seven days and only six pitches, so I was "not quite pitch-a-day Pete".
You can read about our bail here:
http://www.supertopo.com/tr/Lost-in-the-Weather-on-Lost-World-PTPP-Bails/t11029n.html
Note to self: need to hotlink David's fantastic photos into this trip report. Dave, are they uploaded onto your website? I can't recall.
Meanwhile, Neil Chelton - currently in Patagonia but knott chopping bolts so far as I know - was working his way up The Shortest Straw. He sent the route, and in the storms was the Last Man Standing on El Cap after absolutely everyone else had bailed.
When my partner JP suffered a nasty break to his finger [don't ask] and had to bail, I was lucky enough to be able to climb with Neil, and we climbed Atlantic Ocean Wall for my 43rd different El Cap route. Neil led the block from the start of the Trip up to El Cap Tree, which we managed by short fixing one afternoon. He also knocked off the nasty-scary pitch up to the roof, which I opted out of, having already done it when I soloed Iron Hawk. The roof pitch is nothing short of spectacular, and there is a booty cam up there for someone. From here, we followed tons of expanding cracks on clean rock up the far right side of the NA Wall before rejoining Iron Hawk for the finish. Neil led the crux free climbing bit here.
I would definitely recommend Atlantic Ocean Wall - it is really good, and much better than I expected. Someone with bigger balls than me could re-establish the original three pitches up to El Cap Tree, which fell off subsequent to the first ascent.
Since Steve was unable to catch my Drift last fall, I grabbed Neil again and his friend Callum Coldwell-Storry, who Neil assured me would be able to climb Kevin Thaw 5.10. Together we made the second ascent of Continental Drift, a route I watched Steve Gerberding, Conrad [w]Anker and Kevin put up when I was nearby on Iron Hawk in the fall of 97. The Drift was my 44th El Cap route. Unbeknownst to me, Neil and Callum brought along their good friend Adam Gill - in spirit if not in the flesh - and I have to say that all four of us pissed ourselves laughing, most of all Adam himself, at the over-reaction of the PC types who just didn't "get" the British humour, and that this was an inside joke among three good mates.
Adam's reaction to Neil's and Callum's banner: "I laughed my tits off!"
The Drift is characterized by some Pretty Darn Hard and very reachy hooking down low, until it joins New Jersey Turnpike for a bit of a reprieve. It busts right across the diorite below Wyoming Sheep Ranch, then climbs straight up. The "Appalachia" pitch I led up and right through the diorite to finally reach the white rock was one of the loosest, hardest and stoutest pitches I have ever led - exactly what we came for.
Once out of the diorite, we climbed bumpy and not-quite-hookable rock more or less straight up to the summit. Here we were surprised to discover a significant number of drilled hook placments placed by the first ascent team, who chose to keep it sporty rather than drilling rivets. When I first enountered the drilled holes, I did not expect them and therefore missed them, thinking something had fallen off, and using a hook on the end of a cheat-stick that I fully knew was certain to make Tom's "Stick of the Day" gallery - sheesh. We added only one hole to the route - drilled by me at a belay to hang a ledge from during a thunderstorm.
Neil reckoned the crux pitch he led - Extraordinary Alien - was a bit harder than anything on Reticent Wall these days, which he and Callum climbed immediately after Continental Drift.
You can find a great trip report by Neil of our ascent of Continental Drift here:
http://www.supertopo.com/tr/Continental-Drifting/t11224n.html
I finished up my year with an ascent of the Shield. My scheduled partner Mark wasn't in a position to do it, and fortunately I was able to recruit Neil from Montana at the last minute to climb with me. We had a fun and leisurely big wall camping ascent, and very much enjoyed ourselves, but I was unimpressed with the Shield. The cracks are very beat out, and the climbing is no hell. Flight of the Albatross or especially Sunkist are far better excursions in the area. You don't need many sawed-offs, either, as peckers will fit between the pods.
The Shield was my 45th El Cap route, and while I doubt I'll make it to fifty this year, a more important goal for me is to get in my 500th night on the side of El Cap, not counting base and summit bivis. I'm at 485 nights now, so with any luck, I'll have it by the end of my first wall this spring.
Anyway, there is lots of Space below here, so let's see what everyone else has been up to.
Cheers, eh?
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Jan 27, 2012 - 10:01pm PT
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^^^ Three SA's ain't bad ^^^
but there are more to be had. I could sure use Jon as a free climbing gun!
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Jan 27, 2012 - 10:14pm PT
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So what's next, Riley?? And when? See you on the bridge this spring?
Cheers,
Big Wall Parvenu
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Social climber
Retired to Appalachia
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Jan 28, 2012 - 06:39am PT
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1 for 1
One ascent was enough to last me a lifetime.
Triple Direct, 1980
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steveA
Trad climber
bedford,massachusetts
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Jan 28, 2012 - 08:13am PT
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Only 2: Both in 1971
The Salathe with a young Donini
The Nose with George Myers
My son wants me to do the Nose with him. I'm too old and sore to bivy.
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Enty
Trad climber
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Jan 28, 2012 - 12:15pm PT
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2
Back in October after 15 years of dreaming. The Nose and Zodiac in a 10 day slot. I'm still on cloud 9 and dreaming of The Shield and Mescalito - end of 2013 or 2014.
E
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Mark Hudon
Trad climber
Hood River, OR
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Jan 28, 2012 - 01:00pm PT
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Enty,
That's quite the El Cap introduction!
I guess I get to add five ascents to my previous list (although, in those five ascents, I've done SIX routes!)
NIAD '09
Grape Race/Tribal Rite '10 (one ascent, two routes)
The Shield '10
Zenyatta Mondatta '11
The South Seas '11
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Jan 28, 2012 - 03:15pm PT
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I need to do like Mark. I repeated Zodiac once in the winter with Richie and Nanook, so I have one fewer routes than ascents. If I could do a two-fer like Mark, that would fix my "problem".
I was thinking of Grape Race to Genesis. Shipoopoi made the third ascent of Genesis solo in winter, just to make it sporting. He described the mandatory free climbing as "not too bad". Kate and E. made the fourth ascent, and Kate described the aid climbing as moderate, "what we could consider A3 or A3+" if I remember correctly. But she said the free climbing pitch that E. led is a full-on bollock-shrivelling horror show.
I wonder what Callum is up to this fall?
