| Messages 1 - 83 of total 83 in this topic |
Don Lauria
Trad climber
Bishop, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Nov 20, 2008 - 02:36pm PT
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I just ran across a couple of boxes of Dolt's slides and since I'm working on a few Dolt stories, I thought I'd post them to get your juices flowing.
The Totem Pole in Monument Valley
Dolt's Photo for the tourist trade
Find the climbers
Can you spot them?
You can see their silhouettes
More Dolt photos
Look closely
Hairy rappels
Looks like Mark Powell
Maybe Don Wilson?
Your guess is as good as mine
More Dolt photos
In the crew in Monument Valley
On top L. to R. Powell, Gallwas, Wilson (in back), Dolt (Bill Feuerer, in front)
Powell, Wilson, and Dolt
Powell, Wilson, and ?
A series of Dolt stories are forthcoming
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Captain...or Skully
Social climber
Boise
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Nov 20, 2008 - 02:37pm PT
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Sweet, Don.
Chompin' at the bit......
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TKingsbury
Trad climber
MT
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Nov 20, 2008 - 02:49pm PT
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*drool*
wow, really awesome stuff!
psyched to see more if possible...
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Captain...or Skully
Social climber
Boise
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Nov 20, 2008 - 02:58pm PT
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Thanks Don, That rules........
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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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Nov 20, 2008 - 03:00pm PT
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I swear that thing looks like it's cracked all the way through in some spots (the big horizontal cracks). What an FA!
JL
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ontheedgeandscaredtodeath
Trad climber
San Francisco, Ca
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Nov 20, 2008 - 03:04pm PT
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Didn't a member of the FA party tie the ropes to his ankles, hang his feet over the side and tell his partners he dropped the ropes?
I think I read that in the original desert rock book.
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Gene
climber
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Nov 20, 2008 - 03:27pm PT
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Fantastic. Thanks, Don.
Keep digging and posting up treasures like these.
gm
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graham
Social climber
Ventura, California
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Nov 20, 2008 - 03:45pm PT
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Those summit shots are some of the coolest I have ever seen! Thanks for posting them
Mike
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Chicken Skinner
Trad climber
Yosemite
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Nov 20, 2008 - 04:20pm PT
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Great stuff Don! Thank you. I hope you find those Nose photos.
Ken
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Patrick Oliver
Boulder climber
Fruita, Colorado
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Nov 20, 2008 - 04:39pm PT
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Yes, that photo of the four on top of Totem Pole has long been one of my very favorites. Jerry Gallwas sent me many of these photos and quite a few others, such as of Cleopatra's Needle, a real sliver, when I was working on my history of free climbing. Gallwas is a great guy and was immensely helpful. What a story all its own, of those four going down to the desert and climbing all those classic spires...
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Nov 20, 2008 - 06:11pm PT
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Another vote for that summit photo of 4 as a classic!!
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murcy
climber
San Fran Cisco
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Nov 20, 2008 - 06:22pm PT
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spectacular pictures!
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Scared Silly
Trad climber
UT
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Nov 20, 2008 - 06:26pm PT
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What history .... damn.
Thanks.
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pc
climber
East of Seattle
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Nov 20, 2008 - 06:40pm PT
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Fantastic! Thanks for sharing.
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guyman
Trad climber
Moorpark, CA.
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Nov 20, 2008 - 06:56pm PT
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Great shots.
Don thanks for showing.
On the summit shot:
Guess the liquid in the puddle???????
GK
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N0_ONE
Social climber
Utah
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Nov 20, 2008 - 06:58pm PT
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Right on! Thanks!
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Charlie D.
Trad climber
Western Slope, Tahoe Sierra
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Nov 20, 2008 - 06:58pm PT
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Don,
It may be just my creative memory but wasn't Tom Condon involved in the project?
Charlie D.
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The Warbler
climber
the edge of America
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Nov 20, 2008 - 07:01pm PT
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Those are superb photos - from an historical perspective alone they're amazing. Beyond that, they're great photos in terms of composition, and that summit shot is the best ever. It looks like it was directed by a Hollywood genius, with a staff of stylists all intending to make the guys look hardcore, flippant, a little whacko, artstic and badass all at the same time.
Brilliant. And Dolt has the James Dean look down. What a crazy adventure THAT must've been!
Thanks for sharing those Don Lauria.
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Don Lauria
Trad climber
Bishop, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 20, 2008 - 07:07pm PT
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Two things. Yes, the liquid was not rain water. And I believe Tom Condon was involved in the second ascent with TM Herbert.
