Left Side of the Remnant

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Ed Hartouni

Trad climber

Livermore, CA

Oct 20, 2007 - 05:36pm PT

There is a 5.11 on the face leading up to the ledge that Chingando starts on... it comes up from the road, essentially... there is no attribution in the Reid's guide, to its left is a 5.9, also unattributed. They are short-ish climbs, and probably not less safe an approach to that ledge than the "normal" approach next to The Tooth 5.10a another Ament & Higgins FA (19?) which has a single bolt high, and problematic pro lower down (not that I've done it, but it is a striking line and I've thought about it a lot).

Over to the east past Reed's Direct is another Ament & Higgins route, Old 5.10 5.10d FA 1975.

Zander

Trad climber

Berkeley

Oct 20, 2007 - 05:39pm PT

Ed,
Did you take a picture of The Remnent last week. It would be cool to have a photo with the discussion.
Z

Gary Carpenter

climber

SF Bay Area

Oct 20, 2007 - 05:41pm PT

Zander: We'll get one tomorrow.

Tarbuster

climber

right here, right now

Oct 20, 2007 - 07:35pm PT

Pat wrote, concerning the lower portion of The Remnant:

"Isn't that a chimney or offwidth?"

Yes it is Pat, to get to the undercling, but I had just the 2 big cams, and I could see the crux was likely the undercling, so I charged up like a raging bull, not with reckless abandon, but with a calculated boldness heading for that position with my gear.

I'd been perfectly comfortable ratcheting up such things in an orthodox straight-in manner, but for the most part I favored whatever technique seemed most perfunctory and cams expanded the option regime in that way; you could opt to fly up on layback and just stuff in the metallic claws!

As I had no prior knowledge concerning the history of your ascent and approached the route without any expectation, it certainly is telling that I kept no special memory, came away with little in the way of regard for the upper finger lock portion of the route. The meat of the matter must indeed hang on the bones below.

Super fun to do some cross generational reportage and side by side note comparison of these "encounter-fissure"...

Jaybro

Social climber

The West

Oct 20, 2007 - 07:57pm PT

oh sheez! I don't remeber finger locks or underclings just a horizontal wide section... maybe Josh will answer his phone.

Oli

Trad climber

Fruita, Colorado

Oct 21, 2007 - 03:59am PT

That "tooth" thing we named "Do Not Touch" (myself, Higgins, and Cam John, circa 1977 or '78, if I recall). It goes up the left (west) side of the south face of the tooth, and at one or possibly two places one could stem over to the main wall, making it easier. Hence, do not touch (the main wall). That's not a hard climb, just fun, maybe easy 5.10, maybe even easier. Some people have told me "Old 5.10" feels more like 5.11 to them. Who knows? The other short route of which I spoke I cannot locate in memory, but it was definitely 5.11, though short. I don't think it ended up at Chingando. I usually remember those climbs well, but for some reason that one eludes me. I do have a photo of it somewhere, but it would take hours to search through all those slides...

Tarbuster

climber

right here, right now

Oct 21, 2007 - 11:39am PT

Hey Pat,
Could you post up that picture of Do Not Touch?
That has a fabled look to it and is one of my favorite; it appeared in your recent interview yes?

WBraun

climber

Oct 21, 2007 - 11:43am PT

"But it was definitely 5.11, though short."

I think Oli you may be referring to "Old 5.10" just to the left of Lunatic Fringe?

mastadon

Trad climber

Tahoe

Oct 21, 2007 - 09:07pm PT

Found a few old B&W pics of the left side of the Remnant.....

The start-before the real pain....

Beginning to breathe hard......

The realization of what we're into is beginning to take hold......

After this shot, I had to drop the camera and actually belay....

Impressive lead. Basically solo.

-

Tarbuster

climber

right here, right now

Oct 21, 2007 - 09:14pm PT

Nice shots Don!
Is that Pat Timson?

