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nutjob
climber
Berkeley, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - May 18, 2009 - 03:41pm PT
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Folks,
This was yesterday 2009-05-17, the day after Grack/Marginal.
What is the deal with the dark North Apron on Middle Cathedral? That stuff looks so inviting, but it's a whole 'nother thing to be up on it. I tried to do the easiest thing we could find there... "Quicksilver".
The topo shows a 3rd class approach, with a 5.8 pitch that looks pretty mild from the ground, and then some run-out 5.9 face climbing up above.
We started from the top of the little pedestal. I was a little sketched placing my first (and unfortunately only) piece of gear in the 3rd class approach. And then the mild 5.8 shaved a few years off my life.... I had paired down my rack in anticipation of a mostly bolted run-out face climb. There were good spots for bigger pro that I didn't have, but overall there were some long sections where you just can't put anything. Climbing involved friction, face-climbing on polished non-positive edges, hand-jams, arm-bars & chicken-wings, and fingertip liebacks.
At one point, I had pulled through the mini-chimney/offwidth that had a few helper footholds, teetered up onto the outside of the pillar onto a face with good features but no positive edges, and my belayer yells up "10 feet of rope" when I'm about 40 feet from the anchor and 15 feet above my last pro. We had 60m ropes. I hung out there for about 5 minutes in a relatively good spot, hoping my belayer didn't fall while scampering up the "3rd class" section to give me more rope.
As I continued up the pillar, the holds thinned out and I swung back into the corner on a lower-angled foot friction spot. The corner was pinched shut, maybe could take a knifeblade, and a little grass grew up the length of it. All along the route, dirt-residue from the preceding winter made things interesting.
I remembered from the book/movie "Dune" this little chant that Paul used to ward off fear.
Fear is the mind killer...
Fear is the mind killer...
Fear is the mind killer...
I had some small nuts and one small cam and a double length sling left, a blank seam, and belay was still about 20 feet away. A fall was not acceptable at this point, and the options were looking grim.
I was relieved to discover a few feet up a little finger pocket in the seam... I delicately stemmed up to it and got in my last cam while sharing part of it for my finger. From there I launched to another pocket about 4 feet up, was about to place some pro, then remembered I had nothing left that would stick. My survival instincts kicked in and I launched into the widely spaced fingertip lieback holds to the top, breathed a little relief when I grabbed the finishing jugs, and slowly decompressed as I clipped into the bomber anchors.
5.8 my azz. Maybe old-school 5.9, or supertopo 5.9/5.10a R.
I looked 30 feet up and right to the first bolt (with a bail carabiner on it) on the otherwise unprotected face of the next pitch. Not a chance.
So what the heck did you old dudes eat for breakfast to become so hardcore? Wheaties can't make that happen. Folks just starting out can't appreciate really how good you had to be, and how big your balls/ovaries had to be. Damn. I continue to be humbled and amazed.
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Russ Walling
Gym climber
Poofter's Froth, Wyoming
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May 18, 2009 - 03:45pm PT
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Do "Cat Dancing" instead. You can run pitch one and two together with a 70m rope.
Casual..... for mortals.
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scuffy b
climber
Bad Brothers' Bait and Switch Shop
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May 18, 2009 - 03:47pm PT
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First pitch of Quicksilver is more intimidating than anything
on Freewheelin.
Lots of people have backed off that pitch, and that includes
folks who have previously done it, and who have led things much
more difficult.
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Mike Bolte
Trad climber
Planet Earth
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May 18, 2009 - 03:54pm PT
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nice little report nutjob-way to get out there. Quicksilver is oldschool for sure. You can actually get used to the middle rock apron style of climbing if you do a bit of it, and it doesn't seem quite so bad. As you discovered, stuff shows up if you look hard enough (holds that is, not necessarily pro). Was it pretty clean? Do people climb these routes anymore?
