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This pitch was memorable, if only for its "sandbaggedness". It runs up the left side of the White Circle next to Zodiac.
The Continuous Loop begins at the lower station which is next to my Crab-O-Ledge which you can see beneath and at right.
The turquoise lead rope comes up through the rivet where it is rebelayed with a long prusik and then up to the slippery overhand chain knot just right of my right toe.
The long purple sling is a Sliding X beneath which another blue sling is attached, and into this blue sling goes the fifi on the Solo Tag Rack.
You can click here to see another shot of the backup slipknot, and you can click here to read a more comprehensive explanation of the system.
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NOTE: The Continuous Loop with Double Tagging is a solo aid-climbing technique that should be attempted by EXPERTS ONLY!
If you blow it, you could possibly die.
However if you do it right, it can make your life a lot easier. But it's not for everyone, that's for sure.
First of all, you should click here to Ask Dr. Piton ... about the Solo Tag Rack, which is the heart of the Continuous Loop.
After that, you can Ask Dr. Piton .... about the Continuous Loop Method.
[Thanks to Travis [tenndawg] for his help in making a few changes, additions and notations to the drawing, and to Tom [apollodorus] for making it readable.]
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Wee-Wee the Big Wall Crab demonstrates the proper technique for climbing finger cracks.
Wee-Wee drawn by Elise
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Wee-Wee the Big Wall Crab comes out of free climbing retirement, and shows us how to sink a bomber hand jam. Er, uh, crab jam.....
Wee-Wee drawn by Elise
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One advantage to having six feet is that you can wear a shoe for most every style of climbing!
Wee-Wee the Big Wall Crab drawn by Elise
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When Wee-Wee the Big Wall Crab takes to the big wall, he's stylin'! I mean, like any fool can be uncomfortable, eh?
Wee-Wee the Big Wall Crab drawn by Elise
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Scary, eh?
Emerging after the storm on Excalibur from beneath my Fish Five-Season rain fly, the Better Way to stay dry!
Please click here to see a photo of Big Wall Portaledge Fly Theory. |
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Chris Falkenstein rappelled six hundred feet to get this photo high on the Southeast Face of El Cap during my solo ascent of Native Son. This is the Golden Nipple pitch, and you can see my pigs docked behind me.
Beyond is the sweeping vertiginous concavity of the North America Wall.
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We walked up to the base of Old Baldy one pristine spring morning in 1982, and I spied this line begging to be climbed.
It was actually John Kaandorp's turn to lead, but he balked at it, fearing the pro to be a bit thin.
"I'll have a go," I said. Fortunately it took a few small wires, and I managed to make it.
I climbed this route the way I feel a route should be climbed - from the ground up, on-sight, clean, and with no falls or rests on the rope.
A classic.
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This photo was taken in December, 1979 when a bunch of us from M.U.C.C.C. - the McMaster University Caving and Climbing Club - discovered, explored and surveyed the cave.
Perhaps two cumecs of crystal-clear water flows out the entrance, and we explored by swimming upstream barely afloat on mouth-inflated inner tubes.
This is one of the finest caving photos I've ever taken, and was used on the front cover of Caving International Magazine #11.
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This is photo #1 of 5.
Andria takes the sharp end for this, her First Trad Lead.
The route is Hai Karate on North Fin of Mt. Lemmon. You can see that she's leading on double 9's, the Better Way of trad climbing.
As Tree Hoser belays, her Wall Doctor dangles from his jugs on a fixed rope and checks that her placements are good. I was like taking pictures too, eh?
If you're wondering why this photo is a little on the small side, I have used it as part of a series of photos that is found in this post which honours the life of Andria Ligas. You can find more photos on pages 4, 6, 8 and 10 of this post.
Please click here to move to the next photo in the series. |
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This is photo #2 of 5. You can click here to return to photo #1.
This day was particularly memorable for Andria and me. Here's what she had to say:
"Woo Hoo!!! I couldn't be more excited to be able to say that this was my very first gear lead. It was one of the best climbing experiences of my life! It was a perfect first lead. There were plenty of options for placements,but the climbing was not too easy that it was even remotely dull. The views are stunning!"
You can click here to move to the next photo in the series. |
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This is photo #3 of 5. You can click here to return to photo #1.
I can only begin to tell you of the joy we shared this day!
Andria was totally jonesed - she was pumped! She sent the route in good style.