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Mark Hudon
Trad climber
Hood River, OR
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Jan 28, 2012 - 03:25pm PT
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Grape Race to El Cap Towers would be a bit awkward but doable.
Genesis starts up the Dawn Wall Tower Start bolts doesn't it? You could probably do some weirdo rap down and then reverse the Jardine Traverse kind of thing to get to El Cap Towers.
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the kid
Trad climber
fayetteville, wv
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Jan 28, 2012 - 03:50pm PT
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not enough..
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ElCapPirate
Big Wall climber
California
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Jan 28, 2012 - 06:34pm PT
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I need to do like Mark. I repeated Zodiac once in the winter with Richie and Nanook, so I have one fewer routes than ascents. If I could do a two-fer like Mark, that would fix my "problem".
IMO, that's not really valid... but, this is all for fun anyway so whatever floats your boat, ha haa
I was also pretty psyched on the FOD ascent of Scorched Earth last year with Skiy Detray and David Allfrey. So, I guess that puts me at 58 routes and 71 ascents.
Cheers!
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Mark Hudon
Trad climber
Hood River, OR
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Jan 28, 2012 - 07:11pm PT
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Oh yeah, I totally agree with you, Ammon. It's just one of those wrinkles in the whole counting routes and ascents thing that should remind us of, ultimately, how ridiculous and useless, except for personal satisfaction, climbing El Cap (or climbing anything for that matter) really is.
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Jan 28, 2012 - 07:33pm PT
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Yup, all in good fun. We are indeed Conquistadors of the Useless.
58 routes, eh? That's where Steve Gerberding has been sitting a while, so you're at least tied with him for the most.
http://www.speedclimb.com/yosemite/compare.htm
I don't know if Steve got up West Buttress this fall with Cal, a route he told me he hadn't yet done, but was hoping to do. He would have run up there while I was on the wall elsewhere.
Anyone know if he did it? Hans - are you out there?
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Darnell
Big Wall climber
Sequoia Ntl. Pk.
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Jan 30, 2012 - 03:04pm PT
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19 ascents, 13 routes, 5 winter ascents
some notable ones I remember
Kaos- winter
Shortest straw- winter
Whole world, 2nd ascent (AKA Burl world)
A push on N.A. with a team of five!
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mctwisted
Trad climber
e.p.
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Feb 29, 2012 - 07:41pm PT
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off topic but heres a few shots of steve gerberding and dave bengsten on f.a. of kaos, taken from zm
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Dec 31, 2012 - 04:06pm PT
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Wow, I can't believe that it is not only the end of the year, but that this post has gone an entire two wall seasons without being bumped.
It's been a great year up on the Big Stone and we'd love to hear what everyone has been up to.
I climbed Grape Race this spring with Minnesota Mark Winey, always a solid partner. I wouldn't say Grape Race is a great route, but it is indeed a route and goes up a part of the wall I had never before climbed. The bivi ledge at 7 is pretty decent, but not stellar.
Mark gettin' 'er done on Grape Race
We had hoped to climb an obscure connection near the top of Grape Race to connect up and left with Triple Direct and finish on Muir Wall, but this was the moment when we got thumped pretty hard by a storm. Because of the location on the wall - right in the notch across the front of the Nose - the wind was horrific! For about an hour, Mark and I hung on for our lives, verily believing my portaledge fly would shred into pieces. Fortunately it stood the test. It was a scary moment, for sure, the strongest winds I've ever experienced on the wall.
The connection up and left looks totally desperate. Marked as mere A4 on the topo, it appears to be the Real Deal. There is serious ledge fall potential, and the topo calls for 10 beaks. When I was racking up on the ground days earlier, I didn't really think this through. You see, back in the day whenever this was climbed [Coiler can tell us more] they didn't have medium or big beaks, so the topo really calls for ten small beaks, and I only had two or three with me. So the storm gave us the "excuse" to "bail for the summit". So we swung over onto the Nose, which is the regular finish to Grape Race.
As I was hauling up to Eagle Ledge late that night [some BIG cams would have been very handy for the pitch below, which was hard for me without] Alex Honnold came across the King Swing, in complete static mode adhered to the smooth granite with gecko-like fingertips. Alex told me how he had just climbed Mt. Watkins in 2 hrs 20 min, and we shared a bar. "I think I'll give the Regular Route a shot in the morning," he said.
"Oh, that would be the Regular NorthWest Face of Half Dome?"
Alex coiled up his "rope" - which appeared little thicker than a shoelace - clipped it to the back of his harness, and then "scrambled" up to the base of the Great Roof in the dark. I couldn't watch.
The next morning, the speed climbing girls Quin and Jess from Colorado cruised by Eagle Ledge, and of course I made them coffee. From here, Mark and I cruised the Nose to the summit, allowing every party the opportunity to pass, whilst simultaneously offering coffee or beer, depending on whether it happened to be before or after Changeover Time. Almost everyone accepted. Since we had portaledges, we made sure to leave bivi ledges available to anyone who wanted to sleep there.
I believe we were passed by Quin and Jess three times, by Alex twice, and Hans probably passed us at least twice. Grape Race was my 46th El Cap route and 499th night on the side of the wall.
Enjoying a beer on the bridge with Jess and Quin - the Nose Speed Record Girls from Colorado
I think the highlight of my spring climbing season, besides a fantastic road trip across to the East Side, and then up into Southern Oregon and down through Sonoma, was the night we spent with Conrad [W]Anker at his family's restaurant at the top of the Old Priest Grade. Conrad poured us beers til the wee hours and regaled us with tales from Everest.
One Big Wall Parvenu and One Wanker
It was fun hanging out with the always-smiling Paul Souza, who took these great photos.
All the gang at Conrad's place
The next day, we finished up our outing with a visit to Rainbow Pool for some high diving and deep water soloing. This is a swimming hole along the highway a few minutes east of Groveland - I must have passed it scores of times, and never realized it was there. If you like cliff diving, this is the place. I eventually worked up the nerve to do full gainers and one-and-a-halfs from the highest point, which I was told is around 24 feet. Plenty scary!
This fall season, I finally got a chance to team up again with Jon Fox, who was my partner for Jolly Roger way back in 1999. I had been trying to recruit my "free climbing rope gun" for a while, and once I did, I had to sicc him on an appropriate route. We chose Genesis, a seldom-climbed Doug Englekirk route that goes up and right of Tribal Rite.
We chose to climb the New Dawn start, and enjoy a gentlemanly Big Wall Camping excursion.
