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[TR] Walking The Fence


Colin

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This past weekend Mark Bunker (Marko), Wayne Wallace (Wayne1112), and I finished off a long standing project of ours. Our goal was to enchain all of the peaks in the Southern Pickets East-to-West (the East ridges are generally steeper than the West ridges). Mark and I made our first attempt last summer, and got to the Terror-Blob col before being thwarted by weather. Wayne and Jens Klubberud made an attempt earlier this summer, and were defeated by weather after making it to the Inspiration-Pyramid col.

 

The first day we hiked in, and climbed Little Mac, East McMillan, and West McMillan, to a bivy at the col between West McMillan and the gendarmes to its West. The second day we climbed Inspiration, Pyramid, Degenhardt, Terror, and the Blob, to a bivy on the West (lower) summit of the Blob. The third day we climbed East Twin Needle, West Twin Needle, the Himmelhorn, the Ottohorn, and the Frenzelspitz, and then descended to a bivy in Crescent Creek Basin. Along the way we also climbed the named but less significant Blip and Dusseldorfspitz. Today we climbed the Chopping Block as a bonus, descended the Barrier, and hiked out.

 

We believe that the East ridges of the Blob, East Twin Needle, and Himmelhorn are all new routes. The Blob went at 5.9 and the East Twin Needle (on which we actually climbed more of a SE rib) at 5.9+. The East ridge of the Himmelhorn comprised the crux of the entire traverse, with a steep, exposed pitch of 5.10+ (bold lead by Wayne the ropegun).

 

We all agree that it is one of the best climbs we have ever done, and highly reccomend it to those seeking a fantastic alpine adventure!

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Right Forrest, that made the adventure all that more satisfying. It was fantastic to be climbing with those two guys on all that terrain. The climb was way more than we'd hoped it would be, like 10 quality full-value trips in one. Wildman Wayne's lead on Himmelhorn was freakin' awesome! I mean the actual definition of awesome, that which inspires awe. The fucker even placed a pin at the crux just so Colin and I could yard on it! Colin's pitch after that was spectacular as hell. We followed au cheval with an abyss on both sides. Holy crap, every peak was incredible.

 

Only problem is I can't get this damn smile off my face. It's starting to freak out everyone in the office.

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This was truly The Champion Climb .

Every boy who sees people on tv or in person win the top honor of their personal pursuits ( Olympics,baseball,etc.)dreams he could be up there too.

Thats how I have felt for the last 30 hours. I feel I won the championship of the world!

 

This climb is sooo much more amazing than I could have ever expected! There were classic sections like I have never done before. It is like taking your 6 most classic routes and combining them together. I expected the best part to be Inspiration( I have done it 3 times now ) >the best were :

#1 The Rake!!!! aka, the Blob. Half a mile of exctasy!

#2 The Himmelhorn ....Amazing pice of work!

#3 The East Twin Needle ...Wafer thin Arete with incredible exposure,ending in a 5.10 Overhang on tiny nuts.

#4The classic traverse of Inspiration/4 fingers.

 

Ok Lets see someone go after the 2nd ascent?

 

I am giving a slide show aug 6th 7pm, @ the 1st Congregational Church in Everett. I hope to have my 2 partners show there too!

 

I will write more when I recover, Wayne

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wayne1112 said:

This was truly The Champion Climb .

Every boy who sees people on tv or in person win the top honor of their personal pursuits ( Olympics,baseball,etc.)dreams he could be up there too.

Thats how I have felt for the last 30 hours. I feel I won the championship of the world!

 

This climb is sooo much more amazing than I could have ever expected! There were classic sections like I have never done before. It is like taking your 6 most classic routes and combining them together. I expected the best part to be Inspiration( I have done it 3 times now ) >the best were :

#1 The Rake!!!! aka, the Blob. Half a mile of exctasy!

#2 The Himmelhorn ....Amazing pice of work!

#3 The East Twin Needle ...Wafer thin Arete with incredible exposure,ending in a 5.10 Overhang on tiny nuts.

#4The classic traverse of Inspiration/4 fingers.

 

Ok Lets see someone go after the 2nd ascent?

 

I am giving a slide show aug 6th 7pm, @ the 1st Congregational Church in Everett. I hope to have my 2 partners show there too!

 

I will write more when I recover, Wayne

 

no offense wayne but have you ever heard of the phrase "reticent hardman" yellaf.gif

 

you know "yeah, we did this traverse, it was OK I guess! maybe 5.8++ in a few spots"

 

don't forget to fax & email your accomplishment together with detailed climbing team member resumes to climbing, rock & ice, AAJ, alpinist, high mtn sports, desnivel and vertical. thank your sponsors profusely. rolleyes.gif

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Ok write me off as an expressive. I detest the attitude of sand bagging and reserved ego you describe. Its not about me or us but its about the climb. I dont expect you or anyone else to "relate" to me at all, but you can insert your last sentence alltogether moon.gif

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YEAH DRUL LAYOFF DUDE, HE IS SIKKED FOR THE SICKNESS HE AND HIS FRIENDS JUST DID. YOU DONT HAVE TO BE SIKKED FOR HIM. YOU CHEASTBEAT ABOUT YOUR ROUTES, WHY CANT OTHER PEOPLE?

