|
|
|
|
addiroids
Mar 14, 2004, 7:04 PM
Post #1 of 27
(6628 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 11, 2001
Posts: 1046
|
This trip report is full of facts, stating exactly what happened with the blatent honesty I am known for. I ain't one for flashy language so if I make you laugh then you are as demented as we are for liking aids climbing.
Zion National Park in March 6th and 7th (and 5th and 8th).
This is a trip report dedicated to Kate (Hypothetical Balls), the hardest badass aids climber chicky I have met. She styled Moonlight Buttress in cold winter conditions with Vegastradguy in fix and fire mode. She has soloed (can I spray for you?) Prodigal and Lunar Ex. I was lucky to not only get to do the route but to meet Kate and make some future suffering plans with her. Even after being on a wall for 2 days when I met her, her skin wasn't even oily. Soloing is so easy for she doesn't even sweat!!
Here's to you Kate:
So I get a call from Moabbeth (she loves Moab) saying that her partner bailed on her due to some drama that I won't go into here and that I was the only person she knew who knew how to aids climb. "Call in sick, I will drive the whole way but I have to go to Zion, pleeeaaaase?"
Well I don't exactly have the kind of jobs that I can just call in sick. My construction boss climbs (uhh dude, I don't feel good, I won't be able to work Thursday and Friday...by the way, can I borrow some Aliens?), and my personal training clients know I climb, and their fat loss on a treadmill comes before my fat loss on a wall. But I do manage to reschedule some clients on Friday and get ready to go.
My regular partner Bill and I were supposed to spend an entire week in Zion the weeks before but due to the entire western US being drenched in rain, we went ice climbing instead. That's a different story, but finally we had our aids climbing trip to zion. I call Bill to see if he wants to go. He does the responsible thing and leaves work early Friday around noon, picks me up and we drive to Josh to pick up Beth who had been climbing for 2 days in Josh. Beth, who said she "would drive the whole way" was "sobering up" from a hard day of climbing and drinking with John Long (woops, let me pick that up) and Jim Bridwell (damn, dropped another one, let me get that) and wasn't in any condition to drive.
http://www.rockclimbing.com/...p.cgi?Detailed=27736
She told me something interesting though:
According to Bridwell in his conversation with Beth, he told her that the black streaks on El Capitan were from the climbers peeing down the rock. Beth told me that Bridwell said this to her and since he has been up El Cap about 80 times more than I have I must believe him. After all he is Mr. Yosemite and knows his stuff. This seemed to be true since Beth heard it straight from The Bird (as he is known by Beth and his other good friends). I always thought it was discoloration formed from mineral deposits as a result of the runoff from the top of the rock. I'm glad he could set the record straight for us. Hmmm....
So we piled an entire weekend of aids climbing gear into the LUVMOAB (did I tell you she loves Moab?) Saturn (she said she would drive), Bill jumped in the drivers seat, I poured myself into the back seat with a pig on my lap and Beth jumped into the passenger seat with her good buddy Jose to dull the pain of losing her rope gun.
We had a little detour due to three out of the four of us in the car being half asleep and the fourth being half empty, but rolled into the Big Bend carpark around 2am Saturday morning. We had planned to do Moonlight Buttress, a beautiful route with 80% being perfect finger cracks with drywall for feet that was free climbed at high 5.12 by Peter Croft. This route usually takes the experienced and competent climber 2-3 days with hauling. Since we are neither experienced nor competent and didn't want to haul, we set the alarm for 4am. Now let me tell you about when Bill and I set the alarm for 4am. I am a lazy bastard who doesn't climb hard unless I am going to die if I fall. This translates into having a lead ability around 5.10b and a bouldering level around V5.8 (that's not V5-V8,but like V0----), and Bill lives 2 minutes from Pete's Coffee House in Santa Monica and is inoperable without coffee.
http://www.rockclimbing.com/...p.cgi?Detailed=27744
An earlier pic of Bill.
When we did the Prow in 9 hours base to base (total climbing time over two days after fixing to P3 the day before) we didn't wake up until 6:30am after the alarm going off at 4am and not wanting to be climbing when it's cold.