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hobo_dan
Social climber
Minnesota
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Dec 14, 2009 - 06:57pm PT
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I did that first pitch when I was a solid 5.10 climber (in other words I let my 5.11 partner lead the other three pitches!) That 1st picth was about as sustained a 5.8 as I ever did. I don't remember if any moves were harder than 5.8 BUT I do remember that none of them were easier. It was tough A-Z!
I was climbing with these Orange County guys and they used Quicksilver as the barometer to prove you were solid on 5.10.
Following it is easier but it's still tough because of the traversing nature of the route and the very long distances between pieces
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nutjob
Trad climber
Berkeley, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 14, 2009 - 07:38pm PT
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Lack of right gear was clearly a factor, but I can tell you I felt better on Lunatic Fringe, Stove Groove, Sacherer Cracker, Gripper, Midterm, etc. than I did on P1 Quicksilver (5.8). My panties aren't big enough to try the other 5.9 pitches yet.
But having different kinds of rock, different kinds of climbing techniques, keeps it interesting. I'll be back for this one day (but I won't cry too much if I don't get around to it!)
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hobo_dan
Social climber
Minnesota
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Dec 16, 2009 - 09:04pm PT
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Warbler:
It is a great route and very unique for Yosemite. I think about half the photos fromYosemite Climber are on that route. What was the first ascent like? Was it sketchy going so far between pieces? Or was it your plan to stretch it out?
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Dec 16, 2009 - 10:49pm PT
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I don't remember it being that bad (though memories can change reality when its been some 25 yrs). But then I cut my teeth at Suicide (grew up in OC), so despite the lack of gear at least it didn't feel too hard. Definitely not 5.9. Get solid and do the whole route. It's awesome.
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mongrel
Trad climber
Truckee, CA
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Dec 16, 2009 - 11:45pm PT
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Fabulous, totally classic route. Beautiful rock with really interesting holds and moves, five-star job by the FA party to find the line and bolt it just right. Seems to me I recall having to downclimb about 12-15 feet at some fairly runout spot, having decided I hadn't got the line right, or wrong foot or whatever. But the holds are perfectly adequate to do that - not a popular skill anymore, in the Age of Take. I also recall getting a few sketchy pieces like a Lowe ball and an RP in here and there, but they just fell out. Oh well. Great route. Love to do many more in that area.
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wstmrnclmr
Trad climber
Bolinas, CA
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May 21, 2012 - 04:29pm PT
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Climbed this last weekend. What a beautiful place. No-one around. Great story nutjob and spot on. We did deduce ahead of time that we needed to set up the belay higher and did so to start. The guidebook does not show two pitons on the route. There is one on the face above the crack (approx. where the crack narrows to nothing)on the first pitch. It sounds like if you would have stayed on the face above the crack, you would have found the piton and stayed on the face to the belay but the climbing is still tricky. Your right about the rating. Pretty stiff compared to other climbs (the previous harriest 9 for me was "nerve wrack point" in Tuolumne which I thought couldn't be topped, but both Jaywood and I agreed that this was the harriest 9 we've climbed and one of the harrier climbs period). There are new bolts at the belay which may not have been there when you climbed (the whole climbs been retro'd. Roger or Clint may have done the work, bless 'em).
Then there is solid 9 traversing to another piton not shown on topo. It's true what Mongrel says, there are decent holds through out the climb but the rock here is special. It's all rounded (much like the first pitch of "sweet Jesus", another sketch 9, in TM) and doesn't feel as positive as other slab areas. And the climbing is sustained 9 for the whole climb with a couple of 10 moments way runout (I was pulling what I thought were 10 moves about 18' above said piton and about 5' from the first bolt. if I would have blown there, I would have penjied into the crack of the first pitch). Then you get to the first bolt and wonder why you got on the thing in the first place. Then repeat for the rest of the climb. As Mongrel says, there is also a good flake between the first and second bolt. You can get two good small tri-cams in and feel good to the second bolt. Oh, and by the way, there is some loose rock after pitch two. A rock about a foot by half a foot came down, hit a ledge, and split in two with both pieces going either side of my head by inches. I will wear a helmet from now on.
