Cranbo Posted September 7, 2005 Share Posted September 7, 2005 Trip Report: Pioneer Route / Monkey Off My Back, Monkey Face, Smith Rock State Park, Terrebonne, Oregon, USA Climbers: Cranbo, "D" Date: September 3, 2005 I should probably not relate this and hope that no one even hears about my misadventure, but perhaps my tale can help someone else not do three or four stupid things in a row like I did.... Saturday we started up the "Pioneer Route" of Monkey Face around 10AM; just one party of three in front of us, and no one behind us. I had climbed the route five years before, leading only the bolt ladder pitch. This time I'd lead them all except that one, which my buddy "D" would take. We get to the mouth of the Monkey just fine, weather is still nice. I lead out of the mouth, past so-called "Panic Point" - not an issue at all, lots of runs up "Cry Baby" have burned out the fear-of-exposure part of my brain, at least on terrain like that. I look up and to the right, and scop out "Monkey Off My Back", the new alternative single pitch to the top I'd read about. Shoot, that looks like a nice line, I think I'll go for it! (Mistake #1, perhaps; did I really asses my abilities after just having done the aid pitch, which isn't something I'm used to doing?) I think I more or less cruised 5 or 6 bolts (I'm always amazed by people who can remember every detail of a climb, afterward - I usually can't remember shit... but that way I get the thrill of a new climb every time!) to what seemed to be the last bolt over a slight bulge. Little-ish fingers, and I was kinda burnt from the bolt ladder. I popped off once, a nice 15' whipper 250' off the deck - cool! Again, up and pop! OK, once more up, nope, pop, whee! Three lead falls on top o' the Monkey! Well, f*** this, I thought, and tried to find another line. Off to the right, obviously unclimbed territory, with dinner plate sized loose chunks all over the place. Nope. Finally I decided I wasn't going to be able to do it, so I started downclimbing the route. (I'd forgotten about the suggestion of using a cam to get over this, posted at http://www.smithrock.com/flash/routeupdates/monkey_back.html - and I *was* carrying my trad gear! Stupid Mistake #2) The route traverses a fair amount, so I clipped a draw and was "trollying" down the line (Stupid Mistake #3 - why didn't I just unclip as I downclimbed? I think the technical answer has something to do with "chickenshit".) Not too cool, but it works. If I'd still had a brain in my head, I'd have gone all the way back to the mouth, pulled the line, and done the proper easy route, but no, I get close to the mouth and think I can fire for the next station without retreating all the way. But I'll have to abandon the trolly, the drag is too much. OK, so I do that, and make for the next station (REALLY Stupid Mistake #1)... I don't really remember popping off, but I'm sure it was "fun". I had about 20 or 30 feet of line out at that point, and I went whizzing on out in a nice big pendulum arc, rope sliding and catching across that rough crap... and I came to rest 30 feet below the 'head' bulge, maybe 10 feet out from the east face. I'm about 20 feet lower than the mouth, and it's straight down to the ground, nothing but 130 feet of air down to the dirt. Fuck. I wasn't really scared or terribly pissed, but for about 2 minutes all that went thru my mind was the embarrassing SAR circus to come, probably well after dark - "Hey, did you see that doofus who had to get rescued hangin' off the side of Monkey Face!?". After explaining my horrendous fuckup to D - he can't see me from the cave - I'm thinking about options: I did have a Tibloc, and a prussic loop, and a half-dozen slings, and biners.... so I probably can ascend the line somehow... Sheesh, that's gonna take *hours*.... Suddenly, a voice of calm reason floats up to me - "Hey, there's a rap station about 20 feet below you, can you get to it?". Some guy* is on the ground watching me, and sure enough, there's a station (the top of 'Just Do It', I find out later!) which with a bit of lowering and swinging, I get to. I make a belay, D follows out on the traverse, and, since I've totally sketched him out by my antics, he pops off after 3 or 4 bolts, he ends up about 20 left of where *I* went off. No problems, I lower him, he swings over to me, and at least we get the fun two-rope rap we'd been looking forward to, leaving two or three draws on the route. A $20 lesson that coulda been a lot worse. About the only two good things I can say about this: I survived... and I can say that I've been to the top chains of 'Just Do It'! - rob *My thanks again to Alejandro for being there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ireneo_Funes Posted September 7, 2005 Share Posted September 7, 2005 Wow, that's hilarious. So did you TR "Just Do It" after rapping off? Sounds like you turned around right at the final bulge - you were almost done! I thought that bit was kind of strenuous when I followed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweatinoutliquor Posted September 10, 2005 Share Posted September 10, 2005 Wow... First off, thanks for posting this little adventure story here! Thanks for telling it like it is, so people can learn the most from the chaos! Second, how where you calm taking even a 15 foot, much less a 40? footer to a freehanging position? Hundred or so feet off the deck? I dunno man, I would have had a bit of the ole' brown stain, if you know what I mean! Crazy!!! Way to get through it as well! Funny how when you get in an "interesting" situation one of the first thoughts that runs through your mind is a SAR fiasco. I bet that flat ground at the bottom felt pretty good! Anyway, thanks again for sharing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne Posted September 10, 2005 Share Posted September 10, 2005 Cool, Way to tag the chains! I bet your not as afraid of falling as you were. Bungy jumping helped me for a while, now I am back to chicken shit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranbo Posted September 27, 2005 Author Share Posted September 27, 2005 Sweat, The falls going for the top weren't off into space the way the last one was, there was rock under my feet at that point. If you look at the pic http://www.smithrock.com/aboutsr/gallery/images/monkey_face.jpg this was in the area like 45 degrees up and right of the mouth... so at that point I wasn't looking straight down to the ground, like I would be on the final pendulum swing. But I do gotta say I think I have something broken in my brain - if I'm on a solid line, I don't really have a fear of heights. Well, not if I don't think about it too hard, anyway. I'm sure I could spook myself if I let my imagination run wild, but I try to stay focused on the upward-and-onward task at hand. ;-) Glad you enjoyed my travails! - rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweatinoutliquor Posted September 27, 2005 Share Posted September 27, 2005 Okay, I think I understand. Lucky you (I suppose) for breaking your brain. Surely a good thing to have in those situations as fear of heights or panic can lead to irrational thinking which usually doesn't solve problems. Once again, thanks for sharing and telling all the grisley details! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertjoy Posted September 28, 2005 Share Posted September 28, 2005 The Monkey SPANKED me on this one too. My companion, a hot-shot teenager, had led it contrary to instructions, and while following I peeled off, pendulumed, and ended up dangling below the "bulge". As prussiking up would take some time, I began to wonder if my young buddy had ever been taught how to tie-off a fallen climber. All turned out OK, but this route gave me quite a surprise. What is it's rating? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ireneo_Funes Posted September 28, 2005 Share Posted September 28, 2005 5.8 or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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