Best individual pitch of 2007?

[Peter_Puget]

First pitch of Narrow Arrow Overhang. It maybe the best mid .11 in Washington! I bet it's a river right now - if not an icicle.

[denalidave]

Seeing how I don't get the chance to climb much I only have a few choices for best pitch of 07 so I'd say it was prolly leading Jill's Thrill. The 3rd pitch of Where Ever I May Roam was fun too. Hoping to get out more this year though.

 

Gotta agree that D.O.W.T in RR is one of my all time favs but have not done it for years.

[Cairns]

Best pitch led was probably the Double Roofs pitch on SEWS, what a wild hang-out over space... but no pics of that one!

 

 

This pitch?

 

[double roofs]

 

 

What route on SEWS is that pitch on? It looks rad

 

 

NW face. The pitch shown is airy but there are radder parts lower down. I did add some drama of my own, though. You can see me with my jacket tied around my waist and my sneakers clipped to the harness. We are about to struggle into a nice safe body-width slot above the roof and get into an argument over who gets to stay there when the rope jams under a cam below. Don't place a cam at the far left end of the roof.

 

 

Thanks RuMR for the GREAT pic of the offshoot on Crime of the Century! That photo makes you wonder if he could do the crack seen to the left.

Edited January 16, 2008 by Cairns

[RuMR]

i have been toying with throwing the little tool on citypark for kicks...hahahaha

[billcoe]

Lil guy might get some great fingerlocks.

[RuMR]

or thin hand jams...hahahaha

[Otto]

Oh yeah, Cairns, that one! What a magnificent layback.

 

chucK, where was your camera that day? U cuddahadda shot like that in your collection!

[pu]

second pitch davis holland Index.

[AR_Guy]

As a newbie trad leader, I suppose I have a slightly different perspective from all the 10 something and 11 something climbs mentioned......Highlights for me from '07 (yeah, some newbie chest beating here, but hey, you gotta start somewhere):

 

- R&D - the hand crack pitch. Especially after watching the leader of the party in front of us futz around in that crack for 30 or 40 minutes before backing off to the belay. I led through it without problem - solid jams rock. Felt good......

 

- 7 Virgins and a mule at Vantage. Kind of scary for me - figure if I took a fall on it I'd lose quite a bit of skin rattling around in there. Kept the head in the game and did it clean.

 

- On the first try at R&D, I was with a couple other guys. They shared the lead on the first 2 pitches - we ended up at the base of a feature to the right of the route. My turn to lead was pitch 3 - what ever this route was (Cocaine Connection??) it was up a steep 5.8-ish feeling corner before traversing left on a grassy ramp onto what turns out was R&D proper. I thought we were on route - shows what I knew - I was thinking "man, this is tough for a 5.6". Glad I didn't know it was 5.8-ish - would have scared the crap out of me. I was 15' up before I got to a point where I could put the first piece of gear in. In hindsight, I should have backed off, but I'm glad I pushed through.

 

- 1st pitch of Saber. What made it fun was I brought a couple of friends up the route....plus the bees nest just before the slabby part that leads to Saber Ledge. Fired in a piece of gear a few feet below the nest then scooted out to the left in a hurry - didn't get stung, but sure was interesting.

 

- All the 5.5 and under routes I did at Royal Columns, "The Apprentice" excepted (which is a TOTAL sandbag and isn't even remotely close to the same level of difficulty as 'Western Front'). A fun day of climbing.......

 

- All of my first Alpine climb - Kangaroo Temple. It was a nice day, we had it to ourselves, a great view, and really good exposure combined with quite moderate climbing - a great first intro to alpine (Becky Route - I'll get you this coming summer!!!!!!)

 

Anyways.......I couldn't limit it to one pitch - each of the above were fut for me in their own way.

 

[TimL]

As a newbie trad leader, I suppose I have a slightly different perspective from all the 10 something and 11 something climbs mentioned......Highlights for me from '07 (yeah, some newbie chest beating here, but hey, you gotta start somewhere):

 

- R&D - the hand crack pitch. Especially after watching the leader of the party in front of us futz around in that crack for 30 or 40 minutes before backing off to the belay. I led through it without problem - solid jams rock. Felt good......

