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crunch
Social climber
CO
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Feb 10, 2009 - 12:39pm PT
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Climbing Shiprock was legal until 1970. From 1939 until 1970 well over 100 ascents were made. Two problems emerged.
There was at least one climber death on the formation. One, apparently, when someone tied their rappel ropes together with a grannie knot. The Navajo had minimal technical rescue facilities, and little money for such efforts.
The second problem was that while the Navajo welcomed climbers initially, and enjoyed, or at least did not mind, seeing climbers ascend these formations, they got tired of seeing parties on the formations weekend after weekend--which is how Shiprock became during the 1960s. Rather like if someone wanted to check out something--a rare flower, say--in my own backyard, I’d let them do it, but if people kept coming, every day, at some point it would become a tiresome intrusion and I’d probably start to notice things like trampled grass, and I’d start saying no.
As described in the Don Liska’s story linked below, there was a big rescue in 1970, that--surprise--involved a party that (from reading Liska’s account) were somewhat under-equipped and under-prepared. This was the last straw, and precipitated immediate closure.
Currently there is not exactly common ground, but there is perhaps a balance. Shiprock is illegal to climb, and this stops maybe 90+ percent of the climbers who would like to climb it. A few climbers do still climb it (with or without the local residents’ consent). I would think that having a climbing ban keeps the kinds of climbers who tie grannie knots in rappel ropes away.
Much more detail on the closure of Shiprock here:
http://lamountaineers.org/History/Topic_6.html
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Feb 10, 2009 - 12:42pm PT
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Nice job crunch.
Now go read Reillys "Thread of Life" thread.
A really well written story!
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scuffy b
climber
just below the San Andreas
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Feb 10, 2009 - 01:04pm PT
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The first time I ever saw a climbing magazine,
it was the Summit
that said
"Shiprock Closed"
then I saw the Spidernuts and Trunuts in the counter...
I thought, there's something strange going on..wonder what it
means..
better go buy that sleeping bag and get out of here.
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RRK
Trad climber
Talladega, Al
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Feb 10, 2009 - 03:50pm PT
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we climbed there in 2000 and 2001 (we poached it both times) and both times the experience was surreal. My entry in the register on the last trip still sums up my feelings about the place. I said "the real world is far away". However the second time I read a good bit of the summit register and found a very recent entry giving instructions for how to get permission to climb there. It seemed to me that the directions were posted in an unusual place, however the fact remains that there may actually be a method to acquire permission from the tribe to climb on the rock. (It may be the way that Eastwood got permission to climb the Totem Pole --- cha-ching?) I don't know if AAA or Access Fund, etc has had any negotiations with the tribe on this, but it would be one of more worthwhile projects that I could imagine.
RRK
PS both times we got down late and went looking in downtown Shiprock for something to eat. The only thing open was Sonic. For me it was like a trip back to my childhood. Round and round the Sonic went a parade of old muscle cars - Rally Novas, 442s, Chevelles, Chargers, etc full of teenage boys with music blaring out the open windows --- The only difference was that the music was Native American. Whoa -- Happy Days goes west
I've got some good pics of those trips that I may get around to posting when things get slow.
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crunch
Social climber
CO
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Feb 10, 2009 - 04:08pm PT
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Hey RRK,
The Tribal Council has a blanket ban on all climbing on all towers on the reservation.
It is sometimes possible to get permission from the residents who live near a chosen tower, and who may have the local grazing rights.
However, as I understand it, the Tribal Council law trumps any individual permission.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 10, 2009 - 05:05pm PT
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I was going to dedicate this one to you, Steve, but I knew you wouldn't be long in posting. Had you seen this article before? I was chasing down Doltnuts and came across it.
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dee ee
Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
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Feb 10, 2009 - 06:42pm PT
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I have to go with Mr. Gordon on this one. I never encountered a Navajo on the res that wasn't cool with our being there. It has one of the coolest summit registers in existance.
