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Mike Bolte
Trad climber
Planet Earth
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Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 6, 2008 - 01:34pm PT
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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
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nature
climber
Santa Fe, NM
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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.
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the kid
Trad climber
fayetteville, wv
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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
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Matt
Trad climber
primordial soup
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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-
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scooter
climber
Moss Landing CA
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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.
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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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."
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, Ca
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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...
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G_Gnome
Trad climber
In the mountains... somewhere...
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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.
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Nefarius
Big Wall climber
Fresno, CA
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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...
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randomtask
climber
North fork, CA
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Yesterday I onsighted a climb called "meltdown" in Yosemite.
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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For me, probably Air Voyage in the Black Canyon, a 12- OW 10 pitches up.
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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Bishop's Terrace, 5.8. The 5.8 section is fairly short too. I need to get some stuff done this year.
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drc
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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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).
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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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
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James
climber
a porch in Chinese Camp
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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).
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Mark Hudon
Trad climber
Hood River, OR
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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... ;-)
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bob
climber
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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.
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darod
Big Wall climber
South Side Billburg
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IC climbs should not count...
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Prod
Social climber
Charlevoix, MI
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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.
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Nefarius
Big Wall climber
Fresno, CA
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"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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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Jan has a good point - difficult always includes a subjective element. Conditions, the climber's ability and limitations, etc. Someone's bumbling first lead, a 5.6 with sketchy protection and terrible insecurity, may be harder relative to ability and experience than a hone-master's on sight solo of a 5.11.
I believe my most difficult on-sight would have been some 'easy' 5.11 slab at Squamish, perhaps Dancing in the Light.
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Matt
Trad climber
primordial soup
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randy-
it ain't hair, but the pink part, well...
edit-
since i left out my story, it was my 1st ever trip to IC, i had never placed much gear in sandstone before, at least not on routes where i might actually fall, so i was a bit skeptical.
the only reason i made it up cleanly was because i guessed right on the gear from the ground and i'd racked it up in the order i needed it it. i wasn't as smooth or as technically sound as i'd like to remember myself being, and i laid it back more than i would now.
it gets small at the top, going to green aliens for a body length or more, so i had 2 of those and got one in early in the thin section, then i climbed above it by punching a bit. pumping out, i shook and i matched back and forth on a couple of tips only finger locks with my feet pretty high, then i tried to place the other green alien i had on my harness, or to be more precise, i tried desperately to get to the other green alien, but i'd racked it on the right and i was leaning hard on the right side, so i just couldn't get to it!
my feet were up above my gear, i'd never fallen on gear in sandstone, and i had a tiny little alien about an inch in the crack down below me. as i struggled to get the other green alien off my right side, the alien below grew smaller and smaller, and i was sure it was moving further below me too. i was really uncomfortable with the idea of falling right there (allthough some dean potter vids have proven that i was just being a pussy).
i seriously must have gone back and forth between shaking and reaching for the gear for well over a minute, and i was hanging out right in the middle of the crux section. my belayer promised to catch me and everyone at the crag below fell silent as i tried to push all the air i could. finally, grabbing at the piece at my side became pointless, and i was clearly not getting anything back by shaking out. certain i was going for a ride, i hiked my feet and made a desperate throw for the sloping triangular ledge and the little pocket that seemed available in the back of it. i hit it, but it felt awful. i slapped my other hand up too, so now i was getting pretty far above that little green alien.
i tried to press my palms into the slopey (maybe 45 degree) "ledge" for friction as i crimped the cruel shallow pockets behind the ledge (at least that's how they feel when you are just spent). everyone congratulated me from below, unaware that i was even more desperate than i'd been before. i pictured my belayer relaxing and paying out some rope, thinking i was secure (NOT!) and i desperately scanned for any opportunity i might not have noticed-
thankfully, there is a bomber hand jamb a couple feet or so above the ledge. on that day i had to basically make a dyno into it. i am sure it gets done w/ more gracefullness and style that i did it, but i popped up and stuck it (which was not at all a given), and just then i became aware of how afraid i had really been. you know how you block that out while you keep it together if you are insecure, but then when you feel secure you can sense the adrenaline surging?
boy did that hand jamb ever feel good!
i might have actually laughed out loud while i stood on the ledge. when i was back on the ground, you could still play a mean game of quarters on my forearms.
