Raging Controversy

[Billygoat]

I am reading Ed Webster's "Snow In the Kingdom" and in it he says (includes photo of the two on the wall) that he and Bryan Becker made the first ascent of Super Crack (5.10b) at Indian Creek circa 1976 and in this months Rock + Ice in a tribute to Earl Wiggans a photo shows Earl making the first ascent of Supercrack (5.10+) at Indian Creek, same era. Bueler? Anybody...?

[specialed]

Don't know for sure, but I think Webster made the first ascent, Wiggins the first free ascent!?

 

Or maybe it was the other way around.

[ScottP]

Here's a litle fuel...

[Billygoat]

Thanks Scott One wonders why they left each other out of their respective writings. Might be a story here...

[specialed]

Randall Green: "Five years later I was back at Indian Creek photographing Earl Wiggins as he smoothly jammed the first ascent of Supercrack, methodically placing his hands in the crack and protecting its long sweep with a handful of large hexentric nuts.

"The ascent of Supercrack by Wiggins, Ed Webster, and Bryan Becker swung open the door of possibilities at Indian Creek."

 

I guess that means Earl Wiggins did the first ascent and the first free ascent simultaneously. Then Becker and Webster followed? But I could swear I read in an old issue of Mountain that Supercrack was aided before it was freed. I dunno

[Billygoat]

The picture in Ed Webster's book only shows he and Becker high on the route. one can see both ends of the rope. Maybe Wiggins soloed it, pre placing gear for the others to clip; a kind of prelude to sport climbing?!?

[specialed]

Maybe Wiggins led it first, then rapped. Then Webster led it and brought Becker up?

[Billygoat]

How many pitches is it?

[specialed]

1

[erik]

actually supercrack goes at 2 pitches with a 60m rope.

 

the pitch above the classic .10 hands is and .11 tight hands with some honesty at the top out. no one does the 2nd pitch. cept for me and microguide and a 6 pack! with dr dave bummin our stash! ahhh the creek it does not get much better for being white trash in a kingdom!

 

 

 

 

 

[Billygoat]

Mystery solved

[specialed]

Now we've got a whole other ragin' controversy: who did the FA of the second pitch?

[Dru]

Same party did FA of second pitch cause in those days you wrre supposed to go to the top. The sport climbing era of single crack pitches came later.

[Billygoat]

I think we have successfully placed all three at the same place at the same time. So how come the Rock and Ice editors left out Earl's partners (space?) and how come Ed left out mention of Earl (couldn't be lack of space, the book is huge)?! Is there a bigger story? Ruffled feathers? A tryst with the Lawgoddess?!