Dick Erb
climber
June Lake, CA
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Some people may think the Watkins approach is too long, but where else can you get to a wilderness grade VI only a few hours from home and bivy on a ledge with no lights in sight (if you live in Camp 4). After not reaching the top in two tries, I had to go back again. This time it was with Jim Madsen, the strongest wall climber of our generation. To say he was obsessed with climbing would be an understatement. On a nice warm September day we packed our gear and headed up Tenaya Canyon with two gallons of water for our planned two days on the wall. Jim's determination became apparent before we even reached the top of the approach. As I was struggling up the 5.8 pitch below the wall one of our gallon jugs came loose from a strap on my pack, and I turned to watch it sailing through the air. Before it even exploded on the rocks below, Madsen was screaming, "We're not going down because of that". Oh well I guess we'll get thirsty. Jim was always in a hurry. He'd finish a lead, and too impatient to set up a pulley, haul the bag hand over hand, then wait chomping at the bit while I cleaned and led a pitch so he could get moving again. As we got higher it got warmer and by the time we got to our bivouac at Sheraton Watkins we had already drunk half of the remaining jug. The next day dawned clear and we continued on, getting thirstier and thirstier pitch by pitch. I led the pitch up to the ledge where Eric and I had bivied last spring. As I pulled onto the ledge I saw two quarts of water that we had left behind and I had forgotten. It felt like a celebration as we gulped it down. All those green floaters in it were no deterrent. We figured we'd be off the wall before it made us sick. To my pleasure we passed our old high point. It got airier and we got lighter and higher, finally the wonderful last pitch and a bee line to Snow Creek. We lay on our stomachs, faces in the water, gulping and gulping. Then we'd roll over on our backs and breathe for a while. Then back over, face in the creek to do it a again and again. We staggered on with bellies full of water and minds delightfully empty after the release from the wall, which helped on the long walk back to camp 4.
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 2, 2010 - 02:58pm PT
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Great post again Dick.
Gobee, awesome shots!
Where the hell is Barbella? Do you still see him?
Man, that guy was so cool and mellow compared to how bad ass he was!
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WBraun
climber
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Where the hell is Barbella? Do you still see him?
He's in Fresno.
I saw him in Office Depot buying something.
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Bump for one of my favorite threads.
What a story, Dick!!!!
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 2, 2010 - 04:10pm PT
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Werner,
You saw him in Home Depot?!?
Gawd, we all have to go there once in awhile don't we?
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drljefe
climber
Old Pueblo, AZ
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Jan 11, 2010 - 08:29am PT
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Brave Little Toaster bump.
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Pate
Trad climber
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Apr 24, 2010 - 06:06pm PT
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I second that emotion. Hope he's on the mend.
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 24, 2010 - 07:10pm PT
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One of my favorite posts ever from Skully....
Yup, Buggs has a following.
ALL the chix dig the BLT.
Ho maaan, I love this shizz!
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Apr 24, 2010 - 07:33pm PT
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Another bump for Buggs!!!!
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BooYah
Social climber
Ely, Nv
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Apr 24, 2010 - 09:53pm PT
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And one of the finest Walls in the Land.
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 2, 2011 - 02:21pm PT
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Shameless thread bump for Mike M.
Get some bishes!!!
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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And this was a great TR!!!!
Go Banditos!!!!
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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In the first photo of the first post, what is the nice looking dome to the right (east) of Watkins?
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 2, 2011 - 04:48pm PT
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Anders, I don't know. But surely one of these Yosemite freaks around here knows......
I just climb the schit, I don't know the names of all of 'em!!
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mucci
Trad climber
The pitch of Bagalaar above you
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Yasoo dome.
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 2, 2011 - 06:49pm PT
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Anything on it??
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Ihateplastic
Trad climber
It ain't El Cap, Oregon
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Jan 14, 2012 - 10:28pm PT
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There are a few routes on YaSoo... I'll try and dig up the info and post.
My silly question (and I am sure the answer is "no" for more than one reason)...
Has this route ever been soloed?
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Ihateplastic
Trad climber
It ain't El Cap, Oregon
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Jan 14, 2012 - 11:19pm PT
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Yo Anders...
YaSoo Dome
South Face, 5.9, six pitches.
FA:Jim Baldwin, Kit Carr. June 1963 (III 5.7, A2)
More or less climbs the left side of the obvious feature in the center of the face. Looks like the only 5.9 is on the last pitch.
The Chief, V, 5.11b, A1
FA:Al Swanson, Authur James Foley III, Brian Warshow. August 1992
15 pitches. Four pitches of 5.11 and another three of 5.10. They gave it a three-star rating.
Topos are in 1994 Reid guide.
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mucci
Trad climber
The pitch of Bagalaar above you
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Jan 15, 2012 - 06:21am PT
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Pretty sure deucey soloed it in a day in the mid 80's
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SuperTopo on the Web
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Let us know!