Why Is This So Frightening?

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Messages 1 - 37 of total 37 in this topic
MisterE

Trad climber
My Inner Nut
Topic Author's Original Post - Nov 1, 2008 - 11:14pm PT
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
Nov 1, 2008 - 11:29pm PT
hey there mister E... say, you will have to tell me, i reckon... is it due to:

1--the rope...
2--the man...
3--the place...
4--obvious reason that i surely missed...
5--secret trick reason...

okay, on with the quiz, or "shock affect pic"...
SteveW

Trad climber
The state of confusion
Nov 1, 2008 - 11:30pm PT
I don't see any pro, and it looks to be a long swing to the
right if he doesn't get that nut in his mouth in. And even if
he does, it looks sketchy.
Did he make it?
MisterE

Trad climber
My Inner Nut
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 1, 2008 - 11:33pm PT
Looking for person, place, time and climb!

Hint:

I got this picture for part of the New Northern Arizona Guidebook history.

Edit: neebee, #2 & #3 were right
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
Nov 1, 2008 - 11:44pm PT
hey there mister e... say, well then, i have analized a bit to the proper flow!

say, too bad i am not a climber, or i could search for "pulling the ol' rabbit out of the ol' cowboy hat... :)

say, i will come back off and on, and see how this goes...

*as to the PLACE----WOW, it is getting more exciting now (no offence to the guy) ... but places can be notorious as to dangerous routes, i have learned already...


*nice interesting picture, by the way, too, mister e...
later, you can tell us who took it... and perhaps where he was, nearby, too, when he took it...
MisterE

Trad climber
My Inner Nut
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 2, 2008 - 12:16am PT
Good see on the nut, Steve.

Mighty Hiker

Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
Nov 2, 2008 - 12:35am PT
There's a snake up and right from the climber.
bob

climber
Nov 2, 2008 - 12:37am PT
Sedona, coats, dresdoom
Bob J.
Rockjunky

Trad climber
METHDESTO CA
Nov 2, 2008 - 12:40am PT
DUHHH his shoe is un-tied!
MisterE

Trad climber
My Inner Nut
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 2, 2008 - 12:44am PT
Close, Bob - not Coats, or Dresdoom

Edit: But the picture was taken by a Coats?
Mighty Hiker

Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
Nov 2, 2008 - 12:59am PT
Judging by the angle that his waist belt takes over his right hip, his harness is coming off/not properly attached.
MisterE

Trad climber
My Inner Nut
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 2, 2008 - 01:45am PT
That's the least of his worries
nita

climber
chica from chico, I don't claim to be a daisy
Nov 2, 2008 - 01:48am PT
Is there a prize for the right answer? ..
MisterE

Trad climber
My Inner Nut
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 2, 2008 - 01:50am PT
Knowledge is it's own reward, Nita :-)
MisterE

Trad climber
My Inner Nut
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 2, 2008 - 01:56am PT
Ding! We have a name and an answer to the fright.

What's the route, and the grade for the bonus?
MisterE

Trad climber
My Inner Nut
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 2, 2008 - 01:18am PT
There's a letter towards the end of the alphabet that is missing, but otherwise spot on.
MisterE

Trad climber
My Inner Nut
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 2, 2008 - 01:51am PT
Yes. All that is missing is the route name.
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
Nov 2, 2008 - 02:03am PT
hey there mister e... say, i am back.. and have learned more... say, i was wondering about how the rock seems to have a sloping affect down, to the his left, for each area that he would grab, to pull up on----is THAT what you meant by slopers... ???

i didnt know if that is commmon or uncommon.. say, can you post a bit more about handling all that...

say--did it mention how his climb turned out...
ex: slower than hoped for, faster than expected--you get my drift... any thing else shared would be very interesing and good-learning...

will have to come back tomorrow, though to see it all...
and say, one more question:


p.s.
what kind of climbs does steve do now a days:
if he still climbs... or, what is he up to, etc... or where is he, etc... just wondering...
nature

climber
Santa Fe, NM
Nov 2, 2008 - 09:03am PT
the rock he's climbing on is marginal at best. in some places it still resembles the sand dune it once was.
Riotch

Trad climber
Kayenta, Arizona
Nov 2, 2008 - 12:43pm PT
Looks like towards the top of Earth Angle Spire, but that is not rated X, merely R.
Wayno

Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
Nov 2, 2008 - 12:54pm PT
He's got one leg and poop in his pants...
bob

climber
Nov 2, 2008 - 01:27pm PT
One of those routes like Jacob's Ladder or something?