So here we are just sleeping by the car (illegal, but Zion rangers are cool, and didn't come by that night - DON'T ABUSE THIS COOLNESS IN ZION, BE COOL TO THEM AND DON'T BE DISRESPECTFUL!!!!), and two dudes from Kolorado come by. One is Sparky from here and I forgot the other's name. They woke us up and I hoped they weren't doing Moonlight, because this was the first good weekend in like 2 months and I assumed the park was going to be packed!! They were doing Prodigal, but got hosed by some hosers who Sparky and party let pass and were slow as crap. Nice guys they were, but maybe a little too nice. Fortunately they were on Spring Break and had the entire week in Zion. Good job guys, way to get wallitis early!!! Your social lives are now over!!
Moonlight Buttress (IV 5.9 [5.7 mandatory] C1F) F for fast
So we jump out of the sacks, pack up really quick, and run down the trail, across the chilly creek (surf booties Bill) and run up to the start. I had fixed to the Rocker Blocker a year ago with Smithclimber and bailed due to pouring rain that next morning, so had a bit of knowledge of the route. The plan was for me to lead and short fix the whole route, have Bill clean and Beth jug the tag line (10 mil) since it was her first wall. There was a fixed line to 2 (from Tim and Amber_chk - hi guys!) so I had Beth jug that while Bill and I did the first 2 alone. I freed all of P1 (5.9) and freed after the roof on P2, then kept my free shoes on the entire route - kind of painful and not necessary). We got to the Rocker Block and I started on the real climbing of the route. People, this route is absolutely beautiful and really easy to go fast on. It is 80% finger cracks that you can just fly with the Yosemite Speed Weapon. We didn't want to "go hauling" we wanted to "go climbing". You honesly do not have to take longer than 14 hours on this route. We did it in 9, we aren't strong, we aren't fast like Ammon (2 hours I think) we are just weekend warriors who read a bit about short fixing and don't have any down time at the belays.
http://www.rockclimbing.com/...p.cgi?Detailed=27742
So I am leading, almost getting a hard-on for the beauty of this climb, Bill is cleaning like a madman, and Beth is jugging her heart out (need another smoke?). We get past the "awkward" chimney on P5 which isn't so bad and "sports" a bolt right in the middle of it. This thing is protectable with a #4 camalot and isn't really that hard or awkward, doesn't anyone own anything over hand sized pieces anymore???
http://www.rockclimbing.com/...p.cgi?Detailed=27697
After the chimney is kind of a long pitch to the Party Ledge on 6 (I think) and as I am leading P7, I get hosed by Beth on the short fixed white line for about 5 minutes. No offense to her just the facts. I hate jugging a free hanging line. It's scary and hard and scary and scary. She did well the entire climb and that was the only time it came tight! So it gave me a nice 5 minute break because I was getting tired. After the belay on P7 starting the "big nut" pitch, I hit the wall. I was freaking knackered. You step back left into the crack you were just on and it's still damn vertical. I am dehydrated and cramping so our pace slowed a bit. Kate lead this pitch to the top (she might have split it into 2) in the dark in the cold - I gained even more respect for her after being wasted and not wanting to top step anymore. Bill did what a good partner did and made me drink and eat since I had been just going and going as fast as I could. He put me on belay and I took off on the big nut pitch.
http://www.rockclimbing.com/...p.cgi?Detailed=27739
I regained a bit of strength and placed the only 3 nuts on the whole climb, then more YSW up to the buldge.
http://www.rockclimbing.com/...p.cgi?Detailed=27745
I freed and french freed after aiding the 10b buldge at about 5.8-9 (free this, it's protectable and fingers to hands), then went up the final 5.7 slab placing a red metolius and a #2 camalot for pro (make it 5.7, you have to wander left and right about 10 feet). We all came up, took the summit pictures, and headed down the trail.
