Jason_Martin Posted March 15, 2005 Posted March 15, 2005 I'm currently working on an article about Index for a Seattle newspaper and I want to try to get a few facts straight. I'm interested in knowing if anybody is aware of any free ascents of City Park in Index since Todd Skinner and Hugh Herr in 1986? If you are aware of a free ascent, who was involved? Jason Quote
RideT61 Posted March 16, 2005 Posted March 16, 2005 I know Steve Petro and Lisa Gnade have freed all the moves on TR. Apparently the route even has something to do with them getting married. I think Steve was impressed that Lisa had worked the route or something like that. They are reps for DMM if you want to contact them. Quote
Jason_Martin Posted March 16, 2005 Author Posted March 16, 2005 I'm going to try to get in touch with them. Are you aware of whether or not either of them led it? Jason Quote
TimL Posted March 16, 2005 Posted March 16, 2005 (edited) You might ty Wallstein and Rumr. I heard rumors about both of them giving mighty efforts. I tried to tr it today, but after the first 15 feet of the crack, it got way too hard. Edited March 16, 2005 by TimL Quote
AlpineK Posted March 16, 2005 Posted March 16, 2005 It won't be a real history unless you mention greasing and pig rigging. Quote
nothing Posted March 16, 2005 Posted March 16, 2005 it won't be real history unless you include skinner saying, "that's got to be the hardest route in WA" and then Hampson saying, "no, that's the hardest route in WA" (while pointing to the Norwegian Butt.). Quote
Jason_Martin Posted March 16, 2005 Author Posted March 16, 2005 it won't be real history unless you include skinner saying, "that's got to be the hardest route in WA" and then Hampson saying, "no, that's the hardest route in WA" (while pointing to the Norwegian Butt.). Is this true or hearsay? Jason Quote
Alex Posted March 16, 2005 Posted March 16, 2005 Alan Kearny talks about it in his guidebook Jason. Charlie is still very much around, live and kicking (though sailing more than climbing these days) you can always ask him about it! Quote
wdietsch Posted March 16, 2005 Posted March 16, 2005 It won't be a real history unless you mention greasing and pig rigging. Quote
crazyjizzy Posted March 16, 2005 Posted March 16, 2005 Well, how about Russ Erickson almost doing it on TR in 79 or 80 in EB's? That was way before it's time, and typically another little known fact about Russel. Quote
mattp Posted March 16, 2005 Posted March 16, 2005 I'm not sure you can see the Norwegian Buttresses from there. The way I heard the story was that he said "the hardest route in Washington is accross the street." Quote
AlpineK Posted March 16, 2005 Posted March 16, 2005 CrazyJZ can fill in the details, but I believe that Rat said as some evil anti pig climber removed the pig from City Park, "We don't fuck with your rap placed bolts why are you fucking with our lead placed pig." Quote
pope Posted March 16, 2005 Posted March 16, 2005 it won't be real history unless you include skinner saying, "that's got to be the hardest route in WA" and then Hampson saying, "no, that's the hardest route in WA" (while pointing to the Norwegian Butt.). I witnessed the Skinner "ascent". Quote
chucK Posted March 16, 2005 Posted March 16, 2005 I thought the pig was on Model Worker, and thus perhaps not directly applicable to this thread. Quote
AlpineK Posted March 16, 2005 Posted March 16, 2005 Wrong. The first year it was both on City Park and over the drill hole. Quote
Jason_Martin Posted March 16, 2005 Author Posted March 16, 2005 I've read a lot and heard a lot about the greasing. I don't know anything about a pig. Could someone expand? Jason Quote
RuMR Posted March 16, 2005 Posted March 16, 2005 someone tied off don and left him hanging for a day.... Quote
RideT61 Posted March 16, 2005 Posted March 16, 2005 Jason, I don't believe either Steve or Lisa redpointed the route. but I may be mistaken. I know they are friends with Skinner and that he introduced them. Quote
AlpineK Posted March 16, 2005 Posted March 16, 2005 I've read a lot and heard a lot about the greasing. I don't know anything about a pig. Could someone expand? Jason press me Quote
lancegranite Posted March 16, 2005 Posted March 16, 2005 Good thread! The most toproped 5.13 in Washington, City Park is still hard after all these years. A testpiece that stands apart, Even on a busy Saturday, no wait in line.... Strength is meaningless in the face of unrelenting pain. Lowering from the swank anchors, your thoughts flush with recent sucess, fingers lightly brushing the crack, you desend A finger slips into a bomber lock, you call for tension. "I'll try from here, watch me dude..." Quote
pope Posted March 17, 2005 Posted March 17, 2005 Rudy....by your reaction, I can only assume you similarly find Todd's claim of a "first free ascent" of City Park to be puzzling. Here's my version of the event: That story on City Park, by Jeff Smoot, is outstanding. I recommend it to anyone that's interested in climbing history. He's right on about Todd, sorta, but I think he didn't capture the positive side to him enough. Sure, he's been a bit ethically shakey and driven by ego, but he's a gem of a guy. Just tops. One of the most positive and infectious guys you can be around. If you can hang out with Todd and not be psyched about life, then ya might as well give it up. Ultra technical cracks like this are just fascinating to climb. Any more stories like this out there? I am sorry to inform you that your leg has been pulled. That's right, you heard right. That story on Smoot's site is is an imaginative interpretation of Skinner's climb. Amazing, since Smoot was there to see it. But here's the way it really went down. Todd had several pieces of pro placed leading to about the 90-foot level on this 120-foot pitch. His rope stretched from the ground where he stood, through his highest piece and back down to his belayer. It was nearly dark, and Todd climbed up (top-roped from his highest piece) to the crux, climbed right through and after about 10 or 15 feet he moved right onto Godzilla. He questioned Jeff about the difficulty of the Godzilla mantle move ("10c" was the reply), then finished by climbing Godzilla. Later, a paragraph in Rock & Ice informed us that he had climbed around some grease that had been placed in the City Park crack, but that since the last 30 feet of City Park was only 5.12, he had accomplished the "first free ascent" of City Park. What is important to note is that Todd placed no gear on this ascent. In fact, he didn't even clip his rope into a single piece. He just top-roped to his highest piece and then climbed through, finishing off route. If such tactics are acceptable by today's standards, they certainly weren't back then when Todd claimed the first free ascent. And, so we see, you can't believe everything you read or hear. If you're impressed that a nonlocal climber came in and "skooped" City Park from under the noses of the locals in Washington, you might as well know how unconventional and artificial Todd's ascent really was. He basically top-roped this pitch (and NOT EVEN ALL OF IT). Washington climbers were top-roping this pitch in the 1970's. Just thought you should know. Quote
Squid Posted March 17, 2005 Posted March 17, 2005 Uh-oh. Time to summon the third-party professional timers. Quote
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