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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Kevin,
> Every time I go to Index I climb one of your routes, Princely Ambitions great line. What's the history?
When Fred Beckey's "Darrington & Index Rock Climbing Guide" came out in 1976, it had an overlay photo which showed the Snow White and Frog Pond aid routes, but nothing in between. I did the first pitch of Snow White on aid, noticed the free climbable upper crack, plus the big moss- and block-choked flake down and right, and started thinking about doing a first ascent - it looked like something I might be able to free climb. The first thing I did was in August 1976 - a new direct finish for p1 of Snow White, so that it stayed left and hopefully people would not nail the moderate upper section which could be used by the new route.
Then in June 1977, I scrambled around the left end of the Lower Wall and got above both pitches for a long session of cleaning on rappel. After pitching off flakes, digging out dirt and blackberry vines, the climb was uncovered. It was a typical rainy day, and all the dirt made my rope muddy and wore some deep grooves into my carabiner brake rappel!
After some cleansing rains, I came back in July with Jeremy Metz and led it at 5.8. The crux at that time was an undercling/lieback on a giant detached flake (12' x 12' x 6"), halfway up the first pitch. I checked it on rappel, but it didn't budge. Some years later this came off and it became 5.9.
The name I wrote in my guidebook at the time was "Prince", to go with Snow White and Frog Pond (and I wrote "Dwarf" for the direct finish to Snow White). Although when I reported it to the guidebook author, I embellished it to "Princely Ambitions" to recall the mega cleaning session involved to uncover a moderate free climb. It's cool that it's popular; I was just in the right place at the right time to uncover it.
By the way, dated FA info for Index is at:
http://www.stanford.edu/~clint/index/itwfa.htm
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Hardly Visible
climber
Port Angeles
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 9, 2007 - 09:01pm PT
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Clint,
Thanks for the history on Princely. I don't know how long its been since you were last on it, these days it is immaculately clean wonderful climbing.
Here I am up by where the giant flake used to be
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Zander
Trad climber
Berkeley
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Nov 10, 2007 - 12:09am PT
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Kevin,
Thanks for the TR. That rock is beautiful on the Rostrum. You cranked it! Awesome. I enjoyed meeting you in Vedauwoo. Maybe I'll see you in Yosemite sometime. How about Chockstone Chimney? Ha ha. Hexes only they say.
Thanks,
Zander
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Hardly Visible
climber
Port Angeles
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 10, 2007 - 12:39pm PT
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So Zander,
are you offering to do that Chockstone Chimney with me?
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Gary Carpenter
climber
SF Bay Area
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Nov 10, 2007 - 01:31pm PT
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Great TR Kevin.
I enjoyed meeting you at Vedauwoo also.
Sounds like you have all the skills (and more) for Chockstone Chimney. It's a great adventure climb but probably better left for the summer. Ed & I did it in July, no risk of sunburn on this climb!!
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Zander
Trad climber
Berkeley
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Nov 10, 2007 - 05:54pm PT
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Hi Kevin,
I'd love to do Chockstone again. Not until spring and a little bit longer day. Coiler, who I know only by reputation, suggested in a thread that you gotta do it with hexes and stoppers only. I don't think I have the guts. This hasn't stopped me from going over the whole climb in my mind's eye and trying to imagine it. If you don't mind we'll take some cams.
See ya,
Zander
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Nov 10, 2007 - 06:09pm PT
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Beautiful pictures there, Kevin. I'd love to do that thing again.
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P.Kingsbury
Trad climber
Bozeman
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Nov 13, 2007 - 12:57pm PT
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nice work kevin!!
sounds like you had a blast
thanks for postin up!
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handsome B
Gym climber
SL,UT
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Nov 13, 2007 - 01:21pm PT
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this is the kind of thread-drift I like!
great TR of a great route!
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Nor Cal
Trad climber
San Mateo
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Nov 13, 2007 - 01:25pm PT
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I've climbed with Bob, nice guy and a solid climber. I took to calling him Cookie Bob as that is where I met him. While he talked about bicycling and climbing, I had not heard him talk about surfing. At some point over the last few years Werner corrected me, and told me that he is Surfer bob - not cookie bob
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Hardly Visible
climber
Port Angeles
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 13, 2007 - 04:15pm PT
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Yeah NorCal I've never heard him mention surfing either, he sure is an outstanding climber though. Makes me climb better just being roped up with him.
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le_bruce
climber
Oakland: what's not to love?
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Jul 28, 2008 - 10:16pm PT
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Bump for incredible photos!
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climbrunride
Trad climber
Durango, CO
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Jul 28, 2008 - 10:37pm PT
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Great pics, beautiful rock! Looks steller!
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Prod
Social climber
Charlevoix, MI
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Jul 29, 2008 - 03:03pm PT
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Great bump le_bruce
Prod.
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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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Jul 29, 2008 - 04:17pm PT
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Great pics of a proud send and a proud route.
JL
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Leavittator
climber
san diego, ca.
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Jul 30, 2008 - 11:48pm PT
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Must Bob Boorman - also known as Surfer Bob - also known as Sunset Bob. He was a fixture surfing at Sunset Beach (Oahu), especially when it got the biggest, like 12 - 15 feet and closing out. What a great character. He taught me a lot at Sunset. Or how about when he took random hitchikers at the Virgin River Gorge and taught them how to use a Gri Gri so they can belay him on Subterfuge (5.13). Good times for sure. Here's to Surfer Bob!
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Leavittator
climber
san diego, ca.
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Jul 30, 2008 - 11:50pm PT
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.....I mean Sunset Bob. That is what they called him in Oahu.
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JOEY.F
Social climber
sebastopol
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Feb 25, 2009 - 04:17pm PT
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One of my faves for bump day.
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surfstar
climber
Santa Barbara, CA
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Heard his name thrown around the campfire a few times, finally met the man last weekend - great character. Bob was letting his body recover, which involves soloing Cathedral on back to back days apparently.
Always wondered if the name Surfer Bob was ironic or not; definitely not. Surfing large Sunset and Waimea is legit! I'm sure he has some great stories.
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JOEY.F
Gym climber
It's not rocket surgery
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This one sticks in my head bump.
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