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pope

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  1. pope

    Big Lou

    Just finished reading Lou whitaker's book for the second time. You know the one. What a life. I mean, some of the stories in there make the guy seem larger than life. We all know about the Denali rescue where he and brother Jim picked up the chopper (which couldn't produce any lift at that altitude) and threw it up into the rarified air. But unless you've read his book, you probably didn't read about how Lou and Jim confessed to each other that they were no longer virgins, the night before their historic ascent of the North Tower of Index Mountain. You probably don't know that Lou's son and gal friend used to go hot tubbing in the buff with Big Lou and his second wife. And I'm sure you never heard how Big Lou and a bunch of Jansport sales reps set a hot tob occupancy record, which, according to Lou, never could have happened if they had been wearing their swim trunks. What I want to know is...first of all, is anybody out in cyberspace who can substantiate this last story? Were you there? If so, was Big Brother Jim there also? And finally, you know what I'm getting around to: Big Lou and Big Jim are big boys....larger than life. Well, if you went tubbing with them, maybe you could tell us all whether they are proportionate.
  2. You know, back in the dark ages, before the Genesis of this mountaineering bulletin board/chat room/CB radio of the 1990's, one would have to go into the mountains in order to assess the conditions of a winter climb. Back then, you couldn't just go "on line" and chat with climbers who could give useful information based on recent experience. Little has changed.
  3. pope

    Music

    Frank Zappa, Johnny Hartman, Johnny Thunders, Dylan with Cash, Wayne Shorter, Clash, Spice Girls, Big Bowel and the Movements. Hey Dru, did you forget Brian Adams?
  4. Viktor, Sure, a bolt war would be a terrible thing. But look at the Icicle and what a mess it's become. Too many guys (equipped with bolt guns and the illusion that they're doing everybody a favor by making the cliffs safe for girls) are smacking in bolts on every slab in the Canyon. Many climbers I talk to enjoy bold leads and clean rock. They don't want to clip a bolt every three feet. The number of over-protected, over-promoted joke climbs is pathetic. I personally know of climbers who bolt and name climbs they can't lead. What the hell is that? I've been climbing in the Canyon for nearly 20 years, and I know some of the characters whose names you so eagerly drop. Sure, Yoder's lead was a great achievement, but many climbers who repeated the route also feel the satisfaction with being able to honestly handle climbing at that grade. The latest trend, of adding chicken bolts to climbs which require a higher level of skill and composure, has got to stop. I don't agree that a first ascentionist owns the rock and has jurisdiction over future modifications. Once a route has been established, many, many people develop the skill necessary for safe passage, and the route becomes part of the local tradition. I feel great sympathy for Yoder's gal, but one climber's mistakes don't justify modifying a route. Anybody can get hurt any place on any climb. If 5.10R is not the right kind of challenge, there are so many well-bolted climbs in the canyon. Please, let's not continue this ridiculous trend. I know Jim, but I don't know Gordon. I certainly want to get along with everybody. But the exponential increase of bolts and, in particular, the transformation of traditionally bold leads into girlfriend climbs is out of control. I don't see the bolt slingers engaging in some kind of forum before they permanently deface the rock. Viktor, please send me a private message detailing how I can get a hold of Jim and/or Gordon.
  5. "A Wild Turkey on the rocks for my good friend Dr. Hemlock, and I would like....I would like a frozen Dike-er-ee!" Miles Mello
  6. pope

    bouldering

    Recent Dick siting: I saw Dick in Leavenworth last summer. He invited me to scrub boulders up at the Lakes but I blew him off. One of the proudest moments of my life: I was a dick to Dick.
  7. The Edge is the left edge of the slab, left of Five Gray Knobs and left of the big pine, but just right of Liquid Nitrogen.
  8. A few years ago, a superb sport climber named Stephanie decided to try this hairball 5.10R slab, even though neither slabs nor big lead outs particularly appealed to her. She took several enormous tumbles, any one of which would have caused a less determined climber to sell his rack. She could have quit, she could have bitched about the tremendous distance between bolts; instead, she persisted and eventually clipped the belay. She gained my respect, not only for her display of courage, but mostly for the way she was able to try playing the game by respecting another set of rules. The Edge has provided a sense of accomplishment for many who have dared to tread between its sparsely placed bolts...not just for macho, arrogant trad climbers, but also for sport climbers, and also for women. Saturday, I hiked up to climb on Wart Wall, and was less than impressed to see that somebody had failed to acquire the skills necessary to meet the Edge's challenge. Somebody had failed to recognize that many other climbers appreciate the Edge for the focus and composure it historically required. I'm sorry to say that this climb has been reduced from a grand, slab climber's test piece to what appears to be a bolt ladder for short people. With so many well-protect clip climbs in the area, I just can't see why this must be. Please, if you're responsible for this, we need to talk. I fully intend to restore this route, and I'd like to compensate you for your hardware.
  9. pope

