rob Posted December 20, 2006 Share Posted December 20, 2006 What was your toughest climb? I don't mean the most technically challenging, but the most psychologically and physically demanding -- the kind that leaves you weary, beaten and stumbling back to the trailhead tired and dehydrated. Index, North Peak was mine, back in October -- short days and thick brush. Slept in a harness and bailed the next day, just short of the summit -- covered in bleeding welts and scratches. I'd never pulled 4th and 5th class moves while stumbling through bushes before. Yeah, I'm a noob. The descent was complete with a stuck rope, and a butt-puckering moment when the tree/shrub I was anchored to snapped. The trailhead never looked so good, and it took me a full week before I wanted to go back. Good times! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lambone Posted December 20, 2006 Share Posted December 20, 2006 South Seas to Pacific Ocean Wall June 2006, 10 days on the wall, 27 pitches most technically challanging and psyochologically and physically demanding couldn't have done it without my partner Brook Alongi form Everet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winter Posted December 20, 2006 Share Posted December 20, 2006 I thought the climb from n00b to poser on the cc.com social ladder was way harder than any alpine climb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LandShark Posted December 20, 2006 Share Posted December 20, 2006 Climbing into this freakin shark suit is pretty challenging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevbone Posted December 20, 2006 Share Posted December 20, 2006 Climbing out of bed on 1/01/06 this last year was rough! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericb Posted December 20, 2006 Share Posted December 20, 2006 Northeast Couloir of Dragontail ....details escape me, but I remember(snow,rock ~ 2 pitches ~ 5.7). I'll check to book when I get home Memorial day weekend ~ 1999/2000 (can't remember which). ~ 1500 VF of 40 - 50 degree softening snow...not a good freeze and abnormally warm temps. According to Beckey, there could be loose rock in late season on the rock pitches....this year, apparently Memorial Day weekend was late. Got to the top of the snow portion, and continued unroped on the rock as there were no anchor possibilities. Continued gingerly up a dripping wet open book where flakes would break free in your hand easily. Kept going, hoping to get to a decent flat, secure spot to rope up and anchor, and hit an impasse couldn't get enough purchase (hands or feet) to go up, and sure as hell didn't want to go back down what I'd come up. My boots couldn't get any friction, and when I leaned foward, I took a sudden slide back. My buddy right behind me jammed the heels of his hands into the back of my boots to keep me on, and keep me from taking the both of us on a fast ride down. The downclimb of the rock portion was the scariest 10 minutes of my life. When downclimbing a small mixed portion before the continuous couloir, my buddy slipped and had to self arrest on 40 degree rotten snow. We then downclimbed the entire couloir face in. Upon return to camp, we were denied a hot dinner when MSR stove malfunctioned, caught on fire and melted the pump gasket. Last time I will ever attempt as obsure route from the Beckey guide without other beta. It wasn't so much my own fear but a herniated disk that made itself known on the downclimb that prevented me from attempting to climb again until early August. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevbone Posted December 20, 2006 Share Posted December 20, 2006 I would say toughest all day venture was: West ridge of Mt. Triumph, car to car in 20 hours. It about a 20 miles round trip we has originally planned on doing in 2 days. When we got to the trailhead it was my bright idea to go car to car. Left the car at 3:30 am. After 10 miles of up and down and some snow to cross, we got to the base. The book calls it 15 pitches (I think), we simuled it in 5 pitches 100 feet apart. 10 rappels and 500 feet of down climbing brings us back to the packs. Then the 10 miles hike out. By the time we gained the last stretch up the notch, my right knee had given out. Had to limp with a stick 5.3 miles back to the car. Earlyer my head lamp batteries had fallen out of my pack (boo hoo), point being we had one headlamp between both of us. I ended up taking it, in the lead while limping with a stick I found. Hobbled into the parking lot before midnight sometime and could barley bend my knees to laydown. I was way off the couch for the alpine setting. I was wrecked for the next couple of days. Super fun and easy climbing. Unless you are super fit. I would not recommend doing this car to car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tvashtarkatena Posted December 20, 2006 Share Posted December 20, 2006 A Pickets descent down McMillan Creek. Beaver ponds, hornets, nettles, rapids, slide cedar for 15 memorable hours. Please don't ask why we didn't go over Luna. It was a long time ago, and I don't want anymore flashbacks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DPS Posted December 20, 2006 Share Posted December 20, 2006 Index, North Peak was mine, back in October -- short days and thick brush. Slept in a harness and bailed the next day, just short of the summit -- covered in bleeding welts and scratches. I'd never pulled 4th and 5th class moves while stumbling through bushes before. Yeah, I'm a noob. I quite literally had nightmares after that climb. Whose bright idea was that anyway? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllYouCanEat Posted December 20, 2006 Share Posted December 20, 2006 The NW Rib on Mount Blum in Winter. Short day, lost trail equals no fun at all. Sky wrote a funny TR. It's a good way to remember it cause it wasn't that funny at the time. http://staff.washington.edu/skykilo/Blum/Blum.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strumpett Posted December 20, 2006 Share Posted December 20, 2006 Winter accent of the Nose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catbirdseat Posted December 20, 2006 Share Posted December 20, 2006 My second winter ascent of Rainier via Gib Ledges. It was only two weeks after a previous ascent by the Ingraham Direct. You'd think I'd have been in better shape the second time and I was, but it was much colder, so we lugged more clothes, and it had snowed in between, so the second time it was 18 inches of postholing about 50% of the time. I thought seriously about spending another night at Camp Muir, but everyone else wanted to get out of there. I remember reaching the flats below Panorama Point at 9 pm where the postholing resumed after a fairly smooth descent of the Muir Snowfield. It was disheartening to say the least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weekend_Climberz Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 Having the shits on the CNR of Stuie last August and topping out after dark with no bivy gear. Did you know the really large snaffles come out at night up there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 Aiguille Verte in winter. I burnt the porridge to the bottom of the pan on the second morning 'cos I fell asleep. All our water for the next 3 days smelt and tasted like an ashtray. Couldn't get much water down us after that. We were pretty much running on empty when we got back to Chamonix. My excuse was that I was wasted from being petrified the night before when my partner's crampon fell off (while we were roped soloing in the dark) up to the summit ridge. I was not a happy chappy when I figured out what had happened! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Posted December 21, 2006 Author Share Posted December 21, 2006 Index, North Peak was mine, back in October -- short days and thick brush. Slept in a harness and bailed the next day, just short of the summit -- covered in bleeding welts and scratches. I'd never pulled 4th and 5th class moves while stumbling through bushes before. Yeah, I'm a noob. I quite literally had nightmares after that climb. Whose bright idea was that anyway? Does that mean you're not up for a rematch next summer? I'll bring the weedwhacker if you bring a really long extension cord. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matopis Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 Without a doubt my top 5 toughest and scariest climbs all involved the descent and not the climb itself! Most times you can french free through some dodgey ascents, but it's often harder to descend death slabs on marbles in the dark sleet! Matt BS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EWolfe Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 Everyone here knows what my toughest climb was. Thanks again Mike, for the hairball experience. It changed me for life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tradclimbguy Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 Winter accent of the Nose. Ughhh. I'd have to say mine was the first time up the Nose and I couldn't imagine hitting that in the winter. Then again I don't really aid climb all that much and I'd hate to try any of those climbs big wall style with a haul bag and all. For me it was just the shear size and effort. Lots of free climbing and work, kind of like working on a ranch. I guess I could see maybe doing something like zodiac big wall style. Not sure though how that would be mentally if all the aid and hard aid would be more difficult that being on lead free. I've gotten worked over on other climbs or just on the way down, but definitely that first time getting on the big stone and just trying to hammer it out. By far the most physically challenging and mentally challenging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevbone Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 