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Lightgirl
climber
Mendocino, Ca
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Nov 20, 2008 - 07:19pm PT
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Yes, Thank you Don for the great photos! I think my favorite is the top one of the totem pole. The lighting is perfect and the clouds seem to frame it perfectly. Awesome!
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Brunosafari
Boulder climber
Redmond, OR
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Nov 20, 2008 - 07:19pm PT
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definition of "authentic."
I like the "guess" shot showing the two stepper etriers left behind; quite an esoteric feeling, no?
Thank you, Don!
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Nov 20, 2008 - 07:23pm PT
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spectacular!
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mojede
Trad climber
Butte, America
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Nov 20, 2008 - 08:24pm PT
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I really liked this one--great scans to show the folks here.
Thanks for sharing.
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Todd Gordon
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
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Nov 20, 2008 - 09:25pm PT
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Bow down before the Pole;..the tallest, skinniest spire in the world.....
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goatboy smellz
climber
colorado
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Nov 20, 2008 - 09:30pm PT
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So close yet so far.
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WBraun
climber
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Nov 20, 2008 - 09:37pm PT
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The arrows show some of the more prominent lightning scars on this photo.
When you climb the "Pole" the lightning scars are all over this thing. Some of the scars jump into the cracks and come back out elsewhere.
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goatboy smellz
climber
colorado
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Nov 20, 2008 - 09:42pm PT
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Where do you think those lightning bolts come out Werner?
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WBraun
climber
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Nov 20, 2008 - 09:54pm PT
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Back out on the face.
Mike Hoover actually told me about them just before we went to climb it.
He saw them while filming Eastwood during the making of the "Eiger Sanction".
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Todd Gordon
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
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Nov 20, 2008 - 09:58pm PT
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The fearsome red shaft;....The Totem Pole
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Todd Gordon
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
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Nov 20, 2008 - 10:00pm PT
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Dave Evans preparing to climb the Pole;
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Todd Gordon
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
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Nov 20, 2008 - 10:02pm PT
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Todd Gordon
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
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Nov 20, 2008 - 10:04pm PT
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Can't you read?....
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Todd Gordon
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
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Nov 20, 2008 - 10:07pm PT
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One of the greatest climbing adventures of my life, and a summit I desired more than almost any;...The Pole...( I was a happy boy...)
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Strider
Trad climber
one of god's mountain temples....
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Nov 20, 2008 - 10:27pm PT
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So it begs the question...is it possible to climb the Pole anymore? If you ask really nice, will they let you climb it?
-n
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Nov 20, 2008 - 10:35pm PT
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wow. wow. talk about amazing photos that evoke an amazing time, in an amazing place...
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crusher
climber
Santa Monica, CA
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Nov 20, 2008 - 10:49pm PT
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Don those photos are incredible - what a feeling they evoke - the summit photo is like from a time long past...wow.
And Todd's yours are way cool too.
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Don Lauria
Trad climber
Bishop, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 20, 2008 - 11:12pm PT
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Ament,
You talked about Cleopatra, well Dolt was looking at it.
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Todd Gordon
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
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Nov 20, 2008 - 11:52pm PT
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Cleo
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Todd Gordon
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
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Nov 20, 2008 - 11:56pm PT
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captain chaos
climber
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Nov 21, 2008 - 05:10am PT
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Great photos, what a crew and trip- thanks Don...
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rick d
climber
tucson, az
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Nov 21, 2008 - 05:57am PT
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dec 14th will make the 20th anniversary of my ascent (in the teens). I had a beautiful triple height post card of the original route at one time (lost in a move a decade ago).
A fine route and fine memories (of getting caught by tribal police).
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Nov 21, 2008 - 06:24am PT
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The 1970 Ascent cover, and accompanying articles by Roper and Pratt, inspired my
first desert trip in 1971. The Totem Pole was already "off limits," so we made the
6th ascent of the Titan (photo here) instead.
I would have liked to do Totem Pole, Spider Rock and Cleopatra, though. (Even moreso,
now that it's clear many folks managed to climb them after all). Don, thanks for posting
this historical gold.
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Mike.
climber
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Nov 21, 2008 - 08:20am PT
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Great historic photos. And not-so-historic photos.
Thanks!
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Nov 21, 2008 - 09:42am PT
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Don
You are incredible. Not only your own stories, but
so much more history. Thanks so much for posting up.
This is better than the history books!
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Jeremy
Social climber
Hanging with your mom...