An awesome climb! I didn't know who had done the first ascent until today and now I get it. Makes sense what Warbler says about few doing that sort of climbing back then and why the length of the bolt placements. Would be good to hear from Warbler but I suspect (based on other climbs I've done of theirs) that they were incredibly skilled at that sort of climbing and the thought of future climbers wasn't really on the radar. Threads dissing bolting lately keep talking of how bolts dumb down climbing or take away from future climbers. These climbs had only enough bolts necessary to keep one alive. It seems to me that those who put these climbs up were way ahead of the times and still are if the current climbing skill of the current climbing population as a whole is any indicator. Sure, top level climbers can do this stuff, but the younger generations coming mostly from the gym world (not denigrating, just trying to observe neutrally) seem to take to crack climbing where protection is good and upper body strength is helpful. Slab climbing doesn't seem to have advanced much beyond what those climbers did back then and the rate these climbs are done seems to bare this out. Slab climbing seems to have been left out of the so called 'traditional' picture to the current generation. I always wanted to be a well rounded climber but I do love the slabs. Mental strength and balletic grace is the game and there isn't a rating system for what it takes mentally to get through these climbs. I've climbed fairly run out 11+ that did not scare me as much as this climb because of the nature of the falls. So I would rate this climb a 10 for technical and a 13+ for the mental aspect and (conservatively as I can) give it an r/x. I felt like I had a dull headache the whole climb and much of the rest of the day after we got off. A very beautiful and serious climb at any level. It's a climbing experience very unique to the place that you can't find anywhere else in the world. Pictures will be posted soon.
edit: go back and do it nutjob. As the saying goes, "fear is temporary, regret lasts forever"
edit: And my thanks to Jaywood for putting it on the list and climbing it with me. Good job on lead my friend....
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nutjob
Gym climber
Berkeley, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - May 21, 2012 - 06:04pm PT
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I started getting a little pain in my chest just thinking about it again!
I think North Butt of Middle will likely fall to my efforts this summer, but I wouldn't make any bets on Quicksilver.
I can definitely see how practice/familiarity on that rock type changes things, but my life choices haven't included the time on rock necessary to make that endeavor sane (yet!). I can see this as an item to revisit in early retirement. But hopefully by then I'll talk myself out of caring :)
But I am drawn to that apron, and that rock type, but I might as well be a mosquito drawn to a pretty orange light ZAP!
Congratulations for getting it done wstmrnclmr. I'll try to live vicariously on this one.
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Captain...or Skully
climber
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May 21, 2012 - 06:13pm PT
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Dude. If I can climb Quicksilver & live, then you certainly can.
That route is etched into my me(soul,essence,I dunno, I just call it me) , in a big way. Most terrifying 5.9 in the world. Again. The Valley is littered with these 5.10 5.9 climbs. So? That's how it goes.
Give it your best, man. You're all over it. As usual.
Cheers.
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nutjob
Gym climber
Berkeley, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - May 21, 2012 - 06:18pm PT
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Alright maybe I was a bit peremptory in discarding it without a second effort. Maybe my biorhythms were low that day? I'll try again.
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looking sketchy there...
Social climber
Latitute 33
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May 21, 2012 - 06:33pm PT
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As stated by Kevin and others, the key to Middle climbing is doing a lot of Middle climbing. Traversing the base is an excellent way of honing your skills.
If I were to jump on those routes today without any preparation, I'm sure I'd be quite scared.
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
merced, california
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May 21, 2012 - 06:36pm PT
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What is this Age of Take of which I hear?
gimme. what's your take on it? N. E. Wunne...
I'm sstill climbing in Fires.