Coffee is always the morning's first priority. With any luck, we can extend "morning" well past noon!
And for what it's worth, I thought the fourth pitch of New Dawn to be harder than anything on Grape Race.
Jon enjoying Lay Lady Ledge
We had a great time bivying on Lay Lady Ledge, roasting up some sausages on the campfire and enjoying a fine bottle of Cabernet. [Cab Sauv, not Franc] As per a couple of the comments below, the campfire was built in a pre-existing fireplace, and we burned only what we could find on the ledge, consisting mostly of dry grass, along with a few twigs, sticks and pine cones that had landed there.
OK, OK - so it's knott a bottle! However Dr. Piton emphatically recommends the Platypus Wine Container to all serious Big Wall Wine Snobs
Genesis starts out with scary-looking nailing out left under a roof, which fortunately wasn't as hard as it appeared.
Jon loved my triple-equalized peckers. "You should use that as your Facebook profile photo, dude!"
There is some full-on A4 expando nailing on the third pitch, which I managed to outwit using mostly clean placements. I thought the fifth pitch to be very hard towards the top, but perhaps it was because I was climbing at night and might have missed some key placements. I was happy to turn over the sharp end to Jon for the sixth pitch, which features some runout Doug Englekirk 5.11 free climbing, which Jon managed to summarily dispatch.
Jon the free climber: "Now how the heck do these hook thingies work again?!" Note the edge-on view of the diorite of the North America Wall behind him
On the seventh pitch, the first ascensionists made a mistake, completely bypassing a fabulous bivi ledge merely because it didn't line up with their [short] ropelengths. Steve Schneider had told us about it and suggested the idea, so we named it Schneiderado Ledge, that mythical ledge somewhere to north where the gold was rumoured to be found. We added two 5/16" buttonheads for hauling and two 1/4" buttonheads for two ledges. Voila!
Headlights from El Cap - can you spot the Meadows and the Bridge?
Above Schneiderado, Jon led through some sustained and runout free climbing.
Aw, shucks - it was only 5.11
After the free climbing, I took over for the "thin A4" which didn't seem as hard to me as the two pitches below. Or maybe I was warmed up by this point? My only fall on the route took place on this pitch when the swage on one of Silver's home-made rivet hangers failed, sending me harmlessly but terrifyingly into space, only one move from the anchor bolts! Silver owes me some beers for this one.
Moonrise behind Half Dome - note alpenglow still on the NW Face
The Golden Corner provided more sustained nailing, with some tricky moves past a rather suspect looking block apparently held to the wall by little more than contact cement. There's some good clean fall potential on this pitch if you blow it.
Looking up the Golden Corner - heading for the New Dawn Roof up and right
Jon took us onto New Dawn with the final diagonal nailing pitch. I would definitely recommend Genesis as having some of the finest nailing on the Captain, and it is certain to keep your attention. But if you are retired from free climbing like me, or are simply lacking in gonads kinda like me sometimes, be sure to bring your Free Climbing Rope Gun! Jon was a great partner and I would enjoy climbing with him again anytime. Genesis was my 47th El Cap route, and we were on the wall for a casual two weeks.
Jon enjoys the alluring bouquet of a fine Petite Sirah, served from only the finest of Dr. Piton Big Wall Stemware. His smile says it all!
I next teamed up with Cory and Steve, hoping to climb The Real Nose aka The Competitive Edge. Steve had already fixed a few pitches and emailed me to join him. Unfotunately Steve and Cory were under some time constraints, and it became apparent that we would not be able to finish this long, tough and fearsome route in the available time. Accordingly, we switched to Lost World, a route Steve knew that I hadn't yet climbed either.
Now Lost World was fun! It was fun not to be scared! It was fun to climb A3 that wasn't really very hard! It was fun to hang out with Steve and Heather and Cory and just enjoy the sights! I even wrote a song. About a mouse that Cory found. Well, a dead mouse, actually. His name is Morty. Morty the Dead Mouse. If you give me a beer, I'll sing my song for you. And if you give me two beers, I'll stop.
Cory down low on Lost World - superb rock over here on the far west side
We fixed and hauled to the top of 6 I believe it was, with various people climbing various pitches depending on who happened to be around.
Cory cleaning high on Lost World
If you recall from last spring, my friend David Blattel and I got stormed off of Lost World after seven continuous days of rain and snow. This year, we got a bit of bad weather too. But how can you complain with views like these?
A brief clearing in the storm clouds reveals El Cap Meadow
Steve and Heather hunkered down in their ledge, as did I.
Steve and Heather peeking out from under their fly
Meanwhile, Cory was completely oblivious to the fact that it was raining! He was ensconced under the Triangle Roof, and despite having no rain fly for his ledge, he was laughin'.
Cory's bivi underneath the Triangle Roof. "Are you kidding me? Did it really rain last night?!"
Steve and Cory fixed a few pitches above our highest camp, including the delightfully named Anus pitch, to put us in good position for the summit. Steve likes to "fix and blast" and this is exactly what we did. Unaccustomed though I am to speed climbing, running halfway up Lurking Fear in a day seemed like a good idea to me!
The next morning, we blasted for the summit, leaving our portaledge camps in place. At the top of pitch 10 there is a fabulous bivi ledge which we didn't actually use.
Steve and Cory on the ledge at the top of pitch 10
As dedicated Aid Man, I led The Grand Traverse, which meant that I had to get up early - ouch. I had always fancied the Grand Traverse to be clipping fixed pins below a roof, but in fact you are climbing along a horizontal series of solution pockets - kind of like at the top of Son of Heart where you work right to join Sunkist - although the pockets on Lost World are much smaller.
Clean aid on the Grand Traverse
Once we joined Lurking Fear, Cory took off on the sharp end, and I don't think I saw anything more than the soles of his feet until we reached Thanksgiving Ledge a few hours later. One very cool thing about this part of the wall is the amazing echo you get when you shout towards the big wall to the left. The echo comes back perfectly clear, but with a time delay of around three seconds.
Above Thanksgiving Ledge, Steve fired off the final pitch, free climbing it quickly.
Steve gunning for the summit!
We climbed the final slabby pitch or two, and considered ourselves having reached the summit where a normal party would unrope. I hope it counts as legit, since we didn't actually struggle up the rest of the 3rd and 4th class choss and manzanita bash.