Right here was the moment she looked up at me and exclaimed, "I'm having so much fun!"
You can see the joy on her face as she climbs. I was her Wall Doctor, and I couldn't have been prouder.
You can click here to move to the next photo. |
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This is photo #4 of 5. You can click here to return to photo 1.
After cruising through the crux, there is a little kicker at the end, in the form of this off-width. The fact that Andria had never climbed an off-width before didn't bother her too much.
In this photo, you can see that she is wearing her beloved Andria Suit. After Andria died, Hillary scarfed the outfit. Andria would have expected no less. I can't wait to see Hillary climb in it. No doubt it'll feel bittersweet. {sigh}
You can click here to move to the last photo in the series.
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This is photo #5 of 5. You can click here to return to photo 1.
Cragchica tops out!
Afterwards I climbed another route nearby - sans etriers! - to take us to the summit. Then Andria and I rapped off the back, and she led us up a couple more.
What a great day!
And just look at Andria's smile! What a sweetie. I miss her. Lots. |
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I caught this monster 31 pound northern pike in 1998 up on Lake Athabasca in northern Saskatchewan with Lakers Unlimited.
At the time it was the Lodge Record.
The guide promised me, "the record will never stand. We'll break it next year for sure!"
As of the end of 2002 it still stands! You can click here to read about their latest season - close, but no cigar!
In 1998, my dad and I caught twelve northerns 20 pounds or more, including a 27 and 28. In 1997, we caught eight lake trout between 25 and 30 pounds. All these trophy fish, including this one, were live released, though we kept a few small ones for shore lunches each day.
This may be the best lake trout and northern fishing in the world! |
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I believe this photo was taken by Bobby Starke when he and Micah made their one-day ascent of Zodiac.
As they were blasting up, I was enjoying another pot of coffee one pitch below the Nine O'Clock Roof, which is on the left side of the White Circle.
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Do you ever "Rob Large it?"
I used to, but not any more. You can click here to understand what I mean by 'Rob Large-ing it.'
Check out the blue jeans, knotted slings [sewn ones didn't exist!] and the hex.
You can just see the orange toe of my Galibier Contacts, the hardest rubber you could find. In these days before retreads, when the toes wore out, I put my shoes on the opposite feet!
This photo was taken twenty-three years ago in 1980, but looks like it could have been taken yesterday. See all the chalk on my hands?? Me neither. I was part of the Clean Hands Gang.
My caving mentor Chas Yonge led the pitch. It's still a bold lead. My other caving mentor Tom Miller told me that I was now a better climber than him, at least above ground. |
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The Carpenter-Swago Cave System is one of West Virginia's finest. The Swago entrance follows the stream down a series of waterfalls to the master cave beneath.
The Carpenter Pit entrance is 150' deep, and slightly offset.
We've got five thirty-foot cable ladders coiled and ready for action. I sometimes prefer cable ladders for shorter pitches, but nowadays I would probably just SRT it.
The big hunk of Bluewater over Grog's shoulder is for belaying the top bit. I see there's a pulley there so we can belay from the bottom, too. I've got a coil of Goldline over my shoulder. Check out the carbide lamps on our construction helmets. I've got a proper helmet these days, but I still love my carbide! A nice cheery warm flame.
The photo was taken on August 2, 1980.
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This is photo #4 in a series of 32. You can click here
to
return
to Photo #1.
This friendly little guy was hanging around the El Cap Hilton looking
for a bit of room service in the form of a tasty rodent. I believe he is
a California "King" Snake, which is really a Milk Snake. Are there
any herpetologist taxonomists out there?
If you are interested in a picture of me holding a rattlesnake in
my bare hands, you can
click
here.
You can click here to
move
to the next photo in the show - a really superb photo of Tom's!
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This is photo #21 in a series of 32. You can click here
to
return
to Photo #1.
This thing had me a bit worried. It said A4 expando on the topo. When
I got up to it, it was a fairly normal-looking though awkward flake. Was
it A1, or was it A4?
[It's all A1 until you fall. - Tom]
There are two ways to look at an expanding flake - you can look from
below, or you can look from above. Believe me, it always looks
better from above!
It might look innocent enough in this photo - check out the cams and
the ground six- or seven-hundred feet beneath - but this bastard still packs
a punch, as you are about to read.
You can click here to
watch
me lead another A4 pitch through Tom's camera.
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