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| Messages 1 - 37 of total 37 in this topic |
scooter
climber
Moss Landing CA
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Mar 10, 2008 - 03:03am PT
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A really good combo is Plastic Exploding Inevitable, to Fairest of all. Or maybe it is fairest of al.
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bhilden
Trad climber
Mountain View, CA
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Mar 10, 2008 - 03:21am PT
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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
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Mar 10, 2008 - 03:24am PT
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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).
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spyork
Social climber
A prison of my own creation
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Mar 10, 2008 - 12:10pm PT
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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...
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bob
climber
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Mar 10, 2008 - 12:10pm PT
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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.
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Jay Wood
Trad climber
Fairfax, CA
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Mar 10, 2008 - 12:59pm PT
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He reports at one point, 'a frantic frizzle of footwork'
Nice.
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Matt
Trad climber
primordial soup
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Mar 12, 2008 - 03:51am PT
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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
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bob
climber
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Mar 12, 2008 - 09:25am PT
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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.
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Gobie
Trad climber
Northern, Ca.
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May 15, 2008 - 01:08am PT
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bump
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alpinerockfiend
Trad climber
Jackson, WY
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May 15, 2008 - 01:17am PT
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Thanks for the bump. Great writing (and reading).
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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May 15, 2008 - 01:24am PT
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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
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scuffy b
climber
Elmertown
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Aug 22, 2008 - 12:02pm PT
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Does anybody know the status of the bolts?
Still the same collection from 67, 73 and 74?
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bob
climber
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Aug 22, 2008 - 12:13pm PT
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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.
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LongAgo
Trad climber
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Aug 22, 2008 - 04:21pm PT
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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
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curt wohlgemuth
Social climber
Bay Area, California
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Aug 22, 2008 - 04:28pm PT
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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
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Aug 23, 2008 - 02:12am PT
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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?
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Michael Irwin
Trad climber
San Leandro
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Aug 23, 2008 - 02:47am PT
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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
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Aug 23, 2008 - 12:03pm PT
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Thanks for posting MI! Any other recollections about the route or photos that you would care to share looking back?
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dee ee
Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
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Aug 23, 2008 - 08:01pm PT
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"Fairest of Al" is a 2 pitch variation put up by myself, Alan Roberts (The Voice of the Crags), and Todd Gordon. I'm not sure if it connects easily to "Fairest of All."
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LongAgo
Trad climber
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Aug 23, 2008 - 08:16pm PT
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Steve,
Fairest seemed pretty great at the time, but no I don't think it is the best route on the dome, nor do I think we thought it was the best at the time, though the keen adventure we had on it (and some of my bumbling) makes it a very "memorable" adventure. As Mike says, the name came from Mike's rambling night time mind going from mirror mirror to the next phrase, not so much an assessment of the route quality itself.
Looking back now, I'd say Lucky Streaks is a superior FA in my mind, but then I raved about FA Piece de Résistance and some subsequent parties were not so impressed claiming what I thought of as the great crux pitch was a bit flakey. I probably got so jazzed with the feeling of some new routes, I came back a bit oblivious to their true nature.
More generally, I find it hard to assign stars to routes or compare them for inherent quality as so much of climbing for me is tied up in how routes read and feel, the history and ghosts, who I'm with and the unpredictable events of the day rather than the rock itself. Certainly other very good routes on the dome, for me, include: Great Pumpkin, Roseanne, Peter Peter, Mr. Kamps, Unh-Huh to name a few.
Tom Higgins
LongAgo
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Aug 23, 2008 - 08:24pm PT
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That was a great thread! Thanks for the link.
And thanks for the response Tom. "What's in a name?" as Shakespeare once quipped. I always like to ask...
I had the pleasure of climbing in Tucson where we had loads of stone but no basket of plums like Fairview to sample. Enviable possibilities to say the least!
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bob
climber
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Aug 25, 2008 - 10:59am PT
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You can link Fairest of Al to Fairest of All using the Separation Anxiety dike. Actually tons of cool linkups using that dike are available.
Bob J.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Oct 30, 2009 - 02:54pm PT
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Classical Bump!