i wasn't that run out, and it wasn't that scary a place to be, but my lack of faith in the gear and the time i wasted trying to make myself feel safe made it one of those efforts that is right at the threshold of what i was capable of that day, and that's what i remember about it the most.
when i saw that the new guide down-graded it, to be honest i was at first a bit disappointed, but i knew that it wasn't all that bad and that i could climb harder if i could just climb a bit better/smarter/calmer, and i knew that i'd made a sport climb of it by guessing right on all the gear from the ground (some people would even void the "onsight" label, but hell you have to look up to know what gear to bring, dontchya?).
what matters about successes or failures is what you take away from them. on that climb i learned, again, but in a way that i had not exactly experienced, that sometimes you are just better off punching it and trusting yourself, rather than trusting the gear, or the idea of gear.
(edit- i guess i also learned to rack gear on the open side if you are going to resort to a layback of a crack climb! haha)
as far as grades and "hard" climbs, you always have to remember that a grade is just what someone else thought it was, and it's more of a guideline than any sort of threshold or measure of accomplishment. in my experience on that climb, it wasn't the grade of the climb, or even that i managed an onsight of it, but my little personal adventure on the climb that made it valuable and memorable, just as it should be IMO.
perhaps the TRUE hardest climb i ever onsighted was the 10a chimney pitch on new dimensions. it was really wet in there for me, and i guess that distracted me enough that i Z clipped (doh!) and didn't ever realize it. getting out of the chimney is easy, but where you change corners a bit above there i was really struggling. there was a fixed nut or hex or something and as i clipped it i imagined grabbing it- but i didn't, i fought w/ myself a bit over that too. then, clipping the anchor i built was sooooo hard! SLACK! SLACK! i yelled thinking my belayer was being stingy w/ the rope. never knew it was z clipped until mp follower told me as he cleaned it- ha ha ha... that was 5.12 on gear for sure!
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Broken
climber
Texas
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Just thinking about big, hard on-sight ascents. One that comes to mind that I've always admired is John & Anne Arran's ascent of a Tepui in Venezuela. Over 20 pitches, 5.12+ climbing, on-sight, not a single piece of fixed gear. Oh yeah, and it was an FA. Whew. (don't get much better than that!)
They have a great website: www.thefreeclimber.com
As far as hardest onsights... I've been looking around... In addition to Yuji, Leo Houlding onsighted two 5.13c pitches on El Nino. Lee Cossey (from Australia) also onsighted 13c on El Nino.
I couldn't find any evidence of anything harder than 5.13c.
(Personally, my hardest trad onsight is 5.11, so I don't think I'm in the running)
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Nefarius
Big Wall climber
Fresno, CA
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hahaha... Yeah, I get you, Matt. Sad that he's already so locked down though. The pink isn't worth the rest of your life and pleasures, IMO. Cooperative/sympathetic pink is the key! hah!
It's ironic that we're talking about him here though - were he given a chance to devote himself to climbing, we'd be talking about him as being in the running for the hardest onsight trad lead. He's a very talented climber. Super strong and leads at the top-end of his ability, which is something you don't see a lot of anymore.
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KP Ariza
climber
SCC
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Fall of '87
Crimson Cringe onsight 12.a and Fish Crack 12.a/b flash in the same afternoon with a few of my mentors kickin' it at the base (Pete Takeda, Werner, Dimitri, Shultz). I had a bitch of a time getting gear I liked at the top of Fish Crack. The Cringe felt cruiser. Rostrum(swapping leads), Kaukulator, Blind Faith pitch #1, all with the Snyd and Shannon
Winter of '86
Big Bob's Big Wedge onsight 12.a/b at Joshua Tree w/D Griff & Dave Tucker, One of the best roof cracks I've ever done.
Kurt, I remember Goldfinger, don't remember you looking maxed, just determined and confident. Howevwer, I'll never forget the day in '85 when you did the Lightning again after returning from a long winter in Colorado. It was your your first day back in camp and you said you had been thinking of it all winter long. After barely climbing at all that year you walked up without warming up and did it first try. That was a bit of a slug fest for you if I remember correctly. You ended up with a tweaked finger and few weeks of lounging before you got rolling again. Yep, those were the good old days
DK
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JP
Trad climber
Quebec
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Chuck Pratt for his onsight solo of Twilight Zone
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BigNick
Trad climber
Los Angeles
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Hey BOB...I have heard that about Chameleon before...I wonder if holds broke off. Its JT right?!