We felt like our balls were huge too.
Some famous folks beat us to it.
The view is unreal from the top of this desert mountain.
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tdk
climber
puhoynix
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Feb 12, 2009 - 06:58pm PT
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Shiprock on 2/10
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 12, 2009 - 08:52pm PT
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Because it is THERE!!!
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deuce4
climber
Hobart, Australia
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Feb 12, 2009 - 09:04pm PT
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I wonder if Walt Shipley's and my ascent of all three summits of Shiprock in a day was the first. Certainly the North Summit is rarely climbed, and for good reason, it was rotten and scary as all getout. Still have one of the original Ormes piton from that ascent.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 12, 2009 - 09:13pm PT
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A Bent Piece Of Iron.......???
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RonHahn
climber
San Francisco, CA
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Feb 12, 2009 - 10:04pm PT
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A very interesting thread, especially the section including Don Liska's account of the 1970 accident. I climbed on Shiprock several times around 1956 and 1957, getting as far as The Horn on our last try. I helped recover Bernard Topp's body and I placed the Topp Memorial Plaque.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 13, 2009 - 08:26pm PT
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Do you recall an excess of bolts on the route in 56-57? How were the locals during the recovery effort? Was any organized search and rescue group present?
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Brian Povolny
Trad climber
Seattle, Wa
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Feb 14, 2009 - 09:17pm PT
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Having lived and worked on the Res for several years, and having climbed Shiprock among other "forbidden" formations, I can only say that I challenge any real climber to live there for years and NOT climb something. The spires, walls, mesas, and canyons were simply too compelling to ignore. The legality/illegality of it ended up being beside the point. Of course there was risk of legal sanction, and we were fully prepared to accept those consequence. Like someone caught jaywalking or speeding, we didn't plan to go crying to our mommas about unfair it was, but assumed that we'd do the time and pay the fine. The idea that the tribal government allowed climbing and then at a point disallowed it indicates that the climbing ban was a legal thing, not a cultural or spiritual imperative. My Navajo associates celebrated my love and reverence for their rocks, and as a parting gift, gave me a stone from a rock that we'd climbed with their names engraved on it. It sits on my living room mantle.
Laws are laws. Rocks are rocks. AS I watched the moon rise over Shiprock, I sensed little connection between the two.
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Todd Gordon
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
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Feb 14, 2009 - 10:29pm PT
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Dr. Povolny ; climber and admirer of beauty.
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dee ee
Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
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Feb 15, 2009 - 02:37pm PT
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Well spoken Brian!
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le_bruce
climber
Oakland: what's not to love?
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Feb 15, 2009 - 03:20pm PT
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Posted this one before. The place has got a distinct otherwordly feel to it:
Stuff a few clicks to the NW looks good:
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RonHahn
climber
San Francisco, CA
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Feb 15, 2009 - 09:40pm PT
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(Responding to Steve Grossman, 2/13/09 5:26 pm PST):
I do not recall an excess of bolts on the Double Overhang at that time. In fact, I remember that we placed at least one bolt for protection. I think that we had attempted the Double Overhang on at least one prior trip before we had collected enough talent to move on.
I arrived at Shiprock the day after the accident. My impression now is that the Navajo police were helpful, but not in an aggressive way. They played no part in the actual recovery. I am not certain who took charge of the remains, afterward. I do not remember if the State Police were involved.
There was no organized SAR activity that I am aware of. Harry Davis, the leader of the 3-man Southwestern Mountaineers group, out of Las Cruces, called us for help with the recovery after he got down. I do not remember many details of the recovery effort other than preparing Bernie's remains for transport in a Stokes litter, and that is something very vivid that has remained with me for over 50 years. But now I do not remember who was in the recovery party. I am not sure if Harry came up with us.
