Discussion Topic |
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Mr.T
Big Wall climber
topanga
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jul 15, 2008 - 07:58pm PT
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Twelve Days of hard work and pure joy left me at the top of The Capitan. Here are some photos:
Ottowa Doug had soloed the route a couple weeks before - and so gave me some good beta (when it says "no cams on pitch", don't belive it...), an autographed z-ton, and those amazing green pants.
The New Dawn pitches were good, clean, and pretty straight foreward, but I still found myself with some mini-epic on nearly every pitch (forgetting the topo helped). Here's a loose-ass block... a pin scar suckered me into thinking it was solid. Just placing the stopper moved the whole block about half an inch.... Yikes!
The hauling wasn't "too" bad, except the pitch onto Lay Lady, which worked me soooo good. I spent half a day on the ledge just reading and staying out of the sun.
The pitches above Lay Lady mus be great free climbing, but had me puckering, racing the fading light without a headlamp, walking tipped out cams and pulling all kinds of shenanigans to get gear.
My only human contact was on El Cap Tower, when Clay and Corbin came racing by on the nose. Geat to see these fun-lovin bros!!!
I did a lot of laying around, just thinking and reading. This was the first big route where I felt completely comfortable being there. I didn't catch the summit fever, and enjoyed immensely simply patiently slowly suffering my way up the wall.
Some images from the Nose part - looking out from Texas Flake
An old bolt next to the Boot. I wonder if this was placed by Harding? It's right next to the crack in the boot.
Lots of wildlife and flowerage. The frogs come out of the cracks at dusk below Lay Lady, hopping across the face. A milipeed way up in the middle of nowhere - how do they get there? And perigrines, dive bombing like crazy, making the base jumpers look crude and oafish.
So what were the Tribal Rite pitches like?
Clean golden granite!
Open expanses!
Good corners!
An "easy" "crux" pitch
Early Light
Good ledges
Better views
Wierd pro
Good pro
And if that's not enough to get your lazy sport-dawgin arse up there, Tribal Rite even dangles a beautiful carrot in front o your nose!!!
The two unusual things that happened were some intense road construction or invasive plant removal or something at night - LOUD noise and crazy bright lights in the midde of the night actually kept me awake - I took to cutting little squares out of my sleeping pad and duct taping them into my ears to get some peace and quiet!
There was also a huge rockfall around gulf stream. I think I'll pass on that one....
Thanks to Tom and Doug and Gene and all the monkeys for the support and encouragement (and bright green pants)!!!!!
Thank you sir, may I have another!?!?!?
 Zak Tourville
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Russ Walling
Social climber
Out on the sand.... man.....
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Jul 15, 2008 - 08:12pm PT
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Good job!
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marty(r)
climber
beneath the valley of ultravegans
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Jul 15, 2008 - 08:16pm PT
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FANTASTIC!!!
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Jonny D
Social climber
Lost Angelez, Kalifornia
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Jul 15, 2008 - 08:30pm PT
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Bitchin!!!
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Jul 15, 2008 - 08:32pm PT
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Wigball!! Looks beautiful
Peace
karl
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Jul 15, 2008 - 09:02pm PT
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swanky styling
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Ottawa Doug
Social climber
Ottawa, Canada
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Jul 15, 2008 - 09:38pm PT
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Congrats Wigball!!!!!! Great TR on TR. I'm glad to see the pants continue to live on. Superb pics you took really show the route well. You climbed during some big heat. Good job hanging in there. Wild pic of the rockfall at the base.
Cheers,
Doug
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elcap-pics
climber
Crestline CA
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Jul 15, 2008 - 09:39pm PT
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Really sweet Bro... glad it went so well for you... I felt bad about leaving while you were in the middle of the route but I had to go.... nice pics... what did you think about the difficulty of the route? Recommend it?
Congats Tom
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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Jul 15, 2008 - 09:43pm PT
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Wow, that is a bad-ass TR of a wall, dude. Very cool. Almost...almost makes me want to do my first wall.
Nice job!!!
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Tom
Big Wall climber
San Luis Obispo CA
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Jul 15, 2008 - 10:07pm PT
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Great TR!
Lotsa spooky old heads on that one, eh? I pulled one, and heard later that someone else also zipper-whipped on similar "fixed" gear.
Did the leader clean the Carrot pitch on rappel, or did the second come up, fighting to get gear out of the tightening expando?
And, how'd you like the haul to the right end of the ledge below Texas Flake? The bag comes up that narrowing squeeze and gets stuck at the top. Those bolts should have been placed three feet further to the right. They're probably rusty enough for someone to pull them, fill the holes and redrill them properly.
By comparison, how about the last haul, the final pitch of Wall of the Early Morning light? That is probably one of the best top-outs on the Cap, with the belay just left of a diving board ledge, so the bag rides up a smooth wall all the way to the bolts. That station demonstrates how conscientious and skilled Harding was.
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Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder Colorado
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Jul 15, 2008 - 10:09pm PT
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killer!
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Ezra
Trad climber
WA, NC
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Jul 15, 2008 - 10:09pm PT
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bump for the real deal!
