Omot
Trad climber
The here and now
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Hey Nutjob,
Good on ya for getting out there! The Harding route is one of those routes I did back 20 years ago. Great climb! Don't listen to donini or jaybro! Those guys are just too good to be a good source of beta...unless you climb at their level.
When I did it, I probably had as much 5.10 crack experience as you, so your judgement is not out of wack. We supposedly did the 5.11 variation, which wasn't so bad, but still resulted in yelps of satisfaction from both of us. I remember pulling on a piece on the next 5.9 pitch though (it was an alpine climb!). I also remember asking about the OW, and my partner, who was a strong climber, saying "we'll deal with it when we get there." When we got to it, it was my lead. He just smiled as he handed the rack to me!
If I remember correctly, the pitch starts out hands and gets wider and wider. I made it up and out of the OW section ok and grabbed a sling (it was an alpine climb!) just as my foot slipped off a smear. Whoa, if that sling wasn't there and I hadn't grabbed it, I would have fallen a ways on one of those old bolts. That was the only drama. No 70+ meter pitches, etc. Some loose rock near the top but nothing major.
We also did it Labor Day weekend, and got to the summit just at sunset. Back to the campground in TM at 10pm. Dawn start, so it was a 16 hr day. Totally doable.
10 years later, I went back up with my partner Wes. I was a high snow year, so the approach was more difficult and it took us 4+ hours to get to the base. We were too tired by then, so just went and did the West Ridge. Found a 3.5 Camalot at the base though, so worth the hike!
I love Conness. Glad I bagged that one before I got too old!
Enjoy,
Tomo
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Footloose
Trad climber
Lake Tahoe
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Hey, thanks for the writeup, Nutjob! (a) Very funny in places... (b) I know it will serve as inspiration to get back there!
Here's a shot of Conness, Southwest Face, in full, top to bottom:
You all should know Nutjob was modest in his writeup: the gusts over the top were about 50mph, no kidding, even so, Nutjob was still a 9 on the 1-10 motivation scale for getting on it! full well knowing it was at our limit (and probably beyond mine) and even after another team bailed because of the conditions and even after checking out pitch one's wetness that was harboring icicles. Now that's the Nutjob Spirit, woo hoo!
Happy Climbing!
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le_bruce
climber
Oakland: what's not to love?
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Sep 10, 2009 - 01:53am PT
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Hey Nutjob, nice write up, and you get respect for going at your limit.
Who's this 'other buddy' that duped you into carrying his pack down? Sounds shady.
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msiddens
Trad climber
Mountain View, CA
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Sep 10, 2009 - 07:07am PT
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its not duping if the partner does it willingly
;-)
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Chugach Man
Mountain climber
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Sep 10, 2009 - 03:07pm PT
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Sounds fun - time to head out there I guess!
Jim D., great comments, especially the one on bringing the #6. Haven't been on the route, but even with a leg in there I'm guessing I'd feel better to have it...
Footloose - still working on getting your pics up from Russell. Sent an email to you through supertopo - reply and I'll just send you the pics directly.
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le_bruce
climber
Oakland: what's not to love?
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Sep 10, 2009 - 07:04pm PT
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@ msiddens: I was the guy who foisted his pack onto Nutjob that day, and believe me it was shady. ;)
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Zander
Trad climber
Berkeley
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Sep 13, 2009 - 04:36pm PT
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Nice!!!!!!!!
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kovarpa
Mountain climber
Bay Area
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Sep 13, 2009 - 06:32pm PT
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you definitely don't need #6. #5 is enough. We had too much gear actually, next time I would take doubles from small to #2.5, then 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5 each. One set of nuts.
Double ropes helped with hauling packs on the OW.
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Rankin
climber
North Carolina
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Sep 13, 2009 - 06:50pm PT
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Nice write-up nutjob. I think you guys could have finished the route in time. The Harding Route has two pitches that are kinda strenuous, and you had already done the first one. As far as the OW, its not that hard, but it can make you breathe heavy. The second can lie it back. There's a 10a pitch past the OW that's really fantastic but not very hard. You'll get her next time for sure. Nice job.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Sep 13, 2009 - 07:03pm PT
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Don't take a pack! Just like the steck salathe. It's not that long a route, you're only gonna be on it a few hours, leave, Everything, but essentials at the tope of the descent. 1 rope, long as you can afford. Plan to run it out, and simu-climb most of the route.