Bob J.
MisterE

Trad climber
My Inner Nut
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 2, 2008 - 02:48pm PT
So, it's Steve Grossman on a 5.11X in Sedona

Another hint: He's doing a first ascent...
Riotch

Trad climber
Kayenta, Arizona
Nov 2, 2008 - 04:54pm PT
"Lucky Goes to the Creamery", 5.11X [S. Grossman, P. Davidson, J. Haisley. and T. Coats 1980s]

???

Not far from Dresdoom . . .
ontheedgeandscaredtodeath

Trad climber
San Francisco, Ca
Nov 2, 2008 - 05:33pm PT
Looks like Oak Creek Canyon??

Yikes!

MisterE

Trad climber
My Inner Nut
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 2, 2008 - 06:52pm PT
Ding! Ding!

Riotch nails it!

3 pitch/300 feet. Description simply reads: Extremely runout arete.

As far as we know, this route hasn't seen a second ascent.

Erik
TradIsGood

Chalkless climber
the Gunks end of the country
Nov 2, 2008 - 07:03pm PT
Maybe. But your picture does not tell that story.

Looks kind of low angle arete.

My first look at that picture looks similar to the start of Raubenheimer's Special 5.7 R at the Gunks. Only 1 pitch, but the crux is blanker than your picture and it a was well above the start.

Miss the crux and you actually might hit a ledge, and/or you swing around the arete to the left.
ontheedgeandscaredtodeath

Trad climber
San Francisco, Ca
Nov 2, 2008 - 07:09pm PT
Looks like we have a contender for the second ascent.

Dresdoom was scary enough for me.

pk_davidson

Trad climber
Albuquerque, NM
Nov 3, 2008 - 06:17pm PT
Bwwaaahhhhaaaaaaa

5.7R, lmao.... ho ho ho...

Lucky was a guy working in a creamery.
Creamery blew up, Lucky lived.
Seems like he lost some digits.

There's more to that story but I forget.
Steve ???

That rock is probably 85 degrees, Coconino sandstone.
One or two placements, then Steve drilled one of his amazing placements.

Dresdoom is 5.8 for the 5.10 leader.
This is 5.11X for the hardman.

Grin Reaper, Midnight Cowboy, Dresdoom spire, Keenie's Corner, all good training if you want to get Lucky.

FWIW, I recall this as being soft 11.
It's not the moves, it's the lead.

5.7R, I'm going to need a jump start if I don't stop laughing.
MisterE

Trad climber
My Inner Nut
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 3, 2008 - 09:59pm PT
Thanks for the info, P - notes taken.

Erik

pk_davidson

Trad climber
Albuquerque, NM
Nov 4, 2008 - 09:49am PT
Here's a view of most of the route.
It's the sunlit buttress in the foreground.
The pitch Steve is leading is the upper tower but I believe the pitch is just to the left of the skyline.

In the pic, Steve has to do a testy step up on sandy Coke with down sloping pinches before he can get the first nut in.
Brrrrrrrrr.......


If that image doesn't show, here's the link:
http://imglarge.mountainproject.com/106175903_468f20.jpg
ontheedgeandscaredtodeath

Trad climber
San Francisco, Ca
Nov 4, 2008 - 12:29pm PT
What a line!

MisterE- I sent you an e-mail re the mushroom, did ya get it?
MisterE

Trad climber
My Inner Nut
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 4, 2008 - 12:37pm PT
No I didn't, but just shot you an e-mail...

That picture really does the line justice - makes my fingers sweat a little, Yikes!
pk_davidson

Trad climber
Albuquerque, NM
Nov 4, 2008 - 02:42pm PT
Steve never needed (still doesn't really) much encouragement for leading the desperate pitch.

A bit of the history:
Larry Coats was also in on the first ascent.
In fact, he should get second billing.

I believe he had led the first pitch, at some good 5.10 and then come down and talked us into going up with him by raving about this great climb he had started.