A word about SAR efforts in southern New Mexico at that time. I had climbed with the Bay Area chapter of the Sierra Club Rock Climbing Section in the early 1950s. About 1953, Al Baxter and Larry Williams started to organize a SAR group. We practiced raising and lowering a Stokes litter at Cragmont Rock. I think the litter was stored in Dick Leonard's garage.
I took that training with me to Ft. Bliss, TX, where I was stationed for three years. During that time, I climbed with the Southwestern Mountaineers in the Organ Mountains, north of Ft Bliss, and west of White Sands Missile Range. During the course of a few accidents in 1956 and 1957 and training at local practice climbs, there developed a basic SAR ability. I remember the Sheriff stopping us one day as we were driving home from a practice climb at the Cuevas, about 10 or 12 miles east of Las Cruces. After determining that we were climbers, he asked for assistance rescuing a boy who had fallen into a mineshaft. After checking out the situation, we asked the sheriff to obtain a Stokes litter from one of the military bases (Ft Bliss or WSMR) if he did not have one. In a short time we had the stretcher and we went down with it to the injured boy. After placing him in the stretcher, we walked it up to the top of the mine shaft. I think that almost all the participants in that rescue were climbers.
Some of the climbers who worked at WSMR at that time were able to fabricate a three-part stretcher in one of the Ordnance machine shops. The stretcher could be back-packed to a rescue site and then fastened together. it was a clever design, but I always preferred the basic Stokes litter because it was simple and rigid and could stand up to rough handling.
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RonHahn
climber
San Francisco, CA
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Feb 15, 2009 - 09:40pm PT
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(Responding to Steve Grossman, 2/13/09 5:26 pm PST):
I do not recall an excess of bolts on the Double Overhang at that time. In fact, I remember that we placed at least one bolt for protection. I think that we had attempted the Double Overhang on at least one prior trip before we had collected enough talent to move on.
I arrived at Shiprock the day after the accident. My impression now is that the Navajo police were helpful, but not in an aggressive way. They played no part in the actual recovery. I am not certain who took charge of the remains, afterward. I do not remember if the State Police were involved.
There was no organized SAR activity that I am aware of. Harry Davis, the leader of the 3-man Southwestern Mountaineers group, out of Las Cruces, called us for help with the recovery after he got down. I do not remember many details of the recovery effort other than preparing Bernie's remains for transport in a Stokes litter, and that is something very vivid that has remained with me for over 50 years. But now I do not remember who was in the recovery party. I am not sure if Harry came up with us.
A word about SAR efforts in southern New Mexico at that time. I had climbed with the Bay Area chapter of the Sierra Club Rock Climbing Section in the early 1950s. About 1953, Al Baxter and Larry Williams started to organize a SAR group. We practiced raising and lowering a Stokes litter at Cragmont Rock. I think the litter was stored in Dick Leonard's garage.
I took that training with me to Ft. Bliss, TX, where I was stationed for three years. During that time, I climbed with the Southwestern Mountaineers in the Organ Mountains, north of Ft Bliss, and west of White Sands Missile Range. During the course of a few accidents in 1956 and 1957 and training at local practice climbs, there developed a basic SAR ability. I remember the Sheriff stopping us one day as we were driving home from a practice climb at the Cuevas, about 10 or 12 miles east of Las Cruces. After determining that we were climbers, he asked for assistance rescuing a boy who had fallen into a mineshaft. After checking out the situation, we asked the sheriff to obtain a Stokes litter from one of the military bases (Ft Bliss or WSMR) if he did not have one. In a short time we had the stretcher and we went down with it to the injured boy. After placing him in the stretcher, we walked it up to the top of the mine shaft. I think that almost all the participants in that rescue were climbers.
Some of the climbers who worked at WSMR at that time were able to fabricate a three-part stretcher in one of the Ordnance machine shops. The stretcher could be back-packed to a rescue site and then fastened together. it was a clever design, but I always preferred the basic Stokes litter because it was simple and rigid and could stand up to rough handling.
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