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phaedrus
Jul 15, 2005, 6:53 PM
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Lynn Hill has made a one-day free ascent of the West Face route of Leaning Tower in Yosemite National Park; her partner, Katie Brown, freed the climb's crux pitches over a couple of days. Brown recruited Hill as a partner after working on the lower part of the route with Adam Stack. The two worked on the climb for two days,rested for two days, and then went for the ascent. Hill topped out after dark; they returned later so Brown could free the final 5.12 pitch.
http://www.terragalleria.com/...untain/bigw3432.jpeg
http://www.mountain.ru/...ynnHill/lynn3_hr.jpg
Lynn Hill
http://www.solomax.com/photos/katie_brown.jpg
Katie Brown
The West Face, normally rated A2 (V 5.7 C2F), goes at 5.13b A0, the free variation starts atop the 200-foot bolt ladder at the base of the wall and has five pitches of 5.12 or 5.13. A reach problem on the free version of the fifth pitch above Guano Ledge forced the two to free the original aid line via a hard boulder problem.
http://www.climbing.com
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grayhghost
Jul 15, 2005, 7:25 PM
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" Lynn Hill and Katie Brown Free Leaning Tower"
"the free variation starts atop the 200-foot bolt ladder"
clarify please.
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crotch
Jul 15, 2005, 7:31 PM
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All of my free ascents have some aid in them too. I freed the S.F. of Washington's Column. It went at 5.8 C1. :wink:
Nice job on a hard send, but let's be honest, Leaning Tower has yet to be freed.
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theishofoz
Jul 15, 2005, 7:35 PM
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my bud corb was tellin me about it, he was following right behind them the whole way. sounds pretty sick
as for the bolt ladder, consider it the last bit of the approach :D
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pmyche
Jul 15, 2005, 7:47 PM
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Bogus report. They climbed the Westie Face Route. Use your edit button.
After Lynn's herculean display on the Nose, I expected better than stringing fixed lines up the Tower for days on end. Leo did the FA on-sight in a push, I believe.
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grayhghost
Jul 15, 2005, 8:05 PM
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you believe wrong.
"Below is an article I wrote for On the Edge and short piece with the facts. Perhaps there might be something of use to you in there.
Yes it is true that my Tower exploits began with an aborted solo attempt of Wet Denim. I was gonna do it an a push but after leading the pitch off Ahwahnee I decided that aid climbing was "Like climbing without all the good bits" so I turned my attention to the beautiful ramp pitch on the West face. Jason Pickles and Javier Sepulveda were aiding the West Face so I teamed up with them and just failed to onsight the ramp that same afternoon. Free climbing is my thing.
The roof is on of the wildest clip-up's I have ever done.
The route is of Astroman quality but a couple of numbers harder.
THE WESTIE FACE
The first free ascent of the West face of the Leaning tower by Leo Houlding and Jason Pickles
On Wednesday 16th May 2001 Jason Pickles and I made the first free ascent of the West Face of the Leaning tower. First climbed by Warren Harding in 1953 with a heavy use of bolts, Royal Robbins called the Tower "the steepest wall in North America".
Comparable in angle to Kilnsey North Buttress but a thousand feet high … you get the picture!
Harding’s rusty bolts were replaced by the American safe climbing association in 1997, good work boys.
The initial insanely steep bolt ladder remains an aid pitch and will never go free (so prove me wrong). The free climbing begins where the bolt ladder ends at a small ledge in a shallow, steep groove. The crux pitch a 160 foot, 5.13b (E7 6c) leads one on to the Ahwahnee ledge. A five star perch named after the exclusive Hotel in the Valley.
An unusual hanging ramp pitch then a full sixty metre stamina fest, both around 5.12c bring you to the big roof. It’s size is deceptive but whenyou pull into the back of it it’s scale is clear. About twenty feet of horizontal laybacking then another twenty feet of bridging up a forty five degree overhanging groove. Every hold a jug, the it’s a wild pitch. Extremly exposed E6 6c(5.13a).
A final typically steep corner completes the outstanding, sustained route. The increadible view of El Cap from obtained the summit makes the final mantle perhaps the most spectacular topout in the world.
Achievable in a day and of a semi-sport natrue this route is set to become a classic of its grade.
Several days later we made the fastest aid ascent of the same route whilst retrieving a jammed rope. 1 hour 59 minutes sheds a considerable 1.20 off the previous speed record. The same afternoon Jason caught his bus out of the Valley.
The next afternoon Jason Singer and I climbed the Nose of El Capitan. Leaving the café at 12 noon, without head torches we began climbing at 12.40. On the third pitch I narrowly avoided a monster fall by catching a tiny ledge 10 feet into the 120 foot screamer! Not the best way to start a speed ascent. In our fifth hour we passed a party who was on their fifth day. Topping out at 7.42 we made it down just before dark. "
-Leo Holding
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jcinco
Jul 15, 2005, 9:02 PM
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Since when does repeating a free climb in worse style than the FFA become "World Climbing News"?