Lost World Summit Team - Pete, Cory, Steve and Heather
We followed the rap route down Lurking Fear as the sun set. Since I had rapped this route a number of times in the past, I was tasked with setting up the raps and arranging the ropes. We used the technique described in the Petzl catalogue where you join the ropes together, not just with a knot, but also using a butterfly and a locker. This allows you to rappel on a single strand, and then pull down the other side. Steve was amazed at how perfectly all the pulldowns occured. I was merely relieved. Rapping Lurking Fear is not too difficult if you know what you're doing, but there is always potential to blow it. Fortunately, everything worked out well for us.
There is one particularly sporting swing to the right to return to our portaledge camps on Lost World, and Steve managed to lead this perfectly in the dark. As Last Man Down, I didn't have such an easy time following, however!
We rapped to the ground the next day to complete our ascent, and we had everything humped to the car by 6pm, which was knott bad at all.
At the base the afternoon we "landed", we met up with E. and Batgirl aka Kate who were starting up the wall, along with Steve Gerberding who was there to start his solo of West Buttress, which I think was his 59th route. Lost World was Steve Schneider's 40th El Cap route, and it was my 48th. Not counting base and summit bivis, I've spent 519 nights camping on the side of El Cap. I'm not sure of Kate's route count, but I am certain that she has led more hard pitches on El Cap than any other woman. With E. now at 55 or so El Cap routes, it was a real Who's Who that afternoon of El Cap Wall Rats, stumbling around the base drinking beers, packing pigs, and generally talking sh|t.
The only one not there, who was conspicuous in his absence due to the lack of "Yarrrrr!" shouts echoing off of the wall, was our own El Cap Pirate Ammon McNeely, our fearless leader with something like 61 different El Cap routes climbed, and who had decided to sit out the fall big wall climbing season after making the X-ray of his knee look like a discarded roll of barbed wire pulled off of a World War I battlefield.
With any luck, I'll get my 50th route this spring, and try to catch up with Steve, Ammon and Erik. Good luck, cuz all of those guys are "moving targets"!
Bwah-ha-ha-ha-ha!!! See yous on the Bridge next spring for beers, eh?
Cheers,
PtP Pete aka the diabolical Dr. Piton
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Mark Hudon
Trad climber
Hood River, OR
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Pete,
That night you we getting beat up on Grape Race by the wind, I was over on Iron Hawk and it was totally casual! The fly flapped around a bit for about 10 minutes and that was the end of it.
Last fall, while Cheyne and I were spending a casual night under the fly on Native Son, the two Mikes were getting killed on the Shield! It was taking Mike Tupper's ledge out away from the wall and spinning him 180 degrees multiple times!
Wild what being on a different part of the cliff makes.
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Gagner
climber
Boulder
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WOOT!! Nice TR Pete - hope to see you at the bridge this spring...
HNY!!
Paul
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ag.Fox
Trad climber
Reno, NV
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Hey Pete!
Thanks for changing your shorts before the Golden Corner...it made looking up to get that shot most excellent. It had been 10 years since my last trip up the Captain and what a trip it was - full value gentleman's ascent, my 20th. I guess I could put together a full photo essay of the Genesis ascent, since I've got all the pics. Here's to our next El Cap adventure - Cheers!
Fox
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Godfathur
Trad climber
Detroit, MI
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Great stuff, Pete! It's been a real pleasure hanging out with you here and there since we met in the Spring. Keep and rocking, and we'll have to have a trip up El Cap sometime soon.
-Stefano
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aka Larry
Trad climber
Topanga, CA
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Pete, Loved your post. Sounds like you had a great summer! Glad to hear you made it up Lost World. Rain, snow and hail, it was a blast being on the LW with you then. Looking forward to getting back up this summer! DB
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tinker b
climber
the commonwealth
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hey pete great pictures. one question, what are you burning in your campfire on lay lady ledge? and was that necessary? you are shirtless, so obviously it was not for safety. from the picture it looks like it would have been scarring the rock. it just does not seem to follow a leave no trace ethic we all should have on the big stone. alright carry on.
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Norwegian
Trad climber
Placerville, California
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christ, pete!
bag tosser and now moses?
shame on you!
bitchen trip report.
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Leggs
Sport climber
Home away from Home
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bump
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Patrick Spoutz
Trad climber
Livonia, MI
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Wow Pete! What fine reporting.
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Moloch
Trad climber
Ontario
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Excellent TR Pete! Hopefully we can get some aiding done back in Ontario this winter :).
-Flying Dutchman
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shipoopoi
Big Wall climber
oakland
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pete, that´s a great trip report. heather and i had a blast with you on lost world. yeah, we´ll meet you for beers on the bridge this spring. ciao, steve
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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What Dee Ee said, that you're not a "real" climber till you climb El Cap. That was certainly the mindset for us So Cal climbers back in the 1970s. Once you climbed the Big Stone, it was like being "made" in the mob. You were legit. You'd gone "on high" and kept the lid on long enough to top out. Most of your life would fade away but never that first lap up The Captain.
Can I get a wittness . . .
JL
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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The Big Stone was the highlight of my life. Okay, I can die happy.
I can't imagine what it must feel like to have climbed it more than once.
My hat is off to you all.
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Mark Hudon
Trad climber
Hood River, OR
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Most of your life would fade away but never that first lap up The Captain.
That's for damn sure!
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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#32 - spring 2007 - rematch on Wyoming Sheep Ranch with Kate. Big wall camping at its finest. I replaced lead rivets on Welcome To Wyoming pitch, a Real Live Death Pitch, that, with an incredibly sharp lip to a roof that could well cut your rope if you fall.
That does not sound safe. You should have used a chisel to dull down that lip a bit.
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Spanky
Social climber
boulder co
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From the minute I saw the captain I knew I had to climb it to be the real deal. My uncle also gave me "Rock Jocks, Wall Rats, and Hang Dogs" when I was in high school and to this day it is the best descrption I've read of why I love this sport so I'm definitely biased. Thanks for putting it into words that feel right but are hard to compose.
there I'm a witness
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
sawatch choss
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El Cap will never look so tall as on the day you first walk up to climb it.
You got that right, largo.
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Largo's words ring true.
After my first time up the Big Stone via the Nose in 1988, I came home to my then-wife, now ex-wife, who was completely unsympathetic to my caving and climbing pursuits, or addictions as she liked to call them.
"Well, you've finally climbed El Cap," she said with evident relief, but as I recall no trace of congratulations. "Now you can retire from climbing."
