Figures on a Landscape

pretty easy except for the bottom, getting to the second bolt

zip

Trad climber
pacific beach, ca

Oct 29, 2007 - 08:15pm PT




The first and only time i climbed this route was with Jeff Perrin, and Walt Shipley as audience, and chief heckler.

Jeff lead the first pitch and i was seconding.

We lost Walt on the hike in, and had no idea where he was.

I start climbing and was immediately aware that Walt has arrived, because he starts heckling me.

I am focused on the moves and i don't look down to see where Walt is, but i am very aware of his presence.

He is critiquing my every move, and yelling up suggestions.

"Dyno, lieback, smear, edge, mantle"

The climbing is not very difficult, and i am not having any trouble with the moves. Walt is just entertaining himself by trying to make me fall.

I get up to the traverse section of the first pitch, and i get a little gripped looking at the possible penji that i am going to take if i fall.

This route is well within my ability, but at that time i was a little light in the nerves department.

I have found that as i get older, i am a lot more cautious, and lot less bold than i was twenty years and twenty pounds ago, but that is another story.

As I start off on the traverse, Walt launches in to a new tirade.
"You're blowing the sequence, you're gonna fall, you're gonna die"

I am slowly inching across the traverse and trying to count how many moves i have left to the belay.

Walt doesn't let up, "if you die, can i have your car?"

I finally tell Walt to shut the f@#k up, and he does.

I am one move away from the slings and in my haste to get there, i have actually messed up the sequence. I want to do this clean, but it would be so easy to grab the anchor. I am trying to find a way to reverse the move, and i hear Walt yell, "Grab the sling ya poser!"

I am able to reverse the move and finish the pitch cleanly. I clip in to the anchor, and immediately look down at Walt.

I was not prepared for what i saw.

Walt is semi crouched, and leaning against a rock in the sun.

He is naked, and holding a beer.

I look at Jeff, shake my head, and then look back at Walt and ask him, "what in the F#@K are you doing?"

He does not respond, and he is just staring out in to The Wonderland.

I again call out to him, "Walt, what are you doing?"

Without looking up, he finally responds: "I am coping some rays, taking a sh#t, drinking a beer, and laughing at you. I am enjoying life, man"

I miss you Walt, and will never forget all the good times that we had on and off the stone, and our great conversations.

Zip