TR: Born Under a Bad Sign, El Capitan, Yosemite Valley, Ca.

Trip Report

Sunday October 4, 2009 8:19pm


	Walt Shipley at the bivy Credit: Russ Walling

The full trip report by myself and Walt Shipley is at this link:

http://www.fishproducts.com/topos/badsignTR/badsignTR.html

Trip Report Views: 3,413

Russ Walling

About the Author
Russ Walling is a gym climber from Poofter's Froth, Wyoming.

Comments

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Comment on this Trip Report

neebee

Social climber

calif/texas

Oct 4, 2009 - 11:29pm PT

hey there russ... say, oh my... i have never yet seen so many great trip reports from your and your partners, such as all this...

whewwwwww... i will never have time to read all this, but sometime i will come back and take more peeks...

say, i really liked this----there's nothing like "swell partners" they really make a trip, for sure:

As could be predicted, once I was safely back at the Deli, I had regrets and feelings of failure. Russ Walling, a.k.a., "The Fish" and "Mussy", would soon offer to join me for the inevitable "rematch" the following year. It was going to be great fun. The Fish is so thoroughly entertaining to be around that the terror of the route would be masked.
(R) I recall it being the other way around. I was looking forward to climbing with Walt because "he" is such a riot. I had done a bunch of freeclimbs with Walt, and his utter go-for-it and self depreciating manner made him a great partner.

*say, i loved the tram sign being in your ?room?---say, would love to see a picture of it... :)

thanks for the neat links shared here...
man oh man, great stuff...
yep--i know, it's all at the "fish" site.... :)
god bless, to you, russ ... :)

Rankin

Social climber

Greensboro, North Carolina

Oct 24, 2009 - 06:44am PT

Best TR ever! I don't know how I've missed this one until now, as I've pa roused Mussy's Bedtime Stories on several occasions. I talked with Walt a few times when I worked at the Mountain Shop in 98. He would lurk in the shop and watch the kayaking videos playing on the shop TV. He was so amped, he kept saying "Woah man, that's some big water, man!" It's cool you guys hooked up...what a couple of characters!

Pate

Trad climber

Oct 25, 2009 - 11:50am PT

Sick. Fantastic tribute to Shipley.

People can live on through printed words.

Russ Walling

Social climber

from Poofters Froth, Wyoming

Author's Reply

Nov 5, 2012 - 08:32pm PT

1600 views and 3 comments bump!

toadgas

Social climber

los angeles

Nov 5, 2012 - 08:41pm PT

1600 views and 3 comments bump!

that's cause people are too lazy to click the link

(it tends to pump the index finger)

Vitaliy M.

Mountain climber

San Francisco

Nov 5, 2012 - 08:47pm PT

Amazing trip report. Thank you for sharing the story.

Mark Hudon

Trad climber

Hood River, OR

Nov 5, 2012 - 08:48pm PT

I read this one on your site, Russ. Awesome TR!

tom Carter

Social climber

Nov 5, 2012 - 10:05pm PT

I must have read this at least 3-5 times. It is terrific. Wonderful to hear Walt and Russ together (in a way).

Thanks again!

Dingus Milktoast

Gym climber

And every fool knows, a dog needs a home, and...

Nov 5, 2012 - 10:05pm PT

Nice!

DMT

Fat Dad

Trad climber

Los Angeles, CA

Nov 5, 2012 - 10:11pm PT

I read it on your site too.

mctwisted

Trad climber

e.p.

Nov 6, 2012 - 06:41am PT

good to read that again this morning, nice to have the great pics in there also, to really convey the severity of the ascent.

good to see pics of russ and walt and remember the good ol days

Rhodo-Router

Gym climber

sawatch choss

Nov 6, 2012 - 09:34am PT

I have to poop now.

moosedrool

climber

Stair climber, lost, far away from Poland

Dec 26, 2012 - 11:11am PT

Outstanding TR!

Thank you!

Andrzej

JEleazarian

Trad climber

Fresno CA

Dec 26, 2012 - 11:20am PT

Thanks to those who bumped this excellent TR.

John

stich

Trad climber

Colorado Springs, Colorado

Dec 26, 2012 - 12:16pm PT

I read it years ago and still remember a lot of the details. "Uh, oh. Eye popped out." Ha ha ha. Great story. TFPTU!

T Hocking

Trad climber

Redding, Ca

Dec 26, 2012 - 12:28pm PT

Bein new round here, thanks for the TR bump.
Tad

rgold

Trad climber

Poughkeepsie, NY

Dec 26, 2012 - 12:38pm PT

Phew! This reminds me why I gave up hard aid climbing before there was hard aid climbing. Great TR.

StahlBro

Trad climber

San Diego, CA

Dec 26, 2012 - 04:14pm PT

Thanks for bringing this back. Great TR Russ!

WBraun

climber

Dec 26, 2012 - 04:48pm PT

There's hardly any comments to this TR because after they get done reading it they're all blown away and speechless.

Then they slink back to their fond memories of doing the "Nutcracker" in a day, guns and boobs ......