Bill and I ran, trying to get a good ctc time, and Beth walked. Kate met us on the trail and we slowed to a walk with her and her buddy Ferret from Chi-town. She said she had watched us on the last half and was impressed with my speed. I told her I wasn't moving too fast there and was dead tired, but I guess short fixing just looks fast. It was a big compliment coming from her. Made me happy for sure. I am totally suprised we could climb that fast, but I felt more tired than The Prow although 5 minutes after being on top, you recouperate quickly. Beth caught up and Kate gave us a ride back to the carpark. She and Ferret went off to have dinner, and we de-racked, and headed to Bit and Spur for some burritos.
Spaceshot (IV 5.6 C2 for 30 feet then C1)
That night we bivied by the approach to Prodigal Son and the Kolorado Kids came walking by around 9am, again waking us up (gee you guys are better than alarm clocks) to try to get back on PS. They ended up bailing just after the morons they let pass came back with the same story that the KK's had about someone being slow ahead of them. If you are going to pass, be fast about it and don't spoil the first half of some kids spring break by being a moron and saying that they were the reason you bailed.
Bill was already up and begging for some coffee. I started the stove, and he told me about his alarm clock. He was bivied a little ways away from the car on the cement. A ranger came up to him and with a "gee-you-climbers-are-wierd" grin on his face said, "That concrete looks a bit hard son. Why didn't you just get a motel? Which car are you with?" Bill looked over to the 4 black cars/trucks in the carpark and said, "The black one." To which the ranger replied, "I think it's time for you to get up now. Have a good climb." No ticket, no nightstick across the knees ala The Tool, no further interrogation as to why his breathmint that was laying next to him was not properly stored in an approved bear resistent container. Just a polite guy who is still human. Much better than the Police State of YosemiteLand and the National Pavement Service. I will say that we did the wrong thing by sleeping by the cars (you aren't supposed to sleep at the base of your climb, only on the wall) but the rangers were cool. Please don't do what we did, and get out of sight. Just go down by the river on the way to Prodigal.
So it's 10am and we are racking up. I say it's Bill's turn to be leader so he can get faster. Beth opts out of the climbing for the day since we were starting a route that usually takes people 2 days to climb at 10am. She says she will just hang out, repack the car, and give us 2 horn honks if she is ready to go home, and 1 honk if she met a hot guy. These honk signals will come to haunt us as we are topping out later...stay tuned (remember just the facts).
We grab the rack (about double the weight of MB rack, but we took almost the right stuff, needed more #2's and a bit fewer big stuff) and walk by the easy start because Bill knows it's farter left. After schwacking for a few minutes, we decide the FA'ist knew more than us and go back to the real start. Bill leads the 2 free pitches, the bolt ladder, and the tricky C2 before the belay on 3 (bolts about 10 feet above a sloping ledge - thanks for the hanging belay guys). I take over from 3 1/2 because it is like 1pm and we have a lot more climbing to go.
I look like a total gumby when right out of the belay I am almost shut down by the "tricky nut" placement. Boys and girls, this thing is eroded. The C2 is totally out of character for the rest of the climb. I try like 3 times for a nut, then end up top stepping to get a yellow Alien with only 1 and 1/2 cams in. Damn those things are amazing!!! After that nonsense we are back to aiding beautiful 5.10+ thin hands (orange alien) for a pitch then beautiful 5.10- hands. I ran it out a lot because we only had 4 #2 camalots and used 2 on the aiders. I made the idiotic mistake of short-short fixing myself because on Pitch 5 I just didn't feel like pulling all the rope up, but Bill cleaned fast. The shadows are getting a bit long and we are going fast as we can. I am taking like 3 seconds per piece leapfrogging like a madman and running it 40' between pro. Almost fast as free climbing and 1/4 of the effort since it is overhanging a bit, but you are handjamming and standing in aiders. I will free this next time, but thought I was going to be tired from the previous day, so decided to aid it...fast. Around this time we hear something...
HONK HONK. HONK HONK.
"GET YOUR FVCKING ASSES DOWN HERE!!!"
HONK HONK. HONK HONK.
"YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO BIVY ON THE TOP!!! DO YOU WANT ME TO LEAVE?!?!?"
