Joseph FA of Rhythm Method upper part Beacon Rock

[billcoe]

Thought you folks would like to see some climbing pics. Maybe hear a story or 2.

 

Put a log on the campfire and pull up a lawn chair.

 

Spent part of Sunday belaying the indomitable Joseph Healy up a continuation of Rhythm Method. Ran into lots of people I know. Maybe I need to get out more. Saw my buddie Andrew, who I don't see enough and might have seen last in Yosemite, Thomas Miller, Ken from Walla Walla was there and he climbed with Ujahn,

He and Ujahn did the first pitch and rapped. Here's Ken after fixing my anchor up. Ujahn had soled TR'ed the first pitch on that blue rope and brought Ken up. I don't see the rope I thought I was clipped too which was Josephs Supersafe and a green color. Thanks Ken! Good guy. (Truthfully, this is Ken just showing up at the belay with Ujahn and I and laughing his ass off at the clusterF*, somehow it made sense at the time and there really was a green rope clipped in somewhere along with my backpack, water, 2 rope sacks, etc etc). Right over Kens left shoulder is a gap where I had once pushed off with my feet, on lead, with my back on the wall, a block the size of a Volkswagon that had Neil Olsen come breathlessly running down at a hard sprint from the parking lot sure that a fatality had accompanied the earth shaking rumbling. (Bill Dykstra belaying on the FA of Boardwalk, "Hey Bill, take me off and move around the corner a moment." )

 

If any of you other gear whores wonder what a 10.2 x 70 meter dry rope that costs $97 looks like, here's a picture of a new one. As this is the well established pitch, note the lack of loose rock and excessive moss.

 

 

Stewart got out for the first time since his foot healed, bumped into a few others: but the place was pretty empty for such great weather. Calm and maybe 60 was the high, cool in the shade still.

 

The first, and formerly only, pitch of Rhythm Method was done over 20 years ago, and despite the fact that every climber who has climbed at Beacon since that time has walked right past this face and seen this "route yet to be", which logically would start @ 100' up and run up the obvious dihedral you can see from the ground, right after P1, none has taken up the gauntlet until now. In fact the original pitch is finally clean enough after 20 years to not make people think it's gonna be their final climb. The grade settled at a heady 5.7 after starting at maybe 5.10ish and gradually dropping just like the loose rocks and moss that use to populate the route.

 

Jim Opdycke had named the route. The pitch was originally done ground up, essentially no pro with the usual tossed blocks, flying moss and choss. Rated a conservative X. Certainly no bolts. The best piece was a #4 Lost Arrow driven into an expanding flake. It's long gone, pulled something AFTER the 7 bolts which are thankfully there now, put in on a retrobolt by one of the FA party, who had forgotten he'd even done the route until the original belayer heard of the bolts from his buddie pumping the "new route" and clued him in that he had retrobolted his earlier FA. One often sees this kind of selective memory loss during a major tragic accident. Such may be the case here.

 

Still, many think the first pitch of the route still runout and risky, and the 7 bolts too far apart. Putting in the piton would help a bit. If it stayed in this time that is. My advice to those who say that about the first pitch, and they are legion: is to buy some adult sized depends and wrap them tight if you choose to try Joseph's new recent additions up high. Double bag it fer sure. I'd once made the mistake of telling Bryan Schmidt this first pitch FA story (posts as Powderhound), so he was going to do it FA style with nuts.. only nuts (and a few small cams he had) Made the mistake of having me belay him. I was almost crying as he ascended, "please Bryan, please clip a bolt, just one. COMMMMEEEE ONNN! PLLLEEEAASSEEE WAhhhhhhh " I was scared just watching him. He finally couldn't take the wailing anymore and did clip one. He was probably climbing at least 10 grades harder than this route at the time. Sigh...I probably should climb with asswipes instead of great guys like Bryon. Then I won't care about them augering in and can say with a clear mind and glad heart: "Oh go fer it dude, ya got it in the bag", and if I lose a partner or 2, hey, who cares huh?

 

-anyway-

 

It seemed like the similarity of this route to the issues created from this form of birth control were striking. IE, failure rates are high, and it's easy to get F*ed up and have a life altering tragedy. JH has a couple of other names which he's added depending on which way you head, as he's done 2 versions. This is the version on the right.

 

Joseph replacing my 20 year old hand drilled bolt which is almost rusted out. It was my high point and no human being is believed to have breached this height till Joseph blew past it in a blur of tossed blocks, flying moss and choss.

 

Up the ramp 5.9-5.10 moves.

 

1st belay.

 

 

Third pitch/highpoint, a knifeblade, a small LA and a small tcu.