Six years and zero further ascents later, I retired from the marriage, or more correctly I was fired. At that point, my Post-Divorce Renaissance began, and I've climbed 47 further routes.
She might have been right about one thing - I could be an addict.
And thanks everyone for your comments. That last one took about four hours to complete.
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cmclean
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Five so far: Salathe 2008, Lurking Fear 2010, Zodiac and Nose 2011, Lost World 2012. Thanks for the photos and writeup of our climb, Pete! It was lots of fun to climb with you, Steve, and Heather.
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ryankelly
Trad climber
el portal
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Time to update your numbers folks, heavy hitters and dweebs alike:
2 for this dweeb
the nose, with ned leblond 2011
the zodiac, with scott borden 2012
Normally I could give a sh#t about stats, but I gotta say these lists are inspiring...
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wayne w
Trad climber
the nw
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Did ZIAD last May, with my friends Scott Lappin and Kristoffer Wickstrom. My 15th El Cap ascent.
Other than Nik and Madeline coming up the base to the Prophet, we had the entire Southeast Face to ourselves, until a party came up to fix when we were at dead end ledge. We laughed the entire time. While racking up by the car, hiking up to the climb, on every pitch, and during the hike down.
Beautiful suffering. Look forward to more El Cap fun in April!
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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For me, my one trip of six and a half days on the "Salathe" is just about equal to any number of lesser routes lumped together.
Pokin' along, visitin' spots you'll never see again makes eminent sense on the first and possibly only EC route you'll ever do--the issue is always in doubt, after all, if you'll finish or not, and to be able to savor the adventure is luxury...And the second time is generally better, as they say.
Werner's view seems right on--unless you spend most your time there, sleep there, eat there, you are only visitin'.
It's just as well that I am not an EC climbing junkie, but I envy the ones who are, I truly do.
The time I mentioned (1974 in a snowstorm) is silly by today's standards, sure, but the attitude is not.
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Mark Hudon
Trad climber
Hood River, OR
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It really is funny, isn't it? It's just a cliff, it's just a climb and yet it make such a lifelong impression on so many.
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rincon
Trad climber
SoCal
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7 for me....so far.
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RP3
Big Wall climber
El Portal/Chapel Hill
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Go R Kelly!
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Mark - I always loved in Long, Hard and Free where you wrote that Yosemite was your favourite climbing area, and that El Cap was your favourite "crag".
I thought, Damn - if this guy thinks that El Cap is just a "crag", he must really be a hardman!
Of course, I now make a point of referring to El Cap as merely a "crag" whenever possible. {snicker}
I think one of the things that makes El Cap so iconic is not only its location and size, but that it is accessible to everyone.
I verily believe it should be every trad climber's goal to one day climb El Cap, and every El Cap climber's goal to one day solo El Cap.
Cheers,
PtP Pete
Big Wall Parvenu
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Mark Hudon
Trad climber
Hood River, OR
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It's the honest truth that whenever I tell anyone about climbing, I'm always telling them about climbing El Cap.
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ryankelly
Trad climber
el portal
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Thanks RP3 AKA Raging Roger!
I've got my gortex on buddy, bring on the spray!
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Paul Brennan
Trad climber
Ireland
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Jan 16, 2013 - 07:24pm PT
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2 so far, Mescalito with Oli Warlowand Zodiac solo. Both oct 2012. Psyched for the spring.
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Jan 16, 2013 - 09:06pm PT
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My, how times are changing, eh? Only two routes, but one solo. Which did you climb first? Beers on the bridge in the spring, for sure, mate!
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mawk
Big Wall climber
White Bear Lake, MN
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Jan 22, 2013 - 03:22pm PT
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Grape Race with Pete was my third time up the Cap.
Thanks Pete, it's been a great adventure, I already have a lifetime's worth of memories, and we're not done yet.
We shot a couple of videos during the storm, enjoy:
[Click to View YouTube Video]
[Click to View YouTube Video]
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HuecoRat
Trad climber
NJ
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Jan 22, 2013 - 03:46pm PT
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You guys are all ahead of me. I've only done one, the Triple Direct, and it took me 2 tries to do it!
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Mark Hudon
Trad climber
Hood River, OR
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Jan 22, 2013 - 03:47pm PT
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Dang, Pete, Mawk, it was windy over on Iron Hawk that afternoon, but nothing like that!
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Paul Brennan
Trad climber
Ireland
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Jan 22, 2013 - 05:38pm PT
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Cheers Pete. Mescalito first, then Zodiac. Pretty fun. I'd already soloed harder aid in squamish, sothey were both just lots of fun. Especially Zodiac, the most relaxing wall experience ive ever had. Found myself wishing for another couple of days climbing when i got to the top. Pretty surreal to be looking out from the cliff id looked in at so often though! Would be good to crack a beer on the bridge alright. See you in the spring!
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Jan 22, 2013 - 06:18pm PT
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See, Paul? You should have brought more food, water and beer. You could have camped out a couple more days and enjoyed yourself!
Thanks for posting up those videos, Minnesota Mark = Mawk.
Mark Hugedong - the wind in that video is nothing, and I mean NOTHING like it had been an hour earlier!
I believe I'm at 519 nights on El Cap now, and I have experienced many many moments of 50 mph winds. These are actually fairly common when you are near the top, and can be caused by little more than convective heating on a vertical half-mile of granite.
But this wind was in a completely different category altogether - it was fricking UNBELIEVABLE! I verily believed the portaledge fly would rip to shreds, and that the ledge would be picked up and chuck us out into the void. Amazingly, the fly held together, and seems little the worse for wear. So the North Face boys did something right.
If force varies as the square of velocity, I would hazard a guess that the winds were in the 70 mph range. Utterly terrifying.
But .....
.... we cheated death once again. {wink}
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Mark Hudon
Trad climber
Hood River, OR
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Jan 22, 2013 - 06:26pm PT
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Pete, I live in the Columbia River Gorge, the windsurfing capitol of the world, I know what 50 mph winds are and heat convection and a half mile of vertical cliff has NEVER produced them.
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RP3
Big Wall climber
El Portal/Chapel Hill
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Jan 22, 2013 - 06:32pm PT
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Heat convection and a half mile of vertical cliff COMBINED with hot air blowing up from El Cap bridge can DEFINITELY create 50 mph winds ;)
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Jan 22, 2013 - 06:33pm PT
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Hmmmm. Well, it sure does get windy near the summit sometimes, however that happens!
