Mike Bolte
Trad climber
Planet Earth
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it is really interesting that this thread took a wild right turn with Hashbro's casual comment that Matt and Yabo did this route years before, but nobody seems to have quite noticed (Hashbro - letting the thread play out before showing all your cards was great). Did those guys really do this route to the top with no bolts (yow!)? Hashbro - are you playing with everyone here? Are there a few more layers that only the insiders can appreciate?
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Dr. F
climber
Costa Mesa
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Thanks for the apology Randy, I won't gripe about the rest of my request. It does put to rest the major issues.
I haven't seen the thread since last friday, quite a few new posts, its gotten quite exiciting.
Baa'aaa'aaa
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hashbro
Trad climber
Not in Southern California
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Mike, in response to your query about Matt and Ybo on the "true" FA of Figures it must be stated that the boys were observed (and Matt dangerously leading without bolts) a route in the narly exact location of Figures several years before the controversial bolted acsent of the route.
Since Matt (and Yabo) often climbed routes back then (in true Gritstone style) where a fall would be injurious or possibly fatal, news of their ascent was not eyebrow raising.
In approximately 1977, several of us (including a highly inebriated EE,Yabo and others of the clan) were re-grouping over beers and other contraband in Hidden Valley it was mentioned that the mystery route Matt and Yabo had completed was in fact Figures two years before the bolted FA. Soem folks said this was a bunch of balony, but Yabo sweared Matt had actually led the route (with some slight variations to find micro-cracks for "protection"). At this point the story is only a rumour and myth. Since the players were legendary for their cajones, insane boldness and attraction to the life/death edge, I tend to actually believe the story.
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Craig, remember that reality is always slanted by the perciever. Einstein proved this with physics and now you and Randy are proving it with synapses.
May Yabo's spirit climb all of the scary and dangerous routes we never could muster in the "real" world.
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Rokjox
Trad climber
i dunno, boyz.
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If you heard it from Yabo's lips, then its probably true enough, with the sort of variations you would expect. I didn't know him much, and had little to do with him as I couldn't afford another squirrel hanging around that was so poor as myself.
But I dont think he had ever to lie about that sort of thing.
Too frigging bold for their own good was the cry at the time. I think a lot of climbs have this sort of history. Its not a route until its bolted and in a guidebook.
(This may be taken poorly. Its not like I know anything about J-tree and the Figures. I may pull this post. )
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 6, 2007 - 07:22pm PT
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Mike, in response to your query about Matt and Ybo on the "true" FA of Figures it must be stated that the boys were observed (and Matt dangerously leading without bolts) a route in the narly exact location of Figures several years before the controversial bolted acsent of the route.
Way radical if it happened. I've looked again at my photos of P1 and so far as I can see there are only about 3 places on that pitch you might hope to place gear, none of them near the cruxes -- the first about 50 feet up, past two 5.10 sections. Did I miss something? With all the holds untested, plenty of flakey looseness you'd have to assume, nothing at all from the middle flakes on the P1 traverse to the easy crack at the top of P2 about 70 feet higher, and none of our modern knowledge that it all goes at "just" 5.10b (it looks harder) -- hard to imagine launching through all that with no pro, at least from my mortal perspective.
If it was "nearly the exact location," where else could it go?
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dee ee
Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
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Matt was badass! Yabo was too, but that goes without saying.
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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People at the time - late 1970s, early 1980s - were doing other scary runout routes. Perilous Journey in Boulder. The Bachar-Yerian in Tuolumne. Things on Middle Cathedral and maybe Glacier Point. A few things on the Apron at Squamish. A very few of them were never recorded or publicized, and later had "first" ascents, often with bolts added - a route on Mt. Habrich, behind Squamish, comes to mind.
Some of those routes were very close to lead standards of the time, but most of them somewhat below that.
Figures is a great route, and quite stout even with the bolts it has. It's entirely believable that it had an earlier ascent, given the abilities of the climbers involved, though with the formation that was climbed, I'd have guessed they would have said more about what they'd done.
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barbarianism
Trad climber
Blurgemanvilletowne
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So, WhAt AbOuT YaBo?
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Apocalypsenow
Trad climber
Cali
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"Rangers Wear Panties" is by far the best 10b in the park.
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 10, 2007 - 01:41pm PT
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So, WhAt AbOuT YaBo?
I wondered about that too. Feels like the thread had a cliffhanger ending, if that's all the farther it goes.
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Dr. F
climber
Costa Mesa
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Dec 10, 2007 - 02:16pm PT
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Hashbro tried to throw a loop into the dicussion
Of course Yabo and Matt Cox never did the route before the known FA.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Dec 10, 2007 - 04:51pm PT
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Jeebus Craig,
I can understand the sour grapes per the FA bolting reportage,
But that's no reason to spoil the high bannered mythology of your valiant predecessors.
Like, how young were your kids when you busted 'em on Santa Claws?
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hashbro
Trad climber
Mental Physics........
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Dec 10, 2007 - 10:22pm PT
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Yeah Craig, chill out a bit.
I understand you are an extreme cynic, but this might be your best
opportunity become a new-aged guy, open you heart chakra and learn to forgive and forget. Are you sure Yabo and Matt were not there first, and would it really matter if they had?
Think of what happened on Illusion Dweller with Tobin and Gib also being convinced they were doing the FFA when in fact Matt et al had done it at least a year earlier with no bolts. According to some that's what did happen on Figures.
Don't get stuck in assumptions bro.....
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Dr. F
climber
Costa Mesa
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Dec 11, 2007 - 10:53am PT
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Take it easy boys, I thought the thread died, so I had to let the Yabo story come clean.
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Ezra
Trad climber
WA, NC
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Apr 12, 2008 - 10:51am PT
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Bump for the Real Deal!
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Oddchick? Wingnut? Strangechick? Freakazoid?
Trad climber
Pollack Pines
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Apr 12, 2008 - 11:01pm PT
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After everything that has been said I am convinced that Matt and Yabo actually did the real first ascent with Vogal and Evans conspired to mis-report and eventually steal the route.
This is an outrage!
There just outta be a law!
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Lost Arrow
Trad climber
The North Ridge of the San Fernando
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Apr 14, 2008 - 07:50am PT
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bumb
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Nov 24, 2008 - 09:07pm PT
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This thread pretty much has it all, though a few more pictures might be nice. Plus as it's an anniversary, it needs to be bumped - Ed and Munge aren't the only people allowed to do that.
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