 

Side view is deceptive, as it is higher than the tree on SE Corner, the left most tree. Arrow points to location of rappel.

[pink]

what? no rap bolting!!!!!!!

[kevbone]

Great job JH and BC. Love it.....thanks for sharing.

[wayne]

Congrats Joe! I did some cleaning o'there a long time ago. Knew there was potential. Glad to see it got! Whats the grade and r-value?

 

Are you looking up at the roofs now? :wickedface:

[billcoe]

Congrats Joe! I did some cleaning o'there a long time ago. Knew there was potential. Glad to see it got! Whats the grade and r-value?

 

Are you looking up at the roofs now? :wickedface:

 

Hola Wayne. From this route which is close to pure SE corner, you are looking across the great East Face to the right at McGowns "Upside-Down Sylvania" route to the right. Was that you who did that with him? Although that area is closed, it stands as proud mute testament to somebodies very large cahones. I was thinking of him and wondering if that was you when we were up there.

 

To answer your question, Joe's route is spicy but not too runout (although I doubt a gym climber would say that). Too runout...Yet. There's still mileage. The problem may be that some many of the pieces are in fracture planes of large blocks. Until you actually fall on them, you don't know if it will hold. Higher up, it looks like it's even more committing. Maybe I'm expoliating here.

 

Steve Strauch told me a story once about this area once. He said he and Danny had come out here to what he called "The Arena of Terror", (he called the East Face that, not the south side overhang like Tim has in the book) and tried to find a line up through those overhanging blocks which are to the right of JH's line (must be somewhere in the left side-middle but I don't know exactly). He said he was way up there, barely hanging on and had to run it out a bit. He finally reached a stance that although it was a bit overhanging, he could just manage to let go with one hand, grab his hammer (this was in the days before nuts, so late 60's or so) and smack a knifeblade in. He clipped and went, but as he climbed, to his horror, found that he couldn't stop and pro again. It either was not there he was not able to stop. So he continued. Higher up a bit he thought he saw a spot for a handhold and pro. To his shock and dismay, immediately after he'd got there and grabbed right behind one of these blocks thinking he had that great "Thank God" lock and a chance at redemption and some pro, this entire big F*ing thing just pulled off. Down he and the block went straight at his belayer who, alerted by the screams of terror, jumped aside.

 

With pretty much his life riding on that single knifeblade drivin' straight up into one of those other lower blocks, Steve and basalt block let gravity rule and plunged toards destiny and truth or dare knifeblade style. The blade held... held in spite of what one would think it should have done. He lived.

 

Never went back to the East Side.

 

Ever.

 

He came back later and did a 2 day siege for the FA of Blownout in a classic massive gorge icestorm in January with Danny. (couldn't drive it was so bad but they stayed and climbed for 2 days waiting for it to meltoff so the roads would be clear)

 

But never went back to the East Side..........ever.

 

 

So part 2 of the question: grade, maybe 10+ or up, you'd pull it easy Wayne, but very strange technical climbing with few real straight forward jugs to grab on. It's a lot of interesting sidepulls, underclings, sequential hand swaps, leg stretches combined with a greasy smear and other strange bizarre stuff. Even more impressive is JH's rack which must be 20 lbs including pitons, hammer, every size nut ever made and a rack of quickdraws and slings that would have made Todd Skinner proud. Josephs pulling hard right now. The route is going in stages, with 100 percent of it being his effort. (This was my 2nd belay session)

 

Pretty good for an old F*er.

 

BTW, Joseph is looking at those upper roofs like a hungry salivating hound staring at a meaty bone laying in a bear trap. Hope no one goes for the poach and that everyone gives him some time to work on them as it may be spring till it gets good enough again.

 

As an aside, and as we already had this heavy assed drill up there for the old bolt replacement, I advocated for a bolt on the top belay. Looking at the 2 small pins slammed into opposite sides of a solid block and a single tcu in the same fracture plane was almost causing sh*t to run down my leg. After I stopped peeing myself, did some deep breathing and calmed down, Joseph suggested to me that maybe we don't put one at that time, but we reflect and consider it. That anchor held BTW and we rapped on it.

 

Actually, from the safety of the ground, the best belay point may actually be just above us, and it was a great call on Josephs part IMO, to put off drilling the bolt. It may be put in later...hard to say.

 

 

Look carefully at the pic and you can see the fracture planes that has pieces of pro in them. Joseph chose the better places, typically closer to the main wall....but still, I was glad to be following. It was such a real pleasure to be out with him. Especially since I haven't pulled hard since my arm tweaked @ 1-1/2 months ago. Nice to have a ropegun.