Roger, Roger - that must be it! Bwah-ha-ha-ha! Throw in a couple of burps from all those King Cobras that are consumed. Must be what propels you up the wall so fast!
I think the really high winds Mawk and I experienced had something to do with being in the "notch".
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wayne w
Trad climber
the nw
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Dec 20, 2014 - 02:55pm PT
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I did a push of Tangerine Trip in January with Mickey Sensebach and Kristoffer Wickstrom, and on December 7th Mickey and Eric Walden and I did a sub 20 hour ascent of Lurking Fear. Ascents 16 and 17 for me, with 9 of those in a push and 7 in a day. Can't wait to get back up there!
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Willoughby
Social climber
Truckee, CA
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Dec 20, 2014 - 05:28pm PT
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I'm not sure this was ever settled ... does Pine Line count?
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WBraun
climber
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Dec 20, 2014 - 06:48pm PT
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I haven't done any today .....
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Bushman
Social climber
The island of Tristan da Cunha
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Dec 21, 2014 - 01:38am PT
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El Cap; only six,
was stoked after every route,
a special place in my heart for the first.
Not so much, the one retreat.
1. Salathe Erik Erikson 1981
2. Nose Bjorn Bratten 1981
3. Zodiac Steve Quinlan 1981
4. Mescalito Rick Harlan 1983.
5. Shield Brad Hart 1984
6. *Cosmos Rick Harlan 1987 (bailed after traverse on pitch 8)
7. Lurking Fear Dave Rittenhouse 1992
Other big stones around the valley (1979/1996);
Arrow Direct w/tip
Washington Column (2)
Half Dome (4)
Sentinel
Middle Cathedral, top (2)
Leaning Tower (2)
Funny story with Erik on Salathe to tell later.
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pinckbrown
Trad climber
Lake Tahoe, CA
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Dec 21, 2014 - 11:21am PT
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Only two for me...
The Nose - 1985 with Chuck Clance -
Had never done a grade V, and
only a few grade IV's. Eight nights
counting a night on the summit.
Two parties passed us, but they
bailed later and rapped by us on the
way down. We gave food and water
to both parties, both directions. We
took a day off at El Cap Ledges and
wandered around unroped drinking
Jack Daniels. No fixing, no sleeping
bags, no headlamps. The "close call" -
was in the Stovelegs.
We were a pitch below Dolt Tower and
it was dark. We had a small yellow
flashlight that you could clench in your
teeth. Chuck took off mumbling about
getting to Dolt Tower "no matter what".
After about an hour (seemed like an
eternity), a crashing, clanking noise,
a violent jerk and there was Chuck back
at the belay. Well, a few seconds later
the belay ripped, and the haul bag and I
took off. I still had the body belay on Chuck
and had left the haul line attached to a piece
just below the belay, just in case. It caught the
fall! I remember the yellow flashlight falling
down the inside of the Stovelegs for a long time
while staying on! We mentally regrouped and
Chuck fired right back up!
Dihedral Wall - 1986 with Matt Gurish
Eight nights counting a night on top.
Spent two nights at "The Ledge"
Awful nights sleeping in our Forrest
Hammocks!
Two routes in two attempts
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snowhazed
Trad climber
Oaksterdam, CA
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Dec 21, 2014 - 01:10pm PT
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0ne!
This year!
The Nose!
IAD!
With Ranger D!
May I be blessed with more!
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MisterE
Gym climber
Being In Sierra Happy Of Place
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Medusa bump! Happy birthday, Bro!
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Is this the brag about yourself thread?!
:)
5
NIAD and the Salathe over 3 days this year.
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anita514
Gym climber
Great White North
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2 this year: Lost World/Squeeze Play (did not summit) and Triple Direct. Woot.
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namascar
Trad climber
Pasadena, CA
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6, the gumby routes: NA, Muir, Lurking fear, Zodiac, Tangerine trip and the Shield
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shipoopoi
Big Wall climber
oakland
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i did two routes on el cap this year that i had not done before(the real nose and sea of dreams), ending a 3 year drought - my drought, not california's.
currently i have done el cap 119 times via 42 different routes.
ss
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Lurkingtard
climber
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^^^^proud^^^
How was Sea of Dreams?
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shipoopoi
Big Wall climber
oakland
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sea of dreams was bitchin. a challenging route, every pitch is hard and has its moments. anchors were in sad shape. storm hit at the perfect time so that on the 7th day(of 11) we rested. paul and i had a blast. ss
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Avery
climber
New Zealand
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Dec 18, 2015 - 06:18pm PT
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OK PTPP, I think it's time for an update!
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Dec 18, 2015 - 07:13pm PT
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Wow, Patrick reminds me I haven't updated this in four seasons.
Spring 2014 - a far from stellar climbing season for me for various reasons, some legit and some lame. Ended up repeating Zodiac with Keenan and his dad Scott at the last moment so I did knott go home empty-handed, which has only happened to me once.
Fall 2014 - a really fun ascent of Bad to the Bone with Jon Rigg and Dom Ngo. I distinctly remember Jon schlepping up 30-boxes of beer to the base! Maya gave us a hand with the final schlepp and hauling up to Camp Bone, as Tom called it.
Bad to the Bone completed my Bad Trilogy, including Born Under a Bad Sign [aka BUBS] and Bad Seed, both climbed with Kate aka Batgirl. BUBS is the hardest of the three, Bad Seed is the best, and BttB is in the middle. I would definitely recommend all three, especially BS.
Anita crutched into Yosemite afterwards in a plaster cast having just had her frame removed, and we had a fun road trip with a particular emphasis on hotsprings in plastic leg bags and Amador County Barberas.
Spring 2015 - Anita returned with me in May, and with Rhett we climbed Squeeze Play - sort of - which is a variation to Lost World. Owing to three or four days of storm and shall we say lack of universal stoke amongst the team, we retreated due to lack of time via Lurking Fear having completed all of the pitches of Squeeze Play, but not counting the summit. The tears of defeat in Anita's eyes when the awful realization of failure hit her told me that she was the kind of partner I wanted.
In June, The Real Nose with Steve, Heather and Cristobal. Challenging and involved, it was a real team effort. The Real Nose is most emphatically The Real Deal, with one bollocks-shrivelling the pitch possibly as hard as any I have yet done. We replaced lots of bolts in the belays, and equipped all the anchors with rap rings. We and our junk show descended without incident from three pitches below the summit, reaching the ground late in the afternoon. So there is now an alternative rap route straight down from El Cap Tower.