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jpdreamer
Jul 15, 2005, 9:16 PM
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In reply to: Since when does repeating a free climb in worse style than the FFA become "World Climbing News"?
It seems like Hill did the first 1 day free ascent. Furthermore, she freed part of the original aid line which wasn't part of the free variation. While perhaps not "World Climbing News", I certainly wouldn't call it in worse style.
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jcinco
Jul 15, 2005, 10:03 PM
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In reply to: In reply to: Since when does repeating a free climb in worse style than the FFA become "World Climbing News"? It seems like Hill did the first 1 day free ascent. Furthermore, she freed part of the original aid line which wasn't part of the free variation.
Fair enough about the variation. Maybe I missed something, but from what I read it was not the first one-day ascent.
In reply to: While perhaps not "World Climbing News", I certainly wouldn't call it in worse style.
Some would beg to differ, esp. regarding the stringing of fixed ropes for quite some time.
Props to Lynn and Katie for a good send, but adding a slight variation doesn't seem newsworthy. Seems that the cult of celebrity is what has people oohing and aahing on this one.
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caughtinside
Jul 15, 2005, 10:04 PM
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In reply to: Seems that the cult of celebrity is what has people oohing and aahing on this one.
Well, the mags gotta print something. And they like brand names.
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gunked
Jul 15, 2005, 10:11 PM
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I was a bit blown away by the title thinking that WFLT had been completely freed. That would have been pretty amazing news considering I remember Leo Houlding mentioning something about the first bit may never go free.
I'm pretty psyched that Lynn and Katie repeated the existing route. No small feat by any means. They're amazing climbers!
Congrats to the both of them!
-Jason
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rufusandcompany
Jul 15, 2005, 10:59 PM
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Lynn is in her mid-forties and still free climbing 5.13 big walls. That is news worthy. My question to all you cyber-climbing critics is: what have you done lately? Lighten up. Go out there and show us what you can do.
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vivalargo
Jul 16, 2005, 1:41 AM
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For a minute there I was thinking those girls had freed that first stretch of bolts and I knew the only way that was possible was through jack hammer chissling or glue ons. Glad the free ascent was from the top of those bolts. If those pitches had been on the ground, behind Camp 4, they would have gone long ago.
But that´s a great effort for the two girls.
JL
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rufusandcompany
Jul 16, 2005, 4:38 AM
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Drector, if you read all of the comments, you will recognize the ones at which I directed mine. I wasn't speaking to erroneous reporting.
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watersprite
Jul 17, 2005, 5:08 PM
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how old is she!!!!???? come on, guys give it up for Lynn Hill~~ (omfg)
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moabbeth
Jul 18, 2005, 1:00 AM
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Yeah. Leo did it at what, 19? She did it at about 44. Yeah they had ropes up for awhile. Yeah it's been "freed" before. Lynnie is out there kicking ass and climbing 5.13 walls. I will never be able to do what she did in my lifetime. And she just had a kid a year or so ago. That alone on a woman takes a certain physical toll. But not our Lynn.
Katie's half her age and it took her longer to work the cruxes. No disrespect to Katie since she did a proud route, but Lynn.....she's the goddess of all female climbing. Seems like there's nothing that woman CAN'T do. :P
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dsafanda
Jul 19, 2005, 4:52 PM
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In reply to: Seems like there's nothing that woman CAN'T do. :P
Well apparently, "she CAN'T" free the West Face. :wink:
I don't think anyone is disparaging the talents of Lynn Hill. I think people are just getting tired of this media perpetuated notion that somehow the first two hundred feet of this route don't count when one makes claims of fee climbing it.
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rockorchidrhapsody
Aug 1, 2005, 6:02 AM
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Congrats to Lynn Hill AND Katie Brown...amazing any way you look at it. Props to the ladies who do what they love to do!!
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drylander
Aug 2, 2005, 2:07 AM
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He is flexing too!
Staged... yes,
Funniest shit I have ever seen... yes
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drylander
Aug 2, 2005, 2:12 AM
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She also has written a huge story on it at her the blog for Lynn Hill
LynnHillBlogs.com
It is long, I read it this morning during work. It is worth a read. Has the pictures from her site incorporated so you can see the moves she is talking about.
I want to go to Yosemite so bad right now....
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climbingnurse
Aug 2, 2005, 6:05 PM
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Teehee! I'm in Vegas right now about to catch a flight to Sacramento. I should be in the Valley in about 5 hours!!!
Guess what I'm doing tomorrow? Starting up WFLT!!!! :twisted: :D :shock: :D :D :D
Of course, my sorry ass won't be freeing it. And I definitely won't be getting it done in a day.
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flipnfall
Aug 2, 2005, 6:53 PM
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Reading this just made me feel like the biggest whimp.
Too cool, though.
GT
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