Yosemite Sport Climbs and Top Ropes New Book

[Raindawg]

...

Here's a random (and honestly-stated) example of one of the climbs featured in the book: "Cookie Monster":

 

...

 

Random example??

 

Ya dude....random....I just picked something randomly from the on-line list to have a look at a sample route description and it was "Cookie Monster".

[billcoe]

Going to the Valley to sport climb is like going to a whore house to masturbate.

 

LOL! Classic!

 

I was down there 3 or so years ago, and my buddies hooked up with a longtime local friend (over 30+ years climbing in the valley and had been hired by Royal Robbins to guide for his mountaineering school BITD). We went and did some (some) bolted lines which were not in any guidebooks and some that were and it was surprising, fun and interesting.

[JosephH]

Were they sport routes, or ground up bolted and runout trad lines?

[billcoe]

Ground up, but I wouldn't call them either runout or sport lines. I remember climbing Angel Flight Buttress as a lad at Smith, one of Jim Anglins early (ground up hand drill) bolted routes. At that time, there was consensus that there were places, even if you clipped every (of the sparse) bolt, you would hit the ground if you fell at the wrong place from way up high (like the 100 foot range). There was nothing even close to resembleing that down there. Yet power drills are banned in the valley, so bolts, when they are found in most routes, seem to be real necessary and eagerly/greedily clipped when you do find them.

 

ps, thats some wild looking rock formations up there.

[orion_sonya]

...

Here's a random (and honestly-stated) example of one of the climbs featured in the book: "Cookie Monster":

 

...

 

Random example??

 

Ya dude....random....I just picked something randomly from the on-line list to have a look at a sample route description and it was "Cookie Monster".

 

Cool. It just is surprising that you didn't already know about the climb Cookie Monster, since it is kinda a famously controversial retro-bolted sport climb. I guess it is random and coincidental.

[boadman]

Off, it has nothing to do with the Valley per se. I've climbed Gunks, Cannon, Whitehorse and Cathedral, N.C., and RMNP as well. About the only granite I like is the Gunks and that's only because of the roofs and horizontals. Bottom line for me is outside of the Gunks, granite just has very little monkey compared to highly textured sandstone (or limestones, though I find them harsh in hand texture). I'd take southern sandstone over any granite area I've seen as for me the physical body movement over granite is boring by comparison. RR and Eldo make a good second call, though Eldo isn't particularly textured and RR is fragile with very undeveloped ironwork.

 

 

Wow, when did the gunks turn into granite?

 

Southern stand-stone is fun, but pretty mindless climbing in general. Granite climbing is usually much more subtle, I think that boring is an odd way to describe it. I guess this is another example of you being impossibly stuck in your ways.

 

200 routes out of the thousands available in yosemite seems to be pretty minimal. I wonder why you'd buy that guidebood instead of just buying a complete one and reading through it to find the TRs & sport climbs. Seems like a waste of money.

[JosephH]

Wow, when did the gunks turn into granite?

Technically not granite, but for the purposes of a sandstone climber it falls into that bag.

 

Southern stand-stone is fun, but pretty mindless climbing in general.

I would agree for the most part, the proclivities of the majority of sourthern [sport] climbers runs to the steep edged monotony with little creativity. Our band's interests lay primarily around roofs.

 

Granite climbing is usually much more subtle, I think that boring is an odd way to describe it.

Movement over granite 'subtle'? Now that's a good one, in what way exactly? Again, granite is all but devoid of monkey.

 

I guess this is another example of you being impossibly stuck in your ways.

Absolutely, I climb to monkey and to have my feet higher than my head as often as humanly possible and for no other reason.

[billcoe]

Absolutely, I climb to monkey and to have my feet higher than my head as often as humanly possible and for no other reason.

Ray Jardine on Separate Reality, 1976, Yosemite.

 

Mark Chapman on Owl Roof, 1973, Yosemite.

 

Dean Potter free soloing Dogs Roof, Yos.

[pink]

thats just not monkey enough bill.....

[boadman]

Wow, when did the gunks turn into granite?

Technically not granite, but for the purposes of a sandstone climber it falls into that bag.

 

Southern stand-stone is fun, but pretty mindless climbing in general.

I would agree for the most part, the proclivities of the majority of sourthern [sport] climbers runs to the steep edged monotony with little creativity. Our band's interests lay primarily around roofs.

 

Granite climbing is usually much more subtle, I think that boring is an odd way to describe it.

Movement over granite 'subtle'? Now that's a good one, in what way exactly? Again, granite is all but devoid of monkey.

 

I guess this is another example of you being impossibly stuck in your ways.

Absolutely, I climb to monkey and to have my feet higher than my head as often as humanly possible and for no other reason.

 

Come on up to Index. Very minute changes in body position make routes impossible or easy. I think that's the definition of subtle.

[JosephH]

Very minute changes in body position make routes impossible or easy. I think that's the definition of subtle.

