Trip Report
pigs on the wing, 5.10A x
Thursday August 27, 2015 6:25pm
my good friend aiden-two-left-shoes-mcjackson
and i attempted an onsight of this intimidating
jay smith / rick sumner route at lovers leap
last weekend. the beta is vague,
and the route dirty.

i made it as far as the third belay but
bailed because i was unsure if i was on route.

after a peekaboo at the last forty feet
(no rehearsing just a looky)

i gave it another go today.

the guides give it an x-rating,
and i might bump it down to r
but it would be a poor place
to f*#k up.

thanks to salamanizer for the inspiration
and beta. that kid eats runouts for snack.

anyway here's some gloss,

pitch one, super crunchy and steep 5.9.
top left corner top right corner
Credit: swellguy
bottom left corner bottom right corner
top left corner top right corner
Credit: Norwegian
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top left corner top right corner
Credit: Norwegian
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the little headwall just before
east wall ledge is a tough little patch,

2nd pitch heads up the east wall dihedral
before exiting left at a belay.

aiden by mistake stocked his kit
with two left shoes.
he boldly made the first
2-left-shoed ascent of this route for certain.
top left corner top right corner
Credit: Norwegian
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pitch 3 heads up a slab scoop,
tending right following holds up to
the steeper bit.

right above
the large roof that cuts through east wall
top left corner top right corner
Credit: Norwegian
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50' of unprotected 5.9 right off the belay
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Credit: Norwegian
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on up into shallow dihedrals
with so-so gear beneath
supect flakes.
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Credit: Norwegian
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up through some roofs,
with good pro and decent rock.
good climbing through this section.
top left corner top right corner
Credit: Norwegian
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Credit: Norwegian
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eventually you end up
beneath the largest roof on the route.
here, i headed left for about 6'
and then pulled a 5.10 mantle
above a shitty nut.

top left corner top right corner
Credit: Norwegian
bottom left corner bottom right corner
top left corner top right corner
Credit: Norwegian
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40' of dirty and continuously
challenging climbing sees you to the summit,
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Credit: Norwegian
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and here's my good mate
aiden, sporting his two left shoes
and a winning smile
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Credit: Norwegian
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thanks aiden,
bitchen day, as usual






  Trip Report Views: 4,261
Norwegian
About the Author
Norwegian is a trad climber from dancin on the tip of god's middle finger.

Comments
sasha Cohen

Trad climber
South Lake Tahoe CA
  Aug 27, 2015 - 06:57pm PT
Thanks for that. Great work. Climbed with Aiden at the Fords. "I don't want to be unfettered" was his motto. The best display I've seen to date. Thanks again
MisterE

Gym climber
Small Town with a Big Back Yard
  Aug 27, 2015 - 07:43pm PT
That makes my brain and feet hurt. Thanks!
rick sumner

Trad climber
reno, nevada/ wasilla alaska
  Aug 27, 2015 - 07:46pm PT
That's the sumner/smith route Chuck. Jay was having a rare off day and i was definitely all on that day, leading the whole route. Two years later I went back to the route with Daryl Hatten at which time i realized just how sketchy the crux was.

Seems you might claim a first ascent since you were definitely on a variant of pitch one and probably pitch three. Pitch one; we started to the right, traversing to the left to reach little roof and bush crack. Pitch three- after forty feet or so of trending right you encounter a smooth, tiny corner of about 15' at the very edge of the overhang formed by the big roof of the giant arch. The pro is mank and likely to pull here . A fall would be very serious, over the roof and bouncing a few times below then possibly ledge falling after 80' . In the pics you seem to be left of this area after the initial 30' or so. Higher you seem to be back on route with the left traverse and mantle over the roof. Good job on the new variant.
Norwegian

Trad climber
dancin on the tip of god's middle finger
Author's Reply  Aug 27, 2015 - 07:59pm PT
bountiful route, rick.
great job.

hey when you coming to town?
we need to get a few routes
in this year.
rick sumner

Trad climber
reno, nevada/ wasilla alaska
  Aug 27, 2015 - 08:06pm PT
Back a week or so in mid September, then full time again in October. You need to come out into the desert with us Chuck. Great climbing, great vistas, absolutely deserted, great rock with new routes to be done as far as the eye can see, and free camping. Sorta equivalent to the hwy 50 corridor in the 1940's before much of anything had been climbed.
Sierra Ledge Rat

Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
  Aug 27, 2015 - 08:19pm PT
Kickin' ass!
mucci

Trad climber
The pitch of Bagalaar above you
  Aug 27, 2015 - 08:46pm PT
Proud obscurity as usual.

Chuck, way to keep it interesting!

Nice write up.