    bouldering

    Bouldering first ascents? Are you kidding? Boulders are for fun. Boulders were placed on this earth so that a guy can go climbing with his girlfriend without having to trust her belay. First ascents? That sort of documentation is pointless, like setting a milk pail under a bull. But if you're eyeing a new project, two things are certainly true: Dick Cilley already did it, and Victor will certainly bolt it.
  10. Back in the day, one could step off Jell-O Tower and work out left to a face climb that is quite dirty now. This was called Upper Dan's. Never climbed it but I've seen it done. Lots of nervous whimpering, peeing in the pull-ups, etc. About a decade ago, Jim Nelson bolted a route right of that, calling it Midway Direct Direct. I think it was a mostly independent line, but as such, it was certainly squeezed in between old Upper Dan's and Midway Direct. Midway Direct is a climb that diverges left from Midway about 30 feet up from Jell-O Tower; it goes 5.6R. Recently, Dan's Dreadful Direct (starting from Logger's Ledge, left of Damnation) was retro-bolted, inspite of at least three leads in its historic condition. I've heard that six bolts were added and that the pitch is 100 feet, terminating at a new bolt anchor. Unless other modifications occurred, the grade should be about 5.11, but toward the lower end.
  11. A couple of responses to previous posts. Firstly, now that I know who Retrosaurus is, I think it's unfortunate that a number of responders haven't met him...I think they'd realize he's not arrogant or excessively macho. He simply understands respect: respect for wilderness, respect for those who climb in an attempt to leave the rock the way they found it, even when adopting this style of ascent requires risk and enormous energy. Retrosaurus has certainly seen a few seasons go by, and, as has been previously suggested, he remembers what climbing was like before Vantage and the Icicle Canyon acquired their bolt grids. I remember it too. It was f#%king beautiful. I could never understand why people would want to litter these fifty-foot top-rope cliffs to produce contrived "leads". Many of the climbers responsible for this mess have moved on to other pursuits like wind surfing, and after only a decade or so, the adventure and mystery have been engineered out of the canyons and buried in memory. And yet, I don't think Retrosaurus is some bitter old trad climber living on a memory. If anything, guys like Retro are looking forward to a future in which generations of climbers can experience wilderness, a future in which virgin and crackless granite walls still wait for climbers brave enough to start from the bottom and take their chances. Finally, let me add that most "trad" climbers are not entirely against bolts. Everybody loves face climbing and this requires either bolt protection or reckless abandon. And it's true that once a bolt is placed, it might be difficult for subsequent climbers to tell whether it was placed on lead. So, what's the diffence? Basically, lead bolting is what I would call real sport climbing. You're giving the rock a chance, allowing for the possibility that the mountain is bigger than you are. And if you succeed, then your route and the bolts you placed represent an investment that can't be measured in dollars or letter grades: you've invested a piece of your ass, you've drilled bolts to save your life. Nobody is going to chop your route, because you've shown respect for the rock.
  12. The American Ethic (aka, Yosemite Ethic) is not a myth. For years it served as the perfect solution to the same problems/questions we seem to face on Highway 20. For those who feel compelled to tackle big faces on which bolt protection will be necessary, the American Ethic says to start from the bottom, placing all gear on the lead. A variation allows that one may hang from a hook to sink a bolt. It should probably be drilled by hand. Simple to state, simple to practice. This approach has allowed for some spectacular face climbs, and nobody is going to chop your project when you've demonstrated the guts, skill and determination to adopt this ethic. You can still get in 3/8" bolts if you're man enough, and the result will be something in which you may take pride, something which will bring you respect. The "community" then inherits a climb with history and character, and our limited supply of accessible yet virgin stone isn't so quickly and expediently consumed. That Ray Jardine chipped a bucket ladder on the Nose....how do the actions of one maverick invalidate an entire tradition? Also, when some greedy neophyte gets a Bosch for Christmas and decides to trash Washington Pass with top-down bolts, I agree that if many, many climbers object, there must be a reaction. Imagine this sort of "respect-diverse-interpretations" approach to recreation in Mount Rainier Naitonal Park. What if I thought MRNP was a great place to ride motocross or drive my jeep? Seems ridiculous, but without rules and consequences, this would undoubtably happen. Rock climbing has wilderness appeal to most of its participants, and to preserve this charater, we should discourage, with whatever means necessary, the trends of rap bolting and chipping at Washington Pass. I'm with Wallstein on this one.
  13. pope

    just some guy

    Future of the sport....let's see. I would suggest that, as with most interesting questions, we might turn to physics for an answer. Yes, physics. The focus of mountaineering aspirations, as reflected in the popular media, appears to be accelerating in a definite direction. Everest and the highest, most remote summits of Asia once dominated the dreams of the most talented alpinists. The walls of Yosemite and the spires of Chamonix were just preparatory courses for the real stuff. Later, climbers began to consider big walls as ultimate prizes, and an increasing number of very talented climbers began looking at two-pitch free climbs as an end, as more than just practice for the real thing. Subsequently, sport climbing taught us that 40 feet of overhanging rock set the standards, and most recently many climbers are going cordless...walking around with goofy "sketch pads" strapped to their backs in search of the latest rad V-whatever problems. Like our imaginations, the projects become narrower. Like our minds, the goals become smaller, and momentum dictates that the next development, the next fad will be.....hey, I wonder whether anybody has done the sit-start on Thin Fingers?
  14. pope