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wstmrnclmr
Trad climber
Bolinas, CA
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May 21, 2012 - 07:07pm PT
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Ya mouse...that's what's so great about it. There is no 'age of take' on these climbs. And the Fires would be great. The great thing about slab climbing is there are great climbs with no one there in beautiful settings. The aprons of Middle Cathedral, Glacier Point, Royal Arches, etc. are empty, scenic, quiet. Just like when they were first climbed. And they are passages of the mind more then the physical. One can climb them well into the middle ages......
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wstmrnclmr
Trad climber
Bolinas, CA
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May 21, 2012 - 08:42pm PT
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Warbler..thank you for a beautiful piece of art in any medium..painting across the rock....
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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May 21, 2012 - 09:04pm PT
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Nutjob,
Some practical observations. Quicksilver has always had a fearsome reputation for being run out, and while 5.9 may be the right rating, it probably is not a good route to start climbing on the Apron for the first time. The 5.10 routes are easier.
To get started on Middle climbing, you could climb the first two pitches of Freewheeling to get a feel for apron climbing at 5.9; the first pitch is 5.7 with one bolt for protection and the second pitch is just regular Apron 5.9. The runouts are long but, it is not like Quicksilver. The rest of the climb is really good too, but the pitches above are all 5.10.
While the angle and rock are somewhat different on the NorthEast face of Middle, the first few pitches of the routes between CPoF and DNB are great places to hone your skills. You can climb up the first two pitches of the Powell Reed and drop a long top rope for the first two pitches of Stoners. The second pitch of Paradise Lost is a good 5.9 pitch with little protection, but the rock quality is good and it is close the ground. The third pitch of the DNB, off the top of the little pedestal is hard, but there is bolt right a eye level.
The North Buttress is a good alpine type route, and it is worth doing. But it will not prepare you for climbing on the slabs. If you haven't done the Flakes on the wall above the Gun Sight, it is worth doing. Is really is only 5.8 and can be well protected, but you have to figure it out.
Once you have your legs under you, you will probably get the bug and want to climb all of the Middle routes.
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nutjob
Gym climber
Berkeley, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - May 21, 2012 - 09:10pm PT
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Roger, thanks for the Rosetta Stone to deciphering Middle :)
le_bruce, homework time!
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Jay Wood
Trad climber
Land of God-less fools
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May 21, 2012 - 11:22pm PT
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Fixed pin on the first pitch- not from FA?
Clipping the fixed pin- 2nd pitch. If you came off, you might save your ankles by jumping out to miss the belay ledge 15' below, and take a factor 2 fall on the anchor.
2nd pitch. pro so far is fixed pin, a bolt, and a couple of micro cams behind a flake.
3rd pitch. I almost backed off just before the point of no return, but downclimbing seemed almost as scary as continuing.
You no longer have to worry about falling onto one of these:
And of course the classic scenery:
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wstmrnclmr
Trad climber
Bolinas, CA
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May 22, 2012 - 12:08am PT
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Not to mention that if Jay came off, he would have ended up in my lap.....a true rock and a hard place...way to go for it!
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Captain...or Skully
climber
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May 22, 2012 - 12:12am PT
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I thought a couple of the follows up high as hard as the lead. Unclip to face a big swinger if you pitch. Incentive? Well, yeah.
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KabalaArch
Trad climber
Starlite, California
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May 22, 2012 - 01:29am PT
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The North Apron is not only my favorite climbing area (with what has to be the most beautiful stone, viewshed...having the whole Apron to yourself), it's one of my favorite places in the world.
Cat Dancing is indeed a true intro to both technique, and the runouts. I drafted a TR a while ago, but have yet to post it. I guess this would be the appropriate Thread...there are a few suggestions to help deal with the necessary headroom. The 1st bolt must be at least 50 feet up...and one of the several cruxes is the single step up to make the clip.
Recently (about 15 years ago), a couple of Sport Routes were established; these are also useful warm ups to become familiar with the stone character, with PG ratings.