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bob
climber
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Nick, its JT. I don't think that holds broke. I just fug up a sequence near the top of the bolts. Always been smooth going after weighting the rope. Funny how that works.
Bob J.
Oops, I just noticed "trad onsight" Chameleon is 1/2 and 1/2
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nutjob
Trad climber
San Jose, CA
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Dec 2007 : Three Fingered Jack @ Table Mtn 5.10b
Apr 2007 : Serenity/Sons 5.10a (swung leads, avoided 5.10d lead)
2005: right side of EB Middle Cathedral 5.10a pitch, no falls
My hardest/scariest was the 2nd or 3rd "5.9" pitch on Piece de Resistance on Moro Rock (SEKI) in 2005. I stressed out a few years of life on that one. Failure was not an option. We bailed after that pitch (before the ones labeled "scary" up higher).
Close second was Crest Jewel. It was my first real slab climb, and I biffed 3 times on the first 5.9 pitch, 25 foot sliders each time. I led every pitch, and got the remaining ones including the "5.10a" no falls. I spent most of the day in fear, but not nearly the same intensity as in SEKI.
In general, I lead very close to my highest climbing ability... or maybe just haven't done enough outside toproping enough in last few years to know the difference. I like to think I'm still on my way up for on-site no falls.
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aldude
climber
Monument Manor
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BITD :
Angel Eyes 12a , Low Profile Dome, Tuolumne.....w/Kelly Rich
Ghost in the Machine 12a, Sugarloaf..... w/Curt Rassmussen
Gemini 12a, City of Rocks......w/Denise Brown
Return to Forever 12a, Owens River Gorge.......w/Sean Greer
(seems 12a is my onsight limit)
* as per Mick Ryans' interpretation of American Trad heh heh....
Hardest I know of in Cali ; Peter Croft on VanBelladrome 13c - he skipped the rap bolts!!
Technically El Nino is knott a free climb (AO) and even if it was every pitch would have to be onsighted in order for the "route" to be ticked.
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bob d'antonio
Trad climber
Taos, NM
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numerous routes is the 12a to 12c range.
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rincon
Trad climber
SoCal
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The crux pitch of Atlantis was it for me. I've done other leads about that hard since then, but that one was most memorable, even though I got pumped out on the 10a fist crack higher up ..cough..cough.
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Inner City
Trad climber
East Bay
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In the interest of keeping something on this thread for the everyman hack weekender that was formerly me (now fat dad)I submit: Braille Book (5.8)on Higher Rock...or Black Dagger in Red Rocks...full value for your 5.7 there. Cry in Time Again on Lembert (5.9) or West Crack on Daff (5.9)ooph..still wondering where some of those features were ('5.8 buckets')...my hands are starting to sweat......
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jsb
Trad climber
Bay area
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this last sunday, p3 of serenity crack. sweet!
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snyd
Sport climber
Lexington, KY
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Butterballs with Dirty Kenny. The Rostrum with the same, including fat joints on the halfway ledge. Astroman with Fos.
I held the cord on your onsight of Crimson Cringe, Ken. You made it look like 10a.
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Redwreck
Social climber
Los Angeles, CA
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After Seven in Yosemite, 5.8, because I am a hard man.
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TYeary
Mountain climber
Calif.
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BITD as they say, I onsighted Gates of Delirium, 5.11c, at Suicide. It was the first really hard face pitch I had lead cleanly.I remember Yaniro saying he cranked so hard his fingers bled on the FA. Others followed, but that stands out as my favorite.
Tony
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KP Ariza
climber
SCC
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Shultz belayed and followed me the day I on sighted the Cringe Snyd. I did it again with you and Jordy later that season when Jordy went to try and on sight it in the direct sun. He almost puked I remember. He went and did it later that year-
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Double D
climber
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the kid: Tales of Power onsight? Man, you're my hero! Do you have small hands?
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Levy
Big Wall climber
So Cal
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Leads:
Fish Crack ~ 12b in September 1987
Crimson Cringe ~ 12a on the same day as Fish Crack
Heart of Stone ~ 12a in 1986
Horseshoes & Handgrenades ~ 12a in ??? 1990??
On toprope, I flashed the Equinox ~ 12c in September of 1986
Levy
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caughtinside
Social climber
Davis, CA
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Rubicon at Josh and Tombstone Terror at the Leap, both .10c.
