Fairest of All (Fairview Dome West Face)

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nutjob

Stoked OW climber
San Jose, CA
Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 10, 2008 - 02:55am PT
Great story:
http://www.tomhiggins.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4&Itemid=20&limit=1&limitstart=0

Seems like a good destination for ambitious weekend warriors...

Tom, how is this compared to Inverted Staircase?
scooter

climber
Moss Landing CA
Mar 10, 2008 - 03:03am PT
A really good combo is Plastic Exploding Inevitable, to Fairest of all. Or maybe it is fairest of al.
bhilden

Trad climber
Mountain View, CA
Mar 10, 2008 - 03:21am PT
My partners and I did an early repeat ascent of this route way back in the mid-70's and back then it was pretty sketchy(no topos) and somewhat runout. I don't know if any bolts have been added, but it seems like if the climbing on the route is less than 5.9 don't expect much in the way of protection. YMMV.

Bruce
Clint Cummins

Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
Mar 10, 2008 - 03:24am PT
I have done Plastic Exploding Inevitable to where it joins Fairest of All, and I prefer the starting pitches of Fairest of All.

Here's another combo, though: Fairest of All to "Fairly Direct", which is a direct finish in the upper bowl (which you normally avoid on easy ground to the left).
spyork

Social climber
A prison of my own creation
Mar 10, 2008 - 12:10pm PT
I've read the stories, I've looked at the topos, and I'm afraid I just might be flat not good enough.

And I hear the bolt that protects the crux could be rusty old mank...
bob

climber
Mar 10, 2008 - 12:10pm PT
Great route. I remember one summer my buddy Ev and I decided to do this route as our first Meadows route of the season. You know, for a warm up. Get used to the rock of the high country sort of thing. Well, were warmed up for the Meadows after that!!!!
I remember passing a rusty round hole on the second pitch where a bolt was (I think) supposed to be. As I recall the topo showed one, but...... I'm not sure if it has been replaced or was yanked a long time ago or what, but it felt spicy. I went left and my buddy went straight up following because he couldn't go left. That boulder problem that one has to do off the ledge up high before clipping the bolt was interesting. I know people who have just gone left and up on R but easy ground. Mikey's route Retrospective can now be followed to skip that bit.
Clint, does the Fairly Direct deal go straight up the middle of the bowl or the crack that is first encountered a bit on the left side of the bowl?
Bob J.
Jay Wood

Trad climber
Fairfax, CA
Mar 10, 2008 - 12:59pm PT
He reports at one point, 'a frantic frizzle of footwork'




Nice.
Matt

Trad climber
primordial soup
Mar 12, 2008 - 03:51am PT
there is also a new-ish route that starts up the face to the right of P.E.I. and then traverses through the top of the corner/roof and pulls other bigger roofs above (including the big macker to the right of the regular route) as it eventually joins the 4th class pitches that end the RR.

it was the last route put up by the late jeff schoen, sometimes called the jeff schoen memorial route, AKA "what would jeff do?"

it's an awesome route, well protected, goes at about 11b.
i'll see if i can manage to post a topo (and a TR rom last summer)






RIP jeffe
Clint Cummins

Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
Mar 12, 2008 - 04:40am PT
There is a topo/photo overlay for Jeff's route on

http://www.tuolumnemeadows.org/

and a brief trip report and topo on Charles' site

http://annwm.lbl.gov/~leggett/pictures/tuolumne_06-30-07/main.shtml
bob

climber
Mar 12, 2008 - 09:25am PT
What Would Jeff Do? is a really fun route that doesn't really scare the piss outta ya. Good stuff. Jake and I got so cold just before the roof pitch that it felt much harder to me than the grade, but warm i don't think its bad. I had a lot of fun on that route.
Retrospective goes up just right of WWJD? and is also of very high quality in my opinion, though, much more heady.
Bob J.
Gobie

Trad climber
Northern, Ca.
May 15, 2008 - 01:08am PT
bump
alpinerockfiend

Trad climber
Jackson, WY
May 15, 2008 - 01:17am PT
Thanks for the bump. Great writing (and reading).
Karl Baba

Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
May 15, 2008 - 01:24am PT
Fairest of All in one of the more "made for Mortals" route on Fairview, but I thinks it's a bit spicier than Inverted staircase with a bit trickier routefinding (but, if I remember, no pitch as strenuous as the staircase pitch)

I seem to remember the final crux pitch hard moves can be avoided (by accident in my case) by climbing off to the left. (but don't quote me, it was a long time ago)

Peace

Karl
scuffy b

climber
Elmertown
Aug 22, 2008 - 12:02pm PT
Does anybody know the status of the bolts?
Still the same collection from 67, 73 and 74?
bob

climber
Aug 22, 2008 - 12:13pm PT
I seem to remember a rusty bolt hole on the second pitch that was a bit disheartening. That was seven years ago. Don't know if its been put in or what. The bolts up high are good. I believe Mikey replaced one when he did his route Retrospective. The second bolt on the crux pitch up high (yes can be avoided, but why?) is bent sh#t, but don't even need to clip it. THere's gear just above the stink. 1st on that pitch is mega, but you gotta get to it. Fun route. Fairview.
Bob J.
LongAgo

Trad climber
Aug 22, 2008 - 04:21pm PT
nutjob,

Inverted and Fairest are, well, different. Fairest is mostly face climbing, Inverted involves some lieback/face combo under the steps, but also has a good face pitch leading to the steps. Fairest does involve some route finding challenge early on (I call it "devious" in the article you reference) and maybe, say posters, a missing bolt on an early pitch. Inverted is straightforward route finding and I think the face pitch below the roof is pretty well protected because the "funny" bolt (old bolt through a piton as hanger – Kamps special) has been replaced. Other posters may know more. However, on Fairest there is a "boulder" move off a ledge up high on a pitch leading toward the bowl, as bob states in his post. The holds are solid, but a slip there could be trouble (sounds like there is another route one can take at that point as an option). But above that, bob suggest bolts are generally OK. If not, of course feel free to replace.

Tom Higgins
LongAgo
curt wohlgemuth

Social climber
Bay Area, California
Aug 22, 2008 - 04:28pm PT
I know the following isn't about Fairest of All per se, and I don't know if others have posted about this recently or not, but when Bob Harrington posted the following on rec.climbing back in 1997 (and he and Clint had various exchanges about it!), I printed it off. I thought one day I'd be in shape and in position to do it, but haven't yet thus far.

It's Bob's "description of a combination several routes on the west
face of Fairview Dome in Tuolumne Meadows, California. The motivating idea of the linkage was to combine sections of various criss-crossing routes in a way that the climbing is relatively safe, not too hard, and high quality."

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.climbing/browse_thread/thread/2e0f954fa472c731/3f1f603f879d07e4?hl=en&lnk=st&q=#3f1f603f879d07e4


Curt
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Aug 23, 2008 - 02:12am PT
I remember that "Kamps special" on the Inverted Staircase! A leaf shaped soft iron horizontal. A good friend, Mark Axen, lead that difficult and delicate pitch straight off the couch having not lead much of anything in years! That funky bolt is all that you have right there. I got the roofs. Great route!

Is The Fairest of All still that in your estimation, Tom? Favorite or prettiest line on Fairview?
Michael Irwin

Trad climber
San Leandro
Aug 23, 2008 - 02:47am PT
I'll let Tom chime in on this, but I'll put in my two cents as well.

As I recall, the name came out of a hazy sleepless night on the face. We were going over possible names for the climb to keep our minds of the numbing cold. Mirror mirror on the wall.. kept coming to my mind... but I couldn't quite catch the rest... finally I mumbled to Tom.. th rest of that line is "who's the fairest of them all" Why don't we call it "Fairest of All." Tom graciously let it stand.

According to some it is not the fairest of all climbs on Fairview, but since it was my first climb on Fairview it was for me that day.

Michael Irwin
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Aug 23, 2008 - 12:03pm PT
Thanks for posting MI! Any other recollections about the route or photos that you would care to share looking back?
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