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Nov 21, 2008 - 09:58am PT
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BOW DOWN BEFORE THE POLE!!!!!!!!!!!!
WOW!!!
Thanks SO much!!!!
Man that is soooooo cool!
J
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Jingy
Social climber
Flatland, Ca
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Nov 21, 2008 - 10:17am PT
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Great Vintage(?) photos.
Oh, yeah, in each of the photos I was able to pick out the bodies, even on the iPod.
Great stuff
Thanks
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Don Lauria
Trad climber
Bishop, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 22, 2008 - 10:26am PT
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I had never seen that movie. Give us the details. When? Who? How?
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Nov 30, 2008 - 01:13pm PT
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Weathered sandstone bump!
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Fletcher
Trad climber
Norman Clyde's napsack
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Nov 30, 2008 - 03:34pm PT
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Wow, great photos and and all. Nice.
That movie is awesome. Looks like Ron Kauk is one of the dudes.
Fletch
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Thorgon
Big Wall climber
Idaho Falls, ID
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This is an awesome turn of good fortune for the climbing community! I am amazed how much great data is surfacing!
Now if I could only find my old slides from Seneca Rocks,
WV?
Better go buy a Lottery Ticket, cause it's my lucky day!
Thor
Yes, keep up the good work Don, and if you decide on a garage sale of that Treasure Chest of 'old relics' your hiding let us know, ie old rock hammers, pitons, Carabiners etc..!!! Hehehehe
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Bitchin' bump....
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noshoesnoshirt
climber
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HOLY CRAP!
What film/camera for the Dolt photos?
Unbelievable clarity on those old slides.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Dolt shot with a Leica camera but only Don could likely verify the film type.
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noshoesnoshirt
climber
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Thanks Steve.
I still can't get over the clarity of those photos.
Makes me want to quit my job.
I think I'm gonna quit my job...
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Don Lauria
Trad climber
Bishop, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 7, 2008 - 03:57pm PT
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The slides are Kodachrome
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Roxy
Trad climber
CA Central Coast
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bump to another FA read, right on!
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Stonyman61
Trad climber
Hartselle, Alabama
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So awesome. Thanks for sharing. Love the history. One of my favorite films of all times..
BK
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Crimpergirl
Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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Wow! Cool!
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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hey there all.... really do love these photos....
:)
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fattrad
Mountain climber
GOP Convention
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Thanks to all for sharing some history of the Totem Pole.
Jody's evil twin
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oldguy
climber
Bronx, NY
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Apr 11, 2009 - 09:57am PT
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As to the puddle on the summit, it came not from rain which is rare in the region, but from Mark Powell who, since they were being watched by tourists and Navajoes down below, laid down to relieve himself. It should also be noted that when Dolt and Don Wilson were prusiking to the last belay stance they were blown forty feet out and half way around the spire by a fifty mile an hour wind. Quite a ride I would think. Also, the "dropped" ropes story comes from the second ascent when TM Herbert, who was setting the ropes up for the rappel while Rearick and Condon were busy with other chores, simply said, "oops", probably the most understated of TM's wonderful comic bits.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Apr 11, 2009 - 10:44am PT
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Mark had a pretty good laugh about that incident when I interviewed him recently. The local entrepreneur had seized the moment and bussed several dozen tourists and other interested folks out to witness the spectacle! That puddle of piddle is famous!
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Pate
Trad climber
The Lost Highway
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Nov 28, 2009 - 06:35pm PT
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BUMP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Jan 29, 2012 - 05:23pm PT
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Long overdue bump...
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Walleye
climber
The Hot Kiss on the end of a Wet Fist
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Jan 29, 2012 - 05:34pm PT
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A thin, towering thread amongst giants. Thanks!
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Feb 12, 2012 - 10:49am PT
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DoltPole Bump...
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PhilG
Trad climber
The Circuit, Tonasket WA
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Feb 12, 2012 - 11:01am PT
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Super Cool, Don.
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crunch
Social climber
CO
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Feb 12, 2012 - 12:33pm PT
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Here's an account written by my old friend and partner Bill Roberts:
“Behind Enemy Lines” by Bill Noname
It had been far too long since I had had a good adventure. Moses was a great time but that was almost a month ago. And with the new year rapidly approaching little time was left to squeeze in another good time before starting the 1987 season. “What would be a good but wild thing to do” I asked myself. Well I wasn't into freezing so my thoughts returned once again to the desert.