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Hardman Knott
Gym climber
Muir Woods National Monument, Mill Valley, Ca
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Sidewinder at Josh and Surrealistic Pillar Direct (roof variation) at The Leap, both 10b.
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KP Ariza
climber
SCC
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Levy, I on sighted H&H in '87 or '88. Two or Three hard thin hand moves and you're in there. That thing felt stout for the given grade at the time 5.11d. Sorta the way Separate Reality was 5.11d.
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bachar
Gym climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
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On sight flash? or just on sight?
Here we go again!
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Gary
climber
Desolation Basin, Calif.
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Hey Tony, I just saw a picture of you on mountainproject leading Diamond Dogs. Tough.
You guys are pretty impressive. My toughest, placing gear, would be Lickety Splits, 5.7. I was contemplating helicopter rescue up on the runout part!
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martygarrison
Trad climber
atlanta
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geeze there are a bunch of great climbers here. I just flashed a bunch of 11bs and 11cs, the odd 11d. Mainliner at the leap comes to mind, think I did the second fa, but frankly may have stepped on a fix pin. When I did the cringe I found no hard moves but I still had to hang. also flashed death crack in the meadows.
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Mike Bolte
Trad climber
Planet Earth
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 6, 2008 - 06:10pm PT
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John - took me four tries with the original wording because of these subtle questions. But, it does say "no falls" so I guess we are talking old school flash.
Croft: Shadow 13a (squamish)
If we move to onsight free solo, no ambiguity here! From the mags:
JB: Moratorium (5.11b free-solo onsight and I'm waiting to hear all the other things on your list)
Michael R.: Romantic Warrior onsight solo, 12b
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Matt
Trad climber
primordial soup
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semi OT preguntas
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for those of you w/ enough JT street cred, how do you define a "trad climb" in josh?
"sport climb", same Q?
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Nefarius
Big Wall climber
Fresno, CA
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Fish Crack keeps popping up... I hate to bring it up again, but I just don't see that as being a .12. It's easier than most any .11d I've done in the valley. At the least, equivalent, but certainly not harder.
So... Question for you guys that did it the same day as the Cringe... Did you find it to be harder than Cringe? Cringe looks WAY more enduro and harder.
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KP Ariza
climber
SCC
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John, I think most people here know the difference. On sight and flash are two different things to be sure. BTW I've got some great slides of you flashing 2nd ascent of Kurt's Electric Africa in '87? That aside let's hear some of your memorable moments. I'll bet there are a ton of them.
Nef- Fish was harder to gear, less sustained than the cringe, harder moves
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bachar
Gym climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
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Thanks Kenny - I can't remember half of 'em for sure, but anyway,
On-sight (ground up with falls)...
Phantom, 12d X
Last of the Mohicans, 12d
Thriller 12d
Chasin' the Ttrane 12d*
Bard's Pin Job 12d
Body and Soul 12a R
uh, and some other stuff....
On sight flash (ground up no falls)...
Electric Africa, 12d*
Father Figure 12c*
Moratorium 11b (fs)
uh and some others too...
Man I didn't do nothing. I better hit the gym and get out there again!
Edit: * had some or all fixed gear or bolts but was put up ground up (USA trad).
Man this is confusing stuff!
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10b4me
climber
hanging by a thread
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You guys are pretty impressive. My toughest, placing gear, would be Lickety Splits, 5.7. I was contemplating helicopter rescue up on the runout part!
I agree with you Gary,although I've led harder, mentally, Lickety Splits was tough
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John Vawter
Social climber
San Diego
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In terms of numbers it was Iron Maiden. 11c at Tahquitz, onsight with several falls at the crux. An otherwise pretty forgettable climb. But I onsight flashed Golden Bars, .11b on Pywiack in Fires, and thought it not too bad. In fact, Chingadera at Tahquitz felt a lot harder.
The one I remember most fondly is Piece of Grass, an unpopular route to the left of Needle and Spoon. It was just after Golden Bars, and one of those days when I felt like I could not fall. Only .10d, but full value. Greg replaced all four bolts a couple of years ago, so give it a go next time.
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bob d'antonio
Trad climber
Taos, NM
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JB...nice list...I remember when Chasin' the Ttrane was reported in Mountain and the first talk of something called redpointing.
Pretty historical route (among others) you did there!
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Shack
Big Wall climber
Reno NV
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I can't remember that far back...
Something in the easy 11's.
