G-spotter Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 Sonnie Trotter made the second ascent of Rhapsody (E11 7a, 14b/c R) at Dumbarton Rock in scotland yesterday after a month of effort this year and a couple weeks last year. Cool reading: http://www.sonnietrotter.com/roadlife.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eldiente Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 The blog is way funny, I stated reading it a few weeks ago and had a good laugh. Nothing funny about that route though. Making those kind of moves way above mirco nuts? Wow.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hafilax Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 Amazing! It was incredibly generous of his friends and the climbing community to donate money so that he could change his flight and keep working on it. This will make the Squamish Mountain Film Fest more interesting with both Dumby Dave and Sonnie presenting. They will undoubtedly compare their experiences on Rhapsody. I guess it's Didier's turn now. Who else might get on it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmace Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 Awesome stuff...maybe now he is ready to come back and clean up the Edwards/Spagnut 5.10d R I know he can do it!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cairns Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 Awesome stuff...maybe now he is ready to come back and clean up the Edwards/Spagnut 5.10d R I know he can do it!!! Ha, Ha, if he can find it this time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billcoe Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 Were these falls "Huge", Ginornous, big or sick? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sobo Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 they're in the category of "colossal", which is more epicer than "substantial" BTW bill, it's "ginormous" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billcoe Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 I can believe it Sobo. Sonnie Trotter is one strong dude fer sure. It sound's like this climb was on video, love to see it when it gets published iff anyone sees a link. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marc_leclerc Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 Didnt he reapeat N Butress of Steinbok in the Anderson range??? The one with 5.11 climbing above no/crappy pro and a single micronut belay? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-spotter Posted June 11, 2008 Author Share Posted June 11, 2008 Jesse's point is that he had to add one or more bolts to that very same route - that despite being a 14c climber on gear, and 12 soloist, he couldn't mentally deal with the poorly protected nature of Steinbok without retrobolting. Thus bringing the climb down to his level. The insinuation is that he should go back to Steinbok, remove the bolts, and climb it in the same style as the first ascent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marc_leclerc Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 Jesse's point is that he had to add one or more bolts to that very same route - that despite being a 14c climber on gear, and 12 soloist, he couldn't mentally deal with the poorly protected nature of Steinbok without retrobolting. Thus bringing the climb down to his level. The insinuation is that he should go back to Steinbok, remove the bolts, and climb it in the same style as the first ascent. pussy...lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimL Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 Sonnie Trotter made the second ascent of Rhapsody (E11 7a, 14b/c R) at Dumbarton Rock in scotland yesterday after a month of effort this year and a couple weeks last year. Cool reading: http://www.sonnietrotter.com/roadlife.php Come on....just fifty footers.....how lame. Now if it were actually a really hard route the falls would be longer. Fifty footers are so...well....everyday. A big shot out to Sonnie. Sounds like a bad ass send! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter_Puget Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 Bachar's comment killed me: "Did he TR it first?" Ends up he did. I did not get that impression from reading Sonnie's blog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-spotter Posted June 11, 2008 Author Share Posted June 11, 2008 You must have missed posts like this one from May 16: I then managed to climb from the last rest (a precarious chalking up stance) to the top of the wall twice. But still have not linked it straight from the top of the crack to the top of the wall. I don't feel there is much need to link it on top rope fully, I feel no pressure to do that. My fitness feels reasonable and I have faith in the gear, so the only thing I am concerned about is memorizing each little footplacement and getting more and more familiar with the moves. Although this is not much fun to watch, or film of course, that's of no problem of mine. Smirk. With all the tiny holds and micro foot smears, it's a gallery of chalked dots and boot rubber, it's hard not to get confused. I also lost a lot of skin yesterday, although to a non climber my skin only looks pink, like the inside of a rarely cooked steak, to an experienced climber however it looks about two layers away from being a deep laceration from which there is no escape. Bleeding tips = end of trip. It was my own stupid fault for climbing on it in the direct sun so early in the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmace Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 Bachars comment sounds like he is wondering if there has been any improvement on style..wheres polish bob I am sure he has