Most satisfying pitch ever...

lI1|1! · July 15, 2008

the :pagetop: making the most grunting noises

G-spotter · July 15, 2008

There have been a couple times when I climbed out of my comfort zone and into "no retreat" situations, either because of soloing or trying to make a new route go, and once because of not having the right piece of gear for the pitch. In all of these cases I have eventually been in a situation where I have made moves I was uncertain of success on, where the consequence for failure was death or life-changing injury. I couldn't recommend these pitches to anyone, and I would have to say that nowadays at least I would do a lot to avoid them, but I'm as proud of having succeeded on those pitches as I am of anything else I have ever done, because if I hadn't I would not be here.

Edited July 15, 2008 by G-spotter

RuMR · July 15, 2008

olyclimber · July 15, 2008

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KaskadskyjKozak · July 15, 2008

you can hitchhike all you want, I ain't gonna pick you up

mattp · July 15, 2008

There is satisfaction and there is satisfaction. I remember completing what were for me bold and scary leads, mostly relatively early on in my career, but for some reason “satisfying” has never been about scaring myself. 30 years ago I thought some five foot traverse on a climb called Jackson’s Wall Direct (I think that is what it was) just felt like zen enlightenment for some odd reason as I don’t recall anything about the setting or the climb itself being that spectacular. A short sequence of moves just took hold of me in a unique way. More recently, finding the key sixth pitch while developing an eight pitch climb that we explored mostly by top-rope was really exciting. Every bit as much as completing a scary pitch you might anticipate on a big climb, we’d dreaded that there wasn’t going to be anything sensible or pleasant for that part of the climb but there it was. And for an immediate sense of elation, successfully downclimbing the last 80 feet after getting benighted descending the wrong way off Mt. Johannesburg after a solo climb comes to mind. It wasn't any bold lead or great accomplishment but I sure was happy to finally walk on the ground after being scared for much of the prior 24 hours.

AlpineK · July 16, 2008

Where on Andromeda is Photo Finish?

I believe it's listed in the guide as the NW Bowl. As you approach it's to the left of the Skyladder but past the West Shoulder Direct.

Photo Finish may just be the local name. I forget. It was a photo finish for us.

sobo · July 16, 2008

i'm pretty satisfied with any pitch i finish. guess i'm just easy...that way.

Thought you said you didn't climb. künt. (note that's with an umlat )

I don't have any particular pitch singled out as the best/most satisfying, cuz there have been many, in many different places, and for many different reasons, but I do have to agree with what Dru said.

ZONK · July 17, 2008

Any Pitch is a good Pitch

with 100 diffrent routes YTD and no clue how many pitches YTD

the "Original Route" on Warrior Wall is right up there for this year. All time, I liked them all.

Blake · July 18, 2008

The first pitch of a new route on the North Face of Amphitheater Mountain in the Pasayten. My girlfriend and I had been eyeing the line for 3 days, noting some nice looking cracks and corners, especially higher up. However, after some initial splitter climbing, the pitch moved into a corner, past two stacked blocks/flakes that I was amazed to see stay put. The corner continued for ~40m of very sustained thin edging, laybacks, jamming, and moss and scruffyness. Forced to move out of the corner when the crack widened, I followed incipient seems and pockets, which allowed just enough gear to make the commiting moves somewhat safe. I finally reached a decent/protectable belay ledge, but with just one cam and one nut remaining, one of which we'd bootied on Cathedral the day before. Amazingly, both pieces fit perfectly at the belay, and the gear sling I had them racked on just barely reached to connect them for a belay anchor below a beautiful hand crack on P2.

EWolfe · July 20, 2008

I had been saving "Crack of Doom" 5.11b/c at City of Rocks until I was strong enough at trad to have a chance of onsighting it. After a couple of years, I did onsight it. I did it the .11c way, too - not using the cheater holds, but pure crack style.

The "Bela Lugosi traverse" on Layton and my climb "Plan 9" in the Pickets was one of those moments where you don't know what is out there, but you go anyway. Overcoming gripping fear on an FA is right up there on the satisfaction scale.

olyclimber · July 20, 2008

your mom

pink · July 20, 2008

bitch?

kevbone · July 20, 2008

Hey Rudy: why is this in Spray?

What do you think a bunch of folks "spraying" about there "most satifying pitch ever" on the interweb is?

kevbone · July 20, 2008

I did onsight it. I did it the .11c way, too - not using the cheater holds, but pure crack style.

Nice job on the send....but....am I to understand that the 11c way is contrived? Are there hold within reaching distance that you dont use? On purpose?

E-rock · July 20, 2008

I'll save Erik's breath for him... Go fuck yourself, bitch. He's not interested in discussing it with you.

kevbone · July 21, 2008

I'll save Erik's breath for him... Go fuck yourself, bitch. He's not interested in discussing it with you.

Thats the spirt! :tup:

EWolfe · July 21, 2008

I'll save Erik's breath for him... Go fuck yourself, bitch. He's not interested in discussing it with you.

:lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao:

Hugh Conway · July 21, 2008

Miss July 1986 - schwing!

carolyn · July 21, 2008

When Kurt and I did OuterSpace a number of years back he looked at me for the last pitch (with the crack and knobby face finish). It was pretty much I lead it or we stay on the ledge forever. I was terrified. I hadnt had much crack climbing experience, let alone leading. We were pretty high up off the ground, ya know - for someone from MN.

I was so 'in the moment' with each move. More so than I had ever experienced. It was awesome! The knobby face ruled, as did the crack. I was pretty close to running out of rope at the top and felt a little alone up there hoping I could bring him up safely.

It never matters how easy or hard the pitch is. The most memorable one's are when Im pushed beyond what "I" believe I am capable of doing and able to get out of the extreme fear zone. Fun moves are also a plus.

carolyn

ken4ord · July 21, 2008

For ice it was probably Fafnir in Cannon New Hampshire. The Climb was in pretty poor condition. The third pitch was 100 feet almost vertical pitch with a thin ice 2-3 inches thick over crusty crap snow. When I first started up I swung my tool to have it bounce back at me and clear of section of ice. I figured it would probably get better once I got up a bit, well it really didn't. I delicately picked my way of the sheet of ice. I tried placing a stubby screw about 50 feet up, but it ended up being a rattly POS that didn't even work for psychological gear.

Rock climbing was soloing up Solar Slab in Red Rocks. I was up 100 or so feet and realized I wasn't on the right route and since it was my first time in Red Rocks I didn't know what route I was on. Then I saw Solar Slab or what looked like it from the description I had a 150 feet to my left. I decided rather than down climbing I would traverse across, it looked like there was plenty of hold. There was plenty of hold the only problem it was unclimbed terrain so there were several holds that broke off when I tested then. It was unnerving climbing and kept on the edge.

Edited July 21, 2008 by ken4ord

kevbone · July 21, 2008

I have three most satifying pitches ever.

The day I warmed up on Scott Free, and sent it (Madrone)

The day I sent Bloodline (Broughtons Bluff)

The day I sent Pipline (Beacon)

sobo · July 21, 2008

kevbone · July 21, 2008

Sobo....it would only be chest beating if I would have added the grades :whistle: Never the less.....they were the most satifying pitches for me due to the time I put into trying to get the redpoint.

eric8 · July 21, 2008

pulling the cornice on big 4... to firm to tunnel or i'm to impatient...yet not exactly ice

wham, even though my friends all hiked it, the first time i got on it i failed all over it, second time i did all the moves but the crux. Lead it 4 times with one fall at the crux before sending..

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