Ah, yes I get it now, subtle in that you-must-strangle-your-inner-monkey sort of way I consider tedious and anti-monkey.

 

And yes, there are roofs in the Valley, but vertical or horizontal, splitter cracks are short on monkey no matter how you look at it and most splitter roofs look bland, uninteresting, and entirely without puzzle factor. SR looks to have a bit more texture and a puzzle at the end so might be worth a go though.

[orion_sonya]

Very minute changes in body position make routes impossible or easy. I think that's the definition of subtle.

Ah, yes I get it now, subtle in that you-must-strangle-your-inner-monkey sort of way I consider tedious and anti-monkey.

 

Yes, subtle in that you cannot both flail and succeed, anti-monkey, which is why I so very rarely send at Index. Luckily for me there are a plethora of climbs there that have steep gymnastic characteristics that are more forgiving to the flailing monkey - they are often bolted so you will likely not be interested. It sounds to me like you just haven't climbed much granite if you only can associate splitters and slab to granite.

 

Here are some Index Roofs and steeps off the top of my head...hmmm, now that I look at this list, i haven't sent many of these either...damn...bad monkey!

 

La Bomba Roof

Tempichuous

Attractive Nuisance

Narrow Arrow Overhang

Raggedy Anne and Andy and nearby routes

Sagittarius Full

Amandala

Avenging the Goddess Kring

Beat Box

12 Gage IQ

 

City of Rocks is Jug City with plenty of steeps.

[stevetimetravlr]

Free for All must be a real anti-tedious super monkey kind of crack for you Joseph because just about everytime in the past 5+ years I have taken a newbie up it, you show up and climb right up their ass, even if there is no one else at Beacon and tons of routes abound. Oh wait, its 5.8 and its a crack, so it can't be any of those definitions you laid out, what is it then.....just plain bad manners and the inability to climb anything harder?

I also noticed earlier in the thread you stated that I seem like a victimal play it safe kind of putz. You don't even know me, I find it fascinating how you would draw your conclusions. Wierd, kind of the same way you denigrate Yosemite but don't climb there.

[counterfeitfake]

Free for All must be a real anti-tedious super monkey kind of crack for you Joseph because just about everytime in the past 5+ years I have taken a newbie up it, you show up and climb right up their ass, even if there is no one else at Beacon and tons of routes abound. Oh wait, its 5.8 and its a crack, so it can't be any of those definitions you laid out, what is it then.....just plain bad manners and the inability to climb anything harder?

I also noticed earlier in the thread you stated that I seem like a victimal play it safe kind of putz. You don't even know me, I find it fascinating how you would draw your conclusions. Wierd, kind of the same way you denigrate Yosemite but don't climb there.

 

keep your Beacon-related assholery in the Beacon-related assholery forum.

[JosephH]

Never have climbed on top of anyone on any route, it's not my deal.

 

As for the climbing on FFA, it's a favorite roped-solo and I essentially do it without any jams at all and it is fairly dynamic that way. And as for difficulty, you're again more than welcome to get on any of my routes and you can assess their difficulty for yourself.

 

As for the victimal, anytime anyone blames an accident or fall on a closure I don't know how else one can categorize such a claim.

 

I don't and haven't denigrated Yosemite in any way; I've simply said it's not my bag (other than possibly the left half of Sentinel, the only thing that really caught my interest).

[eldiente]

So you like climbing steep roofs, me too. I hate climbing slabs. But the steep roof can't have any cracks in it as this is "boring." Got it, you just described really fun sport climbing at Rifle or Mt Charleston. There is also a crag near Portland that overhangs something awful with no cracks to jam, just upside-down power monkeying. You'd like it, it is open all year, close to Portland and there is no hand jamming required. PM me for more beta.

 

-Nate

 

[stevetimetravlr]

You are damn right when I say that the complete closure as it now stands at Beacon, relegating the climbers to this very dangerous mossy chossy wet scary area and yet completely closing the traditional climbing crag in its entirety, two seperate faces, even that area past the SE corner that is nowhere near the nest, is not right and has increased the danger factor for the local climbers exponentially.

Anyone wanting to practice trad climbing or multipitch or wall training, there are no safe routes available.

and you Joseph advocate that discussion of this issue should not be addressed with the Park Service, and that any accidents that happen are just luck of the draw. The climbers deserve better.

[pink]

Free for All must be a real anti-tedious super monkey kind of crack for you Joseph because just about everytime in the past 5+ years I have taken a newbie up it, you show up and climb right up their ass, even if there is no one else at Beacon and tons of routes abound. Oh wait, its 5.8 and its a crack, so it can't be any of those definitions you laid out, what is it then.....just plain bad manners and the inability to climb anything harder?

I also noticed earlier in the thread you stated that I seem like a victimal play it safe kind of putz. You don't even know me, I find it fascinating how you would draw your conclusions. Wierd, kind of the same way you denigrate Yosemite but don't climb there.

