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[TR] Colchuck Balanced Rock - FA: The Tempest Wall IV 5.10 A2 8/28/2008


Sol

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You learn to aid climb while doing the FA of a Grave IV alpine wall!? Jesus...some guys have all the luck...

 

Luck? WTF? :wazup: Doesn't seem like luck has anything to do with it, but rather skills.

 

Nice job guys! You make me wish I was a.) motivated and b.) not a shitty climber! That looks **seriously** badass, especially that wild roof!

 

:tup::brew:

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  • 10 months later...

I guess it's all a matter of silly semantics and setting arbitrary guidelines to distinguish one ascent from the other, but oh well, a lot of life is like that.

 

The climb has not seen a free ascent, if free is defined as climbing all the pitches with no hangs or falls during the course of an ascent. IE climbing from the bottom of the route to the top, with the leader of each pitch onsighting or redpointing. That was my understanding of the term "free ascent" but I could be wrong, or there could be no one true definition.

 

The crux pitch was never been sent belay to belay, though the roof part of the pitch WAS climbed cleanly one time while Tom was working the route. Not sure if he used the new bolt at the lip of the roof, or other pre-placed gear that had been up there. Either way, a pinkpoint or redpoint of that pitch is awesome, way above my level and I wish I could have seen that to cheer him on. He also scrubbed and scraped the entire climb, and said the other pitches are spectacular as well, clocking in at 5.9 through 5.11b or so. Awesome job Tom! On the day of the continuous ascent that Darin mentions, the leader took a legit fall on this pitch so based on my understanding of the terms, a free ascent of the climb still awaits. If Lynn hill had done the changing corners pitch on the nose cleanly one time while working sections of the route, then had fallen and rested on that pitch while trying to free "the nose" from bottom to top, would she have done a free ascent of the route? I thought not, but still a hell of an effort and really inspiring.

Edited by Blake
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The climb has not seen a free ascent, if free is defined as climbing all the pitches with no hangs or falls during the course of an ascent.

 

The crux pitch has never been sent belay to belay, though the roof part WAS climbed cleanly at some point while working the route (not by me). On the day of the continuous ascent, the leader took a legit fall on this pitch, so based on my understanding of the terms, a free ascent of the climb still awaits! It's all clean now.

 

The "no falls" thing is kind of a stretch there Blake. :rolleyes:

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So what's the dirt? A free ascent that was, or wasn't really free, bolts that were, or weren't added, so much drama on one little climb? :battlecage: Is this gonna show up with a qualifying footnote on someone's chest thumping resume? DISH!

 

EDIT: so many PM's dished. No need to send any more! :P

Edited by G-spotter
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This thread makes me sad. I wish I hadn't mentioned the free ascent.

 

Whats up with the negativity Blake? After a huge effort the guy free'd the roof at 12c!! Amazing! One of the most impressive roof cracks around. Are you really going to slag him because he started from a stance above some piddly little low-5th class approach crack? He also cleaned and free'd the rest of the route at 11-. Apparently though all this might not have gone down in a single push.

 

Regardless you might consider congratulating him rather than dismissing his effort in public.

 

Anyway if anyone here knows the mysterious freeclimber I have his (or his partners) watch that got dropped in the bivi meadow.

 

Darin

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I won't speak for him, but I don't think Blake necessarily was being negative. He was just pointing out that by one definition (whether that is a generally accepted definition or not is another story) the route still hasn't been freed.

 

That said, hats off to the sender! And good on you for cleaning it!

Its way above my sub-moderate ability, but for those those that can climb at that level should go give it a go! Lets hear some informed opinions, is it all of that?

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Uh....did the guy climb the roof on lead and not fall or aid on any pieces? Then it got freed. End of story.

 

Free climb: to ascend free of aid.

 

 

And if you go by the new way.....the FFA gets to rename the "free" version. Wonder what they will call it.

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The climb has not seen a free ascent,

I disagree.

 

 

if free is defined as climbing all the pitches with no hangs or falls during the course of an ascent.

 

 

What if you are freeing one pitch? You fall and lower down. Then you get it next try....is that not freeing the pitch? Where did you get your definition of a free route from?

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Hopefully I can clear this up...what Blake is saying makes total sense. It is simple: each pitch has been lead free over the last two months. A continous free ascent has not occured. If a climber falls on a pitch, cleans the gear, and red points the pitch, their free ascent can go on. But the roof pitch was not redpointed on the day of the complete ascent. The climber chose not to pull his rope and continued climbing the upper pitches. Although he did not make the official ffa of The Tempest Wall, he gave it his all and was happy with his effort, which is really all that matters. Nice work Tom!! Tom, his partner, Max Hasson, Cole Allen, Ryan Paulsness and I spent a night under the route getting to know each other, working through concerns. In the end our differences in opinion were smoothed out and I look foward to climbing with Tom this summer...talking about this on the net is totally pointless, clearing the issue up face to face under a moonlit CBR was pricless.

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  • 1 month later...

I had a great time leading The Tempest Wall with Sol the other day, before we headed over and he lead The Scoop in the afternoon. The upper pitches on The Scoop are some of the best in the range, combining strenuous sections with thought-provoking climbing of a more delicate nature. The Tempest seems so much smaller and easier now that it is clean, and no longer wet and cold!

 

We did both routes in 5 pitches each up to the ridge, then simulclimbed to the summit boulder. The easy climbing was even very enjoyable, following a ~5.6 chimney and big left-facing corner. Apart from p2, the Tempest goes at 5.11-.

 

Tempest_Topo.jpg

 

Larger Tempest Topo

 

Sol on p5 of The Scoop. Climbs like "Popeye and the Raven" but with no bolts. Awesome work guys!

 

IMG_6213.JPG

 

Sol lead's The Scoop pitch. Much longer and more strenuous that it looks.

IMG_6189.JPG

 

 

Tom R. and partner trying the pinkpoint on p2 of The Tempest. This pich hasn't yet been lead cleanly, even as a redpoint. These guys were trying it with pre-placed gear. The conjecture is ~.12d

IMG_6165.JPG

 

Ben on the .10d fingers before the roof.

IMG_6094.JPG

 

Ben goes horizontal

IMG_6101.JPG

 

The 5.9 corner on p3

ben.jpg

 

 

 

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i realize my above post was perhaps vague.

 

tom red-pointed, while placing all gear on lead, the first free ascent of the roof crack on what has been called The Tempest. He called it Full Tilt, and it truly seems to be one of the unique and proud crack lines found anywhere.

 

 

Nice effort on a cool line!

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