 

Pink: rapbolting may be better than dying from having a block pull, but depending where your rope hit as you descended, you'd be maybe 20-30 feet out in space, as you know: the side profile reveals a huge roof system.

 

 

[JosephH]

Bill, thanks for being on the other end of line with me, again - and those are some great stories. A lot of folks have put in time helping out belaying and dodging both rocks and me coming down their way. Bill, Ivan, Jim Opdycke, Marco Fedrizzi, Mike Reddig, and Jim Anglin have all contributed to the line in turn. Jim O. and Marco both got pretty hard raps to their [helmeted] heads from my rack of cams during falls before we figured out a better stance to belay from for the second roof.

 

I'm originally from Southern Illinois where we mainly climbed roofs so I've had my eye on the large, wide A-frame roof (up and right of the new p2 anchor) on this line for decades and seriously for about the past five years. The unclimbed face with more roofs above the initial big roofs is also a big driver. 'Lost Warriors' with Bill and Karsten was my first shot at poking around up that way and I had planned on working on this line next before getting side-tracked with the anchor work over that past several years. It's been good to finally get back to it.

 

Close up of the new p2 anchor location

 

The line has definitely been a challenge relative to all the moss, loose and weak rock in places, and marginal initial placements. I've chopped one lead line trundling the initial loose panel of rock that was the likely reason this line was still unclimbed. I also rained a steady stream of me, moss, dirt, and big rocks down by my brave belayers. Now it has been pretty well cleaned up and better holds and placements uncovered though one or two fragile or loose points remain. So far the line runs up past the traditional 'Rythmn Method' anchor on up to slightly above Bill's old bolt for p1. P2 runs straight up the dihedral which starts at that newly moved bolt. You move around and over two roofs on the way to the new p2 anchor on the face up under the big roofs. It's 55 meters in two pitches so far. The climbing now is about as Bill describes it in his post above, with the first roof about 5.9+ and the second roof about 5.10+, both are somewhat technical relative to the moves.

 

It's a straight 55 meter shot and a clean rope pull from the base of 'Rythmn Method'

 

First roof on p2 as seen from the p1 anchor

 

Second roof on p2 as seen from above the first roof

 

View from atop the second roof on p2

 

It's cool if anyone wants to head up and check it all out, but be aware stuff may still pull on you and a few ballnuts (#2 and #3's) wouldn't be out place on p2. Also, once above the first roof on p2 you can bail out up and left rather than doing the second roof. The bail line takes you up, left, and around a corner and to a point high in the dihedral above 'Boardwalk'. Again, you head up and left and turn the corner just under the right-angle roof you can see in the upper middle of the following pic. The rap from that point will take you down to 'Boardwalk' anchor with one rope (or to the 'Young Warriors' p1 anchor).

 

Bail path to rap anchor above 'Boardwalk'

 

A word to the wise to anyone contemplating departing the p2 anchor for parts unknown. The rock from this point forward is better, but anything loose up in the main roofs and beyond is very likely to be quite large. Also, on making progress through these roofs you likely won't be able to retreat without ending up hanging in space at the end of your rope unless you are tagging line whose other end is anchored into the p2 anchor. With regard to the ethic to-date, it has been onsight, groundup, cleaning and trundling free on lead with the use of protection following Beacon traditions - (and to quote Jeff Lowe's recent SuperTopo comments) gear whenever possible, pins if necessary, and bolts only as an absolute last resort - at this point I would expect that ethic to remain in play to the top of the line.

 

P.S. I'm still always looking for folks to climb with so get ahold of me if you'd like to help out and take a closer look at it all.

[pink]

good shite JH

[markd]

really nice work joseph! it's nice to see you find a line and follow through with it. good energy at the great stone in the columbia river gorge.

[kevbone]

What is the final grade?

[JosephH]

Of p2? Probably 10a or b with the understanding the moves can be a bit technical and feel a bit runout or with minimal pro in a spot or two. The next pitch through the roofs to the upper half of the line will likely be hard 11 up through 13 and possibly some aid - no telling yet (but I have hunch I need to lose another ten pounds...).

 

P.S. Oh, and hurrah for the Return of the Stewart!

[billcoe]

I got a PM with a friendly reminder about watching out for loose rocks. I appreciate getting it privately so as not to see a flamefest sprout up and take over a pretty good thread. I thought it might be better to put the response here, for anyone else who wants to follow this route should be paying attention to this idea.

 

We are being as careful as possible, given the fact that on the other side of this rock, the trail has been wiped out twice in a relatively recently time from naturally occurring rockfall (it's closed right now for either a treefall or rockfall for instance).