Back through old issues of Climbing and Mountain I go, seeking out information about the gems of desert climbing, hoping to pin down a good project. The next day I run into Charlie Fowler and start asking about the “Sundevil Chimney” on the Titan. A 900-foot soft stone tower seemed like it might make for a wild time. "Yea, that's the ticket!" Before leaving I asked Charlie about the Totem Pole. He says, “it's pretty easy…probably about 5.9, Al or so.”
“But isn't it illegal?" I asked. “The Indians don't seem to mind” was his response. Wow! The Totem Pole. That would be even wilder that the Titan. Especially with the added intrigue of being “behind enemy lines,” so to speak.
“P—, lets do the Totem Pole.”
His response was quick and decisive. “Sure! But you've gotta drive…it's your turn. But wait, isn’t Monument Valley off-limits to climbers?”
“Well, sorta. Charlie said the Indians really don't seem to mind and the route is only 5.9, Al. We should be able to cruise it.” Well maybe the Indians didn’t mind too much, but P— and I decided to try and minimize the chances of failure. We needed a third member of the team, someone to do the drop off and pick up…R—!
“R—, you wanna go to Arizona? P— and I are going to do the Totem Pole. On the way back we can do the Titan.” Well, R— didn't seem to mind playing third man on the Totem Pole as long as he could see some action on the Titan. Now we needed to come up with camouflaged ropes and clothing. It was decided P— would wear “Ninja” black and I would wear a sandy-colored assortment. Our ropes would be black and very dirty yellow. Perfect! We'll cruise in and out and the Navajo won't see a thing…or so we thought.
Leaving Boulder at 1:00 in the afternoon put us in Monument Valley around 1:00 am. It was New’s Eve. We are greeted by a chained gate and signs indicating that just about everything in Monument Valley is illegal. We realize we are now in enemy territory. Closer inspection of the gate reveals the chain to be unlocked. So deeper we go…onward toward our goal. P— supposedly knows were the Totem Pole is since he had done an aerial recon just the week before. But in the moonless dark of the night everything looks the same. “Take this road…I'm sure it's the right one,” P— says with confidence as we turn onto the narrow rutted track. Soon the lights of the truck are shining on the front door of a Navajo residence! That's all we need! Wake the “lnjins” and get caught before we even touch the spire. Then R— calmly points out that because we are on an Indian reservation—the Navajo Nation in fact—the US Constitution didn't apply anymore, and we would be subject to Navajo tribal law if caught. “Hum…hadn't thought of that,” was all I could say.
After more groping about, we finally come across it. The whole scene takes on an air of surrealism. The incredible quietness and solitude, together with the shadows let the imagination run wild. And it was cold too—colder than we thought it could get in Arizona. Soon we were looking for a secluded spot to bivy before arising early to start our stealthy sojourn.
At 4:00 am we’re up. All I could think was this was too much like an alpine climb. But nonetheless, we had to get moving. Feeling like agents from Central Intelligence we all three coordinate watches and reiterate the plan: R— would get out before sunrise, resetting the chain on the gate. He would then play tourist and come hack in around 1:00 pm to meet us at our prearranged pickup point. Meanwhile, P— and I would hike across the dunes to our appointed task. As we walked along we thought of alibis we might try if we were caught. We had two complete sets of clothes. Our “commando” camouflage and our “happy camper backpacker” clothes. This way, if we were apprehended on the walk out we could claim we were backpacking and just get hit with the fine for walking off of established trails, or so the theory went. … We set off in the darkness, minus headlamps.
Hiding our remaining gear down low, we hike up the talus cone to the base of the climb. The first pitch starts with a beautiful overhanging thin crack that turns into a five-inch offwidth. After two moves I’m aiding as my fingers are numb and we are here to get up and out, not to try to free every move. Halfway up the first pitch I find myself clipping into rotting 1/4" webbing tied to an old piece of 2x4 for pro. I had already used the two #7 Tricams but was wishing I had a few more. I didn’t trust the webbing to lower off of, so I somehow managed to move upward, fearing the Navajo more than falling. Soon the crack returns to hands and fingers and I’m at a narrow, exposed belay. I very quietly tell P— to start climbing and before long he’s dealing with the same wonderful offwidth that I experienced. While P— is climbing I notice dust clouds kicked into the air by a vehicle in the distance—and headed toward us! “No, it couldn’t be. They can't know we are here! Can they?” After P— arrives we survey the situation. The truck seems to have turned around. This was good because the next pitch looks like the infamous “Supercrack of the Desert;” only overhanging and in a much more wild setting! P— is soon jamming smoothly up the pitch looking more like the Ninja warrior I now imagine him to be. The exposure becomes obvious as I follow the pitch. But my biggest fear is being shot while climbing. So, I keep motoring. At the tiny exposed belay P— and I decide that the climbing probably wasn’t 5.9. And if Charlie was wrong on that, then maybe he was wrong on the bit about the Navajo.