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Levy
Big Wall climber
So Cal
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I keep seeing people listing routes that feature bolted cruxes or are all bolted. Wasn't this thread about TRAD leads, which IMHO are gear routes, NOT bolted routes?
Many impressive efforts listed but I believe many folks out there have not posted up.
Kid~ I was there doing Blues Riff when you sent Goldfinger, you were moaning & cursing but hung in there for a most impressive flash. A great effort!
I thought Fish Crack was harder to get pro in & was harder technically than the Cringe but the Cringe was far more pumpy. I didn't have too much trick gear like we have now. I went back to Fish Crack a few years ago with modern trickery & it felt easier to get pro but the moves were still tough for my size fingers. The Cringe has no move harder than 5.11 b or c but is sustained and burly.
Bill
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aldude
climber
Monument Manor
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Levy -
I seem to recall bolts (or bolt) on Crimson Cringe,Heart of Stone and Goldfinger. Belay bolts count and a multipitch climb such as HOS has a bunch - are you saying these are not trad climbs? I like Micks' definition of American Trad and a rap placed bolt would relegate that route to the Sport category.
John - I always thought onsight meant first try - no falls or weighting of gear or rope and no previous knowledge of the route as opposed to flash - where you had seen someone do the route or recieved beta ??
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ontheedgeandscaredtodeath
Trad climber
San Francisco, Ca
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11c/d for me, though at my local area (at the time) so I had some serious home turf advantage. 11a/b in the valley. I'd be hard pressed to come anywhere near that these days, though I can now compentently change diapers and discipline toddlers. I can also type a lot faster than I could in the good old days...
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ring tailed cat
Trad climber
seattle
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dead baby, 11b, bolted but not sport. followed chris cantwell on the 1st acsent of the 3rd pitch of king snake, super hard face protected entirely by micro stoppers in a flush crack. cheers rtc
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Matt
Trad climber
primordial soup
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WTF is an "onsight with falls"?
(i am with aldood's comments just above)
..cause maybe i am selling myself short here!
doods, i have onsighted "with falls" ALL SORTS OF SH#T!
in fact, maybe the "with falls" bit ought to just be understood?
(just to mke the description more simple and straigtforward, you understand...)
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KP Ariza
climber
SCC
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Aldude, just got back from pouring drinks, and had to post up. I have to ask the same question you just asked. I've always thought of on sight as climbing a route first try, no falls, no beta, visual (seeing someone climb the route) or verbal. Flash on the other hand, being done first try, no falls with some form of beta visual or verbal.
I want to chime in for Todd Worsfold, it ain't trad but it is rad. BYR, in the mid 80's on sight, every pitch on lead, w/out falls and w/out even knowing what the f*#k the route was. He said he thought it "looked like a cool line". Only when he got up there did he realize the seriousness of the thing. But he did not bail and has since done it again, including the first pitch a third time.
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Matt
Trad climber
primordial soup
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BYR ?
(little help ova here?)
bacher yerian?
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Geno
Trad climber
Reston, VA
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Onsight flashed a number of routes in Alabama and Tennesee in the mid-80s. These were the best:
Only on Earth 5.11d Tennesee Wall
Steepoplis, 512a Tennesee wall
In 1986 we visited Bobby D in Colorado and he belayed me when I onsight flashed Wendego 5.12a/b. I can't imagine Bobby just stayed silent but I don't remember getting any beta :)
I Red pointed Chasin the Train (9) in the Frankenjura after one fall in 1987. Not a trad climb or a Flash but an effort I am proud of given that it was a new standard established a couple years before in Germany by Bacher. The Germans were still describing how you did it John.
In 1989 I on sight flashed To Have or Have Not, 5.12A R in the Gunks. My wife Laura belayed me. Crux was reasonably protected with an extended nut, but the run out above scared me badly. Stannard was way out there doing that in RDs in 1971. I am sure he also didn't fall.
I stopped climbing 1990-1999 because of injuries and work. But it's great to be climbing again. Nice also to recollect the past on ST.
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the kid
Trad climber
fayetteville, wv
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tales of power is hand size dependent...
crimson cringe is the pump fest and helps to have small hands. i missed the fish crack on site by 1 or 2 moves and i thought it was solid 5.12... but... that was in '85 when we did not have the mini cam gadgets of today...
gold finger is one of more memoriable ones to this day for trad..