 

Joseph is mostly doing what I use to do and heading out mid week to toss em off and clean when that needs to occur. Furthermore, he had told me his plans like last year, but put this off for most of the summer when it was crowded. For some reason when the wind hits 40-60 knots and the wind chill is negative like we sometimes see or have been having, JH is still out there, but he's pretty much alone. If any other hardy sole shows up (Ivan) they are usually in communication days in advance and aware of each others locations and plans. JH has a hard time even talkin a belayer into it in some of the conditions he wants to climb.

 

The route location he's on now, an alert belayer can see the trail in advance and talk to folks if it is needed - and manage both the climber and the hikers before the confluence of a bad space is hit.

 

The Volkswagon I mention pushing off on the thread was pushed off @ 23 or so years ago, I could see the trail at the time too and no one was out there back then - except my belayer, Bill Dyckstra and Neil Olsen: but Neil was way the hell up in the parking lot just getting out of his car when he heard the noise (coincidentally Neil was the very first technical rescue off El Cap in 1972 when a huge block - there use to be loose stuff all over up there) above camp 5 pryed off with Neil on it and snapped his leg, I think it was a compound fracture of the femur, very painful).

 

Classic pic of Bridwell and Neils head here:

 

Interesting enough, Bridwill was in town a few years back and recognized Neil at a party with a bunch of climbers. For those who know Neil, it's a reminder to stay in touch with people you like or love (and Neils a prince of a dude). Neil had a brain anurism a year ago which put him in intensive care and came a Red C* Hair from taking his life. The scar across the top of his head looks like a German Shepard had picked him up and shook him. But he's recovering and was out climbing at Beacon early this spring and is working on some memory issues. Now might be a good time to bluff him into "paying back" the $100" he borrowed from you!

 

At another local crag where Kevbone just did a new fa addition, when cleaning I will put a sign on a tree with a bungee cord at the top of the trail asking people to yell up to me to establish communication when they get down to the base, the sign explains that there will be deadly shit raining down, and that I am by myself and it is difficult to watch both the trail and toss blocks. They get there and yell up, I stop, take a break, pay attention and loudly say "coast is clear": they pass and the tossfest continues. People are very happy with the sign BTW, but it takes off a lot of pressure of the cleaner too.

 

Anyway, thank you for the PM reminder sir, it's good thing to keep on the top of the concern list. - For all of us.

 

Edited to add: that reddish block just above the highpoint-rope in JH's pic looks like it wants to come right off in the picture. In real life, it looks wedged in and more solid.

[pink]

that's a great shot bill. neil is a classic beacon lifer. that blew me away to see those two meet after all these years. bridwell doesn't even climb anymore. he says it to expensive.

[JosephH]

Did a roped-solo up the new extension today (Sat) and did more cleaning both yesterday and today. It's all cleaned up pretty well at this point and open for business - but that's not to say there aren't a couple of fragile spots on the line so climb gently as possible here and there. In its all-cleaned-up state, the new pitch runs an old school 5.9 with somewhat technical moves and protection. Like many Beacon routes, once you know the moves and pro it feels pretty straightforward, before that time it will probably feel more like 5.10a or b to you.

[JosephH]

After today's last few details the route is definitely open for business. Keep in mind unless you are absolutely sure your 60m rope is really a 60m rope then I'd either go with a 70m or take two ropes. The best approach to climbing it is to climb p1 up past the normal anchor 'Rythmn Method' to Bill Coe's old high point under the first roof. He and I moved his old bolt up about three or four feet with a new one so you can't miss the spot. There is pro there as well. Belay from this spot for the second pitch and just head straight up.

 

If you can't pull the second roof for any reason you can take the bail line ('Rythmnwalk') diagonally up and left at about a 45-50 degree angle until you can turn the corner to the left and into the dihedral high above 'Boardwalk'. There is a rap setup there that will take you down to the 'Boardwalk' p1 anchor or you can also go to the 'Young Warriors' p1 anchor (just be careful and stay in the dihedrals all the way down). Both destinations can be reached with a 60m (even a somewhat short one). Otherwise the p2 line ends at the top of the vertical dihedral and moves left onto the face to the anchor.

 

[ Note: A helmet is still advised for now. Oh, and the second roof sports a bomb #3 Ballnut (I whipped on mine five times before it was finally cleaned off enough to send). A small nut or micro cam would do - but if you ever wondered what ball nuts are all about then get a Trango #3 and have at it as a better placement can't be found. ]

 

 

[billcoe]

Pretty exciting, bold and interesting stuff Joseph. Defineatly setting a standard and raising the bar a bit.

