West Side Story Sierra Domes Donaldson Ascent 1973

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Messages 1 - 40 of total 40 in this topic
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Original Post - Aug 22, 2009 - 06:47pm PT
A classic early survey of Sierra formations by Greg Donaldson. Lots of great climbing and history at the lesser known destinations. Pleny of STers have done something remotely remote, I bet. LOL










So much granite...so little time!!!
hooblie

climber
Aug 22, 2009 - 07:39pm PT
yowsaa

"one must be prepared to give up audiences for the quiet of fresh campsites...without the motivation of glory,
the threshold of necessary effort will still buffer the more isolated climbs"

where is this man greg donaldson, and what would he like to drink?
Iron Mtn.

Trad climber
Corona, Ca.
Aug 22, 2009 - 08:04pm PT
MMMMM Domes!

Nate D

climber
San Francisco
Aug 22, 2009 - 11:15pm PT
Thanks for posting this fine article! What a teaser for it's day.
Peter Haan

Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
Aug 22, 2009 - 11:46pm PT
Christ. Sigh. Yah, for sure, so little time. What incredibly wonderful rock. Thanks, Stevie. Great work on your part, there. Where is this article from?? Did I miss the attribution?

best, p.
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 23, 2009 - 11:45am PT
It is the 73 Ascent with Maestri's popsicle on the cover!
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Sep 4, 2009 - 08:47pm PT
Tasty bumps of granite!
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Oct 28, 2009 - 11:56pm PT
And Angel Wings!
Nate D

climber
San Francisco
Oct 29, 2009 - 11:56pm PT
"An article such as this can open the door for a few iconoclasts to venture from the womb but, hopefully, it will not bring an avalanche of new desecration."

Funny. So that got me to thinking - in subsequent years, who was potentially inspired by this article to go and do firsts on the few significant domes described? A quick look at the guidebooks and reported ascents in the handful of years after this article revealed the following:

Calaveras Dome:
Jay Smith, Jeff Altenburg & several other partners were active in the late 70s, establishing quite a few FAs, and were known to have said the article inspired their explorations.
Donaldson (the author) participated in 2 FAs in '72, including the classic Gemini Cracks on Hammer Dome.

Fresno Dome:
The Rockcraft Climbing School guides were all very active here in the mid 70s.
Dick Erb, Royal Robbins, Roger Breedlove, J. Copeland, M. Sorensen, R. Baum, Barney Neilson, Max Gammon and probably a few I missed established dozens of lines. It is doubtful the article inspired these guys initially, as they were seemingly active in these parts prior.
Mark Tuttle & Paul Loughton, as well as C. Vandiver, M. Knehr, & M. Potter also got in on the action.
In the late 70s, Tom Higgins and Ruprecht Kammerlander passed thru to establish 2 routes.

Balloon Dome:
Dave & Jim Black and Mike Graber partnered up in '74 to establish 3 significant ascents.

Fuller Buttes:
Most of the activity here was in this time frame (late 70s), by the likes of Steve McCabe, John Stoddard, Gerri Dayharsh, Don Reid & Alan Bartlett, Mike Graber & Dave Black, and Fremont Brainbridge, Conrad VanBruggen, Gordon Rhodes, Mark Blanchard, and Simon King.

Kerkhoff Dome:
Kenny Rose and a host of partners from about '76 on into the 80s dominated activity here with many new climbs.
And I noted Donaldson (the author) participated in an FA in '73

Charlotte Dome:
Bart O'Brian & Dave Harden established Charlotte's Web in '76
Alan Bartlett, Allan Peitrasanta did E.B. White in '79
(Alan also ventured out to the Obelisk in this time frame)

Angel Wings:
Fred Becky, Bill Lahr, Alan Neiffel, and Craig Martinson established Wings Over Sequoia in '77

Tehipite Dome & Castle Rock Spire:
Nothing recorded in the 70s after the article.

Many here know far more firsthand of the article's impact, but these are just my observations. Did Ascent have wide readership among Sierra climbers in the day? Certainly, many other semi-remote and obscure formations not mentioned were first climbed in the 70s.

Obviously, the amount of activity (or "desecration") back then and to this day, almost directly corresponds to the formations' proximity to the road.


Thanks, once again, for posting this, Steve.
Mungeclimber

Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
Oct 30, 2009 - 12:42am PT
Hooblie said it man!
ec

climber
ca
Nov 3, 2009 - 09:12pm PT
"who was potentially inspired by this article to go and do firsts on the few significant domes described?"

The article helped, however I was already on the critical path to loneliness...

 ec
guyman

Trad climber
Moorpark, CA.
Nov 4, 2009 - 12:51pm PT
That article, got me going.

I always wondered who this "Greg" person was/is whenever I see his name in a register.

