Beacon tomorrow.

[Plaidman]

Going to finish what I started. Trying to get Flying Dutchman done. Headed out there with stevetimtrvler. Little wind. It will be cold, but what better to aid climb in. I like it cold.

[ivan]

boooooth pitches?

[Plaidman]

No I will just go up halfway and bail. I like to savor my pain and suffering.

[ivan]

come on! all that sitting 'round in the dampn n' cold and steve don't get have his run on p2! it's a good one too, emphasis on tiny nuts for the start and take a bunch of hand sized shit for where you can zoom up bears instead of doing c2 bullshit 3 feet next to it

Edited December 21, 2010 by ivan

[ivan]

so.....how'd it go?

[stevetimetravlr]

Plaid got it done, pitch 1. I froze my arse off. The east winds were howling,, no precip but it was sucking the icy cold out of the eastern gorge. Popsicle weather.

So Bears in Heat is that crack that veers off left of Flying Dutchman, not in a dihedral to a set of anchors almost top of the face? it looks excellent! 2nd pitch Dutchman looks like tiny gear and peckerheads?

[billcoe]

I have a sense that the words "You're sucking my will to live" might have been rolling around the back of your mind as this epic belay session rolled over into day 2.

 

[stevetimetravlr]

After a while my will was waning. I couldn't hear Plaid above the wind, so just a huddle against the cliff trying not to get blown off my feet and stay warm. The se corner looked somewhat dry and climable,just colder then a witches teat and roaring wind. Off of Dutchman that Bears in Heat pitch is sure a stellar looking crack. It looks like a Beacon rarity, a splitter up a face, not in a dihedral. also, Plaid pointed to me Bill where you and Adam put up a route, and showed me the huge scary block. Yikes, that thing is ginormous and looks detached and hanging there. Did you have to pound pins around it? No thanks!!

[ivan]

Plaid got it done, pitch 1. I froze my arse off. The east winds were howling,, no precip but it was sucking the icy cold out of the eastern gorge. Popsicle weather.

So Bears in Heat is that crack that veers off left of Flying Dutchman, not in a dihedral to a set of anchors almost top of the face? it looks excellent! 2nd pitch Dutchman looks like tiny gear and peckerheads?

yeah, that's bears - if doing p2 of the dutchman i think it's best to climb about 20 feet or so of bears in order to skip a therefore highly contrived bit of very thin aid - other than that, the first part of the pitch is the crux, small nuts as i recall and nothing wierder than that - there are a few fixed pins, and the 2nd half is cruiser c1

[stevetimetravlr]

So some clarification needed here as I am confused. From the second set of belay anchors, Bears is far left about 10 feet. There is another dihedral about 5 feet right of Bears, and then another 10 feet right of that is Dutchman? Plaid says that is Dutchman, but according to your description Ivan, you say Dutchman is the dihedral directly right of Bears? As if you started up Bears, you would not be able to get back over to what Plaid thinks is Dutchmans...and that the Dutchmans rap comes down....

[billcoe]

also, Plaid pointed to me Bill where you and Adam put up a route, and showed me the huge scary block. Yikes, that thing is ginormous and looks detached and hanging there. Did you have to pound pins around it? No thanks!!

 

The route remains unfinished Steve. Someone can stone up and go the death lead ground up, or rap down and trundle that block. I'd already almost killed everyone that day in the large posse who was hanging sans helmets all layed back in full on snooze position directly below when an otherwise stable looking telephone sized block fell into my lap and was purposely pitched off. It took a bad bounce back towards the group....and staring up at that thing directly overhead and not having any toilet paper nearby was already enough for me. Adam discussed taking it out from above on a day like you were experiencing with Plaidman thinking no sane people would be wandering around to get killed. But it's still there, pasted.

 

The 2nd pitch would go up and then right where the crack turns just past that block, but the crack looks like it disappears up further on up there on the overhang. So, the very top would be either massive amazing hooking with awesomely clean air if you peeled a flacke off and flew, or a bolts and hooks combo platter (ask in advance), or an easy pendulum into Takes Fist to finish if the tiny crack on the face really does disappear. There may be a Rurp seam not visible with field glasses from below. I only scoped it once and it looked magnificent.

 

Has Ivan been snoozing? He's usually up this crap at Beacon before you can even pull your rope. I haven't seen his TR yet though, so maybe it's on the back of the tick list.

 

ps, sorry for not answering your question on what is where, but thought Ivan would do a better job: the place, although seemingly simple appearing, confuses me at times. I suspect Ivan just consults his Tim Olsen's amazing Beacon topo artwork:-)

still for sale here:

http://www.portlandrockclimbs.com/beacon-rock

Edited December 22, 2010 by billcoe

[The Ospray]

Is'nt the first pitch of Flying Dutchman only 10b? Why on earth would you be hiking in there in the dark to climb one pitch of 10b?

[billcoe]

Is'nt the first pitch of Flying Dutchman only 10b? Why on earth would you be hiking in there in the dark to climb one pitch of 10b?

 

Cause it's massively bad weather and they are getting on something, even if it's aid, while you are at home next to the fire, curled up like a rich mans cat.

 

Steve: can you just point to the line?

 

 

Resized the pic

Edited December 23, 2010 by billcoe

[The Ospray]

Is'nt the first pitch of Flying Dutchman only 10b? Why on earth would you be hiking in there in the dark to climb one pitch of 10b?

 

Cause it's massively bad weather and they are getting on something, even if it's aid, while you are at home next to the fire, curled up like a rich mans cat.

