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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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jesus john. have times changed that much? going to canon tajo used to be an escape from the madness. i guess the 70's really are over.
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Ghoulwe
Trad climber
Spokane, WA
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Juan:
Thanks for the report. It was getting a bit tedious with the stops/searches when I was last going down there in '02. It's a long way from where I live in Spokane now, but I'll be back there again on a future visit - I'll just need to figure in the extra time. Yes, times have changed, haven't they...
Eric Barrett
Spokane WA
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gonamok
climber
dont make me come over there
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Left to right: Greg scott, Ron Amick, Michael Paul sitting on Greg's 62 Falcon, circa 1975, on our way to do the Happy Hooker.
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Acer
Big Wall climber
AZ
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My official border and army encounters on my 2005 Baja climbing trip were about the same.
I am going back sometime soon I hope. I liked the Tecate crossings.
Biggest think when encountering the Mexican Army or Policia were to be polite, try your spanish, be helpful with the search if it happens and I left out the porn and cigs on the seat. I like to read and smoke when I drive (wink).
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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Even back in the day, the trick to just gliding through is having someone who speaks Spanish. Really speaks it, not just schoolboy shite. Answer all questions directly and you're good to go.
JL
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domngo
climber
Canada
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Oct 14, 2011 - 12:05am PT
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adventure climbing bump. Awesome stories in this motha
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Gabe
climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 14, 2011 - 06:11am PT
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I still think the Banditos will torch my car.
I Guess......
I'M GONNA DIE!!!
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F10
Trad climber
e350 / Bishop
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Oct 31, 2011 - 03:01pm PT
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John, good news on Beckey's new book. I have his Mountains of North America book and will be looking forward to his new book, should be great.
James
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Juan Maderita
Trad climber
San Diego, CA
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Oct 31, 2011 - 11:48pm PT
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Base camp fiesta over the weekend with climbers from Tijuana, Mexicali, and San Diego.
Cooking up a feast of tacos de mantaraya. Yes, that's right, manta ray! I was a little reluctant until the first bite. Gourmet tacos for sure.
L to R: Jeanette, Werner L, Allison, Enrique M (chef).
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Good to see Werner is still out and about! His Father-In-Law Bill was the leader of my Boy Scout Explorer post and took me and Off White on our first trip into the Sierra Juarez way the hell bitd.
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Juan Maderita
Trad climber
"OBcean" San Diego, CA
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Beckey's new book, Fred Beckey's 100 Favorite North American Climbs has been released (see my 10/13/11 post, above).
Fred devotes 5 pages to the original South Face Route and the direct finish, "Baile del Sol." Fred mentions "La Joya" and "El Paseo Blanco", also on the south face.
There will still be plenty of adventure for those wanting to tick Baile del Sol off their list. There is no driving map or topographic map to find the route, and the verbal directions are vague. Once the route is found, climbers will discover that the topo is not particularly accurate. Fred warns that it is run out and "daring." I will add to the warning that there have been injuries due to leader falls, including broken ankles. The South Face Route 5.10c and Baile del Sol 5.10b should be attempted only by those comfortable with leading 5.11 friction. That said, it is a fine and enjoyable route in a remarkable setting.
Fred will be 89 years young this month. He is hoping to travel to Mexico City for a climb of Iztaccihuatl 17,160'. He also looks forward to another Baja trip. He wrote on the Jan. 1st, "Have a good New Year and beware of bandidos."
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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People have broken bones on the South Face? Yikes, talk about a worst case scenario. Did they self-rescue or wait a couple of days for help?
Scary to think Watusi and I did that thing 35 years ago this Spring. God, where have all the years gone?
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TWP
Trad climber
Mancos, CO
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Memories of my sole trip to Trono Blanco in 1976 make we realize how lucky I have been at times. I should have died ... but for the benevolent indifference of a universe that isn't out to get me (or anyone else on any specific day).
I had read a story about Scott Baxter and members of the Syndicato Granitica (?spelling?) climbing Trono Blanco. I talked over the phone with Ross Hardwick and got vague beta and the encouragement that the route Mariah was "mostly 5.6" with a 5.8 crux.
I went with Stan Mish, a totally reliable partner, hoping to climb with him. But Stan - due to youthful enthusiasm unencumbered by the thought process - had brought along three other neophyte climbers. I recall zero border hassles. By some miracle, we actually got to the trailhead without a hitch (though the oil leaks from our ancient vehicle gave cause for concern).