His Castle Rock Spire tale inspired me to get crackin, it took 20 years of "Dreaming" before I got on it. Finding the old sardine cans, where he bivied in a storm, made my day.
Nate D

climber
San Francisco
Nov 4, 2009 - 02:45pm PT
Thanks for responding guys!
Fat Dad

Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
Nov 4, 2009 - 06:39pm PT
Drool!
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
Nov 29, 2009 - 09:53am PT
hey there say, thanks for the neat shares... :)
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - May 12, 2010 - 12:34pm PT
Bumps covered with Spring runoff!
Loomis

climber
*_*
May 12, 2010 - 01:33pm PT
Not many people have what it takes to hike to these area's
Just say no to roadside crags!
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Oct 7, 2010 - 11:09pm PT
Big rounded bump!
mooch

Trad climber
Old Climbers' Home (Adopted)
Oct 7, 2010 - 11:37pm PT
Finding the old sardine cans, where he bivied in a storm, made my day.

Guyzo....its still at the notch! Munge and I found it after we rapped off of 'Spiked Hairdo'. Almost missed it since we were blinded by "water fever". Dirty snow never tasted sooooooo good!

Anyway, we left it as it was. Also, we found an old Band-aid container (I mean, OLD!!) on top of the south gendarme with a small strip of paper. Couldn't really read the names (George Sessions could have been one of 'em) but it showed the date of when the gendarme was FA'd....Oct 1949.
Mungeclimber

Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
Oct 9, 2010 - 11:23pm PT
thx Steve for the bump.

Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - May 7, 2011 - 09:16pm PT
Sierra Bump!
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Jan 2, 2012 - 09:18pm PT
New Year's Bump!
Powder

Trad climber
SF Bay Area
Jan 4, 2012 - 09:02am PT
Woot! Photos by Rowell!!

Angel Wings!!

Granite!!

:D~
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Feb 17, 2012 - 11:38pm PT
Soon to be thawed out Bumps...
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 30, 2012 - 06:43pm PT
Fresh out of the oven now...
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Feb 18, 2013 - 05:25pm PT
Matinee Dome-ine Bump...
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Feb 15, 2014 - 06:13pm PT
Angel Wings for Everyone on the day after Valentine's!
Mr Roy

climber
Seattle
Feb 15, 2014 - 07:35pm PT
Steve,

Thanks for the bump and the op more than 3 yrs ago..

That article dosen't know HOW many persons it influenced..

Gad that was so long ago.. What to do..
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Jul 27, 2014 - 08:20am PT
Step out into the KingDomes of Heaven, of course!
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Dec 27, 2014 - 10:53am PT
Bump for a dome too far...
Mungeclimber

Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
Dec 27, 2014 - 12:49pm PT
Have since been on one of these formations (a lot) after seeing this article.

Let it never been said that ST is totally bereft of all inspiration.

duffer

Trad climber
Sonora, CA
Dec 27, 2014 - 02:37pm PT
This article was definitely instrumental in inspiring trips to Kerckoff, Charlotte, Fresno and Calaveras Domes among others. Another big influence was Galen's article in Climbing Magazine on High Sierra climbing with photos of Russell's west face and the East Peak of Barnard. I think it was in 1972 or so and had Norman Clyde on the cover. I ate this stuff up back then along with all the first ascent notes in Ascent and the AAJ. I still have things in the Sierra on my hit list but have to get this cast off my leg first. Just had ankle-replacement surgery. It's hell getting old.
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Dec 27, 2014 - 05:18pm PT
One Classic Clyde Cover coming up over here:

http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/440068/Norman-Clyde-of-the-Sierra-Nevada
limpingcrab

Trad climber
the middle of CA
May 5, 2015 - 10:04am PT
Fun history read bump
survival

Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
May 5, 2015 - 10:12am PT
F*#k!! Where did these anchors around my feet come from? Arrrggghhhh, where is my long treasured freedom to go where I wanted, when I wanted to go?



Oh wait, that's right, I signed up voluntarily when I had children....

*...Sigh...* My life is awesome, but a little shy of new stone.
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - May 5, 2015 - 02:00pm PT
Long ago in a galaxy just around the corner...Your Star Trek is just beginning young Master Pepperbelly!
rick sumner

Trad climber
reno, nevada/ wasilla alaska
May 5, 2015 - 04:12pm PT
I read the West Side Story article in early '74 and the next day Jay Smith and I were off to Calaveras in a driving rain storm.
splitclimber

climber
Sonoma County
Jan 21, 2016 - 03:57pm PT
bump for domes
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Jan 23, 2016 - 12:00pm PT
And some great history.
Slym

climber
Merced, CA
Apr 19, 2017 - 09:25am PT
Excellent history bump.

Waiting for some more melt...
Messages 1 - 40 of total 40 in this topic
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