Ramer, .10c, is 60m of sustained, easy 5.10 with a couple of well defined crux moves...and about 15 new bolts.
Just past Cat Dancer is a 25m pedestal, with a nice 5.8 on its left, Dunkin' Donuts; then Ennui on your right, with one, frustrating and shoe edge shredding 5.11 move or two, before moving up sustained 5.10. Both were obviously bolted top down. Ennui's 2 5.11 moves are right off the ground...and it's certainly easy enough to traverse over from your left to access the fine 5.10 above. Not worth a lead, really just a TR. Yeah, I used the razor dime stem to destroy my shoes a couple of times...but Mr. Willie made his smear stick.
These are rest day routes - they will not help one deal with the runnouts, which are some of the defining moments of the Apron. But the Apron is just a nice place to be. I noticed the nice photos of Quicksilver were taken when the face was in direct sun - a phenomena which only occurs a few days out of the year! This is a place were you can climb during a Valley July, no sweat!
Black Rose of Death became Black Primo because it's so quality...ascending a diorite intrusion which clearly aligns with the NA on The Captain. I never got quite good enough to let the dogs out on this gem, nor Jigsaw...nor, honestly, anything right of Orange Peel. In fact, in over 30 years, I've yet to witness a single party on any Apron route, except Quicksilver - once.
BITD, we did stuff in EBs. Fires stick well, too. Did an FA with Burk of a single pitch which branches right from the 1st bolt of Ticket to Nowhere. I thought the crux was the traverse right into the base of a dirty dihedral. Turns out the the 1st bolt of the Ticket, at .10c, is the guidebook's crux. There was a bail sling off our 1st bolt for at least 20 years - I've always wondered if they got suckered into climbing direct to our own bolt. But, have no fear that we defaced MCR with a worthless route - that was the summer Scott spent on Pieces of Eight, and not only did he lead as much as he could on the Apron and the NE Face, he decided to venture into junk terrain, so as to become as intimate as he could before establishing a Grade IV+ in a premier location.
This is an authentic and deeply atmospheric place, the silence occasionally interrupted by stonefall from the headwall hooting past.
BUT YER GONNA DIE!
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
merced, california
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May 22, 2012 - 02:32am PT
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Sor gut, mein brots.
The Mike Borghoff, poetic consultant to Steve Roper, once told me:
Hold on, more rope. Take it up, wait a sec, oops."
I'm faking it but I did, in fact, climb the Flakes with a real flake.
I don't care what line you lay out, can you manage that run-out?
Worral did it night before last, he's really slow but he climbs really fast.
I got a brand new pair of Cathedral Rocks, you know which routes go free.
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KabalaArch
Trad climber
Starlite, California
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May 22, 2012 - 03:41am PT
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Black Primo is the best route over there, IMHO, steep, consistent difficulty, ultra good stone, but most of all it's THE line that sweeps up the slab to the ledges above.
No question about it!
Thing I like most about diorite is how it forms those perfect squarecuts...with a texture like 600 grit wet or dry sandpaper.
Almost trained enough for it to step out of my binos and onto what may be the world's finest slab/face. I guess I just ran out of years. 5.11 is one thing; runouts another. Runout 5.11? Proud.
As I meant to post, and will eventually, was mention of all of those sucker mini dihedrals,uniformly blind - won't even accept a Knifeblade, a Beak - nothing.
No upper body strength required (except during occasional Iron Cross bridging). I've led hard friction pitches with a broken arm. But the concentration! As soon as mental fatigue strikes, the sequence just melts back into the matrix. And you're done.
btw, do you, or does anyone, know about the pitch above the stance common to Quicksilver and Freewheeling? Topo's pretty vague about it...just a dotted line, with less than the usual pro.
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wstmrnclmr
Trad climber
Bolinas, CA
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May 22, 2012 - 02:38pm PT
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Has Black Primo been re-bolted?
