hardest on-sight trad lead

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Mike Bolte

Trad climber
Planet Earth
Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 6, 2008 - 01:34pm PT
so as to not completely hijack the thread on Beth's climb of Meltdown, hows about we declare it OK on this thread to post your hardest ground-up, no falls, on-sight, placing gear lead? No one will be labeled immodest or spraymaster. OK to post up reliable reports of other folk's high end.

mine is the very modest 10d variation on Lucky Streaks

Beth on Phoenix (13a) is a good start for finding the high end.

Edit: thanks Nature, Rule#2 is (of course) nobody gets labeled Lite
nature

climber
Santa Fe, NM
Mar 6, 2008 - 01:36pm PT
No one will be labeled immodest or spraymaster.

How about being labeled Lite™?

I guess I didn't fall off of the Regular Route on Fairview dome. So... I'll chime in with 5.9.
the kid

Trad climber
fayetteville, wv
Mar 6, 2008 - 01:39pm PT
Lucky Streaks is a good one...
some of my most memorable are:
Crimson Cringe in 1984.
Mr Toads Wild Ride into Heart Of stone with the Lechinskis in 1985?
Tales of Power in 1985...

The one that stands out the most in my memories is Gold Finger on Phoebos in 1986 with Dirty Kenny.. I thrutched, clutched and just about blew it a few times before getting to the anchor..
Those were the good old days, when i was only 120 lbs and full of energy and blessed with good partners..
ks
Matt

Trad climber
primordial soup
Mar 6, 2008 - 01:44pm PT
Fingers in a Light Socket, at the creek.
(before it was downgraded to 11+, so I claim 12-... =)












EDIT
as with many IC climbs, if it were in YV, it would probably be 11-
scooter

climber
Moss Landing CA
Mar 6, 2008 - 01:47pm PT
Ivory Tower body double .12a Olmstead. I had seen someone climb it before though and I watched what gear they placed. So I guess it wasn't really a true onsight. And it is mini.
Melissa

Gym climber
berkeley, ca
Mar 6, 2008 - 01:47pm PT
Yuji Hirayama...Onsighted the Sphinx Crack .13b and here's a bit that I copied from a post his housemate made on rc.com about his El Nino onsight try:

"Yuji Hirayama just completed one of the most amazing ascents ever of an El Cap route. He free climbed El Nino on sight (no pre-inspection) with only two falls. He started at the bottom, having never seen the route and climbed it to the top, falling only on two of the 30 pitches, and redpointing both of those pitches on his second try.

This involved several 5.13 and 5.12 onsights up to 5.13c. More amazing to me is that he onsighted everything on his last day on the wall, including several super hard pitches up to 5.13c I think."
Ksolem

Trad climber
Monrovia, Ca
Mar 6, 2008 - 01:47pm PT
Probably gotta say Hot Rocks, in Josh. Waaay back in the day. I did do harder, but that was the most rewarding. Didn't even know what it was. Julie Lazar and Charlie Crist and I were new to the area, wandering around and there was this crack...

Watusi might remember. He saw us from the campground and told us what it was as we walked out...
G_Gnome

Trad climber
In the mountains... somewhere...
Mar 6, 2008 - 01:53pm PT
HARDEST onsight lead was probably 'Tune Up' in Tuolumne. At 10b it certainly wasn't the highest rated route I ever led but oh those 3 consecutive 40 foot runouts made for unbelievably hard climbing. Considering that for over 100 feet there is never a hold good enough to grab and think 'ok, I can't fall here', I was damn happy to get up the thing.
Nefarius

Big Wall climber
Fresno, CA
Mar 6, 2008 - 01:55pm PT
The true scope of my power and skill is yet to be realized. So, I'll check back with you's later. hahaha

I've done a few hard .11 and a .12a onsights when I was face climbing, years ago. Don't climb much face anymore and can't seem to find a consistent enough partner to continue growing in trad... Hell, a .10b face climb seemed thought provoking to me the other day. None of the moves were hard, but not being on the sharp end for a while...
randomtask

climber
North fork, CA
Mar 6, 2008 - 01:58pm PT
Yesterday I onsighted a climb called "meltdown" in Yosemite.
eeyonkee

Trad climber
Golden, CO
Mar 6, 2008 - 01:59pm PT
For me, probably Air Voyage in the Black Canyon, a 12- OW 10 pitches up.
bluering

Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
Mar 6, 2008 - 02:01pm PT
Bishop's Terrace, 5.8. The 5.8 section is fairly short too. I need to get some stuff done this year.
drc

Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
Mar 6, 2008 - 02:02pm PT
Gradewise it would have to be the supposed 10d crux pitch on Serenity, but that felt real soft compared to The Yawn (only 5.9).
Fat Dad

Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
Mar 6, 2008 - 02:05pm PT
I know I've done a little harder than this, but it's been a long while, so, off the top of my head:
Wangerbanger, .11c
The Flakes, .11c
James

climber
a porch in Chinese Camp
Mar 6, 2008 - 02:08pm PT
I blow at onsighting. I always get nervous and fall before the anchors. I've onsighted a couple 11+ crack routes but my proudest onsight was ground up, sans rope, on the Dike Route in Toulumne. Spicy.

I followed Alex Honnold when he onsighted the Excellent Adventure on the Rostrum (13a).
Mark Hudon

Trad climber
Hood River, OR
Mar 6, 2008 - 02:08pm PT
Dang! I would have thought that I had on-sighted at least a .12a route but I can't think of one right now. Maybe some .11d that I did on-sight might have been up-rated? I've certainly on-sighted dozens and dozens of .11d routes.

Is Heart of Stone in Tuolomne rated 5.12? I on-sighted that. Whew! Glad I remembered at least one!

Kurt, that's cool you onsighted Tales! Although, back when men were men and we did it without cams... ;-)
bob

climber
Mar 6, 2008 - 02:18pm PT
I onsighted Chameleon in Jtree. I've tried it 3 different times following since then and haven't made it up without falling. Wierd.
Bob J.
darod

Big Wall climber
South Side Billburg
Mar 6, 2008 - 02:39pm PT
IC climbs should not count...
Prod

Social climber
Charlevoix, MI
Mar 6, 2008 - 02:44pm PT
Maybe Rock Warrior in RR back when it was all 1/4" bolts. Not the highest numbers but for sure the most memorable due to the r rating and the run outs.

Prod.
Nefarius

Big Wall climber
Fresno, CA
Mar 6, 2008 - 02:54pm PT
"Where is Blaine hiding?"

He's been kidnapped by a girl with pink hair, Fattrad. My attempts to try to get him out have been unsuccessful, so far. I've only had two days of hard climbing since Josh in November! Yikes! Maybe you kept the cards of some shady characters from your LEO days? I may need a hitman soon!
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