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wstmrnclmr
Trad climber
Bolinas, CA
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Aug 22, 2011 - 07:01pm PT
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Did this route last week. Thought it was great. The second pitch is scary and I think, the crux of the climb as it is a run-out traverse on slab....All bolts have been replaced. The right facing crack pitch before the roof is beautiful, great gold polished rock. The topos I've seen are not very accurate as to route finding so one needs to be careful. The route requires a lot of different trad skills as the climbing is varied. Highly recommended.......Pictures at some point but we had to use a disposable film camera as the batteries were dead in the digital.
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tom Carter
Social climber
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Aug 23, 2011 - 02:43am PT
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Michael Irwin
I've wondered how your doing!
Spoke with Vern the other day and also talked with Bob H in the Meadows.
Didn't you take me up Fairest on the 3rd ascent?
Tom Carter
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scuffy b
climber
dissected alluvial deposits, late Pleistocene
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Aug 23, 2011 - 12:18pm PT
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Hey Tom,
early repeat history is sorta murky.
I have always believed that Bob and I did the 2nd, with Bob placing the
2nd bolt on the crux lead. This is where Tom had dropped his drill, and he
agreed that Bob should place a bolt.
A couple guys from Stanford or thereabouts did a repeat with a bivy below
those bolts, on the gym-towel-sized ledge described by Tom in his AAJ
article. Roger somebody, friend of Kit Kaiser. I had thought that was the
3rd ascent, and I think it was in 75.
However, John Vawter writes that he did the climb in 74. I suspect it was
the 3rd, because I believe the topo he used was drawn by Bob. I don't
think Bob and I had one at all.
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tom Carter
Social climber
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Aug 23, 2011 - 12:30pm PT
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SM -
Pretty funny about our memories. I was just sharing stories with Harrington and we both filled in information for each other that was ... shall I say say really pertinent?
ie He couldn't remember who the third partner was on Mr Toad's and I didn't remember that we spent the first day together on Sorcerers!!! Yikes!
Fading away. Nice to have friends to keep us on track!
Hope Mike chimes in as I would like to know just for laughs !!
When will our paths cross again??
See you then.
TC
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bhilden
Trad climber
Mountain View, CA
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Aug 23, 2011 - 02:15pm PT
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Stanford guys might have been Roger Gocking and maybe Brian Cox.
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scuffy b
climber
dissected alluvial deposits, late Pleistocene
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Aug 23, 2011 - 02:41pm PT
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Roger Gocking for sure, Thanks, Bruce.
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John Vawter
Social climber
San Diego
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Aug 28, 2011 - 04:05am PT
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We didn't have a topo per se, just a narrative that we copied out of the notebook at Soda Springs. It was mid-August 1974. Someone told us about it after we did the RR and Lucky Streaks. I can't remember whether the AAJ article came before or after we climbed it.
I thought the bolts had been replaced on this route, but I just read a 2009 TR showing manky 1/4 inchers. Are they still up there?
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Michael Irwin
Trad climber
San Leandro
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Oct 20, 2011 - 01:55am PT
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Tom... No we didn't do the third ascent, I only did it once. I haven't been in touch with Bob or Vern, just once in a while with Tom.
Mike
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wstmrnclmr
Trad climber
Bolinas, CA
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Oct 20, 2011 - 02:18am PT
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John Vawter...All bolts are new.
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kunlun_shan
Mountain climber
SF, CA
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Jul 27, 2016 - 08:29pm PT
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bump
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BruceHildenbrand
Social climber
Mountain View/Boulder
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Jul 27, 2016 - 09:39pm PT
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OK. Here are several more stories about Fairest of All. They may have been told in earlier threads. Caveat Emptor.
My partner, Jeff Vance, and I did an ascent of the route in the summer of 1978. We brought along a secret weapon in uber-face climber Matt Cox. Matt was a legend in J-Tree and had been leading 5.11+ face climbs in the Valley on Middle such as Black Primo.
As it turns out, Jeff and I led all the pitches and Matt spent most of the day just sunning himself at the belays. If you know Matt, he always had a killer tan!
A few days after our ascent, Val Licon and a friend went up on the route with a topo we gave them. We asked that they place a pin at the belay for the 5.10c crux pitch as there was only one piton there for the belay when we did it. Val brought the pin, but his partner cleaned it! As a bit of climbing karma, the strap on their day pack broke up near the top and they had to do the descent in EB's.
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