Good Job!
-e
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Prod
Social climber
Charlevoix, MI
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Jul 15, 2008 - 10:17pm PT
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Love the Good ledges pic. You look happier than a pig in sh#t.
Cheers.
Prod.
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WBraun
climber
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Jul 15, 2008 - 10:21pm PT
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Mr T
That was a great picture story. We did the second ascent and I don't remember sh'it.
Thanks ....
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Crimpergirl
Social climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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Jul 15, 2008 - 10:50pm PT
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Really great TR - and most excellent photos. Really enjoyed it! Thanks!!
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Clayman
Trad climber
CA, now Flagstaff
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Jul 15, 2008 - 11:36pm PT
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ooouuuuugh!! wigball!
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Double D
climber
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Jul 16, 2008 - 12:42am PT
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NICE!
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pc
climber
East of Seattle
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Jul 16, 2008 - 12:57am PT
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Excellent!
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Captain...or Skully
Big Wall climber
Yonder
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Jul 16, 2008 - 12:59am PT
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Hey WigBall...Killer Ledge is a cool spot on the Captain, huh?Nice shots, man. And good job, too. Even with freaky green pants.
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Standing Strong
Trad climber
united states of T*R
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Jul 16, 2008 - 01:05am PT
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" Lots of wildlife and flowerage. The frogs come out of the cracks at dusk below Lay Lady, hopping across the face. A milipeed way up in the middle of nowhere - how do they get there? And perigrines, dive bombing like crazy, making the base jumpers look crude and oafish. "
oooo cool. thank you! thanks for bringing us up there with you :)
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Erik Sloan
climber
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Jul 16, 2008 - 02:05am PT
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Nice work Wiggee!
hey, please post this baby on bigwalls.net on the trip report forum so we can enjoy it all thee time.
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salad
climber
Escondido
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Jul 16, 2008 - 02:35am PT
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Beautiful Zak! Infectious and artistic as expected! What an accomplishment and such a kick ass thing to take with you through life!!!
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Riotch
Trad climber
Kayenta, Arizona
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Jul 16, 2008 - 09:32am PT
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The quintessential solo wall experience. Wow!
Thanks for the inspiration, I have yet to complete a solo wall. I think I'll remember your words about just enjoying yourself up there next time.
Beautiful route, too!
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TKingsbury
Trad climber
MT
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Jul 16, 2008 - 10:18am PT
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Really nice, thank you for posting!
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FeelioBabar
climber
Sneaking up behind you...
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Jul 16, 2008 - 10:36am PT
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Proud Work!
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Zander
Trad climber
Berkeley
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Jul 16, 2008 - 10:40am PT
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So cool!
Thanks.
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TwistedCrank
climber
Ideeho
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Jul 16, 2008 - 10:41am PT
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You got bank on that one!
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pyro
Big Wall climber
Calabasas
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Jul 16, 2008 - 11:11am PT
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Good Job Mr T!
w/love from Stoney Point
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coldrainsnow
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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Jul 16, 2008 - 12:38pm PT
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Whew!! Beautiful pics and a proud send!!! We were thinking of you up there in all the heat. Thanks again for all the goodies you met us with after our push - sorry we couldn't reciprocate!
Hopefully we'll see you up there this summer. Great job!
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cowpoke
climber
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Jul 16, 2008 - 12:43pm PT
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outstanding! thanks for sharing the experience!
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drljefe
climber
Calizona
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Jul 16, 2008 - 01:09pm PT
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That was sick.
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Jul 16, 2008 - 01:20pm PT
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Best!
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snowey
Trad climber
San Diego
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Jul 16, 2008 - 02:37pm PT
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That was probably the best solo El Cap TR I have ever read. Proud send buddy!!
Whats next on the hit list?
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Gene
climber
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Jul 16, 2008 - 02:48pm PT
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Way to go!!! Great TR.
GM
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Oakville, Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Jul 16, 2008 - 02:49pm PT
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Concur with the above - a great send and a really fabulous trip report with interesting and creative pictures, really hard to do when you're soloing. Some rockfall, eh? The first two or three pitches of Gulf Stream are now sitting on the talus - we watched in amazement from BUBS. You'd have been dead if you were walking underneath at the time.
How many nights on the wall, mate? Glad to hear you "get" big wall camping!
Cheers,
Pete
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Lambone
Ice climber
Ashland, Or
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Jul 16, 2008 - 04:13pm PT
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Jeeze wern't Kate and Eric on Gulf Stream like a month ago...scary!
Nic photo TR and send!
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wbw
climber
'cross the great divide
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Jul 16, 2008 - 04:29pm PT
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Dude, I thought you were a free-climbing at Squamish this summer. I was getting ready to text you and tell you to stay outta dem aiders. Guess I'm too late. Seeing your report makes me feel really bad about not getting up the big stone in June
:-), but I am glad to have gotten up something in the Valley.
You really must come to CO this winter to get the ice groove goin' for the future sends in the big mountains.