The approach down Canon Tajo lived up to its reputation. During day one, as a leaderless band of five, our group descended the canyon, ascended the mostly 5.0+ lower pitches up a large chimney system in the center of Trono and reached a traverse ledge where the "real climbing" began.
We had brought a stove, water and gear to spend the night out. We heard two loud-mouth climbers bivouacked above us right at the base of the first pitch.
The next morning, two of the newbies decided to bail and Stan was the logical volunteer to lead them back out and up the way we had come.
This left me and the third newbie as partners by default. This individual was a muscle-bound, macho Chicano by the name of "Mando." Mando seemed strong enough and I had seen him climb one pitch at Granite Mountain so I thought he knew what he was doing, so we pressed onward.
Mando led pitch one; when I got to the stance and saw Mando's technique, I was dismayed. Mando had no harness and tied into the rope with a bowline on a coil. When he got to the stance, he constructed an anchor by untying from the end of the rope, only to retie the rope around a chockstone. But this placement was out of position to belay pitch two, so when I got to the stance, Mando proceeded to again untie the end of the rope from the chockstones (at which point he is tied into nothing at all) so we could construct another anchor for the lead!
I pointed out the problems with his technique on a long climb and suggested he not repeat this manuever at the next belay. Mando took my comments poorly and let me know he had no interest in my opinions how to climb, assuring me he knew how to climb.
Bad news, but we had seven pitches to go.
I led pitches my way; Mando did his pitches his way and I kept my mouth shut until an opportune moment. As Mando led the crux (5th pitch, I think), I pulled straight out on the single hexentric he had placed for the anchor. I came out with about 5 pounds of force. "Hey Mando, should I put this hex back into the crack for you" I asked sarcastically, the hex danglng in my hands. Mando allowed that would be OK with him.
When we finished this pitch, we caught up with the "loud mouth" climbers we'd heard the night before: two climbers from San Diego, Steve Bennett and Bob Pippin. They'd heard Mando and I fighting all the way up the climb and now suggested they would split up and separate Mando and I. Mando agreed immediately. In fact, we climbed the rest of the way (two pitches as I recall) as a party of four. We reached the summit area as darkness fell and slept the night on top. After the climb, Mando told me he didn't want to climb with me again because we didn't "groove together." Fine by me!
I never saw or heard of Mando again.
I became good friends and did more climbs with Bennett and Pippin. I remain in touch with Pippin to this day. Stan Mish became Phoenix's acknowledged hard man extraordinaire and the head of the Banditos. Still friends with Stan too.
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gonamok
climber
dont make me come over there
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wow akdog...doug moonie!? Loooong time no see bro, hope youre doing well. Still in SD (poway actually) same phone number as bitd, if youre ever in town be sure to call me.
Me, watusi and greg scott went down to do the hooker in about 75. The one piece of advice we got several times was that once you get to the base of the route the only way out is up the wall, the south gully is irreversible.
So we get on the route, greg drops an EB and rappels into the gully and actually finds it, the ropes get stuck and we screw around until night falls as michael is in the middle of leading the face traverse. Mike rigs a dicey retreat back to the belay and we all rap down to the ledge at the base, where we trample a giant yucca to make barely enough room for 3 of us to sleep. We wake up to 90 degree heat, drink the rest of our water and spend about 8 hours grappling our way up the gully.
It was fully desperate, climbing giant rounded, grainy, house sized boulders with wall gear and ropes. Countless bombay shredder flares where boulders touch, jumps to super insecure stances over death falls, the full array of bald mantles above bottomless pits, with spiny flesh ripper bushes everywhere. We got to camp sunburned, shredded and dying of thirst. After chugging all the water we could find we high tailled it out of there, stopping only for a case of that good tecate beer at the border.
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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Can't believe anyone actually reversed that gully. Christ, that had to be horrific.
JL
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Yes, any adventure involving Ron and Mike is bound to be horrific.
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gonamok
climber
dont make me come over there
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we are horrific men
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R.B.
Trad climber
47N 122W
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I am a member of the "reclimb the south gulley" club. In fact I have done it twice (edit: thrice see below). The first time I got scared on pitch 3 of the Executive Route and my partner & I bailed. The second time, on the descent down to the base, I grabbed a "yucca" when I lost my balance from the heavy pack at the top of the "large chimney downclimb" ... the cactus shredded my hand. By the time We reached the base of the Pan Am route, I was feeling nauseous, light headed and weak. Bailed again! Got back up the gulley to base camp and had a 105 fever for 12 hours til next morning.
Mi gusta Trono!
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