I have onsighted a sh#t ton of .13a and .13b sport- BUT that does not count- even monkeys onsight .13b!
but for me it's never about the #, its about the line, the partner and the effort that the send represents!
ks
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Tomcat
Trad climber
Chatham N.H.
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Ha Ringtail,it's Deadbaby for me too.My one visit to the valley.Bolted but not sport,that's how I recall it...lol.
Onsighted Vultures at Sundown,10d.My first time there.All downhill from there.Did have to climb up and down to get the gear in though.Last time took five tries.20 years between 'em.
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MisterE
Social climber
My Inner Nut
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1995: Crack of Doom, City of Rocks. Was a long-time dream of mine to onsight that climb. I did it the .11c way too, pure crack, not using the holds that make it .11b.
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rick d
Social climber
tucson, az
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grossman, where the hell are you?
How hard is "Lucky" in Sedona?
lets up this game, what is the hardest deathcrux onsight. Not R/X on easier ground with a well protected crux but true your gonna ESAD if you blow it.
Moffit did Master's Edge I thought. Fancy belaying keep the leaders off the deck.
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Double D
climber
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I remember way BITD when Tobin Sorensen, after being in the mountains (Pattagonia?) came to the Valley and led Tales of Power, then Seperate Reality, back-to-back and off the sofa.
Although I didn't see him do it and can't attest to the stlye in which he did it, that was quite a feat back then.
Not bad for just getting your head back into the game, huh?
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Jeremy Handren
climber
NV
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Masters Edge... this route just had its first onsight at the end of last year (James McHaffie). This route is really a testament to just how hard it is to climb trad routes of this sort of difficulty (12d) ground up, considering that upper 13 onsights are now fairly common on sport routes.
This route is the most obvious line on one of the most popular crags in Britain and climbers have been throwing themselves at it ( Its considered relatively safe) ever since Fawcett did the FA in 1983.
The style of the climbing makes a big difference as well. I'm sure loads of hard cracks have been onsighted thanks to the more predictable protection and moves.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Shoot ...hardest onsight (pure) trad lead?
Boatloads of on sight no falls leads of 11/11+ in the Valley, Meadows, Taquitz/Suicide, CA Needles, Josh, Vedawoo, Eldo, (... often wearing a cowboy hat), yata, yata, yata.
Hmmm..."hardest" roped lead though, was on the Rotwand in Eldo: Yes Fragile, 5.9.
Just under vert, key holds were loose, pro was behind those holds, and the dance had to be very carefully unlocked if I wanted to stay this side of the "other side". Very rewarding.
(Hardest "unroped" lead: onsight solo of the 3 pitch, sometimes loose, Roof Wall on Hot Spur in Eldo, 5.9)
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socalbolter
Sport climber
Silverado, CA
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Didn't Croft onsite that short, hard route in the Valley?
Can't remember the name right now, maybe Van Bellodrome (or something like that?). I seem to remember that it was bolted and he led it with gear. Maybe 13+ ?
It was a while ago...
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bob d'antonio
Trad climber
Taos, NM
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Geno...remember how you, me and Dale Goddard when to Shelf Rd for the first time...and then look what happened.
Also...you were climbing quite well on that trip. We also nabbed a hard FFA in Boulder Canyon and new routes at 11 Mile and GOG.
Good times for sure.
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dave goodwin
climber
carson city, nv
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apparently most people have the same idea of a true "on-sight" ascent meaning no information, no beta, not seeing anyone else do it, etc. What about knowing the rating? lots of climbs these days it is hard not knowing the grade due to history, popularity, or scanning through a guide book. Just curious
take care
Dave
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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There can be no doubt about that influence, Dave.
In the 70s and 80s, if it was under 5.12 and you knew the rating, the imperative was to do it on site no falls, or at the least three strikes and you're out...
And knowing the rating was often the key to unlocking one's sense of the outcome. Eventually that leads to a departure from reliance upon grade, to a head space where purely looking at a piece of rock confers a sense of certainty.
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dave goodwin
climber
carson city, nv
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thanks Tarbuster.
I have often wondered about this aspect of a true on-sight. I have used the knowledge of agrade to help me send a route. Example would be if you know the grade and the moves you are making or trying to make feel harder then what the known grade is I will try not to force the move but try and find a hidden hold or possibly try a different variation hence saving the on-sight.
thanks
dave
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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No doubt Dave,
If you knew the rating, you would find a way to make the moves fit into that mental slipstream.