Mike Bolte

Trad climber
Planet Earth
  Aug 27, 2015 - 08:56pm PT
this was excellent in several dimensions
Studly

Trad climber
WA
  Aug 27, 2015 - 10:24pm PT
Let the radness continue.
ß Î Ø T Ç H

Boulder climber
ne'er–do–well
  Aug 27, 2015 - 11:29pm PT
i might bump it down to r
I'd almost just want to die outright, than squirm around in a hospital bed and or wheelchair for the rest of my life.
ionlyski

Trad climber
Polebridge, Montana
  Aug 28, 2015 - 03:27am PT
Nice descriptions there Norski. And a bold adventure; had me reaching for my chalk bag.

Arne
Gnome Ofthe Diabase

climber
Out Of Bed
  Aug 28, 2015 - 05:56am PT

BAD-AZZZ! No kidddin'

Thnx, schweeet, !

There's Water to my left,
There's watr' to my right, 'nd overhead
Under - board splits surf, Toobbddhh !!

vomited from the maw,washed
rag doll style pounded in sand,
Stand up, and puke sea,

(Fully, committed)Deadacated
for your consideration
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
  Aug 28, 2015 - 05:13am PT
hey there say, norwegian... wow, great to see a neat trip report from your climb... nice happy smile there, too, :)

and, some folks say:
they can't dance, 'cause they got TWO left feet... oh my...

well, say:

your friend sure showed that you just might be able to climb with
two left feet:
if you have a mind to, ;)
Charlie D.

Trad climber
Western Slope, Tahoe Sierra
  Aug 28, 2015 - 06:17am PT
Bold! Two left feet conjures the imagine of Aidan walking around in circles, too funny! Thanks for posting Chuck let's dance soon.
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
  Aug 28, 2015 - 06:27am PT
That's the shnizzle! Spice is nice.
NutAgain!

Trad climber
https://nutagain.org
  Aug 28, 2015 - 06:47am PT
Pretty serious climbing, nice pics.
crankster

Trad climber
No. Tahoe
  Aug 28, 2015 - 06:48am PT
Nice report, Norway Man! Never a line at the base of that thing.
skcreidc

Social climber
SD, CA
  Aug 28, 2015 - 07:45am PT
HoLeY scheisse! Good job keeping your head. Nice work!
caughtinside

Social climber
Oakland, CA
  Aug 28, 2015 - 08:15am PT
Cool. I climbed the first pitch on the retro bolts, didn't know it was a retro job when I climbed it. I was definitely to the right of your first pitch. Bolts are gone now.

Always wanted to climb this thing. Was up last weekend and looked at it again, well done.
Vitaliy M.

Mountain climber
San Francisco
  Aug 28, 2015 - 10:05am PT
Thank you for sharing. I enjoy your unorthodox style and your excitement about climbing. It is contagious man. Hope we can rope up one day, finally.
Capt.

climber
some eastside hovel
  Aug 28, 2015 - 10:31am PT
Most excellent. Way to get after it and keep the stoke alive!! Two left shoes = proud. :-)
'Pass the Pitons' Pete

Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
  Aug 28, 2015 - 11:04am PT
Way to get on it! Old farts rule!

Ha - BITD before climbing shoe resoles, I used to switch feet on my shoes, because I had worn holes through the balls of the toes on both shoes!
snowhazed

Trad climber
Oaksterdam, CA
  Aug 28, 2015 - 11:55am PT
great route- nice one
eeyonkee

Trad climber
Golden, CO
  Aug 28, 2015 - 12:13pm PT
Cool-looking route!
the Fet

climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
  Aug 28, 2015 - 02:31pm PT
Nice write up and pics!

[Click to View YouTube Video]
thebravecowboy

climber
The Good Places
  Aug 28, 2015 - 02:42pm PT
Holy yikes! Nice work!
mike m

Trad climber
black hills
  Aug 28, 2015 - 03:03pm PT
I did the two left shoes thing once. It wasn't that bad.
Ezra Ellis

Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
  Aug 28, 2015 - 03:26pm PT
GNAR wege !!!
Tripod? Swellguy? Halfwit? Smegma?

Trad climber
Wanker Stately Mansion, Placerville
  Aug 28, 2015 - 07:35pm PT

Here is the beta for any aspiring maniacs wishing to tick the Swines In Flight (POAW)

The route is X. Despite the Norsk Galning's claims to "R"

Pitch 1:
Is dirty and uninspiring until the last 25 feet of steep beautiful, unprotected headwall with the final move being 10a, reachy and insecure. A fall here with 120 feet of rope out would be 60+ feet with dikes to hit. Probably non fatal (R/X?)