Apparently she had talked to some gumby who said if you top out in the dark that you can't find the raps and will have to bivy. They don't know that we live for stuff like this. You aren't trad climbing unless you are rapping in the dark. We even cheated, we had one headlamp. In the very fading light (I had like 4 minutes to spare) I found the rap tree.
Well so much for a peaceful outing in our National Parks System. Hey at least it isn't the beep beep beep of the garbage trucks in the Valley. We kindly request she not leave since she is our ride home and we top out and run down to find the tree which marks the start of the 5 or so raps. She did have to work at 3pm in LA the next day, so we hurried. We get there right at dark and fortunately Bill has a headlamp. We simul-rap it all since Bill is the only one smart enough to bring a headlamp on a Grade IV that we don't start until 10:00am. We rap the first one (the exposed slab is...exposed) for about 120 feet, coil the rope, walk about 100 yards right to a 8' wide right facing flake with a chimney behind it. This is the one shown on the topo that look like it is going over a huge arch. Being pitch black dark and being complete pvssies we tension it way right not wanting to rap over a roof. We see the station on a 4' ledge just as the little bush holding my rope to the right gives way and I start quickly moving over to Bill.
http://www.rockclimbing.com/...p.cgi?Detailed=27746
Rap this to what you think in the dark is the ground, coil the ropes, walk (2nd-3rd class not exposed at least not in the dark:) down and right 100' to a 3' diameter tree, rap this with 2 ropes down a left facing chimney to an obvious station, then down a waterfall to the ground. Head away from the cliff at about 10 o'clock (if looking straight out at 10 o'clock) to the road. We got back to the car around 7pm and woke Beth up.
Just then a ranger came by, asked us if we were okay due to being attracted to the situation about 2 hours earlier by the honking and screaming, we assured her we were fine. She then asked if the guys behind us who were biving around 4 looked like they had bivy gear and weren't going get cold and if we thought they were prepared to spend the night...
WAIT A MINUTE...A RANGER CARING FOR THE WELFARE OF CLIMBERS?!?!?
Well I guess this isn't the Valley, and all the rangers there, "are aspiring bigwall climbers since we work here". We assured her that they hadn't started until noon, were hauling, and could assume they had it together. They were moving fast for hauling and they seemed competent.
So Beth drove us about 30 min down the road, started to get sleepy, then Bill took over. Beth and I got a bit of sleep while Bill drove. We rolled into Josh around 3am, de-racked, Beth went to sleep at a local's house, Bill drove me back to Palm Springs, and headed back to Santa Monica arriving at 7am after almost nodding off in rush hour traffic, and started work around noon. I got a shower, 1 hour of sleep then got up at 6:00am and went to construction at 7:00am assuring my boss that I will give him back his Aliens as soon as I have some time. Got off work around 2:30pm started training people at 4pm, finished at 9pm still with energy (clients couldn't believe it) and then crashed. Didn't have time to derack until Thursday. Great times.
Here's what I learned from doing 5 days of climbing in 17 hours:
1) Beth is better and less scared at jugging a free hanging line than me. She did great and probably had it harder than me since MB was dead vertical and she was jugging texas style instead of with a gri-gri. Being her first wall, she showed great tenacity and hung with it hour to hour. Also, she has a priapism (look it up kids) for Moab. If anyone else says they like Moab, point them in Beth's general direction. Just tell them to look for the little black Saturn with the Yates sticker on it and the LUVMOAB plates. Let her tell you how much she loves Moab. I guarentee she can and will do it better than me.
2) Bill is a super solid partner and driver. He may be a bit slow at lead, but the man can clean very quick, keeps everything organized and was a HUGE help to both me and Beth teaching her how to leave the belay, do lower outs, and basically doing all the work that I didn't have time to do while on lead. He was a great addition to the trip and I am very very very glad he came along. I really enjoy climbing with him and look forward to many walls with him in the future. I am so glad I have met someone who actually knows his sh!t and isn't some "yeah I trad climb, but I enjoy all types of climbing" usually meaning "I have placed 3 cams in my lifetime and usually hang on bolts all day, you wanna go to New Jack?". Bill has climb the Eiger and spend a summer in Chamonix, leads WI4, has been aids climbing for like 10 years, has climbed all over the USA, and leads 5.9-10a. He knows how to suffer and enjoys it and can keep his head when things start to turn.
