The First Grade VI Climb in the NW Was...

[dberdinka]

Some sort of trick question. NW, excluding BC apparently, the only 2 grade VIs aren't it so maybe some old Beckey aid line on the Elephants Perch in the Sawtooths of Idaho. Seems like somthing like Curtis Ridge might be considered a VI due to difficulty, commitment etc.

 

Though thinking like that...Les McDonald in the early 60's climbed Nooksack Tower, traversed Nooksack Ridge to the summit of Shuksan then "descended" by traversing Jagged Ridge to Seapho Peak. Definitely Grade VI and I bet totally unrepeated.

[John Frieh]

Nothing in the Sawtooths has been claimed as a VI.

 

Curtis Ridge didnt feel like a VI to me.

 

Some of the routes that went up on the east face of Liberty Bell in and around 1967 would have qualified for for VI status at the time.

[Blake]

Anyone have their Squamish guide handy that could post the dates of the Zodiac wall ascent? The route I'm thinking of might have been even before this, meaning we could consider BC as well. If not, it was the first VI in Washington and the second in the vaguely-defined "NW". In any case, people are getting pretty close to the answer. (Or at least the answer I gleaned from reading the AAJ)

[kevbone]

Somebody please tell me their definition for "grade VI"?

[kukuzka1]

june 1967

[kukuzka1]

a climb is normaly given a grade by the first ascent party so its that

[kukuzka1]

is it somthing on willis wall?

[Blake]

Do you know specific dates in June? Obviously it's splitting hairs at this point. The climb I was hoping someone would guess was the "Direct East Face" of Liberty Bell, done by Madsen and Schmitz, fresh off a trip from Yos where they set the new speed record (2.5 day!) for The Nose.

 

Their writeup in the 1968 AAJ is a good read, as are a bunch of others from that year in the Cascades.

 

Kukuzka, I think the doorish route on the NNB has been repeated, and a few years ago, Blair williams and some other folks climbed a parallel route on the same feature, and off to the right, with joins up after 8 pitches. For whatever it's worth, this newer route is grade VI as well.

[kukuzka1]

yes roger strong i believe but they didnt go to the summit or even the top of the wall?[8 pitches vs 23 pitches on doorish route] i didnt know nnb was climbed again.nice

[stevetimetravlr]

I thought Slesse

[kukuzka1]

the 97 east face?

[AlpineK]

Somebody please tell me their definition for "grade VI"?

 

 

Good god Kevbone

 

National Climbing Classification System (USA):

 

NCCS grades, often called commitment grades, indicate the time investment in a route for an average climbing team.

 

I and II: Half a day or less for the technical (5th class) portion of the route.

III:Most of a day of roped climbing.

IV: A full day of technical climbing.

V: Typically requires an overnight on the route, or done fast and free in a day.

VI: Two or more days of hard climbing.

VII: Remote walls climbed in alpine style.

 

Alpinist

[dberdinka]

The climb I was hoping someone would guess was the "Direct East Face" of Liberty Bell, done by Madsen and Schmitz, fresh off a trip from Yos where they set the new speed record (2.5 day!) for The Nose.

 

But Thin Red Line isn't a VI?

[wayne]

I'm sure you could find many VIs outside of the NW that "deserve" to be downgraded as well, so probably best to just compare their original ratings by the original climbers. Standards have changed everywhere.

 

i couldnt agree more and...

Go do Mongo and tell me there is no grade 6 in this state. or stfu.

[ivan]

I'm sure you could find many VIs outside of the NW that "deserve" to be downgraded as well, so probably best to just compare their original ratings by the original climbers. Standards have changed everywhere.

 

i couldnt agree more and...

Go do Mongo and tell me there is no grade 6 in this state. or stfu.

wayne made a funny!

 

if vi truly means 2 or more days of hard climbing, then how int he hell would the n norwiegan butt not count?

[genepires]

I could climb the tooth is 2.5 days. is that a grade VI? or am I a grade VI sloth?

[Blake]

At the time, according to the AAJ Thin Red Line and Lib Crack were considered grade V.

 

I just was intrigued to read this in the 1968 AAJ:

Liberty Bell, Direct East Face.

The first ascent of this marvelous granite

face was made in July 1965 (NCCS V, F7, A4). Since then two more

V’s have been done, one being a variation of the original route, and the other a hard V on the opposite side of the face. There was still another line that could be done, however, that would go directly up the center of the blankest part of the face. This Kim Schmitz and I climbed in two full days, July 20 and 21, the first grade VI to be done in Washington.

 

 

The first grade VI in WA, climbed the same season as the first grade VI in the region (Zodiac wall in Squamish) and a mixed-gender FA team... pretty cool story! Has this route fallen into obscurity? Anyone done it?

[dberdinka]

Kim Schmitz is man, man! And a big ugly looking one at that. He might kick your ass for calling him a girl.

 

 

Edited March 12, 2010 by dberdinka

[Blake]

Kim Schmitz is man, man! And a big ugly looking one at that. He might kick your ass for calling him a girl.

 

 

Woops! Sorry Kim...

 

I still think it's a cool bit of trivia.

 

 

[pindude]

Kim Schmitz is man, man! And a big ugly looking one at that. He might kick your ass for calling him a girl.

 

 

Woops! Sorry Kim...

 

I still think it's a cool bit of trivia.

 

 

 

Naw, Kim ain't ugly. Although his ankles are. He's a fairly humble man, especially with all he's been through. Lots of stories--he was at the fore of US climbing here and abroad for many years. He'd likely tell you some of those stories himself: hire him as a guide through Exum next time you're doing the Grand or anything in the Tetons. Yeah, I know, many of you don't need a guide, but to spend a day or two with Kim would be well worth it.

[corvallisclimb]

Kim Schmitz is man, man! And a big ugly looking one at that. He might kick your ass for calling him a girl.

 

 

Woops! Sorry Kim...

 

I still think it's a cool bit of trivia.

 

 

 

Naw, Kim ain't ugly. Although his ankles are. He's a fairly humble man, especially with all he's been through. Lots of stories--he was at the fore of US climbing here and abroad for many years. He'd likely tell you some of those stories himself: hire him as a guide through Exum next time you're doing the Grand or anything in the Tetons. Yeah, I know, many of you don't need a guide, but to spend a day or two with Kim would be well worth it.

 

Kim Schmitz is a bad ass.

 

FA of East Face of Monkey Face with Gerlad Bjorkman 1964 (hey it was once a hard nail-up)

FA of Picnic Lunch Wall with Tom Bauman in 1969 (far fewer bolts, dropped his sleeping bag)

FA of Aquarian Wall with Jim Bridwell in 1971

FA of Zenith with Bridwell in 1978

 

to name a few... damn!

[MarkMcJizzy]

Has this route fallen into obscurity? Anyone done it?

 

This is Thin Red Line

[dberdinka]

Naw, Kim ain't ugly. Although his ankles are.

 

I ment ugly in a good way. I still think Blake better watch his back.

 

[summitchaserCJB]

Did you know the answer to this question when you asked it? (just wondering)

Edited March 12, 2010 by summitchaserCJB

[Sol]

and now it gets freeclimbed in half a day at 12c...