Pitch 2: I led and did a short 50 foot pitch to allow a belay out of the corner and for Chuck to lead to the top in one. It was 5.9 with a handicap bump of 2 letter grades for my impressive "dos zapatos izquierdos" feat of feet

Pitch 2.5/3
The first gear is 35 feet out and to get there requires (in our case) a 5.9 traversing move without hands on a pretty small dike. A fall from here is certain to crash onto big mean rocks and at least a maiming before bouncing and falling another 40' ("R/X" if less than 5 bones broken. "X" for drooling head injury or death which is quite possible)
The next 100 feet was quality and PG/R.
Then the traverse left for 12 feet on a sketchy nut and pull the roof 10a R.

The last 50 feet once above the roof starts easy and then ends up on horrible low angle blankish and filthy dirty overlapping small roofs with little gear. The last roof is 10 feet above a low ball with 140 feet of rope out on insecure moss/lichen covered slab roofs. Awful. A skate off the finishing moves (which would be simple to accomplish) would be a 40 feet IF the lowball slider nut held and 60+ if not. ("R/X" depending on how many dikes one hit on the great tumbling fall).

Enjoy the trip and don't forget to write
Tripod? Swellguy? Halfwit? Smegma?

Trad climber
Wanker Stately Mansion, Placerville
  Aug 28, 2015 - 05:09pm PT
BTW
what self important jack ass chopped the route that was thought to be Piggies retro bolted? Looks like it was Right of where we started and Left of the FA which makes it NOT Piggies. It was also a quality 10c mixed gear/bolt 90 foot route in a sea of over crowded East wall 5.8's
http://www.mountainproject.com/v/106161543
rick sumner

Trad climber
reno, nevada/ wasilla alaska
  Aug 28, 2015 - 08:21pm PT
You managed to enjoy all the runouts Aiden while avoiding the real crux on pitch 2.

Now that you've ticked that eliminate, with variations, your ready to take your two right shoes and do the 3rd ascent of Beer Can Alley. Couple of hints-I found Crawford, McConahie, and Smith yo-yoing the second ascent and if you liked the finish of piggies you'll love the finish of this routes second pitch. The 3- 1/4 inch protection bolts are 35 years old an undoubtedly in need of replacement so it could be viewed as sort of community improvement project
Norwegian

Trad climber
dancin on the tip of god's middle finger
Author's Reply  Sep 6, 2015 - 09:52pm PT
bullshite rick
we followed the route.

no avoiding nothing.
the route had a natural
flow to it, feature to feature,
cruxes quite obvious.

if we strayed,
then you completely
ignored the mountain's
brail on the first ascent.

we followed a plumb line
from the base to the summit,
varying slightly east
and west as the features dictated.

I take offense from
your implication
that we avoided the real crux.
our climbing was real 5.10
and quite heady.

I climb for the glory
and recognition,
and also for the great
physical and emotional challenges
that our game presents.

I think that either your
memory is straying towards
the verge,
or perhaps i'm the black
dots behind your closed
eyelids and somehow
I've tranced you
and now your hypnotized.

by the way this shouldn't
detract from our friendship.

rick sumner

Trad climber
reno, nevada/ wasilla alaska
  Aug 28, 2015 - 09:24pm PT
Don't get your knickers all in a bunch Chuck. Yes, you probably followed the braille up a natural path more than us. I'm just saying you started pitch one to the left of where we started and went straight up on pitch three where I moved right more to a tiny corner (interestingly Sal seemed to find the same path). Your line is more direct and still had all the same runouts. Once again, congratulations on a great (and newly improved) line.
Fuzzywuzzy

climber
suspendedhappynation
  Aug 28, 2015 - 10:05pm PT
Way to go.
johnr9q

Sport climber
Sacramento, Ca
  Aug 29, 2015 - 06:44pm PT
Aidan: John R here. Great you are back. Heard you were so tired getting your shoes on correctly was difficult. The drill is still charged up so you and I can go up and dumb Pigs down a bit. (Just like we did on you-know-what?
survival

Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
  Aug 29, 2015 - 08:35pm PT
Nice work gents!!
Reeotch

climber
4 Corners Area
  Aug 30, 2015 - 07:34pm PT
EEwwww, burly, nice one . . .
justthemaid

climber
Jim Henson's Basement
  Aug 31, 2015 - 06:04am PT
Awesome Weege.

"Two Left Feet" var. ;)
Jon Clark

climber
philadelphia
  Sep 2, 2015 - 05:03am PT
Good job dude.
Branscomb

Trad climber
Lander, WY
  Sep 2, 2015 - 06:44am PT
I did this puppy with Jeff Altenburg in the 1980s, late. Remember it was pretty heads up. We took our time and worked it out but it was pretty dicey. Nice work!
melski

Trad climber
bytheriver
  Sep 19, 2015 - 03:13pm PT
charged drill,,like on you know what,,sounds like some skeletons lurking about,,way to go,
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