    Climbing Ethics

    Absolutely! The style in which you climb is your business. If Billy wants to free solo a fist crack and if Bob wants to aid it on fat cams, then each guys gets what he wants. The experience of subsequent parties is not jeopardized in the way that pin scars, chicken bolts and chipping affect future parties' experiences. Style does become an issue when people climb in poor style and fail to disclose the details when they get back to camp. A few years ago, I heard a lot of buzz about a guy (name sounds like a girl's) who "flashed" ROTC!! Not a lot of people do this, and I was slapping the guy on the back for twenty minutes before he admitted to placing all of the gear on rap. Same accomplishment? A lot of people didn't hear this part of the story.
  15. Mike, I've met this Mack fellow. Think he's a wrastlin' coach out in Gig Harbor or somewhere out there. He did the Salathe with my friend Mike. Apparently he led the Hollow Flake with only two slings and two 'biners (for the belay). Definitely Type-A if I remember, and a damn good climber (if you don't believe me, just ask him).
  16. Yeah, the good folks at REI, they'll never steer you down the wrong road. Their knowledgeable and friendly sales staff are all outdoor enthusiast. I can't tell you how many times they've helped me out with a tough question, like how to match my 'biners to the color of my quick clips, or whether to go with positive or negative clearance on my axe. In fact, they once sold my wife a pair of socks that would "never give you blisters." What a resource. Got a tough question about the great outdoors, chances are the guy or gal in the green vest will know the answer. Donny said it, I believe it.
  17. Erik, my man, you are so right on. The Valley Cobbler rocks. I've never had a problem with this guy, and his resole work tends to preserve the original shape of the shoe, which is pretty important. Another fellow (no names mentioned, because Dave is a heck of a nice guy too) would return my shoes with a more rounded toe profile. I blame those damn shoes for the drop in my rock climbing standard (my family and spare tire have nothing to do with it). The Valley Cobbler will also customize your resole thickness: you may request a thickness somewhere between full weight and slipper weight.
  18. eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! [This message has been edited by pope (edited 03-15-2001).]
  19. eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! [This message has been edited by pope (edited 03-15-2001).]
  20. eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! [This message has been edited by pope (edited 03-15-2001).]
  21. Of course she had to drink water, but this WIZMO thing allowed her to pee like a man, without getting out of her harness and bibs. She could write her name in the snow, have a sward fight....everything a man could do. In fact, she was so burly and fit, it was just like climbing with a man, so long as we weren't having a conversation.
  22. Joy, You've received a lot of great advice from a number of competent mountaineers. In particular, fitness and hydration are important not only for an enJOYable experience, but also for safety: fresh legs and a sharp mind help prevent tragedies, while a reserve of energy and will is mandatory should self-rescue become necessary. The problem with staying hydrated is that you've got to pee (when you're not peeing, you're not hydrated); this presents problems when you're a girl. I once climbed the big "R" with a girl named Franci, and she had found a splendid device called a WIZMO, which allowed her to answer nature's calls with wind pants and harness in situ. In fact, she could write her name in the snow. Pretty cool. [This message has been edited by pope (edited 03-05-2001).]
  23. Yo, Yossarian! So, you want to climb a big wall but you don't know how? You might think about the Eiger. Yeah, you know, the Mordwand. It goes at about 5.5 with a little fixed/clean aid, and by today's standards, it certainly qualifies as an introductory wall climb. I heard it was soloed in a day by a girl. How hard can it be? This summer, there will be an international climb on the Eiger, with a Frenchman, and Austrian, a German, and an American (alternating for Lawrence Scott...he had an accident). If you think you might be in for it, his position on the team remains open, and I know of a great climbing school (more of a swinging singles club these days) where you can get off the sauce and in shape for the climb.
  24. Right on, man. Let's have a few natural climbs for those of us who would like to escape all of the engineering and controlled experiences of our daily existence. By the way, traditional bolting ethics dictate that when the first ascent party believes a bolt is NOT necessary, future parties should respect their decision and avoid adding bolts. When numerous climbers have led a pitch which requires guts, skill and determination (for both success and survival), I don't think the first ascent party (or anybody else) has the right to add or permit additional bolts. I didn't chop Stunning Cu..pardon me, Cunning Stunt, and I don't know who did, but I think the guy deserves a slap on the back.
  25. I'm sure somebody would love to see bolts added to the upper crack pitches of Outerspace....sure would be safer, and that area sees a lot of traffic. In fact, with bolts we could increase the traffic, and wouldn't that be Jim Dandy? How about a gondola up the Disappointment Cleaver? Anybody object?
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