 

- 7 Virgins and a mule at Vantage. Kind of scary for me - figure if I took a fall on it I'd lose quite a bit of skin rattling around in there. Kept the head in the game and did it clean.

 

- On the first try at R&D, I was with a couple other guys. They shared the lead on the first 2 pitches - we ended up at the base of a feature to the right of the route. My turn to lead was pitch 3 - what ever this route was (Cocaine Connection??) it was up a steep 5.8-ish feeling corner before traversing left on a grassy ramp onto what turns out was R&D proper. I thought we were on route - shows what I knew - I was thinking "man, this is tough for a 5.6". Glad I didn't know it was 5.8-ish - would have scared the crap out of me. I was 15' up before I got to a point where I could put the first piece of gear in. In hindsight, I should have backed off, but I'm glad I pushed through.

 

- 1st pitch of Saber. What made it fun was I brought a couple of friends up the route....plus the bees nest just before the slabby part that leads to Saber Ledge. Fired in a piece of gear a few feet below the nest then scooted out to the left in a hurry - didn't get stung, but sure was interesting.

 

- All the 5.5 and under routes I did at Royal Columns, "The Apprentice" excepted (which is a TOTAL sandbag and isn't even remotely close to the same level of difficulty as 'Western Front'). A fun day of climbing.......

 

- All of my first Alpine climb - Kangaroo Temple. It was a nice day, we had it to ourselves, a great view, and really good exposure combined with quite moderate climbing - a great first intro to alpine (Becky Route - I'll get you this coming summer!!!!!!)

 

Anyways.......I couldn't limit it to one pitch - each of the above were fut for me in their own way.

 

The first pitch of Saber has to be the scariest 5.4 in the universe. I lowered off the pitch my first year of climbing after 10 cups of coffee at the LW old coffee house and with my nerves totally fried.

Edited January 21, 2008 by TimL

[KaskadskyjKozak]

The first pitch of Saber has to be the scariest 5.4 in the universe. I lowered off the pitch my first year of climbing after 10 cups of coffee at the LW old coffee house and with my nerves totally fried.

 

LOL. Yeah, I climbed that for the first time a few weeks after I had led Ingalls (S ridge). I kept thinking "this is 5.4? WTF."

[sprocket]

I've only followed the first pitch of Saber once a few years back. The lasting memory was the traverse protected with a piece behind a flake that you could "conveniently" move to remove the piece.

 

This year wasn't as big as last year but had some memorable pitches nonetheless. After following it for several years I finally was persuaded to lead Moonshine Dihedral, probably one of the prettiest single pitch climbs I can think of. Repeated Air Guitar in much better style than my first time where I was quivering the first twenty feet or so. Also led a face route to the left of Ring of Fire (I think it is Dance with Fire) at Smith, depending on who you talk to it’s either 10a or 10b, if 10b it would be my first redpoint at the grade. But the winner for me is Penny Lane, stared at that opening sequence many times. Worked the finger crack at VW for months to learn some technique and still it took a friend to drag me by the ear at the end of the day when I was trying to bag off and give no option but to lead it. Had like four pieces to protect the thin crack in the opening before you can get good finger locks. The part where you get into the hands was probably the sweetest climbing experience of my life, was on cloud nine.

[spotly]

Favorite pitch followed (NYC007 led): Shoshone Spire, pitch 6 (starts at the notch halfway up the picture - pitch 5 was nice too!). A long pitch that starts out with a sketchy traverse outside the notch then follows face holds and hand and finger cracks up through a short roof. The exposure was awesome. Most enjoyable pitch because it took just about every kind of move to get through it. The last move to the belay was hardest for me.

 

Favorite pitch led: Prime Rib (of Goat) - pitch 8. A long 130 foot pitch with lots of slopers and a slightly scarey little traverse near the top. I liked the setting.

 

If we were doing scariest pitch, I'd go with the 5th pitch on south face of NEWS. Only 5.0 but the whole pitch was portable.