 

I THINK YOUR NEW JOB HAS MADE YOU A TAD BIT JADED TOWARDS LIFE, MAYBE EVEN MORE SO!

 

NICE WORK KIDZ!

bigdrink.gifthumbs_up.gif

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wayne1112 said:

I feel I won the championship of the world!

 

I detest the attitude of sand bagging and reserved ego you describe.

 

Its not about me or us but its about the climb.

 

You detest an attitude of reserved ego? I hope Colin's not too offended by that remark. I was about to congratulate you guys for standard-setting climb, but I think I won't bother now.

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Colin , Mark. Dru ,Lowell , and everone. I apologize if there is a part of me that you dont like or agree with. I am like a overly excited, annoying, boisterous child that just got a new toy.

By all means, Lowell you really should congradulate Colin and Mark, as they are truly wonderful people.

My respect for my fellow climbers and the proud history of the sport will always be far bigger than my pride in self, Wayne

Edited by wayne1112
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I don't see anything wrong with Wayne reporting that he feels like a champion for pulling off what has been his dream climb/obsession. Perhaps "detest" is a strong word, but I agree that people who deliberately sandbag their ratings are just as egotistical as those who overly boast about their accomplishments. The so-called "reticent hardmen" are simply showing off in a more indirect and manipulative fashion if instead of crowing about what they've done they are deliberately under-rating something while hoping that somebody is one day going to think "wow -- he's a badass to have called this only 5.8." I think its a tad bit irresponsibile, too, because that little game may in fact encourage somebody else to get in over their head.

 

I don't think Wayne has said anything other than that he's psyched about what they just did. I'd say the congratulations are in order bigdrink.gif.

 

 

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For what it's worth this is my definition of Wayne:

STOKED! The guy is fucking stoked. He's stoked about what you're doing, he's stoked about what I'm doing, and yes, he's stoked about what he's doing. So what the hell.

 

After we got back to the car we were sitting in the dirt barefoot eating Pringles, drinking beer, and giggling like idiots. It was a damn splabdoobie adventure that I won't forget anytime soon.

 

Still smiling,

Mark

 

(Oh, when I say we were drinking beer, I mean like not Colin, right.)

Edited by Marko
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wayne and co, sounds awesome, I wish I had the climbing ability to pull it off, because it sounds like an ultimate cascade climbing adventure.

 

wayne, don't apologize for being excited about doing something new, exciting and that you love. I think it's awesome to read how pumped you were to get out there and crank.

 

Dru, from an outside perspective, your comments reak of jealousy. Seems to me somebody doesn't like to have their own chestbeat-FAs upstaged by somebody else's far more impressive accomplishment. I swear you seem to be the most negative person I've ever seen; always so quick to rain on somebody's parade. rolleyes.gif

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JB,

The first pitch of the Blob (I think that's the earlier name, ask Silas Wild) was pretty loose except for the crux. Right after that it was bad but then the rock got surprisingly good. Most of the remaining Blob was incredibly fun, solid, exposed ridge climbing. I think all of that was either running belay or soloing. Alot of the climb went with Wayne soloing with Colin and me doing running belays. (I was <the word "almost" deleted> always the first to call for the rope.)

 

Right on the West Summit of the Blob we found a perfect bivy with a convenient snow patch. Where it was 5.whatever, the rock in general was some of the best I've ever seen attached to a mountain. The East Needle had a short section on the SE Arete of easy vertical where the wall cut away under you for some wicked exposure. I've never crapped myself on 5.4 before! The east side of the Himmelhorn was exceptional. There was some looseness immediately after the crux.

 

Colin, please correct me where I've erred since you're the one who brought the memory.

Edited by Marko
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Congratulations guys sounds like a amazing climb! Wayne thanks for the beta on DNB Bear. I am psyched that you can be so excited and open after such a big climb wayne. It is pretty sweet when a idea starts as a dream, turns into a goals, and finally becomes a realized accomplishement.

 

Vince Lombardi, "It is time for us all to cheer for the doer, the achiever, the one who sets the goal and ames for it unswervingly."

 

Wayne, Marko, and Colin congrats I might just have to journey up for the slide show. I am very impressed by your vision. thumbs_up.gifthumbs_up.gifthumbs_up.gifthumbs_up.gifthumbs_up.gifthumbs_up.gifthumbs_up.gifthumbs_up.gifthumbs_up.gifthumbs_up.gifthumbs_up.gifthumbs_up.gifthumbs_up.gifthumbs_up.gif

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boxing_smiley.gifboxing_smiley.gifboxing_smiley.gifboxing_smiley.gif

 

You know i said colin and Marko's account of this trip were right on. I just think in his enthusiasm wayne is veering too far on to the gorilla chestbeat side of things. my opinion in no way detracts from the actual accomplishment of the 3 amigos which is pretty good but my opinion of wayne's tone is the about same as lowell's - a little too over the top. boxing_smiley.gifboxing_smiley.gifboxing_smiley.gifboxing_smiley.gifboxing_smiley.gifboxing_smiley.gifboxing_smiley.gif

 

more controversy smirk.gif

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