 

Acctually I was just a couple miles north of them cleaning some new free lines at one of my new crags. Ya it was a crappy day, but I know there are better lines there to aid then a classic 10b free pitch though. I soloed Iron Maiden in a moderate drizzle (luckily no wind) but this was a really fun aid route at Beacon, and you don't risk messing up a free route. I don't think it has gone free yet has it? Oh you should resize that picture it would be a lot easier to look at a touch smaller. Cheers.

[stevetimetravlr]

I guess when all else fails, look at the topo.

Nice photo Bill. You can see the Arena of Terror already exists in this photo. The Railroad went in in 1904 I believe, and I think it was them that blasted it out for fill and drilled the tunnels?

[The Ospray]

I guess when all else fails, look at the topo.

Nice photo Bill. You can see the Arena of Terror already exists in this photo. The Railroad went in in 1904 I believe, and I think it was them that blasted it out for fill and drilled the tunnels?

 

Woah thats cool, so the "Area of Terror" area was quarried out? I aided Silver Crow and Axe of Karma with a partner back in 2005. Those where both fun aid lines with a few tricky sections and a little bit of fun nailing. I also think we estblished some what of a new route or variation over in that area. We had a nice little phase of aid back in 04/05. Fun for sure, but Beacons all about the high end free routes! Cheers.

Edited December 22, 2010 by The Ospray

[stevetimetravlr]

Who's your daddy?

[ivan]

too drunk too post

 

you know yer a bird when you can't spell yer own name right!

[billcoe]

Acctually I was just a couple miles north of them cleaning some new free lines at one of my new crags. Ya it was a crappy day, but I know there are better lines there to aid then a classic 10b free pitch though. I soloed Iron Maiden in a moderate drizzle (luckily no wind) but this was a really fun aid route at Beacon, and you don't risk messing up a free route. I don't think it has gone free yet has it? Oh you should resize that picture it would be a lot easier to look at a touch smaller. Cheers.

 

Way cool you're getting out then Osprey, I stand corrected! I was curled up next to the fire for sure:-) Are you Tim's friend then? Have you climbed with Ivan yet? He must just live down the street from you if you're in Washogal.

 

They do say that the Arena was caused by a dynamite blast when the railroad was looking at leveling the rock. Sure thing I'll go and resize the old pic Osprey, and if anyone wants to look at the big version I think you can either double click it - or just go to the Oregon Historical Society or OSU, both places are suppose to be selling full sized prints of it. (thanks to Jeff Thomas for that happy and interesting tip)

 

Nice pics Steve, but it looks too warm to be recent?

[stevetimetravlr]

This summer on the photos. haven't done much free climbing at Beacon in the last month, just to darn wet. and cold.

[Plaidman]

Is'nt the first pitch of Flying Dutchman only 10b? Why on earth would you be hiking in there in the dark to climb one pitch of 10b?

Because I can. Clean aid is awesome, and it is not a straight forward C1 line. I guess I am not a Masteraider like you. I don't lead 5.10b free. Go for that lead if you want, it looks really thin to me. I was looking at it real close. I have to practice somewhere and Jim Opdycke told me it was a good one for that. I did the first part in a full on rainstorm and Tuesday it was blowing about 30 mph. Great weather for aid. Merry Christmas!

Edited December 23, 2010 by Plaidman

[The Ospray]

Acctually I was just a couple miles north of them cleaning some new free lines at one of my new crags. Ya it was a crappy day, but I know there are better lines there to aid then a classic 10b free pitch though. I soloed Iron Maiden in a moderate drizzle (luckily no wind) but this was a really fun aid route at Beacon, and you don't risk messing up a free route. I don't think it has gone free yet has it? Oh you should resize that picture it would be a lot easier to look at a touch smaller. Cheers.

 

Way cool you're getting out then Osprey, I stand corrected! I was curled up next to the fire for sure:-) Are you Tim's friend then? Have you climbed with Ivan yet? He must just live down the street from you if you're in Washogal.

 

They do say that the Arena was caused by a dynamite blast when the railroad was looking at leveling the rock. Sure thing I'll go and resize the old pic Osprey, and if anyone wants to look at the big version I think you can either double click it - or just go to the Oregon Historical Society or OSU, both places are suppose to be selling full sized prints of it. (thanks to Jeff Thomas for that happy and interesting tip)

 

Nice pics Steve, but it looks too warm to be recent?

 

Don't think I'm Tims friend, maybe though, don't know any climbing Tims though. Also never climbed with Ivan. I always wondered about the arena as it just has a whole differnt feel than the rest of Beacon. I've read this site for years off and on and finally for what ever reason decided to join and ask a few questions.

 

Cheers

Todd

[ivan]

i don't think the arena was quarried, just a shallow tunnel dug in then blasted out - the rock there is by and large horrible choss and worthy of its historic neglect

 

iron maiden? excellent!!!

 

hopefully someday our paths cross there bird-boi - beacon needs more goofy fucks! if'n you haven't done it yet, here's something to do by the drinking fountain on the n side - havne't had any 2nd opinions yet and of course this time of year my sad, sad ego needs intense stroking

[The Ospray]

Very cool Ivan! Thanks for sharing. Not much into aid climbing anymore unless it's on the Captain or something big like that. I did a nice solo on the Captain this fall so I think I've got my aid fix for the next ten years, haha! That route looks like a great possible free objective. It appears to have plentiful amounts of fixed gear and never looks too steep. What do you think? Might have to check that out if it ever drys out once the rock opens up again.

 

Cheers

Todd

[The Ospray]

Bill, that picture looks great. Thanks!