I even wrote a song for our Real Nose ascent: "We're Pathetic and Incompetent" ! Give me a beer and I'll sing it for you. Give me two beers, and I'll stop. [Hint: Jeff Vargen]
Sitting in the hot springs on the East Side a few days after we got down, and with my airplane home already booked, Cristobal calculated that we could [barely] fit a NIAD in before I had to leave. The only thing that rendered this crazy endeavour viable was Cristobal's incredible talent, and the fact that we rapped down off Real Nose rather than carried.
So we drove like madmen, arriving at the bridge at 1am, and were up at 5 the next morning, which was like, Canada Day, eh? It was Cristobal's turn to lead, so he led the first block, which turned out to be the only block. We took about 15 hours, but certainly he could have climbed a lot faster. Except on the Great Roof - I should have led that one and a few of the other full on aid pitches. "Tola" is an amazing free climber who made the scary hard wyde stuff on Real Nose look like 5.7, but his "artificial climbing" skill could use a bit of honing. ;) He likes to climb in a "relaxed" style, and makes everything look effortless.
As the sun went down somewhere up above Camp 5, all I wanted to do was pull out my ledge and pop a beer, but of course we weren't hauling anything. I don't get these one-day ascents, it seems like far too much work to me.
Fall 2015 - Anita returned for her summit, which we reached via Triple Direct with Mike Stonewalker Davis. It was really fun not to be scared for a change!
Then I hopped on Tempest with Plaid and Jerry, well documented on Facebook and supported by Jaime from Spain. A great line, extremely sustained with only one gimme pitch above The Great White Shark. Never really desperate though, and thankfully so. One of El Cap's best routes, along with Real Nose incidentally.
I would be willing to bet that our Junk Show on Tempest - which supported us for 69 man-days on the wall - is the largest ever hauled, more so even than Mark and Richard on Wings of Steel. I wonder if anyone has ever hauled more? We had 150 litres of water, plus all the comforts of home. Mark and Richard - how much did you guys haul? I know, I could look it up in your book, but that would be too much effort, and it is after all Friday night.
In spite of being something of a Big Wall Gumby, I have managed to wobble up 55 different El Cap routes, mostly because I am too stubborn or stupid to quit. So what I mean by this is that if the likes of me can do it, then why not you? Maybe it's time you gave El Cap another shot?
Not counting base nor summit bivis, I have spent 660 nights on the side of El Cap, for the simple reason that there is nowhere else I'd rather be. And I have finally found a sweetie who feels the same way. ;)
I just turned 56 this fall, so [God willing] I hope to "climb my age" in El Cap routes by next spring!
w00t!
[Oops, sorry, couldn't help it]
Cheers and Merry Christmas, eh?
PtPP
P.S. Steve Gerberding, Ammon and E. have all climbed more El Cap routes than me - I keep trying to catch up to them but they are all "moving targets" because we're all unwilling to retire. Shipoopoi is over 40 routes now, and Nanook is in that ballpark too.
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Avery
climber
New Zealand
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Dec 18, 2015 - 08:32pm PT
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Well done Pete. A lesser man would've said a whole lot more.
Is "Disorderly Conduct" on the horizon, or maybe even "Nightmare on California Street"?
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Dec 18, 2015 - 11:03pm PT
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Yes! I'm definitely up for Disorderly Conduct. If anyone is interested, let me know.
I'm not so sure about Nightmare, however.....
I *really* wanted to do Gulf Stream, but the first two pitches fell off one day while Kate and I were watching from BUBS. I had the video posted, but Kate made me take it down. Something about her wide eyes and colourful language...... I wonder if there is a viable way to reach the base of the third pitch? Maybe via Heavy Metal and Tinker Toys? Not sure exactly where they all go.
Still haven't done Space, another long one that is rarely climbed. I wonder how the anchor bolts are, if they would need upgrading?
I'm also quite interested in Waterfall Route in the fall when it's dry, now that the fifth and sixth pitches have been re-established. And Mirage in the spring, when the Lurking Fear gully stream might be running like this past spring when we filled all our water bottles for Squeeze Play.
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colin rowe
Trad climber
scotland uk
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Dec 19, 2015 - 12:49am PT
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The Nose with Bill Price October 1977 in 2.5 days. Alternate leads. I slowed Bill down. Bill was the talented, gifted and superb climber. Yabo was correct when he described me as an untalented climber.
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Fossil climber
Trad climber
Atlin, B. C.
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Dec 19, 2015 - 11:50am PT
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Only one.
Regarding winds on EC, during one of the early attempts on the Nose in 1958 I was wearing a tightly woven straw alpine hat, attached with a lanyard. We got a thunderstorm. The hat flew to the end of the lanyard and flapped itself to pieces. No measurement, but I'd be surprised if the wind was less than 50.
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WBraun
climber
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Dec 19, 2015 - 12:03pm PT
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Doing the Nose in 1958 to me is like rowing a boat across the Atlantic without gps, cell, and radio.
Just oars, boat and balls .......
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ashtond6
climber
Sheffield, UK
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Dec 19, 2015 - 03:54pm PT
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Two :)
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WBraun
climber
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Dec 19, 2015 - 04:01pm PT
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One can only do El Cap once ever anyways.
After that they are all just variations of the same .....
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E
Ice climber
mogollon rim
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Dec 20, 2015 - 11:00am PT
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actually the first two pitches of the Gulfstream didnt fall off
several big flakes fell that were not part of the route
maybe a flake on pitch 3 but nothing a short rivit ladder wouldnt fix
not alot of recent info on that one either
pete you should go for it with no topo......that would be badass
EE
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Honu
Big Wall climber
Boulder
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I’ve been living in Yose for little over a year and I’ve bagged lurking fear in a few days , zodiac in a 30 hr push, Tribal rite In 2 weeks of winter conditions, Muir in a day, Triple direct in a day, lurking fear in a day, and lost in a America in five days. I love where I live and I can’t wait to keep pushing my self on that rock in the years to come.
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Don Lauria
Trad climber
Bishop, CA
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Well, I guess I’ll add my two cents worth to this Vesuvius of self-aggrandizement*.
All this before harnesses, before porta-ledges, before ATCs, before cell phones, and before YOSAR. Also, we made our own etriers and our own haul bags.
8th ascent of the Nose (7 days in the rain)
3rd ascent of the Dihedral Wall
2nd ascent of the NA Wall
2nd ascent of the Dawn Wall
Other than the Salathe, there were no other routes on El Cap during that period, 1966-1972 (correct me if I’m wrong).