An under-appreciated positive aspect of sandbagging the leader was this:
The mentor would hand you a slim rack of nuts at the belay and arm your mind with a diminished rating and your asss would follow that narrative upward with results to match the story...a piece of cake!
Cheers & happy floating,
Roy
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Well, and to take Dave's idea a step farther ... what if you don't know whether it goes at all, whether there's pro above or no pro and loose holds, because you're way off the ground and no one's ever seen this section of rock? There's a real onsight experience.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Quite right Mr Chiloe,
Back up 4 or so posts to where I ruminated thus:
"Eventually that leads to a departure from reliance upon grade, to a head space where purely looking at a piece of rock confers a sense of certainty."
But this is all elementary craft...
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Geno
Trad climber
Reston, VA
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Bobby,
Yeah it was great being with you and your family on that trip back in 1986. Laura kept making me scrub out your bath tub so we would seem like good guests as we free loaded for 2 weeks with you guys. You had the cleanest bath tub in Colo Springs!
But seriously, besides being a gracious host you gave me a fabulous tour of 8MC, Shelf, Eldo, BC and all. Bobby, you really motivated me to climb and I knew by god you had the rope if I fell. For me, the belayer was a big part of being able to launch out without concern and climb at my limit. When you and I climbed at the Gunks this past Fall that same sense of total trust was there, Buddy. Remember you telling me to put in more gear as I struggled up Roseland? Always the Big Brother taking care of his Bro. Thanks man.
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bob d'antonio
Trad climber
Taos, NM
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Thanks Geno...that is really what it comes down too when it is all said and done...memories, good friends and how we treat each other.
You really were climbing well and in great shape...I remember how we tried to explode each other hearts on our not-racing run up Mt. Sanitas one day.
The kids, and Laurel and I loved having you guys stay with us. Really looking for the next Gunks love fest.
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bradL
Trad climber
Lake Tahoe, NV
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I forget what its called... it was a 3 pitch 5.9+ at Donner Summit... the third pitch had a great flared dihedral crux over a bulge.
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Forest
Trad climber
Tucson, AZ
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I gotta go with Nature here. I can think of a number of 5.9 and 5.9+ trad onsights in Yosemite (including fairview, still the best route, ever, IMO.) I think I've done some 5.10s somwhere, too, but nothing comes to mind...
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Albert
climber
The Valley
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Swan Slab Gully...yeah, it's pretty much a rite of passage around here...i think if i get "sick strong" this year i'll go for an onsight, single push ascent of Munginella...
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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I remember being totally Jazzed that I fired the .10a variation on the 2nd pitch of the Rostrum.
It's a razor sharp wide layback flake, hard to pro because of the size. I was up near the top of the layback, and my fingers began to uncurl. I looked down, thinking I'd hit my belayer about a second after the flake would cut my rope.
There was little I could do...except throw a wild foot up higher on the flake, committing more to the layback. Ugh, my fingers kept uncurling, but I gunned my hand up, and barely made the top of the flake.
Since then, I've done the .10d version, and the .11a way.
The .11a seems the easiest way to go...
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salad
climber
Escondido
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donner 5.9+ shudder
i remember following up black september. it was my third day ever climbing and i got worked. shoulder tendonitis flare up was fierce.
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jstan
climber
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It is so sad we are fixated on "hard". How about inspiring?
Once on Dream of Wild Turkeys I looked up and saw a dihedral that started well above us and went all the way to the sky.
Aren't we, really, trying to go there when we go up?
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Moof
Big Wall climber
A cube at my soul sucking job in Oregon
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Hardest rating, 10a, The Zip in squamish. pathetic I know...
Hardest in feeling, 5.OMGIA!, the dihedral right above the first belay of East Wall, Lover's Leap. Shoulda read the topo... Not 5.6 if you mistakenly go that way...
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Tom
Big Wall climber
San Luis Obispo CA
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Randy said:
The true scope of my power and skill is yet to be realized. So, I'll check back with you's later.
But, Marcellus Wallace has said:
This business is filled to the brim with unrealistic mfkrs who thought their ass aged like wine. If they mean it turns to vingegar, they're right. If you mean it gets better, it don't.
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mojede
Trad climber
Butte, America
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A couple of hard .10 FAs in Paradise Valley, MT BITD--not too impressive, but some of 'em I couldn't repeat today in that bold of fashion. I am sooo weak now...where's the crash pad and pebbles to make me feel strong again ?