Good job on Tribal Rite. . . Brad
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Jul 16, 2008 - 04:46pm PT
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Thanks for sharing. What awesome accomplishment.
Freaky about the rockfall though. Of several trips up the Captain, I've never seen anything like that.
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BigNick
Trad climber
Los Angeles
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Jul 16, 2008 - 05:34pm PT
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Dude, you totally bootasized my hat!
WTF!
At least my orange visor made it somewhere worthy this month.
Sweet!
But really, what the hell….return it …no questions asked.
Or I’ll call the booty-police
Whoop!
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yo
climber
I drink your milkshake!
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Jul 16, 2008 - 07:44pm PT
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bump
That route looks sick.
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J. Werlin
climber
Cedaredge
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Jul 16, 2008 - 08:35pm PT
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Most excellent. Well done!
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
Otto, NC
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Jul 17, 2008 - 02:38am PT
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Way to go there, man. Thanks for bringing us along.
I have to admire the style...savoring the suffering.
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Gene Pool
Trad climber
A trailer park in Santa Cruz
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Jul 17, 2008 - 08:31pm PT
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Yee Haw Zak. Scary rock fall!!! Thanks for the killer veggie burritos in the meadow. Next time I have you with a king cobra or two, I want to know what an "easy" "crux" is for you?! Good luck and be safe on el medio dome. I've got 4 leeper z's with your name on them.
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Mr.T
Big Wall climber
topanga
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 18, 2008 - 06:24pm PT
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Thanks everyone for the psych!!!!!! Good stuff up there, and yes, it is contagious! "Salad" is coming up for a solo of the Prow and I'll talk him through the logistics via radio, let's hear it for Salad!!!!!!
I hiked my first load up to Zenith today... ouch! it's pretty far but not scary like evyone says. The base of Half Dome is like a cross between a huge Roman Cathedral and standing in front of the counter at Baskin Robbins....... Woooop!
Here's a pic of Kate and Pete - it was great to be able to whooop it up with you two, but staying out of radio contact for the duration was nice.
The tunes I've got loaded up for the next journey are "Peaches" and "Miss Kitten"...... Anyone down?
Wiggy
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coldrainsnow
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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Jul 18, 2008 - 06:35pm PT
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Wow wiggie - go big or go home!!! Looks like you're up to more fun - be safe and have a blast. Maybe we'll see you in the meadows when yer done!!! GOOD LUCK!!!
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Standing Strong
Trad climber
hopping on a moonshadow
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Jul 18, 2008 - 09:02pm PT
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you know what?
bump.
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Oakville, Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Jul 18, 2008 - 09:06pm PT
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Cool shot, thanks. Kate's doing her last lead, just above the C1 Beauty on Eagle's Way, above the Devil's Prow.
How many nights were you on TR? Is there water up at the base of Half Dome now?
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Jul 18, 2008 - 09:19pm PT
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hey there.... wow, mr T... wonderful trip pics.... sadly, i hvae to come back later to view it all... as i can't stay on line too long tonight and my computer downloads slow.... wonderful wonderful share though...
thanks so very very much... i love seeing stuff on ol' el cap!
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holly hansen
Trad climber
I.E., CA.
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Jul 19, 2008 - 03:42pm PT
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Awesome ascent Mr. T!!! Love the photos. I'm so glad you got centered in the midst of that beautiful chaos! What's next? BTW thanks for all the wall tricks you've taught me!
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Jaybro
Social climber
wuz real!
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Jul 19, 2008 - 03:50pm PT
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amazingly cool!
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Jul 19, 2008 - 04:59pm PT
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Great TR! Thanks for posting up.
That chopped bolt on Boot Flake may have been the infamous Robbins chicken bolt! Royal thought that the Boot was a bit sketchy and drilled there even though the third ascent party chopped it and went on by. Proof positive that we all have our cloudy moments.
No shots of the rattiest bolt ladder on the Captain up high?!?
The Central Scrutinizer winds in and out of Tribal Rite so I have done some of the pitches.
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salad
climber
Escondido
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Sep 30, 2008 - 07:06pm PT
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woot!
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drljefe
climber
Old Pueblo, AZ
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Feb 25, 2009 - 09:56am PT
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This TR rocks!
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salad
climber
Escondido
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Feb 25, 2009 - 12:02pm PT
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jefe ya beat me to it..
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drljefe
climber
Old Pueblo, AZ
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Feb 25, 2009 - 08:53pm PT
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The political floodgates have opened again on the frontpage...
B U M P
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T Moses
Trad climber
Paso Robles
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Feb 25, 2009 - 11:34pm PT
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Bump for Hump Day TRing!
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hoipolloi
climber
A friends backyard with the neighbors wifi
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Feb 26, 2009 - 07:43pm PT
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to the top
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WigBall's Dad
Social climber
Llano,CA
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Nice job Zak! Great pictures. Tom and Jean got to see you with binocs a few days ago from the bridge. Holly, (from the bridge) filled them in on the sport. I am not going camping with Robert, too much stuff around here to do. See you in Aug. if not sooner.
POPS
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