I think I re-led the first pitch. Larry was rightfully proud of it. It didn't look like much but turned out to be good climbing, interesting moves and no give away. Seems like a run out mantle at the top maybe ... Don't quote me on that.

Jim started the second pitch and came down. I went up and came down and we agreed it needed a bolt. Steve said nonsense and went up and led the pitch. I believe he did go into a corner where we were trying to work out the face. Still, it was some runout 5.10 stuff and we were hoping he didn't crater on all us stuffed back in the corner/ramp system.

That put us up on top of the lower pillar staring up at that blank looking arete. It looked easier and more like Dresdoom to the right but Steve thought it would go out left on the steeper ground. There is a sloping ledge to deal with, the pilar to hit and the fact that you're climbing Dresdoom type stuff but tipped up 10-15 more degrees.

Oh, and the sun was starting to set. We did the BOF rappels off the trees in the dark. Of course we had no headlamps.
I think it was a crack of noon start.

Truthfully, following the pitch I remember thinking, I could lead this. Doubt I could have drilled the bolt but now that it's there...

Ah, the foolishness of the second. I never went back and tried to lead it and almost certainly never will now.

The climb may have a bit of rep that's perhaps not quite deserved. For example, my memory is that Midnight Cowboy was probably as hard or harder and certainly as scary if you don't get the horns lassoed and maybe not as hard but just as no fall ground for doing the upper headwall.

The third pitch of Rich's Ladder, Timmy's free variation is probably worse than either Lucky Goes to the Creamery or Midnight Lightning. I was seconding that one and was in pretty decent shape and yarded on gear to get past the horror fest. Tim was screaming he was going to die. He was only about 50ft out and around the corner and I was laughing telling him he was doing fine. Finally I figured out he was serious and I STFU. That was a very intense belay. Looking at catching a 100+ whipper onto two drilled baby angles. Started thinking about trying to drill a third while he was leading. Finally he got something in that he said was lousy (it was) did the 5.11+ moves and made it up to where I think he had drilled a bolt during an aid ascent. That felt to me like a 5.12 lead.

Haven't heard of any seconds to Rich's upper third pitch.
Steiger did lead Midnight Cowboy and even on double 9s but he refused to do the lasso and instead did the sketchy stuff looking at a ground fall. He thought it was in the 10+/11 category. He didn't think the upper headwall was much though where I thought it was the real crux. He still hasn't forgiven me for sticking him on it. He forgets I told him more than once that it was X ground and he had to pull up one of the 9s and lasso the upper horns. Then you have a top rope across the crux ground. Swing potential and it's still scary but you're probably not going to die.

Anyway, those upper Sedona routes are for the most part, the real deal.

k-man

Gym climber
SCruz
Nov 4, 2008 - 02:45pm PT
And I was going to say it's frightening because he's wearing Cleaver pants.
MisterE

Trad climber
My Inner Nut
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 8, 2008 - 01:58am PT
Bump! Just got this from L. Coats:

"I wasn't on the FA of Lucky, so it isn't my photo. Paul was belaying, so the photographer was either my brother or Jim Haisley. I asked both of them, and neither remembered taking it, although I suspect it was Haisley's. So I would use the photo as you wish, and to play it safe credit both of them for the shot! It is a very historic shot- from the blow tube in his mouth Tim thinks that was the first time he tried to drill the bolt and couldn't free both hands. Then he tapped a baby angle into one of the overlaps which allowed Paul to give him maybe 5 lbs. of tension- enough to free both hands and drill. Tim said the bolt went in in about four hammer blows (I can attest to the power and speed of Steve's drilling, even in granite). The baby he used he cleaned by hand."


I just love Climbing History!
pk_davidson

Trad climber
Albuquerque, NM
Jan 9, 2009 - 12:18pm PT
Dang, I was sure Larry was there on the first.
But then, I'd forgotten all those details about the hand fixed pin, slight pressure and the very difficult drilling stance.

Larry, didn't you find this climb and lead the first pitch and then take us down there to do the climb ? I have a very fuzzy memory of maybe you rapping off after the first pitch for a prior committment.
Messages 1 - 37 of total 37 in this topic
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