 

keep your Beacon-related assholery in the Beacon-related assholery forum.

 

if you were a fair person you would have told everyone jackhole in this thread to to STFU..... except for the OG poster.

[layton]

Thanks for posting Chris, I'm sure there are tons of folks who will get a lot of enjoyment out of your book. I can think of a thousand things that detract from the beauty of Yosemite more than some bolts. Your guidebooks are excellent and I hope to see more. I hope you're psyched on all the free publicity these wankers are drumming up for your new book!

[pink]

Thanks for posting Chris, I'm sure there are tons of folks who will get a lot of enjoyment out of your book. I can think of a thousand things that detract from the beauty of Yosemite more than some bolts. Your guidebooks are excellent and I hope to see more. I hope you're psyched on all the free publicity these wankers are drumming up for your new book!

 

well put mike

 

[Pilchuck71]

Thanks for posting Chris, I'm sure there are tons of folks who will get a lot of enjoyment out of your book. I can think of a thousand things that detract from the beauty of Yosemite more than some bolts. Your guidebooks are excellent and I hope to see more. I hope you're psyched on all the free publicity these wankers are drumming up for your new book!

 

well put mike

 

X2

[JosephH]

So you like climbing steep roofs, me too. I hate climbing slabs. But the steep roof can't have any cracks in it as this is "boring." Got it, you just described really fun sport climbing at Rifle or Mt Charleston. There is also a crag near Portland that overhangs something awful with no cracks to jam, just upside-down power monkeying. You'd like it, it is open all year, close to Portland and there is no hand jamming required. PM me for more beta.

Nah, nothing so simple. What I look for in first and foremost in climbing is a mix of puzzle and interesting physical movement; difficulty by itself is fairly irrelevant to me. I'm fine if a climb or roof has some jams on it, but when it's just a splitter it instantly loses all appeal - no more puzzle, no more interesting movement, and no more monkey. I prefer lines and roofs with single and double toe/heel hooks and hangs, knee bars and various locks, where the 'route' or moves aren't obvious, and where monkeydom is maintained.

[JosephH]

You are damn right when I say that the complete closure as it now stands at Beacon, relegating the climbers to this very dangerous mossy chossy wet scary area...

Pink, I believe Steve here is calling your NW route dangerous, scary, and shite because someone took a dive on it when their pro pulled.

 

Well, that's the whole victimal thing in a nutshell. I have complete sympathy for the climber in question relative to the fall, but it wasn't the rock's fault. In the world of climbing I come from the name of the game is personal responsibility - it's a 'guns don't...' sort of deal, just sub 'rock' for 'gun'.

 

With the exception of a very few objective hazards, like non-climber initiated rockfall, 98% of the risk and danger in rock climbing is entirely subjective - e.g. the rock isn't dangerous, the climber may or may not be. Climbers choosing to leave the ground on mossy or loose terrain are making either a wise or unwise decisions, but a decision regardless. Hey, lots of people die in the Valley, is El Cap and the Nose 'dangerous' and 'scary' or is it the climbers who leave the ground that make it that? I could be wrong, but I just don't see Chris rushing to press with a "Yosemite Safe Climbs" guidebook anytime soon.

 

...yet completely closing the traditional climbing crag in its entirety, two seperate faces, even that area past the SE corner that is nowhere near the nest, is not right and has increased the danger factor for the local climbers exponentially.

You have no idea what you're talking about here. None whatsoever. And again, rock doesn't get "exponentially" more dangerous other than based on who is standing in front of it looking up.

 

...Anyone wanting to practice trad climbing or multipitch or wall training, there are no safe routes available.

There are no 'safe' routes - anywhere - only climbers who are competent to the task at hand when they leave the ground. Period. You can always go to Smith to practice those things just like all the guys here have been doing - but be forewarned, those routes aren't 'safe' either.

 

...and you Joseph advocate that discussion of this issue should not be addressed with the Park Service, and that any accidents that happen are just luck of the draw. The climbers deserve better.

No, climbers do not deserve better, free lunches, good jobs, great rides, and / or stunningly beautiful girlfriends and wives. Again, you talking completely out your ass.

 

First (for the millionth time) - the BRSP has ZERO control over the closure. Got that? ZERO, so don't waste your breath trying to talk with them about it, it's not their deal.

 

Second - the WDFW's closure is well within the limits of Raptor closures accepted by climbers and the Access Fund across the country. Make a legal and / or scientific case for why that should change and I'm your friggin' huckleberry. Until then, STFU with the incessant, victimal wailing, or maybe just head for the Valley.

[kevbone]

Oh wait, its 5.8 and its a crack,

 

Its 10.a

[billcoe]

Don't you have better things to do Don?

 

 

I'll admit that it was nice when you were not running around this site moralizing all the time......PS, congrats on the new book. The last one I read was very well done.