Worst climb

[billcoe]

Some of you are naming some pretty good routes. I think Wedding Day is bolted on good rock for instance? No? Maybe they re-bolted it Kev.

 

I got on a 2,000-3,000 foot thing just free soloing above a Fijord in Norway I didn't think I would get down alive on once. "Dirty and loose" would be a charitable way to describe it. "Young and dumb" would be the description of the climber. Somehow going down was signifigantly more problematical than heading up, which was pretty sporting. The view I thought I'd get did not compensate for the fear I felt, yet through such near misses we all learn.

 

The only true "NAMED" death shitpile I've ever jumped on was a shor tlittle piece os SH*T either later named "The Young and the Worthless", or if not it: it parallels that route.

 

Basically, sometime in the early 80's, Mike Lake led what we thought was "The Young and the Restless" 1st pitch at Smith. He got lost/offroute and brought me up with a little single #3 wired nut as the belay protection. I should have clued in when we were doing the belay signals he yells down "DO NOT FALL".

 

It turned out to be not only the only placement available, and the stance was so poor that his asscheek kept sliding off the rounded bump he kept trying to rest it on so as to not weight the belay nut, but a better piece than anything I got on the second pitch. The 2nd pitch upper cliff turned out not only to be NOT rock, but a unique version of soft vertical mud not seen elsewhere at Smith.

 

I had spyed a crack up high from the alledged belay off to the right, and about 20-25 feet directly above us was a small pinnicale for a runner. So I climb up and put the single runner on a small pinnacle before the @15 foot traverse to the right which was heading to the visible crack and was so off the plumb line that I flipped the runner off to get the rope to run straight, not knowing that runner would have been the only piece potentially able to keep us off the deck if I fell or Mike accidentally pulled on the belay nut and slipped off, thus taking me too: a distinct possibility.

 

I made it to the crack, put in a 1-1/2"-2" friend about as deep as possible, yanked it to give it a pull test and the mud cliff shattered pulling the piece out.

 

I was kick stepping the upper part and getting my rock shoes to crumble vertical mud enough to get footholds in the rock.

 

My best piece (I think I had 2 pieces total I remember including the cam I put back into the now sh*t crack I destroyed and had the sense not to pull test again cause it would have pulled out with a slight tug) was a runner I wrapped around some mud which was clogging the crack right above the cam.

 

It was most likely a FA as there was no evidence of human intrusion before we got there, yet after we were done it looked like a large herd of Buffalo had stampeded through the prarie, with kicked steps up a lot of it.

 

Tied the rope about a big-assed boulder at the top for the belay and damn near kissed the ground. When Mike comes up he says something like "That was interesting". I think I could only respond by saying "Fuck" and was still praying that my heart would start beating normal at some point that it was all I could muster for wit.

 

I'm gonna go see if Mike remembers it this way, he posts on ST as RockerMike if any of you old timers remember him at all: great partner (this story is not indicative of him at all) he's a 5 star partner, this is a negative 5 star route.

[billcoe]

Edited to taunt Dru. Hey buddy, you sleeping? Missed the pagetop.

[archenemy]

Didn't say that.

1. I don't like rogers corner, the width of some of the moves feels strange to me

2. I don't like ows.

[catbirdseat]

Good story Bill. Hopefully your FA was also a LA (Last Ascent).

[fenderfour]

I would say the worst climb I have ever done is White Wedding at Smith Rock. If it’s not the worst, it for surely ranks as one of the worst.

 

How about you?

 

i think you mean wedding day...or are you trying to *ahem* boast??

 

 

Oh yeah....Wedding Day....thanks for the correction....its 10.b right. That climb sucks. I almost sold my rack and never climbed again after that experience.

 

Isn't that a sport route? Maybe if you hadn't taken your rack up there...

Edited May 24, 2007 by fenderfour

[archenemy]

ouch

[fenderfour]

I'm not sure I would say it's "the worst" or even a bad climb, but the butt lips chimney pisses me off -- mostly because I always end up doing such a thrutch job in there.

 

If I could climb it in better style, I'm sure I'd like it more.

 

Buttlips was lame. Mostly because I was spent before I got to the hold. THe wetness didn't help much.

 

I've recently really hated First Blood, but that's because I suck, not because it is a bad climb.

 

The first two pitches of White Satin are pretty horrible. "Sport mud"

[rob]

I did buttlips again a week or so later when it was dry. It still involved a lot of groaning and hating.

 

I hear tell of good hand jams in the back but I didn't find them.

[billcoe]

 

The first two pitches of White Satin are pretty horrible. "Sport mud"

 

Fender, this is for sure one of those "your results may vary" things, I like those pitches. I remember someone getting popped by a rock on P1 not long ago and reporting it here, which could happen, but it's not too loose.....and pretty good movement and feel.

 

Thanks CBS!