3) Big muscles are worthless for climbing. Both Bill and I train a lot, have fairly descent muscles , and we just get worked every day we go out. Put 180 pounds up against 150 pounds and the smaller guy will pull harder every time. But who can haul better?...wait, we didn't even haul. For speed walls, lighter is better. Not only in gear but in rear. But I am a Personal Trainer and I kind of have to look big.
http://www.rockclimbing.com/...p.cgi?Detailed=27748
4) I have speed wallitis. The only cure is to do the NIAD in May and possibly the Salathe over Easter in 2 days. Uhh, Easter, that's like 4 weeks. Maybe I had start training a bit harder since I am getting worked on 9 pitch climbs.
5) Short fixing and leading in blocks is ETS (to use a Pete expression). It makes you go so fast, the leader only hauls if she HAS to (bag may get stuck), the cleaner hauls saving the leader the energy to go up. That's how you go fast, you go up. You don't sit at belays waiting for something to happen. It's not hard, anyone can do it, and you don't have to modify your gri-gri to do it. I am a total bumbly, not even close to being hard, and I am able to figure it out. Hell, I even dropped out of medical school and I figured it out. You spend like 3 minutes at each belay fixing ropes, eating and drinking, then you are off. It does help to tag on lead rather than pull all the tag rope up at the belay if you don't have to. It is nice to have that umbilical cord to your cleaner if you need something. You really never need to fix the tag line to the station either unless it may get eaten. The Yosemite Speed Weapon is the only way to go also.
http://www.rockclimbing.com/...p.cgi?Detailed=27816
6) Both Bill and I would have been absolutely worked had we spend a whole week in Zion. My cuticals were damaged, my fingernails had worn down, and my skin hurt from finger jamming so much on Moonlight Buttress. Thanks Mother Nature for making us go ice climbing instead. It is a different kind of suffering than aids climbing. Basically I am a pvssy that just happens to pull stuff off in acceptable style.
I think this was my favorite climbing trip. I got to climb two amazing routes, I suffered a bit, and I didn't have to stand on a chopped out ledge while Bill played target practice with my face.
TRADitionally yours,
Cali Dirtbag
P.S. Please feel free to offer any words of wisdom below about how I can make my TR's a bit better, my climbing a bit faster, or my boldness a bit more bold. Or just heckle me. I don't care.
I'm working on getting pictures back from Bill and Beth. I will try to link the ones I have now. Give me a day or so.
|
|
|
|
|
drkodos
Mar 15, 2004, 12:51 AM
Post #2 of 27
(6628 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 21, 2002
Posts: 2935
|
Excellent report. Great read. Just as smooth as you are Paul.
The only thing I could ever suggest is......PICS!!
But then, I am a voyeur...
good job on those routes, too. 8)
|
|
|
|
|
maculated
Mar 15, 2004, 12:56 AM
Post #3 of 27
(6628 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 23, 2001
Posts: 6179
|
Paul sucks!!! He sucks! He can't write and he can't climb!!!
|
|
|
|
|
calamity_chk
Mar 15, 2004, 12:59 AM
Post #4 of 27
(6628 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Apr 23, 2002
Posts: 7994
|
paul - i'm proud and jealous all at once. BUT, fear not - i'll be rectifying the situation and doing the line in better style soon. yay!
i'm no speed demon and certainly not nearly as badass as kate, but i'm falling in love with aid climbing nonetheless. pm sometime and let's do a tower or something.
|
|
|
|
|
calamity_chk
Mar 15, 2004, 1:04 AM
Post #5 of 27
(6628 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Apr 23, 2002
Posts: 7994
|
In reply to: stating exactly what happened with the blatent honesty I am known for.
*gasp*
nooo! say it aint so.
|
|
|
|
|
vegastradguy
Mar 15, 2004, 1:11 AM
Post #6 of 27
(6628 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Aug 28, 2002
Posts: 5919
|
Excellent report....brings back memories of the dark. It was very dark that night.....
|
|
|
|
|
flamer
Mar 15, 2004, 6:56 AM
Post #7 of 27
(6628 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 22, 2002
Posts: 2955
|
HaHa you said priprism.