 

 

[ZONK]

No big Alpine this year and things that stick in the mind are unnamed, or I forgot there name, or a blur. But several stick out. I did well over one hundred pitches before I lost count sometime around July

 

A route at J-Tree in early March 5.10b(?) *** out north off the boy scout trail, long pitch of dime sized edges and a really nice south face, felt sick that day and wanted to puke after walking an hour but I did it

 

A unnamed one at Candy Land (?) about 75+ minutes up off the road above Bridge Creek. 5.10a(?) small edges on really clean rock with a sloper crux to a stance. Starts off a big ledge with wonderful views. the wind whipped so hard that day it blew one of my brand new shoes into the world of the lost never to be found again.

 

Birthday solo's Slender Thread, Faken'It & Cajun Queen

 

[Cobra_Commander]

Freeforsome 11.a all gear. Beacon Rock

 

This climb cannot be beat.

 

That climb is good but the best ever? I found Bluebird to be my favorite for 2007 at Beacon. Climbs like something out of the Smith lower gorge. That is, very nicely.

[pink]

bluebird and springfever in one pitch is a great link up. 2nd pitch of jensens ridge is my favorite beacon pitch.

Edited January 23, 2008 by pink

[ivan]

bluebird and springfever in one pitch is a great link up. 2nd pitch of jensens ridge is my favorite beacon pitch.

whichis springfever? was looking at bluebird direct y-day - looks fun, albeit needing some cleaning...i didn't discover bluebird till this fall - the 2nd time i did it i got the top 3000 lbs of the left pillar to rock a good 2-3 inches when i yarded on it!

 

i thought the top pitch of jensen's was coolest, mostly b/c the leader tops out of that roof 50 feet above and 5 feet behind you, and yet somehow it's only .9+ jensen's is really your fav? flying swallow and flying dutchman seem to have cooler position...

[pink]

flying swallow has great position. jensens just seems to be very unique for beacon and an epic pitch and also for it's grade is my fav. if you want good position, do riverside.

 

springfever is diectly above the first cave and to the right of winter delight.

 

BS and S would be my favorite 5.10 though.

 

littlewing is my all around favorite pitch at beacon.

[Adventureboy]

Ninja Bedwetter 11+/12a alltime incredible pitch ever

Indian Creek 2nd meat wall.

Every thing, thin hands, off fingers in a flare and flaring

fingers/thinhands face splitter. 140 feet of fun!!!

[catbirdseat]

Most memorable pitch for me was probably the layback (4th?) pitch on NW Corner of NEWS. I'd just headed up off a ledge and had placed a big cam about ten feet up. I noticed that I had missed the upper tie in loop on my harness. We'd just end for ended on the rope so I could lead this pitch without restacking. I grabbed a locking biner off my harness and joined the tie in loop to the upper tie-in loop and continued on. It ended up being a really fun pitch.

[AvlNC]

Favorite pitch followed (NYC007 led): Shoshone Spire, pitch 6 (starts at the notch halfway up the picture - pitch 5 was nice too!). A long pitch that starts out with a sketchy traverse outside the notch then follows face holds and hand and finger cracks up through a short roof. The exposure was awesome. Most enjoyable pitch because it took just about every kind of move to get through it. The last move to the belay was hardest for me.

 

spotly, did this one a few years ago...how many ticks did you find on you afterwards, we stopped counting at 50

 

 

[curtveld]

Wish I had something local to offer, but it just wasn't much of a summer around here. So..

The first pitch of Levitation 29 (not my photo) doesn’t get much fanfare because it’s not a crux. Incredible brown varnished rock – smooth and devoid of the little finger edges scattering the upper pitches. More intricate climbing than most Red Rock 10s and you’ve got to watch for occasional thin gear to supplement the few bolts.

[111]

I can definitely say the second pitch of L29 was one of the airiest, funnest climbs I've done, but I was following. I can also agree with curtveld about the first pitch as I did lead that.

That and maybe feeling really comfortable climbing Karate Crack at smith. What a lovely line.