an opinion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marc_leclerc Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 I think someone should solo this route.... barefoot, that would be cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCramer Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 trad use to mean ground up on sight. Somehow trad has evolved into something else. Doing that on this route sounds like it would be a huge step up. Scoping gear out on TR is very different. Think of Wolfgang falling off Masters Edge and grounding. After reading a few climbing mags for the first time in years at the gym last week I can't escape the feeling that everything is part of someone's marketing plan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuMR Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 are you sure on the "on sight ground up" part, daryl? I thought it was used in terms of protection only...ie, its foil would be "rap-placed"...yo yo ascension used to be considered valid, and that would hardly be "ground up on sight"...just have to lower after each fall, that's all... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCramer Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 Funny thing I just went to Supertopo and saw this thread: http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.html?topic_id=613015 Rudy - arent you in Yos? I guess I meant ideal of yesteryear. The ideal has very infrequently ever even been the norm. I guess after reading all the mags I am just cynical. My own belief is having fun at what you're doing is what matters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuMR Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 just got back yesterday...it was f-ing awesome fun...too short of a trip....need to go back... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jens Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 I personally don't get much inspiration from reading about this guy's ascents over the last few years. --------------- The Monkey Face climb from the 80's, the lake Louise bolt use and choppage, and more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCramer Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 Jens – I would agree with your assessment of ST but apply it to climbing media as a whole. Over the past few years from what little I have observed too much of the climbing media is focused around one upping someone else’s accomplishments. I have nothing against ST but the entire media vibe lately isn't very inspiring. It just seems like a marketing driven dead end. That said there have been lots of inspiring things happening out at Index lately some incredibly hard and others fairly moderate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hafilax Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 Bachar et al. keep pushing 'traditional' as meaning ground up, onsight, pull the rope if you fall and includes aid like hooking to place a bolt. The magazines use it to mean that removable gear is involved but all tactics are fair game including headpointing and pre-placed/inspected gear. I think Sonnie is pretty honest in what he does. What more can you ask for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCramer Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 (edited) There aint no "pushing" by Bachar that was the ideal. At Squamish and Index that ideal is basically unworkable for most routess it was abandoned pretty early on. As far as magazines I would say that they are "selling" rather than "pushing." Edited June 11, 2008 by DCramer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimL Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 (edited) trad use to mean ground up on sight. Somehow trad has evolved into something else. Doing that on this route sounds like it would be a huge step up. Scoping gear out on TR is very different. Think of Wolfgang falling off Masters Edge and grounding. After reading a few climbing mags for the first time in years at the gym last week I can't escape the feeling that everything is part of someone's marketing plan. Trad means whatever to whoever is defining it. I sure don't think Wolfgangs falling off Masters Edge and grounding a good example of promoting ground up ethics. Really, like a want to break my back for some ideal and die or be out of climbing for months. I climb to have fun, not chest beat or prove that I'm a badass. I think ground up, onsite is the best and most pure way to climb and is an ideal that I try to achieve as much as possible, but I'm never going to knock someone for climbing the way they want to climb as long as they are not damaging the rock, chipping, etc.... Really though, back in JB's age technical standards wern't super high. He had a great head for doing routes solo, but did he solo new cutting edge routes at the top standard? He's sorta a poster boy for this ethic, but his cred is way back in a different age collecting dust. What was hard then, my guess 5.12ish, is easy now. Now 14+/15- is hard. In twenty years it very well might be easy. Not that many people then neither now were doing the hardest routes ground up without checking ot out first. Sonnie's ascent was awesome. But it's no different then what you or I or anybody else does. He's just another dude going out and gettin it like anyone else. No need to knock what he did. The best thing is that people be truthful about what they did. Onsite...cool. Tr the crap out of something...cool. A little work on TR. Don't hate the player, hate the game. And the media...well media is media...what do you expect? Edited June 12, 2008 by TimL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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