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Footloose
Trad climber
Lake Tahoe
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Sep 13, 2009 - 08:09pm PT
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One more. Here's Nutjob on the approach to Southwest Face...
...uh, demonstrating, perhaps, our high hopes of "floating" it... uh, maybe???
By the way, doesn't he look here like that movie star guy, what's his name, Ethan Hawke? Hmm...
EDIT
Plan to run it out, and simu-climb most of the route.
Jaybro- Wow, my goodness!
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Binks
Social climber
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Sep 13, 2009 - 08:36pm PT
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Good attempt, now get back out there and tame that beast!
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Chugach Man
climber
Anchorage / San Diego
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Sep 21, 2009 - 09:57am PT
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Thanks to your post bringing it to mind, my buddy and I decided to go try the route over the weekend. Much fun. Brought doubles through BD#2, then a 3, 4, and 6 (new style) (no #5). The 4 wasn't necessary, but was used. I didn't feel I missed the 5, but liked having the #6 in the OW, and thought it was worth bringing. A big green wild country might be even better. The old bolts on the route were pretty cool looking, and even though I clipped them, I wouldn't want to fall on them (wish I'd taken a pic of them too). We used a 70 m, and with about 10 feet of simul-climbing on the first pitch, were able to get to the start of the OW in 2 rope-stretchers for about 6 pitches total, and some scrambling to the top. Didn't bring packs, but dressed warm, and were happy to not have a pack in the OW, and to have a good wind-breaker when the winds picked up. Really fun route. Go back and get it done!
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Footloose
Trad climber
Lake Tahoe
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Sep 21, 2009 - 11:17am PT
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Awesome, Chugach!
Curious, so was your first belay in the 5.10c crux area, or somewhere after with the simul? I'm thinking it must have been after that pointed "stalactite" roof. (See pic above.)
Tell us Chugach, as I am taking notes and have a 70m. Sure hope I can get back there!
Post any pictures, here, would love to see them...
Did you feel "like puking" in the offwidth, too? Now that I think about it, you're a hardman, so probably not. :)
Proud send!!
EDIT Thanks for the reply, Chugach, I get it. Look forward to any TR and pics. Again, congrats! (11:42a)
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Chugach Man
climber
Anchorage / San Diego
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Sep 21, 2009 - 11:29am PT
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Footloose: I'm far, far from a hardman (I brought a 6!, hehe), and although I was tired from some stuff I did during the week, found the OW not too bad and manageable - the hardest part I think was getting started in it. I also did a lot of stemming in it. For P1 with a 70M, we belayed just a little past the 10c crux on a small ledge with an anchor made up of small gear (I think yellow TCU, yellow or gray alien, and green C3? Go through the roofs and the crux, up the thin stuff, then belayed just as you're forced right). And the simuling only consisted of me stepping up about 10' where I could feel the wet rock, but didn't have to pull on it yet. I'll probably post a TR with pics in a couple days, and will send you a link then. Good luck! We took about 4 hours to climb through the 5.7/5.8 chimney, and then cruised after that. It's a fun route, definitely get back and finish it!
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Footloose
Trad climber
Lake Tahoe
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Sep 21, 2009 - 04:15pm PT
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Cool! thanks for the beta, cultureshock. Once of the clearest beta photos I've seen of the route, too, nice work.
Sounds like you guys really spanked it... and enjoyed yourselves. Congratulations!
Oh, regarding a pic of those bolts, Chugach, I've been wanting to see one for a long time. So next time maybe...
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Sep 21, 2009 - 04:19pm PT
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So refreshing! A post about a classic, un-enhanced climb. No ego, no controversy just out there having fun- what a concept.
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Chugach Man
climber
Anchorage / San Diego
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Sep 21, 2009 - 05:20pm PT
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Footloose, check out the photo on summitpost.org from Kovarpa that shows a bolt, you can zoom in and see it pretty well. Looks like a star drive with an old ringed piton for the hangar. (http://www.summitpost.org/view_object.php?object_id=548281&context_id=159998). I wouldn't want to fall on one, but they're better than nothing.
Jim D., I concur! People use these sites for strange things when they should just be out having a good time. As Alex Lowe said "The best climber in the world is the one that has the most fun", right? Climb on.
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del cross
climber
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Sep 21, 2009 - 05:55pm PT
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Such a good route.
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SuperTopo on the Web
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Luke
Let us know!