Also, kudos to John Long for his “I think the only ascent that really counts, soul wise, is the first one.” I assume he means “the first time up that particular route”?
*In 1971 I wrote a letter to Warren Harding in which I related Royal’s and my reasons for beginning the aborted erasure of bolts on the Dawn Wall: “I didn’t like the way Harding and Caldwell did the route. I didn’t like the publicity. And besides, I hadn’t ever done anything controversial in my life (up to that time). I had always wanted to do a wall with Royal. I guess to some degree I was doing it for the same reasons I attributed to Harding and Caldwell – self-aggrandizement.”
Harding was, as he wrote in his book Downward Bound, “… entertained by all this, I was also intrigued by one of Don’s statements: the thing about climbing for self-aggrandizement.” Harding admitted to me that he had to look up the meaning of self-aggrandizement, and assured me that he was grateful for the addition to his vocabulary.
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McHale's Navy
Trad climber
From Panorama City, CA
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As for other routes that existed during that 1966-72 period there was The Muir Wall that Robbins soloed in 1968 and the West Buttress....http://www.supertopo.com/tr/Kors-West-Buttress-of-El-Capitan-TR-1964/t88n.html
I climbed the Dihedral in April of 1972 with Jerry Yesavage and then climbed the Triple Direct in the Fall of 1972. In 1977 I soloed the Dihedral Wall. At that time it did not seem like there were any new bolts like there are today. It was still old 1/4" Rawls.
A photo from Don Lauria's DIHEDRAL DIARY in Summit Magazine 1968; Dennis Hennek on a crux pitch just above the 'Ledge'.
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john hansen
climber
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Thanks for the history Don.
On those ascents with out a harness did you use swami's yet or were you
just tied in with the rope?
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Aeriq
Sport climber
100-year Visitor
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Don Lauria
Trad climber
Bishop, CA
Jan 8, 2019 - 01:22pm PT
Well, I guess I’ll add my two cents worth to this Vesuvius of self-aggrandizement*.
All this before harnesses, before porta-ledges, before ATCs, before cell phones, and before YOSAR. Also, we made our own etriers and our own haul bags.
8th ascent of the Nose (7 days in the rain)
3rd ascent of the Dihedral Wall
2nd ascent of the NA Wall
2nd ascent of the Dawn Wall
Other than the Salathe, there were no other routes on El Cap during that period, 1966-1972 (correct me if I’m wrong)
That's the stuff of greatness right there! Thanks for the post, Don!
I have never done an El Cap Route, and Medusa loves to remind me of my great deficit in life.
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Inner City
Trad climber
Portland, OR
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One, East Butt..
oops, I mean none...
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BLUEBLOCR
Social climber
joshua tree
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Wow, Thanks Don!
That kinda stuff can’t be bought
🙏
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mastadon
Trad climber
crack addict
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Survival, do you remember knocking that huge block off near the top of Tribal Rights in ‘81? Mike White and I were a couple pitches up on the Dawn Wall when that happened. You’d been dropping pins and stuff for a day. Everything was whizzing right by us and hitting the slab 50’ away from the start of Mescalito/Dawn. I remember hearing you guys screaming and yelling st the top of your lungs. We looked up and saw this huge block/cleaver windmilling towards us. I could hear it making these horrible wooshing sounds as it turned over. We had no where to go. It wooshed past us and hit the slab and broke into a million pieces near where my sweetie was. I talked to Lesher about it later. He said it almost killed one of you guys.
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john hansen
climber
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Don Lauria , what kind of tie in did you use with out a harness on those ascents you spoke of in the El Cap thread?
A Swami,, or just tied in to the rope.
pretty brutal either way.
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wayne w
Trad climber
the nw
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This shot is from my 24th El Cap ascent, a push of Zodiac, taken in November of '18. Each of those were quite memorable in their own way(s).
One day ascents in 107* temps. Waking to find icicles hanging from our portaledges in the morning after mine swung in the wind for about 9 hours the previous afternoon until well into that evening. Doing the 5th ascent of Bad Seed with my friends, the late Brian McCray and Hans Florine in 19:12, still the record. Can't wait to see what kind of shenanigans my partners and I get up to in '19!
Photo credit; Chris Van Luevan.
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Don Lauria
Trad climber
Bishop, CA
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Jan 10, 2019 - 12:00pm PT
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I'm sure we were using swami belts by 1967.
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Kligfield
Mountain climber
Boulder, CO
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Jan 10, 2019 - 03:36pm PT
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Blast from way back...
1971 Heart Route (2nd ascent with Jimmy Dunn & Andy Embick
1972 1st third Magic Mushroom/2nd third Triple Direct, 3rd third Nose with Jon Waterman
1972 Dihedral Wall (11th? ascent) with Don Heller
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Kligfield
Mountain climber
Boulder, CO
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Jan 10, 2019 - 03:37pm PT
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and yes...we climbed in Swami belts and Robbins (blue with red laces) shoes back in the day... We did use belay seats to follow pitches while jumaring.
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Rudder
Trad climber
Costa Mesa, CA
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Jan 10, 2019 - 04:54pm PT
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RRs and buttbags, all hip belay, on the Nose. I'd be thrown out of the gym, hell probably get thrown out of Yosemite. hehe
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shipoopoi
Big Wall climber
oakland
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Jan 10, 2019 - 05:24pm PT
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im up to 45 different routes. hoping to get to "50 by 60", as in fifty routes by sixty years old. im currently 58, and still lucky enough to be living the dream(OCCASIONALLY) up on the big stone.
steve schneider
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mastadon
Trad climber
crack addict
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Jan 12, 2019 - 08:14am PT
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Roy Kligfield, Donn Heller was a good friend of mine and I remember him telling me about going up on the Dihedral Wall. We did a lot of fun stuff together and I miss him dearly. Maybe in his next life he’ll KEEP HIS FUKKIN’ CRAMPONS ON when he tops out on a big winter ice climb...
Donn Heller
Roy,
dwh_96161@yahoo.com
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Kligfield
Mountain climber
Boulder, CO
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Jan 12, 2019 - 08:29am PT
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Mastadon--how do I contact you? What's your email? It's interesting you posted a picture of Donn on Liberty Bell as the two of us went up on the East Face route on Liberty Bell (the original one) but were chased off by swarming bees about 3 pitches up! Roy
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