[Dechristo]

For me, it's probably a combo of "worst" and "best" in doing from the ground up FAs on sandstone towers in Wyoming and Colorado. There's hardly a dirtier job, nearly every hold is suspect, and there are continual concerns of rope/pro damage from the cleaning/trundling. But, the adventure and establishment of a new route is golden.

[selkirk]

Crackmaster Lambada, out at Vantage

 

Weird committing moves, above small shitty pro Scared myself half to death. Once was more than enough.

 

Oh, and Fred on Air, down by Phoenix at Smith. I've been up the damn thing 2 or 3 times, and always slip at the bottom crux. It's a boulder problem, followed by slightly runnout face climbing, on obnoxiously sharp holds. I just never enjoyed any aspect of climbing it, so I stopped

 

Oh, Oh, and whatever the hell the short "5.8" layback problem in the cave, then ends on the birdshit covered pedestal, on the back side of Smith is (betwween Asterisk and Spiderman). Hard, insecure, greasy, slimy, and just generally not very interesting

[kevbone]

Oh, Oh, and whatever the hell the short "5.8" layback problem in the cave, then ends on the birdshit covered pedestal, on the back side of Smith is (betwween Asterisk and Spiderman). Hard, insecure, greasy, slimy, and just generally not very interesting

 

 

Oh my god....I totally agree. that is the worst climb of all

[catbirdseat]

Oh, Oh, and whatever the hell the short "5.8" layback problem in the cave, then ends on the birdshit covered pedestal, on the back side of Smith is (betwween Asterisk and Spiderman). Hard, insecure, greasy, slimy, and just generally not very interesting

 

 

Oh my god....I totally agree. that is the worst climb of all

There is a climb at Vantage called Shady Chimney, 5.7 that is a sort of narrow version of Seven Virgins and a Mule. Many of the good holds are covered in pigeon poop, often quite fresh. You can't really see it before you feel it, either.

[kevbone]

Have you ever felt like a climb sucks because you cant do it? I have.

[RuMR]

Didn't say that.

1. I don't like rogers corner, the width of some of the moves feels strange to me

2. I don't like ows.

 

explain this: "The wierd width of that climb right in the spots where there is the tiniest bit of overhang makes it uncomfortable for someone who doesn't like ow's to start with--moi."

 

it certainly seems to imply that you encountered offwidth on the route, doesn't it?

 

otherwise, it would be analogous to saying "its a really steep, icy ski trail, especially for someone who doesn't like driving"...

[archenemy]

ha ha I was only kidding.

Roger's Corner is MY FAVORITE climb ever!! I do it over and over an over again. I love it. I can't get enough of it. Wow, it is yummy. And it doesn't feel like it has ow parts to me at all. It is a perfect fit. Can't wait til this weekend when I can dominate that lovely climb. even though it feels like it is not the right width for my body to cram itself into that corner. love it. fav. dude.

 

You're short.

[NTM]

 

You're short.

oh, snap.

[archenemy]

You're short too. The only difference is that you are also cute.

 

 

[motomagik]

 

Oh, and Fred on Air, down by Phoenix at Smith. I've been up the damn thing 2 or 3 times, and always slip at the bottom crux. It's a boulder problem, followed by slightly runnout face climbing, on obnoxiously sharp holds. I just never enjoyed any aspect of climbing it, so I stopped

 

Hey thats another of my favorite Smithy climbs! Especially the top part, thats great fun. It's kind of weird i like these routes that no one else likes...

[NTM]

Oh, and Fred on Air, down by Phoenix at Smith. I've been up the damn thing 2 or 3 times, and always slip at the bottom crux. It's a boulder problem, followed by slightly runnout face climbing, on obnoxiously sharp holds. I just never enjoyed any aspect of climbing it, so I stopped

i really don't like routes like that. reminds me of overboard (aka overbored) on morning glory wall or bust the move at 32.

i much prefer endurance challenges.

[NTM]

You're short too. The only difference is that you are also cute.

 

awww shucks , you're just saying that.

[i_like_sun]

I just realized that Kev said climb and not route. Feel free to be as subjective as you like.

 

 

Yep. Here's another subjective imput:

 

Mt Appleton in the Olympics. Last summer I got lost in one of the worst bushwhacks EVER......... that Olympic overgrowth is Kaa - NAAAARLLLLY! You know, all those spiny things and nettles, just begging to sting your nads and eyeballs......

[NTM]

what were you doing with your nads exposed while climbing?

[RuMR]

ha ha I was only kidding.

Roger's Corner is MY FAVORITE climb ever!! I do it over and over an over again. I love it. I can't get enough of it. Wow, it is yummy. And it doesn't feel like it has ow parts to me at all. It is a perfect fit. Can't wait til this weekend when I can dominate that lovely climb. even though it feels like it is not the right width for my body to cram itself into that corner. love it. fav. dude.

 

You're short.

wow...i'm short and you're testy...

 

sheesh...what got (or didn't get) into your shorts????

[archenemy]

my testy