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wstmrnclmr
Trad climber
Bolinas, CA
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May 22, 2012 - 09:19pm PT
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Funny you should mention that Warbler. I started in the climbing game late (thirty one) and my son was born at that time. It's always been that dance between the risk and leaving a son father-less...and there are recent examples of some of climbing's finest leaving children behind. But the places you go in your body and in your mind, especially after finding a gem like the Middle Cathedral Apron, are those lures too undeniable to turn from. How much more time in this climbing game do I have? I'm not quite done yet but hopefully I'll walk when it's time....
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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May 23, 2012 - 12:58am PT
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Yeah, did Quicksilver and Freewheelin' in the mid-80's with the ex-wife. couple of the best, most memorable days in the Valley I've ever had. Late spring, perfect conditions, we were cold! Unreal rock, unreal moves...those routes were way more then just climbs, they were surreal, they were experiences. We were all dialed in on Middle at the time, and were able to just enjoy the routes for what they were. Pure Joy. Good job, you guys. I remember having to concentrate a lot. I remember the kalediscope of colors. I remember getting to the pitch where that marvelous photo of Warbler was taken from Yosemte Climber and going, "Hooo Man...I'm here..." I remember the feeling of satisfaction and relief upon hitting each belay! And I remember some of those belay being sketch...fixed pins? Quarter inchers?..probably my imagination. Long, long time ago. If I were gonna recommend ANY face-climbing route in the Valley to someone who had just one opportunity to climb there, a desert island route, it'd probably be Quicksilver. Holy sh#t, what a great climb. I wish every climber on the planet an opportunity to do that route!
EDIT!: HA! I remember climbing up and down, and up and down, and up and down, before going for it on really runout 5.8 or 5.9 section of Freewheelin. P3 or 4? Long runout section after a traverse? Hell, gonna havta hire a ropegun and get a TR on that thing, just to enjoy it one more time...
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KabalaArch
Trad climber
Starlite, California
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May 23, 2012 - 01:13am PT
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Has Black Primo been re-bolted?
Apparently, lots of the classics have been repaired (read: not retrobolted). There was an xlnt thread not long ago about the Team who rapped down from the high traverse line, above the N Face, to do the heavy lifting (literally! - like a half dozen ropes).
One day, I wandered up there, just to hang. And there was a fixed line from the headwall to the base of Tears of Joy. I silently cursed myself for not bringing up some ascenders - I could have TR soloed up to the headwall. Must have been a part of this terrific project.
Memo to self: always carry ascenders when out hiking by myself. Jugged 2/3'rds of Standing Rock in Monument Basin, simply because they're kind of useful to get back over the White Rim (once you've rapped in); there just happened to be a party topping out when I approached the Tower's base. Later, I gave the Arizona party $50 in gas money, and sent them some 8x10 photos of their summit pitch. Just don't jump on someone's fixed lines; it was a real buzzkill to find someone and his g/f in a portaledge on top of our 1st day fixed on Touchstone.
You might consider Freewheeling the lower half of a Direct MCR North Face.
Don't recall any FP's anywhere on the Apron; just Leepers and homemade. But, that was some time ago.
I'm also haunted by the fact that I didn't recon a potential link from the top of Bottom Feeder (or the route to its right) to the top of Cat Dancer when I had the chance - I bet it goes.
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Jay Wood
Trad climber
Land of God-less fools
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May 23, 2012 - 12:33pm PT
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Warbler & KabalaArch,
Thanks for all the good route info and background!
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Feb 19, 2015 - 08:10pm PT
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Middle Cathedral content...
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Feb 19, 2015 - 08:36pm PT
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Jay Wood wrote:
Fixed pin on the first pitch- not from FA? Correct.
My partner Bob placed that piton (it has his standard green paint),
when we did a direct version of the first pitch a couple of years ago.
I recall thinking at the time that it may be too close to Quicksilver
and lure people over to clip it.
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Feb 19, 2015 - 08:42pm PT
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