The last pitch was overhanging and wild also. The tower at this point is about 30 feet thick. After a series of tied-off blades I'm thinking this is pretty hard for Al. But that didn’t matter now as we are getting close and I can almost taste success. Of course, deep down I knew that making the top wasn’t even halfway for us. We still had to get off of the reservation. Soon I’m cruising the bolt ladder and find the last bolt missing! “Unreal! So close and this happened” My fear and questioning soon turn to a form of decisive energy. Whispering for a lot of slack I free the last couple of moves.
The top of the Totem Pole; but I don’t even think about standing up. I simply slither about surveying the horizon for dust clouds, hoping that down there the braves are still sleeping or at least not inspecting the Totem Pole. Confident that the way is clear I whisper down to P— to jug on. As P— jugs the pitch I notice eight oddly placed bolts. My mind is soon filled with memories of Chevrolet television commercials. You know, the ones with a beautiful woman sitting in a 1967 Chevy convertible on top of some spire in the desert.
Soon thoughts of 1960s automobile commercials are replaced with the awareness that a Navajo tribal ranger is below yelling up at us! I look over the edge to see P— halfway up the pitch, spinning in space, with the ropes sucked up all about him, trying to make his six-foot-plus stature appear small. Then it dawns on me that the ranger isn’t yelling at us, but at someone down on the talus cone who was apparently watching us. Later P— told me that he almost yelled out to the ranger, that we had to go to the top in order to come down. The only reason he didn't was that he heard a woman respond to the ranger before he had a chance to. Incredibly, the ranger and woman leave without looking up!
Finally on top, P— is looking as jazzed as I've ever seen him. I peek over the edge to see a white Chevy Blazer driving away and think to myself “Wonder if the Navajo got a deal on Chevys?” P— is stilled jazzed and claims that the ranger saw us and is just “f*#king with our minds.” So we track the dust clouds as the ranger drives off to the south and turns up a canyon. I say, “Let's get moving” but P— wants to wait a bit since he is convinced the ranger is “just playing with us.” Finally deciding that missing the rendezvous with R— would cause major problems, we proceed to bail. The first rappel is another entry in my book of “wildest ever” rappels. The top of the Totem Pole is actually a greater diameter than the middle section.
Soon we are on the ground back at our stashed gear, the whole time keeping an eye out for “Injins.” I was wondering what they would do if they caught us now. Would they bury us up to our necks in ant piles and leave us for the crows? Into our “happy camper” suits we go. Burying the ropes and gear at the bottom of the backs ensure that we look like backpackers and that the worst they might do is get us for illegal hiking and camping. Nevertheless we proceed across the dunes with caution, seeking out low channels whenever possible to reduce the chance of revealing our movement.
Arriving at the pickup point reveals: No R—! We immediately start thinking that the “Injins” have R— and we have to rescue him. But wait, we are the ones in need of rescue—having committed such a heinous act. We are the ones behind enemy lines, as vulnerable as can be. And our trustworthy partner in crime is nowhere to be found! So P— gets this great idea that he will pose as a tourist who has somehow become separated from his group. He will carry a camera only. I stay behind with the gear in hopes that R— will arrive.
December 31, 1986 was pretty cold in Monument Valley and as the sun was not-so-slowly sinking in the west I was wishing I had more clothes with me. Suddenly, out of a nearby draw comes Mr. R— with a tall Budweiser in his hand! “R—! Where in the hell have you been!” “I’ve been sitting around the bend at our prearranged spot for the last two hours, where have you guys been?” he says. Oh well, so much for our critical planning.
“Where’s P—?” R— asks. I explain to him what happened and how we thought the “Injins” had captured him and the truck, and how P— was off acting as a tourist to try and find out where he was. But the important thing was that we now had an escape vehicle, with beers and tunes!
