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WoodySt
Trad climber
Riverside
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Oct 21, 2008 - 05:51pm PT
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I've only experienced Tahquitz in the dark once back in the sixties. We did The West Lark starting around nine pm holding small flashlights in our mouths...lots of drool. Oh! As I was leading the last pitch, I was hit by my first kidney stone. A night to remember.
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John Vawter
Social climber
San Diego
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Oct 21, 2008 - 06:06pm PT
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You don't need anything bigger than a #10 Hex.
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JuanDeFuca
Big Wall climber
Stoney Point
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Oct 21, 2008 - 06:07pm PT
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I soloed up and down the first pitch.
It was cake.
]uan
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steelmnkey
climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
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Oct 21, 2008 - 06:24pm PT
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Yo Largo - wasn't it FFA in '52?
It's been a long time since I did it, but I was barely a 5.9 leader at the time I recall getting on it because it was just screaming to be climbed and I really wanted it bad. It's funny that even years later, the one part I recall is nearly cratering just getting up to the start of the corner. The rest I recall as being a lot of fun.
From below:
From above (shot from Traitor Horn):
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Bart Fay
Social climber
Redlands, CA
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Oct 21, 2008 - 06:34pm PT
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I had it in my mind, when me gonadas were larger, that the first two could be
combined in 60m with a maybe 4 extra large cams.
Never did it. But, I thought it an extra value approach.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Oct 21, 2008 - 06:39pm PT
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I've been seeing lots of talk about big pro. I did the climb a couple of years ago with a #3 camalot as my biggest piece and don't recall feeling run out. Of course I'm of an age where I qualify for the 30 minute onsight.
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Manjusri
climber
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Oct 22, 2008 - 02:50am PT
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I did it as a n00b with a 3 and 3.5 and felt perfectly safe. I add a 4 now and still want another big piece. I think the start is 5.8 but sewed it up anyway: pink tricam, #2 BD, double runner.
I thought the belay under the roof was kind of cool. The 3rd pitch slab is easier if you get out on it earlier and don't really get into the chimney like that pic. No pro though, and it kind of sucks in the dark. Pitch 2 is the crux for me and takes longer than expected, probably because I wind up grunting it out in the offwidth sections instead of liebacking like I plan.
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WoodySt
Trad climber
Riverside
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Oct 22, 2008 - 01:32pm PT
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I've never gotten in the upper crack. Just walk up the face with a hand against the wall for a little balance.
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BKW
Mountain climber
Central Texas
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Oct 22, 2008 - 02:13pm PT
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Wow, Manjusri, thats a great shot of Open Book, So I guess thats Traitor Horn sticking out left of the roof?
Anyone know if there is a route that goes left under the big roof block and goes up Traitor Horn?
I thought the bouldery start was the hardest part also. The rest was mostly just awsome crack climbing in a slabby corner. What more could you want!
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Strider
Trad climber
one of god's mountain temples....
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Oct 22, 2008 - 02:22pm PT
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Mike.- I am not sure the chimney is the way to go, that is just how we did it. It is run-out either way...
-n
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mongrel
Trad climber
Truckee, CA
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Nov 13, 2008 - 04:31pm PT
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Largo raises an interesting thought about 5.9s done a long while ago in the East. But unless there's a Wiessner route somewhere that I can't think of (Alan Rubin please weigh in!), the FFA of Open Book in either 1952 or 54 would still be the first 5.9 in the country. A few years later, John Turner led two 5.9s on Cathedral Ledge (the original version of Recompense, which was great from day one and became only more of a must-do classic with addition of the direct corner finish; and Repentence, with one point of aid BEFORE the very solid 5.9+ wide/offwidth). The thought of doing this crack, full of dirt, moss, algae, probably with zero gear after the aid pin, and probably in hiking or mountain boots, is mind-boggling in the extreme. Even in 1970, the second ascent still used the point of aid!!
Of course, there are plenty of 9s, 10s, and maybe even 11s (Dresden??) from way earlier than the 50s in Europe, also accomplished with zero or totally crap protection and shoes, but these are the earliest in N. America that I know of. You have to marvel at the spirit of those early climbers, getting after it with grim prospects if anyone fell.
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Nov 13, 2008 - 05:04pm PT
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The American Oliver Perry Smith was putting up 5.9s in Dresden in 1910. 1910!
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Fletcher
Trad climber
Max V02
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Nov 13, 2008 - 05:31pm PT
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I went to climb OB with Derek Starr (aka Roy Naas) several years back. He couldn't get the start and in his inimitable style, started doing a toned down version his patented Turret's Syndrome stream of consciousness freak out. I gave it a brief go, but it was on the edge of my leading skills at the time, so we backed off and went over and climbed Finger Trip. That helped mellow Derek out again. But, of course there was always the car ride back home to change all that....
This was in December or January of a year without any snow at that point. Cold, beautiful and had the place to ourselves.
One of these days I'll go back and climb the OB. Sounds like a blast!
Fletch
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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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Nov 13, 2008 - 07:47pm PT
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I remember, BITD, soloing this with (I think) Rick Accomazzo, Tobin Sorensen, Richard Harrison and I, all a body length apart, mostly lybacking up the thing, ever grateful that nobody pinged and took out everyone below.
Impressive as the OB is (FFA in '52), the Mechanic's Route, pretty runout, almost vert 5.8, put up in hiking boots, in, what, 1938 - now that's truly amazing.
JL
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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Nov 13, 2008 - 08:02pm PT
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I believe it was tennis shoes.
Either way, well ahead of its time. particularly when you consider that it was done with only soft iron. Not even angle pitons.
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Llama
Big Wall climber
The bubble that is Irvine, CA
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Nov 13, 2008 - 08:08pm PT
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Beta...
Start at the bottom... go up
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scuffy b
climber
On the dock in the dark
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Nov 13, 2008 - 08:16pm PT
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Delayed answer to BKW's question: yes and no. That is the True
Horn on the climb Traitor Horn. The Traitor Horn itself is out
of sight to the left.
Maybe this doesn't make sense, I've never looked at a topo of
the climb.
At any rate, early on the climb Traitor Horn you see a horn and
climb toward it, but it sort of gets smaller as you approach it,
then when you get to it you get your first view of the True
Horn (the one in the picture)
It's one of the classic double-pun Tahquitz names
(from the book or movie Trader Horn)
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guido
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Nov 13, 2008 - 09:22pm PT
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Wait a second Largo!
Four of you soloed the OB at one time?
Christ, now I have to chalk up or my mouse will slip out of my hand. I knew I would have to get into this chalk thing sooner or later.
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Don Lauria
Trad climber
Bishop, CA
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Nov 15, 2008 - 11:28pm PT
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Guido,
Last time I did the OB was with Sibylle around 1976 and she accused me of holding onto some pro near the Ear. I was really pissed because I didn't, but she kept on it. Women! It was two days later that she quit harping on it.
Of course, we I didn't use chalk then and, as you know, some of us never have.
With regard to the awkward start, Mark Powell led that pitch the first time I did it. He had it wired and showed me in great detail how to get up it with ease. It was never a problem after that.
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