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Nefarius
Big Wall climber
somewhere without avatars.........
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hahaha Gee, thanks, Tom!!! here have you been hiding, bro?
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drljefe
climber
Calizona
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Hot Rocks
but some of the 5.9+ and 10's at Granite Mountain felt harder.
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ChrisW
Trad climber
boulder, co
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Some 11d Choss pile? Damn i am going to have to check my climbing log. Hardest route? or Hardest Grade? I have onsighted a few 5.11's in Eldo, ground up, no preview, no info, no watching anyone, placing gear on lead. None really stick out. And they all seem so hard. I was really excited about Climb of the Century. I still would like to say i onsighted Windy, but parnter says i didn't. Breakfest of Champions was good, wish i could have done it smoother. All 3 pitches of Rincon Crack was a good one. Many one fall and then send routes wont mention those. Tempory like Achillis was special at the roof routes. Along with the Kloof Roof route. Those where onsights.
It seems like some Eldorado Routes u have no choice. ONsight or die. I would be really excited to onsight Wendego just looking at that route today. But these weak arms gotta get stronger.
There's got be a harder one somewhere i did?
Oh yeah....SPRAY:
I onsight soloed the Rotwand on a very HOT DAY. My climbing shoes felt really gooey and all the holds are upside down on that pile? Felt kind of relieved when i saw a piton half way up. That was a fun solo....(:
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AndySan Diego
Trad climber
San Diego, CA
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Tobin Sorensen on The Edge !
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splitter
Trad climber
Cali Hodad, surfing the galactic plane
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Nov 27, 2012 - 11:41am PT
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A BIG YO, fer Tobin Sorensen's FA of The Edge!
edit: not sure what mine wud be. hav'ta think about it.
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GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
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Nov 27, 2012 - 12:00pm PT
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Hardest... hrm. I'd say BlackJack at Josh, there's a few dinky short 11a's I've done that were bolted but that one to me were the hardest moves I had done on a rope without pre-inspection or anything. Hardest boulder problem was a high gravity week in the valley when I onsighted a handfull of one-move-wonderish problems up to V4.
My proudest leads are kind of mixed up, and hard to really say which is which - Decompensator of Lhasa would have to be it because I felt like I wasn't getting away with anything, it felt enjoyable.
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GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
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Nov 27, 2012 - 12:03pm PT
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The most memorable and proud lead I've probably witnessed was when my little brother, all of 19 years old, leading off the couch after years on his first real trad pitch on the Mummy Crack on the Long Climb at Tahquitz. I can't believe I put him on the sharp end on that pitch, I had remembered it being tame.... but that was probably his physical limit in leading and he was placing gear in a squeeze a pitch off the deck on a diet of caffiene and fast food.
I've always been the better climber, but nothing I got holds water to that. And isn't that what climbing is?
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jahil
Social climber
London, Paris, WV & CA
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Nov 27, 2012 - 12:12pm PT
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Munginella 5.6.
I was stuck behind a party of three who made me wait on the penultimate pitch for
an hour while they freaked out. They would start to scream anytime I tried to
step on the ledge they had occupied, while contemplating their options for the last
pitch. At least I was in the shade on lead, my belayer was frying in the sun
below me.
Technically it may not have been hard, but as someone who climbs for peace
of mind, it was the hardest thing not to throw those people of the top of the
climb. It was so hard.
steve
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nutjob
Gym climber
Berkeley, CA
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Nov 27, 2012 - 02:35pm PT
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time for an update...
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J-Dub
Trad climber
Durango, CO
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Nov 27, 2012 - 04:51pm PT
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Quarter of a Man, in Indian Creek - 5.11d/12a - onsight flashed it in 1992, with rigid stem Friends.
God I gotta lose weight and get in shape . . .
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tarallo
Trad climber
italy
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Nov 27, 2012 - 05:38pm PT
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this october i on-sight freestone ,geek tower, i was so happy...it was a dream route for me
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limpingcrab
Trad climber
the middle of CA
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Nov 27, 2012 - 06:53pm PT
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Tollhouse Traverse
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GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
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Nov 27, 2012 - 07:18pm PT
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Hobbit roof is listed as 10D and Right Ski Track 10B/C, but I think right ski track is light years more difficult to climb.
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RtM
climber
DHS
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Nov 28, 2012 - 12:01pm PT
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ooohh, I wanna spray...
Leave It To Beaver in Josh is mine!!!
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