By our fifth or sixth lap around the loop road darkness has long since fallen and R— and I conclude that P— has probably been abducted by extraterrestrial aliens. It seemed liked the kind of thing that might happen in a place like this, and besides, I’m sure his parents would understand. As we are driving out of the park a Navajo police vehicle approaches. As it gets closer I see P— sitting in the front seat. We stop side by side and P— quickly jumps out of the patrol car, a finger over his lips indicating to us to keep our mouths shut. Before long the white Chevy Blazer we saw earlier that day also joins us. R— and I are keeping quite since we don’t know what story P— has concocted. After 20 minutes or so, we have convinced Elmer (the Navajo ranger) that we were just passing through and had camped out and done a bit of hiking. He proceeds to tell us how serious our trespasses were, detailing $1000 fines, confiscation of our property, federal offenses, Indian courts and the like. In the end he fines us each $1.00 which we happily pay.
Before long we're heading north into Utah. As we drive along R— reads from the literature he picked up earlier that day. “No liquor is allowed on the reservation.” “No camping is allowed except in designated sites.” “Hiking is limited to established trails.” “Absolutely NO CLIMBING is allowed in the tribal park.” Well, I guess we didn’t break too many rules. And as we drive deeper into Utah on that New Year's Eve feeling like we had just pulled off the greatest caper of our lives, P— says, “You know, the Mitten Thumb looked pretty neat; what do you think, Bill?”
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KabalaArch
Trad climber
Starlite, California
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Feb 12, 2012 - 02:00pm PT
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PT
So it begs the question...is it possible to climb the Pole anymore? If you ask really nice, will they let you climb it?
I’d personally trade you all of your Cerro Torres in the world for the Totem Pole.
Forbidden Fruit – well, that doesn’t really augment its allure. This is a matter of Athena Nike aesthete.
I’ll share what I know, which may not be much…but might mean a summit for some gun.
I climbed in Indian Creek with a guide who’d summitted. Their strategy was simple enough, just needs some finesse.
They’d gone for a pre-dawn start up the Bandito Route, established up the S. Face after the general and overall climbing closure, on a Christmas morning, hoping to minimize their exposure to Tourists in general, and those specifically herded into the Navaho tabletop bazaar which rings the roadhead, some 10 miles from the Pole – this area is actually a security watch post.
Unfortunately, the final pitch brought their shillouttes into the breaking dawn. The tourist busses busted my friend’s party. Being kids and all, they largely escaped censure at the hands of the Navaho Tribal Police, who may and will: confiscate your car, your rack…and you. Stories of climbers returning to find their car’s windshields smashed in with baseball bats come from credible sources.
So, if your plan involves poaching, you’ve got to get creative. Rental car shuttles? Backdoor approach hiking, with livestock?
So…skipping ahead, the question is how to pull of the ascent, without pissing of The People?
1st thing I learned was that the only way to get close enough to The Pole to taste the 1st hand jamb is to – Hire a “Guide.” Was about $70 – cash. For this sum, you may expect to be driven in a Chevy 4x PU right up to the base, and stretch your legs a bit. Bring binos and cameras with telephoto lenses….because, if you’re going to poach it, with or without Native cooperation, expect to move very quickly, and likely as not pre-dawn, if not under cover of the winter night.
Hiring a Guide is also an opportunity to rebuild bridges with the Tribal Authorities. I pitched a Permit system, since a source of revenue is of the utmost to the Navaho. Just one step at a time, and we may get some few climbing privileges back, without alienating them but instead helping them.
I used my opportunity to demonstrate modern cams, since their general knowledge is based upon destructive pitons. My Guide and company had never seen them, but immediately grasped their non-invasive principle.
I also tried to convey that the Totem Pole is held as holy by as many honkies as Peoples.
Just to hang out at the bedrock was worth the bread. Didn’t hurt to come home with a 36” high telephoto printout of the Bandito Route – every bolt on what few ladders exist glow in the afternoon sun.
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Jeremy
Social climber
Albuquerque, NM
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Feb 12, 2012 - 02:15pm PT
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THANK YOU DON!!!!!!!!!
#1 of my top 10 list.
BOW DOWN TO THE POLE!!!
WOO HOO!!!!!!!!!!!
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LilaBiene
Trad climber
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Jun 12, 2012 - 09:13pm PT
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Don, I wish I could convey the range of emotions these pictures evoke for me. Thank you for sharing, and thereby preserving, one cool as Hell glimpse into another world...
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StahlBro
Trad climber
San Diego, CA
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Jun 12, 2012 - 09:19pm PT
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Fantastic! Never get tired of the desert spires!
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Studly
Trad climber
WA
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Jun 12, 2012 - 09:47pm PT
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Great thread. Did you guys ever hear the story about why the Totem Pole is completely closed to climbing now?
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skywalker
climber
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Jun 12, 2012 - 09:53pm PT
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Because of dogs named "Dark Star" or some phallic insecurity?
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