Trying to walk off Outerspace. Someone needs to cut a trail into the backside. Alright go ahead and burn me. I know all you seattleites are going to rip me up for saying so. Climbed it in Aug in 95 degree weather with not enough water. Ran out of water just after the crux pitch. There were three of us. Got lost on the decent. Had to put my climbing shoes on twice to down climb for fear of falling 200 feet. Completely dehydraded to the max. Got to the creek and dove in and started drinking. I did not enjoy the climb because of our F..up. Should have racked up at the car and had only 2 climbers on the route. My bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuMR Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 I thought the climb from n00b to poser on the cc.com social ladder was way harder than any alpine climb. let us know what its like when you get there... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tradclimbguy Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 Ran out of water just after the crux pitch. There's a crux pitch on outerspace? If so maybe you can draw me up a topo because I'd like to go try that pitch, I seem to have missed it the last couple times oooohhh burn. hahaha and an old guy burn at that, bwaaahahaha! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carolyn Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 Not in the mountains, but Braille Book in Yosemite was quite the challenge. I dont think I was mentally prepared for the approach due to kurt's sandbagging....Grrrr! It involved a lot of whining. By the time we got to the climb, I had doubts I could even climb it. definately not swapping leads after the 2nd pitch (sorry kurt), cause the climb itself was sandbagged as well (IMHO). Annoying guy climbed under me the entire time. Like literally-pushing me up the route, non-stop talking. Finally let him pass. Last pitch was awesome, disappointed I didnt lead it considering the exposure and ease. Then we had to get down. More whining. Kurt loved me. Another happened this summer on the N.shore in MN. Beautiful day. All about doing new routes, as its easy to stick with familiar ones. First to lower for this climb (and yes, this was just toproping - but know if you cant get up your swimming accross Lake Superior). Im feeling confident as Im told its within my ability (sandbaggers!). Struggle at the crux. Hand starts spurting blood (I rarely tape). Friend sends down tape. Start struggling again and literally within what seemed to be seconds clouds and wind come rolling in and whipping me off the rock. Im not little, tiny thing, either. So for the wind to whip me like this, it had to be pretty strong. Here I am in my tank top and shorts and the temp has probly dropped 30 degrees. Occassionally I am able to get back onto the rock only to be pulled off, dangling over an endless sea of water. Looking up I see a bunch of folks, now wearing parkas, watching me and yelling, "your almost pass the crux". Fuckers! turns out one of the guys watching had the FA 20 some yrs ago. Needless to say, Im starting to have a hard time breathing. I think Im starting to have an asthma attack. Fortunately I had just gotten a chalk bag with a pocket in it to carry my inhaler. Few puffs and it gets a bit easier to breath. Now Im just fuckin' pissed and Im NOT having fun. At the same time my friend is trying to drop down a rope for me to pull up on, but the wind is blowinging straight back up the cliff and into the bushes. 20 minutes later, Im finally able to reach it and pull myself through the crux. Climb the rest of the route, completely emotionally and physically exhausted, all along leaving a trail of blood (didnt tape very well). As I top out, I hear a ....that was a (insert climb rating). Aaaaahhh Shit! Atleast one grade over what I have ever climbed. Somewhat proud, yet extriodinarily humbled and exhausted we decided it was time to hit the bar. Just in time - for the rain to start pouring down. I cant wait to go back and try it again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chirp Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 Probably one of my hardest was actually a descent. The first descent of the Icebox variation to waterfalls canyon behind the Kolob Finger canyons from the North fork of timber creek to Kolob arch. Started at 4 am and ended up back at the trail head around midnight. I did the chute variation in 2000 and it took us significantly less time. Both are recommended. Both times I was wasted at the finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-spotter Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 omfg nice teeth! are you part British? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chirp Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 omfg nice teeth! are you part British? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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