 

Lovin it!

 

Like to see some other folks get on this one and see what their thoughts are. BTW, if you are climbing 5.9, if it was me, I'd pass on doing the route till you are @ doing 5.10's and take Josephs advice and belay from the higher spot @ 30 feet up from the rhythm method anchors (medium cam fits there next to the bolt) as you'll be straightening out the bend on the rope if the leader falls, and it's a pretty sharp edge. Joseph was climbing with 2 full on lead ropes as a just in case mode of a rope failure through a cut from a fall or a rock. The rocks are gone but the roof is still there.

 

But thats me and I'm a puss. Ujahn's leaving Vegas today so I'm gonna be transitioning to full on buffet eating, liquer drinkin, money loosing fool mode and not climb any more, which is a good thing as I feel all torn up. I'm blaming Epinephrine for that and hanging with a guy 20 years my junior who works physically for a living. That and a 2 month lay off (except for following JH here like maybe twice and a gym session while my arm tried to heal)

 

Like to get to Jims memorial just to touchbase with all of use that are still living, whos going?

 

Or is there a place-thread for that topic elsewhere?

[JosephH]

Bill, thanks for the kind words about the new line. Oh, and I forgot to mention Hamni did it the other day with me, busted all the moves and did seem to really enjoy herself.

 

It sounds like you guys have been having a good time down there. Got on Epi again sounds like. My own trip to RR has been pushed out until the start of next month. The thread for Jim and the postings about the service for him are at:

 

Thread for Jim Anglin

 

I'm going down to the service thursday, but will be doing the return loop through Bend and won't be back until friday night.

[billcoe]

How high did you and Shane get this thing? Just curious, I'm not climbing for shit these days. Just got spanked at Smith and Trout Creek this weekend (thought about Jim Anglin) and definatly have no business trying it, probably don't have any business even reading about it:-), just curious. I think I saw one of the Nates at Trout, maybe you need to grab one or both.... get it while the weather is good.

[JosephH]

Turns out Jim Detterline was in town for a convention at Skamania Lodge over the weekend and came out to Beacon to check it out. We ran into each other on the trail and hooked up for a few pitches. We'd never met before, but knew of each other from the Midwest back in the day.

 

These days he's from Estes Park and one of the main SAR rangers on Longs Peak and still climbing strong, particularly so coming down from 8k feet I'm guessing. We ran up FFA/Dods to the tree and the first two pitches of YW but realized we were behind some folks who needed some time to work things out so we bailed and went and did Menopause up to the high anchor. That was the second time I've been up there this year.

 

I haven't worked on the line since Shane left both because of last year's short season and because from the high anchor up is a pretty serious affair for taking just anyone up. We pretty much have the moves through the big roof with the BD #3 hanging in it worked out but have been trying to find holds / stances up above it to get established on the upper wall - so far without success in the couple of goes we had at it. We've been up there five times and four of those we gave it a pretty good go. Fortunately Shane just moved back to town and we plan on getting back on it so we'll see how it goes.

 

It is an interesting climb to the high anchor. If anyone is interested pm me and I can give you beta on it, otherwise take two 60's if you head up it. The first anchor is at the single bolt about 30-35' above the Rhythm Method anchor.

 

[denalidave]

Whats with the god-awful blaze orange tat anchor over right of Rhythm Method (Pacific Rim?)? I suppose it is the right season... hunting and/or Halloween. I guess we can change it to green/red for the Christmas season?

[denalidave]

Maybe put one of them fancy Rudolph figures with a real flashing red nose too?

[denalidave]

BTW, my grey micro-fleece fell off the back of my pack yesterday and was last seen somewhere just off route of YW. If anyone is out there today, I'd love to get it back. You will be rewarded with some cold beers and some great Karma. I may have time to get it myself this morning if I'd finish my coffee and quit sprayin already. Who knows if it did not get blown away already anyway?...

[JosephH]

The orange sling on Pacific Rim is the sling from my A5 hammer. Work in progress.

[sobo]

The orange sling on Pacific Rim is the sling from my A5 hammer. Work in progress.

Now that's just classic! To hell with a piece of red webbing - just leave your hammer!

Some dude climbs up, finds it, and says to himself, "Hmmm, ya think someone must be working this route...??"

 

Nice, Joe! :tup:

[LostCamKenny]

i certainly would have never thought that was JH without a power drill. and wearing the helmet - that's a big step up for you, joe!

[JosephH]

No, we used the Hilti for that rebolt and I always use a helmet for FAs with loose blocks the size of Subarus (but mostly to keep my 'turtle' fleece cap on in cold weather).