Shoot, that ain't the climb I did: I think I was recalling Grack Left...
(kidding, kidding)

mastadon

Trad climber

Tahoe

Oct 21, 2007 - 11:24pm PT

Mr Tarbaby Sir,

Yes, it's Timson...... S#it, I think it's the left side of the Remnant! I hope it's the LSOTR! Things that far back kind of blend together. Remind me-left side of Reeds somewhere? Can't remember if it's past Chingando or not. I think we did that in '73 or '74 or so.

We were young, strong, and invincible. Even then, we felt some pain, physical and mental, from that climb. At least we had some s#itty hex protection and didn't have to f&#k around with pitons. My hat goes off to the 1st ascenters.

------

Ed Hartouni

Trad climber

Livermore, CA

Oct 21, 2007 - 11:29pm PT

fantastic pictures mastadon...

we were up there today, and decided to do the Left Side of Reed's instead... we're old and feel pain and know we are not invincible. So we wussed out. (Mr. Smooth had a great lead on p2 of Reed's left. Trip report soon, but my pictures won't be ready 'till Thursday earliest.)

WBraun

climber

Oct 21, 2007 - 11:30pm PT

You wussed out?

Ah man, .... that does it, I'm leaving

Mighty Hiker

Social climber

Vancouver, B.C.

Oct 21, 2007 - 11:35pm PT

Now that's a very young Pat Timson in those photos.

He's carrying tube chocks and drilled hexes, which suggests autumn 1974 or so.

Ed Hartouni

Trad climber

Livermore, CA

Oct 21, 2007 - 11:40pm PT

we wussed out on the Left Side of the Remnant... maybe it was the ants in the tree on the approach up the slab to the beginning. Anyway, a very quick decision was made to go over to Reed's once we figured the only way up was to do what mastadon's pictures show... and we didn't bring a crash pad (actually, I'm not sure any of us own a crash pad).

Jaybro

Social climber

The West

Oct 22, 2007 - 12:33am PT

A spot's as good as pad... not falling is better than either.

Oli

Trad climber

Fruita, Colorado

Oct 22, 2007 - 12:58am PT

Mastadon,
Actually Pratt and I were walking along the wall to do something together. I think that might have been the day I led both right and left side off-widths of Reed with him. As we strolled by the Left Side of the Remnant he said "Here's a climb to be done some day." I got the mysterious sense he thought it might be tough. I returned a few days later and made the first ascent (and first free ascent, if I dare say so). I seem to recall the undercling was the crux. I can't even remember how I protected that crux, unless I hammered in some big bong. No Friends or cams in use yet in '67. I know I had no pro on that initial crack up to the undercling.

Werner,
The climb I'm speaking about and cannot remember the name or exact location is definitely not Old 5.10. I'm well aware of where and what that route is. I did that route several times, first ascent with Higgins in 1975, then with Gray Ringsby... and I am perfectly familiar with it. Old 5.10 is way east of the little thing I'm trying to recollect. The route I'm talking about is a very shallow inset with a seam in the back for fingertips and goes up into a kind of alcove, if I recall, an alcove maybe even with a tree in it, down near the bottom of the wall somewhere, but quite a distance west of Old 5.10.

P.S., Werner, I like your comment about guns being inferior weapons. I once heard a great martial artist say, "It's so easy to shoot a gun, and (in so many cases) so cowardly." That made me really think at the time (about 1972 or 3, if I recall).

Largo

Sport climber

Venice, Ca

Topic Author's Reply - Oct 22, 2007 - 12:40pm PT

Looking at those photos I can sort of remember that roof part being the crux. I'm virtually positive that we top-roped the thing because we were either afraid to lead it at the time, or didn't have the right gear, or both. I seem to remember that the top rope set up was sort of screwy and a fall would have involved a big ass swing.

That's a long time ago. Fun to hear about Pat's effort. That was five or six years before we top roped the thing - pretty advanced for the time. I'm thinking that thing is probably 11a.

JL