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Coolest Moderate Climbs on Earth


layton

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I understand where you are coming from, John: standards are going up all the time and something that was cutting edge 25 years ago no longer raises an eybrow. Slipstream is certainly not "extreme."

 

I undertsand it is the internet and all but would think it really hard to suggest a "moderate" until you have actually got up the route ;)

 

Re: Slipstream? No one including the 1st ascent party ever thought Slipstream to be cutting edge or extreme, even in 1979. They took 3 days to get up and off the climb in Dec '79. Couple of NW punters did the second ascent in Jan of '81. With a 8:45 climbing time and way less than 24 hrs car to car while coming down the Athabasca in a white out.

 

Lauchlan called it "classy". Anyone who has seen it will admit to it being a classic. No one who has ever been on the climb would doubt just how dangerious it can be.

 

Moderates?

 

Cascade-Yosemite Rock:

Catapault/Winter Soltice

Gonzilla/ Sloe Children

Nut Cracker

Central Pillar of Frenzy

Serenty Crack- Sons

 

Rockies waterfalls:

Cascade

Sniveling

Takakakaw

 

Rockies Alpine climbs:

NW Ridge of Sir Donald

East Ridge of Edith Cavell

East Ridge of Temple

 

 

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Several of those climbs that Blake did in New Zealand a couple years ago looked like serious contenders for worldwide classics. What was that one super long mellow alpine ice thing?

 

You may be thinking of the SW ridge of Aspiring.

 

Aspiring-Sw-30-8.jpg

 

4427Aspiring_061.jpg

 

4427Aspiring_074.jpg

 

I think its considered a more difficult route than Liberty Ridge (for a local comparison) and wasn't a moderate day in my mind, but with a nothing harder than WI3 (in condition) it's not technically very difficult.

 

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As the cutting edge/edge of the envelope gets pushed further and further to me what is "moderate" becomes harder and harder...

 

I call bullshit. "moderate" has little to do with what the world's best athletes are doing. "moderate" has to do with what a majority of the athletes are doing. A synonym of "moderate" is "average".

 

The world's best marathon runners can finish in a little over 2 hours. By your definition, a "moderate" finishing time would be around 3 hours. After all, 3 to 3.5 hours is achievable if you train. In truth, less than 10% of marathon runners finish in less than 3.5 hours. The average is 4.5 hours to finish.

 

Sorry, I had to bring some logic into the discussion.

 

Using slipstream as an example the majority of the climbing world doesnt find WI4+ hard... just all the NW punters :grlaf:

 

5.13 doesnt make the mags anymore because more of the population is climbing it... as standards rise so does (or should) the ability level of the "next generation"

just out of curiousity, how many "moderate" 5.13's have you sent, john?

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Flight of the Fledglings. Someone took the hanger off of the second bolt on pitch two, for extra spice!

 

So far, my ambiance Favs:

 

NEB Sleese

NEB Johhanaessbergsssssssssssss

W Ridge Forbidden

Central Couloir, Joffre

 

Me thinks I'm forgetting some, but really anything with a good partner, I don't really care what it is.

 

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can't remember the name but the line jordan peters, steve h and I did on I 3 or somethin in the Wad range was f'n spectacular and moderate at 5.10 contrivometered... hopefully jordan or steve will chime in and post a few pics sometime or more specifics as the the southern cali sun and rock has dulled my memory.

 

Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows:

 

SLR_1.jpg

 

Twas very fun, WADDn't it? ;)

 

SLR_2.jpg

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This probably has been done countless times, but let's hear what you think (you don't even have to have climbed it) the coolest moderate climbs on earth are?

Single pitch to full scale VII's under 5.11c/d and WI5+

 

I'll start:

Lotus Flower Tower

Slipstream

The Nose

 

Slipstream? When did 900+M, Grade VI ice climbs with significant objective hazard become moderate?

 

Sorry, what I mean by moderate was the technical grade, not the commitment. This point of my thread was to draw out the BIG or short classic lines that you're always like, "man one day I'd like to climb that" with SOME glimmer of hope.

 

Why did I choose WI5+ or 5.11b/c as "moderate"

Well let me tell you....

 

1st, unless you are just a plain shitty climber, within a relatively short period of time if you applied yourself, you should be able to at least get up a pitch of that grade. If you've been climbing for a while and can't even toprope a mid-5.11 even by french freeing, then you would fall into a category of what I would chose to call "Easy" or "Beginner".

 

I thought capping it at those grades would provide a cool list of climbs that are humanly possilbe - thus moderate. I guess there should have been a better definition (there was actually I gave the grades), or a "what's above moderate".

 

So this is my scale, take it or leave it.

 

Easy (i.e. almost anyone could do this)

0th class to 5.8

WI0 to WI3

AO-A0+

M1-M3

 

Moderate (you can do this at SOME point by training)

5.9-5.11

WI4-5+

A1-3

M4-M6+

 

Hard (you may never do this...and I'm being EASY on the rock grade here!)

5.11+ - 5.15

WI6-7+

A4-A5

M7-M(whatever it goes to now)

 

In other words I was trying not to have the Technical grade be the limiting factor - because if you can't climb it...well you can't climb it! In other words, I'll NEVER be able to climb 5.13. So if someone posted a big ol 5.13 line that was just the most beautiful thing ever - it wouldn't matter cuz I'd never get up it no matter what. But a super frigging long 5.11 with maybe some WI5 on it? Well I know that I can occasionally get up 5.11 and I sometime have the balls for a WI5 - so I can make that my "Dream Climb" to do one day -because it would be humanly possible.

 

Now if I could just watlz right up it...well then it wouldn't be moderate now would it? It would be easy!

 

Now post some fucking climbs you quibbling bunch of whiney pussies! Jesus f'in christ guys, if you think my scale was was to high - y'all suck. Shit, I admit that I don't climb 5.11b/c very well - but I can get up it and you should be able to too. Open up a guidebook and turn to the 5.11 and above pages in the back. There's a lot of those aren't there! Well, check your ego cuz 5.11- isn't very hard anymore.

Edited by layton
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A woefully inadequate list...

 

Open Book- Tahquitz: A beautiful line

DNB- Middle Cathedral, the Valley: Just about all techniques required.

SW Arete, Headstone Rock- Joshua Tree: Full moon required

White Punks On Dope, Voodoo Dome- Needles: Stellar climbing

The Line- Lovers Leap:

Firecracker Roof- Donner Summit: Did it on 4th of July

Tribal Boundaries- City of Rocks

The Book, Finger of Fate- SawtoothsThe hail is optional.

 

NW Corner- NEWS: That undercling is pure fun.

Full N Ridge- Mt. Stuart

Ginsu, Four O'Clock Rock- Darrington ; )

S Face- the Tooth: Why not?

Orbit- SCW: Beats the hell out of OS

Centerfold- Index: Pure fun

Centrefold- Squamish: Very heady last pitch

 

My 'moderate' is not necessarily your moderate. Two people, on the same rope can experience the same route, at the same time, as 'easy' and 'hard'.

 

It is a personal thing that defies common definition.

 

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