I'm of the opinion that the walls are harder in zion then in the valley.
Having climbed a couple in both places I always feel WAY more worked in Zion.
Good stuff bro.
josh
|
|
|
|
|
ammon
Mar 15, 2004, 7:11 AM
Post #8 of 27
(6628 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Feb 27, 2004
Posts: 220
|
Nice trip report, Paul.
That's awesome, when you called me and said you were going to Zion you didn't tell me you were going to blitz two walls while there.
Congrats and a good job to all involved.
Cheers, Ammon
|
|
|
|
|
dirtineye
Mar 15, 2004, 12:31 PM
Post #9 of 27
(6628 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Mar 29, 2003
Posts: 5590
|
IT almost makes me want to aid something besides a roof. Taht sucks about the bolt right next to a placement!
Hey did the pictures not work for anyone else?
Sounds like that area is great in more ways than one. This is the first time I ever heard anyone praising the rangers so much.
Thanks for the heads up on the report paul.
|
|
|
|
|
flamer
Mar 16, 2004, 1:49 AM
Post #10 of 27
(6628 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 22, 2002
Posts: 2955
|
In reply to: Taht sucks about the bolt right next to a placement!
Ok just to clear this up.
The bolt that is in the chimney IS NOT a retro-job.
It was installed on the first ascent...why??
Because they belayed there!! That's right when the first ascent was done they actually stopped and belayed in the middle of that chimney!!
The evolution of that route has changed the location of several other belays as well.
The bolt was replaced with a modern expansion bolt.
I'm definitely not one for retro-bolts....but this isn't one.
Good TR Paul!!! I'm glad you had a *blast* in zion!!
josh
|
|
|
|
|
addiroids
Mar 16, 2004, 7:24 AM
Post #11 of 27
(6628 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 11, 2001
Posts: 1046
|
Whoa talk about a confining belay. I thought it was retro because I read a report about "there is a hook hole to help you bypass the chimney" and if there had been a bolt at that time since it is on the same level as the now blown out hook hole that they would have said there was a bolt there. Maybe it was chopped for a year or two and replaced later. I sure wouldn't want to change over there and have the pig all hanging out in that chimney. That would have been murder.
I'm glad there are people out there who know more about stuff than I do.
TRADitionally yours,
Cali Dirtbag
|
|
|
|
|
mokingfetid
Mar 17, 2004, 4:11 PM
Post #12 of 27
(6628 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Apr 10, 2003
Posts: 10
|
In reply to: Apparently she had talked to some gumby who said if you top out in the dark that you can't find the raps and will have to bivy. They don't know that we live for stuff like this. You aren't trad climbing unless you are rapping in the dark.
gumby- noun
1. someone who still thinks raps in the dark are cool
2. someone who brags about doing a grade IV in one day
|
|
|
|
|
flamer
Mar 18, 2004, 12:53 AM
Post #13 of 27
(6628 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 22, 2002
Posts: 2955
|
gumby- noun
1. someone who still thinks raps in the dark are cool
2. someone who brags about doing a grade IV in one day
D!CKHEAD- noun
1.Someone who's new to this site and already wants to play flame games.
2.Someone who wants to rain on another person's parade- and may very well feel the wrath of the storm.
Step off buddy.
josh
|
|
|
|
|
veilneb
Mar 18, 2004, 2:21 AM
Post #14 of 27
(6628 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 11, 2001
Posts: 189
|
Great read!
Bumpti-di bump bump.
|
|
|
|
|
addiroids
Mar 19, 2004, 4:20 AM
Post #15 of 27
(6628 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 11, 2001
Posts: 1046
|
Profile: Fill it out a$$munch.
Spray: I will try for the NIAD over Easter.
Fun: Anything besides climbing.
Suffering: Speed climbing. See also Ice Climbing.
