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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 3, 2009 - 12:20am PT
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I should post more often. Roger Breedlove, Phil Gleason, and Ray Brooks- how are you guys? Roger, do you remember Overhang Overpass?
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MisterE
Trad climber
One Step Beyond!
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Did anyone mention how powerful the art of understatement is?
Just sayin'
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Great story Jim!
I can just hear TM calling for tension! Too funny.
Have you told the tale of Fallout with Steve Wunsch in 72. The dark line up behind Camp 4?
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chappy
Social climber
ventura
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Hey Jim,
Great story. And by the way how are you? I think about our days together back in the Valley a lot. Some good memories. You taught me a lot. I can't help but think your belay tactics changed sometime after Basket Case. Remember that time on Gripper when I was calling for tension and you yelled down, "You don't get any tension!" and fed me a bunch of slack instead and I hurtled off into space. Pretty funny! No pulling me up. I always thought your FA of Overhang Overpass was proud. Did I show you that?...I believe I did. It was on my hit list that spring for a FA. I tried it once early in the year with Charlie Porter. I backed off leaving a 2" bong? in the crack. (I think). It was early in the year and it looked hard up there and I wasn't quite fit. A parallel crack with--hard to get pro (thats what I remember. That was the spring I tweaked my finger and missed out on so many ascents! Damn. Anyway good to hear from you. Write some more!
Chappy
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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I recall Werner saying something about wanting to repeat O O on a rack of nuggets!
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Jello
Social climber
No Ut
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Good story, Jim! Now let's hear that Overhang Overpass tale...?
JelloRemembersAScaryAssSoloOutOfAPakistaniGorgeLookingUpAtDonini'sSkinnyButtAndHopingHeDoesn'tFall
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WBraun
climber
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Overhang Overpass
I believe Jim probably lead it with nuts and EB's. A lot tougher to do than with fires and friends, and now with modern gear and shoes.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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thanks Jim! great story which illustrates what an FA adventure is all about...
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WBraun
climber
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On Basketcase approach.
Me Shipley and Coz hiked in from porcupine flat also but got caught in a rain storm after the first or second rappel down. We had to bail.
I still believe it's probably faster and easier to do the approach from the bottom.
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scuffy b
climber
4 to 8
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Hey, thanks for telling this great story.
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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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There was one season when I did a bunch of wide cracks and I always wanted to do Basket Case but never did. Sound's like a fantastic climb.
JL
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Barry Bates
Boulder climber
smith river Ca.
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What a great story Jim, the back cleaning makes my hands sweat just thinking about it. I never tried basket case it was beyond the limits of my approach-o-meter aka the lazy ometer, although truth be told the real reason is the thing scared the s#@t out of me,from all the stories I'd heard. Phil Gleason introduced me to the generator crack in 68 I failed miserably the first few trips but eventually started to get the hang of off widths after a few months in the valley. I've often wondered if it were not for generator to train on if I would ever had had the technique or confidence to tackle the other valley off widths. great to hear your still climbing hard as ever, your truly an inspiration.
Barry Bates
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Russ Walling
Social climber
Upper Fupa, North Dakota
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Barry Bates! The legends are rolling in! For the Bates Problem on Columbia Boulder alone, a modest shrine to you sir. Welcome.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 3, 2009 - 02:06pm PT
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I just want the climbing world to know, as if it doesn't know already, That Wunsch and I were always in awe of Barry. Never before , and probably never again, have I seen or will I see someone look so naturally at ease on rock. Barry, you were sooooo smooth!
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Inner City
Trad climber
East Bay
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This thread is what its all about! What a joy to read. Thanks!
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scuffy b
climber
Frigate Matilda
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Say, is the topo in the guide book accurate or are there
5 or 6 approach pitches or some other trickery?
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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we should just go up and see, scuffy
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Scuffy and Ed,
There are no approach pitches whatsoever if you come from the Tioga Rd/Porcupine Flat spot. I don’t know about coming from below. JB/Klemens and my party came from above.
It is a hike downward, actually very pleasant until you are alongside the dome descending the vegetation in the shallow gully, no rock climbing in there. This latter part of the approach is a semi-bitch but doesn’t last too long and it really helps that you are using gravity to thread through the flattened scrub---it all points downwards from the snowpacks. Also, this approach is fairly obvious as you go along and doesn’t have some horrid trick to it.
Another virtue to the route is how it builds from a nice short 5.8 first pitch to 5.9 to 5.10 to 5.11b slowly in the seven leads, #5 being the crux, all while the rock is incredibly good. Some routes are tough right off the ground and thereby seem more stout than they actually might be. And the protection is always good; the kind of fall you would take is always a rather safe one---no horrifying natural features such as guillotine flakes or broken ground. I characterize this route as a very happy kind of harder route, not scary. The crux is very hard but it is also only a short section of less than 10 feet on top of much easier offwidthing that is slowly tapering down. I would characterize the Twilight Zone, for example as very serious and fearsome and this climb as beautiful, encouraging and subtle.
If you actually were unable to do the crux, you can aid a few feet like Donini and Herbert did; it is not mandatory free climbing. I say this because you would not want to hike back up and out from the base to the road----that would be some hours of very unpleasant whacking fighting the scrub that as I say, points downwards vigorously.
Anchors were all natural; when I did the 2nd free on it; there were no bolts and none were needed.
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Crimpergirl
Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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Neat stuff.
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