Grade IV: A route that takes a competent party a LONG day. Moonlight has taken people 3 days, we did it in 9 hours. No block changeover. I lead all pitches. I am not bragging, I was totally suprised we could do it in that time. If I were to spray, I would say this stuff in a PROUD manner, instead I say it in a SUPRISED manner. We also got 2 hrs of sleep the night before. Fun times.
If you think you can do better, I would love to climb with you. I am always looking at learning new things and getting faster/more efficient.
Thanks for your post though. Have fun climbing dude, or at least tell your friends it was fun.
TRADitionally yours,
Cali Dirtbag
|
|
|
|
|
holdplease2
Mar 19, 2004, 4:28 AM
Post #16 of 27
(6628 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 18, 2002
Posts: 1733
|
Mokingfetid:
Trip reports are about sharing your experiences...Sure, Paul, Bill and Beth did the route in a day, but Paul also talked about aspects of the climb like being really tired and saying that aspects of the climb were hard.
The team did a great job...and if writing a trip report about doing the climb in a day makes one a gumby...then
WTF would you like to say to those of us that write about doing it in 2 days? and those of us who are proud to have done it in 3
How long did it take you? Does it even matter?
Go F yourself.
-Kate.
|
|
|
|
|
gravitysucks
Mar 19, 2004, 10:21 AM
Post #17 of 27
(6628 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 11, 2002
Posts: 147
|
In reply to: "You aren't trad climbing unless you are rapping in the dark."
[indigo]
my heart goes out to:
1) any climber chicky that looks fabulous sweaty and/ or soling.
II) any climber dude that a) sprays for a climber chicky about her mad skills without belittling said skills by simultaneously mentioning also her general desirable, ripe sassiness due to being clad in a pair of black lycra climbing shorts or 2) pulls pad duty on pavement
and D) anyone that can use "priaprism" AND introduce me to 2 new climbing verbs in the same TR: "schwacking" and "de-racking"...Paul, you're a poet. gonna steal those too...[/indigo]
|
|
|
|
|
mokingfetid
Mar 19, 2004, 3:56 PM
Post #18 of 27
(6628 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Apr 10, 2003
Posts: 10
|
Touchy, touchy, the whole lot of you. Now I’m sure you guys did a great job and had a great time on your climbs. I like to see people get up and off of those climbs in a day so that others can enjoy them without having to wait in long lines. I even think that fixing and firing is just fine. You're still moving fast. Remember that the flaming started with
In reply to: Apparently she had talked to some gumby who said if you top out in the dark that you can't find the raps and will have to bivy. They don't know that we live for stuff like this. You aren't trad climbing unless you are rapping in the dark. |
|
|
|
|
holdplease2
Mar 19, 2004, 4:45 PM
Post #19 of 27
(6628 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 18, 2002
Posts: 1733
|
Well awwwright, then. Thats a little more pleasant. :)
At the end of the day, its allllll about the :)
-Kate.
|
|
|
|
|
crotch
Mar 19, 2004, 6:33 PM
Post #20 of 27
(6628 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jan 16, 2003
Posts: 1277
|
In reply to: I thought it was retro because I read a report about "there is a hook hole to help you bypass the chimney" and if there had been a bolt at that time since it is on the same level as the now blown out hook hole that they would have said there was a bolt there. Maybe it was chopped for a year or two and replaced later. I sure wouldn't want to change over there and have the pig all hanging out in that chimney. That would have been murder.
Before the bolt got replaced with a new shiny, it was a star-dryvin ( I think) that stuck about an 1" out of the hole and was easily moved with your fingers. I don't think the bolt was ever not there. There is a hook move possible in a pod below the bolt. That pod also takes the big purple alien.
Congrats on a sweet weekend of climbing. Proud.
|
|
|
|
|
addiroids
Mar 27, 2004, 7:14 AM
Post #21 of 27
(6628 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 11, 2001
Posts: 1046
|
In reply to: Us gumbies were just showing a little concern for Beth who said she had to be out of there by 6PM, and it sure didn't look like you were going to be back down by six.
Dude, no offense to her, but she had to work at 3pm the next day. I had to work at 6am the next morning. I got home at 5am, worked 8 hours of construction, then worked out, then trained people until 9pm that night. Our leaving time of 6pm was just kind of wishful thinking.
TRADitionally yours,
Cali Dirtbag
|
|
|
|
|
overlord
Mar 27, 2004, 1:38 PM
Post #22 of 27
(6628 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 14120
|
tahts a great TR with good pics. nice job.
|
|
|
|
|
bouldertom
Apr 14, 2004, 2:02 AM
Post #23 of 27
(6628 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Aug 4, 2003
Posts: 140
|
My most fervent wish is that if I ever climb something worthy of a TR, that it can approach this one. Awesome writing, awesome climbs, and awesome pictures.
|
|
|
|
|
cragmaster
Apr 14, 2004, 2:21 AM
Post #24 of 27
(6628 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Mar 25, 2004
Posts: 76
|
Hey dude! (addiroids)
I was with sparky when we woke you and beth up on sat. morning. i finally got a name at RC.com. Glad you enjoyed the trip. Great trip report. We didn't end up making it up any big wall climb, after prodigal sun, we tried space shot only to get stuck behind another party moving slowly...oh well. At least we have a better idea of what to expect for bigwall the next time we go. Keep climbing and have fun!
-John
|
|
|
|
|
moabbeth
Apr 14, 2004, 3:13 AM
Post #25 of 27
(6628 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 22, 2002
Posts: 1786
|
Some clarifications....**and edited to separate some facts from fiction***
I thought you guys were getting there around 3pm, not 6p :wink: ! I left the park around 1:30 to await you at the boys' place. Eventually I got bored slacklining, reading old Climbing mags and playing with the border collie so knocked back a few Natty Ices. :lol: :lol:.
However Paul, you know I wasn't doing any climbing in the park that day, with JL, JB or anyone. Why?? Because you know all my gear was in Vegas in Kate's truck. You even helped me track it down. So I'm not sure why you'd say I was climbing with JL cause you know that was impossible. Hell, I had to borrow a pair of shoes to simply boulder and ended up just playing with the hulahoop at a friend's campsite in HVCG for an hour.
But I've never met JL in person and surely didn't/have not ever had the pleasure to climb with him as you stated. I talked to him on the phone once only - it was that afternoon and it was about Levitation 29....I did that climb the weekend before and had a couple questions about it's FA it from the master himself (he did the FA) while the route was still fresh in my head, that was pretty much it. I do not know him otherwise, and only told you about the call because I'd *just* talked to him when you arrived and was giddy as a schoolgirl that I actually spoke to someone that I hold in such very very high regard (especially as a writer in addition to his climbing accomplishments). As for Bridwell, he wasn't there that day either and you knew that. The story about Zodiac came up cause you guys were talking about streaks on it and I recalled a tipsy conversation about those streaks from the last time I'd seem him at the house a month prior. And as for the Zodiac piss stains, I think it was JB but am not 100% and even said that....it was one of those longtime hardmen types who told me the story. And alcohol can sometimes blur which of them is speaking since their stories are always pretty colorful:lol: :lol: :lol: .
Other than those errors about me in your story, your tales of climbing in your TR were nice. You did a fine job and have a lot to be proud of.
But it would have been nice if you'd given me some props for re-loading everyone's sheeit into that poor car Sunday so that we could roll as soon as you got off the route. It took several hours of packing and unpacking to make it all fit. And if you remember, you said that Friday morning that since Bill was going to be joining us, that we should take your truck. Cool I thought, that'll hold us all. So when you guys rolled up in JT and said "oh, we can't take my truck, we gotta take your car" I was kinda suprised, cause it barely holds 2 people and their loads let alone three. How the hell we got everything into that car is a total mystery. :P I have a whole new respect for my poor little car after that.
And yes Paul, you are a speedmaster. :wink:. Despite your use of creative enhancement of the facts to make me more interesting at the start of your story, you did a fine job leading MB and I have given you nothing but the highest praise on it to everyone who's asked about our trip up it. You and Bill were fine wall partners and I was in great hands the entire time and learned a lot, and appreciate the time we spent there greatly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1
