2012 Top 5

[ivan]

a seasonal banality of course, but one must observe the forms - what were your top 5 climbs/trips/memories of the year?

 

my thoroughly unhumble selection

1. yosemite w/ geoff n' mike n' tvash ( lurking fear, royal arches, daff dome, leaning tower )

2. zion w/ geoff ( space shot n' touchstone wall )

3. dragontail w/ da phuzzy ( gerber/sink not all that awesome, but a solid gut-laugh of a trip )

4. smiff in spring w/ bob n' da phuzzy (serious mind-bending substances combined w/ a day of wandering like demented lizards around the marsupials, bouldering n' sport-wanking before hauling a serious party setup up to the natural fortress by the cave route - howling at the moon w/ a Big Head n' bigger bonfire all night, then birds in a rut in the morning)

5. wolf rock w/ beaconben ( barad dur n' whatnot )

[powderhound]

As we discussed slogging our way up to the palm yesterday:

 

1. Atlantis, The Needles with Layton

2. Black Elk on Warbonnet with Layton

3. Polar Circus

4. Fine Line on the Perch

5. Any day at Trout Creek

 

 

Bryan

[Tony_Bentley]

Cerro Machu Picchu

Torres del Paine "W" circuit

A perfect day hiking the Cerro Torres trail

Skiing from the east col of Edith Cavell from the hostel

Slot Couloir last Saturday

 

[ivan]

the international scene, very nice

 

i had no idea that brit nurse, who inadvertently did so much to get the u.s. involved in ww1, done got a mountain named after her...

[Farrgo]

1. W Face CBR in January

2. NE Buttress Dragontail in February

3. Girth Pillar

4. Beckey-Chouinard

5. Freedom Rider

[ivan]

stout, but not the girth in march?

 

what was cbr in january like?

[Farrgo]

No snow last winter we didn't use flotation either time. No, I had my Alaskan camping trip in March! Weird it didn't make my top 5...

[Tyson.g]

1) Hidden Lake Peak Lookout - December

2) Lookout Mountain Lookout - Winter (Storm Riders Trip)

3) Olympus Ledge Party - Squire Creek Wall

4) Waterfall Basin - Walkabout and Waterfall Buttress Route

5) Direct East Buttress - South Early Winter Spire

[wayne]

Nice! Thanks for chiming in, and keep em coming! Difficult year for me with work and all but managed some fun times with great friends.

Replicant

Primrose Dihedrals, Moses

The Fine Line, cool to see it on another list, AMAZING route

Acid Baby

The Hitchiker, So. Early Winter

[cam yarder]

1. Royal Arches/South Face of North Dome link-up. A really neat, spectacular route. My first time getting benighted, in the Sierra no less.

2. Ski descent of Tahoma via Fuhrer Finger. The crux was threading the needle through the upper Nisqually on the ascent and descent.

3. New York Gully. Climbed in fat ice conditions. Almost all ice until the last rock corner pitch.

4. East Face of Chianti. I think about this climb all the time, especially the upper cracks.

5. CNR on Stuart

[ScaredSilly]

My year was not really all that productive so only a top three. But a top three that all included good friends, as climbing should be.

 

1. Mt Hood - Luthold Col. followed by Sandy Glacier Headwall the next day. Did it with a great partner who turned 65 this year.

 

2. Couple FA rock routes with one of my one of my closest friends.

 

3. A Beckey Route - the route is of no significance but my partner was, we had not climbed together for over 25 years!! It was great to share a rope again.

 

[ivan]

1)

2) Lookout Mountain Lookout - Winter (Storm Riders Trip)

was that the one i was on? 'cuz that one was certainly in the same-league as the acid-binge at smiff, though it required a fuck-ton more effort

[ivan]

The Fine Line, cool to see it on another list, AMAZING route

what dat is?

[Tyson.g]

1)

2) Lookout Mountain Lookout - Winter (Storm Riders Trip)

was that the one i was on? 'cuz that one was certainly in the same-league as the acid-binge at smiff, though it required a fuck-ton more effort

 

Indeed it is.

That's the way I like them, a large amount of effort.

[dave schultz]

What a great end of the year thread. This is my first complete calender year of climbing - so REALLY hard to pick out a top 5; definitely cannot put them in order. So, in no particular order (listed in chronological order):

 

1. Mt Washington, NH - solo ski mountaineering via Huntington Ravine (Central and Diagonal Gully x 2). Complete day of skinning, ice climbing, rappelling, and tight couloir skiing. Not to mention bluebird day with temps in the upper 40s (climbing in a t-shirt).

 

2. Modern Times, Gunks, NY - first really awesome route, something you look at and are like, "holy shit" (older books rate it at 5.8+ and one newer book gives it mid 5.10)

 

3. Thin Slice, City of Rocks, ID - first 5.10 trad lead.

 

4. DC single push from Paradise - though without reaching the summit; first climb in WA, partner was having problems with AMS and pulled the plug at 12,500 feet; first night spent in the state was overnight on the climb

 

5. CNR of Stuart - incredible alpine route, first grade IV (barely beats out Backbone on Dragontail and Outer Space at Snow Creek)(the descent via Cascadian Couloir was terrible though, and almost makes the climb not worth it)

 

Of Only WA climbs:

 

1. CNR on Stuart (see above)

 

2. DC Route (see above)

 

3. Outer Space - almost crag-like route, with 5.10b variation start

 

4. Coleman Deming - first volcano summit

 

5. Beckey Route - first route in WA (after Rainier)

[keenwesh]

1. regular route on half dome. I had no idea I was capable of a route like this. bivi on a shit ledge, 2000 foot vertical wall, no way.

 

2. east butt of el cap. doing 10 pitches in a single day really prepared us for the above. also incredible location.

 

3. central pillar of frenzy. This is where mark and I really came together as a team. call all the BS you want, but it was wonderful moving up 5 pitches of wonderful crack without a moment of stress, besides the raps. Those sucked.

 

4. Killer pillar just a couple days ago. Rated WI5 in the guidebook, this single pitch felt almost easy. The ice was wet, but secure. single pic swings and a secure rest up during the top. Still the sentiment during the lead was one of absolute confidence.

 

5. A solo of dribbles. it was in wonderful WI3+ shape. but the experience was incredibly rewarding.

[ivan]

1)

2) Lookout Mountain Lookout - Winter (Storm Riders Trip)

was that the one i was on? 'cuz that one was certainly in the same-league as the acid-binge at smiff, though it required a fuck-ton more effort

 

Indeed it is.

That's the way I like them, a large amount of effort.

holy shit, ole'boy, i woulda paid 2$ to have had you about for our smith thing! i never had so much fun doing continous circles on a boulder w/ a 5.7 handcrack, and the raging camp scene after...

 

half of what made that trip cool for me was taking the amtrac there n' back - fun to get shitty in such an unusual situation

[kurthicks]

5. A month in Alaska without being on the West Buttress of Denali.

4. A great autumn road trip with my wife.

3. Passing the AIARE Level 3 avalanche exam

2. Guiding some classics like the Torment-Forbidden Traverse, Dorado Needle's SW Buttress, and Epinepherine.

1. Passing the AMGA Alpine Guide Exam

[John Frieh]

5. Gym Jones Instructor Full Certification

4. FA "Nose Bleed Seats" Strobach

3. FA South Face Mt Wake Ruth Gorge, AK

2. FA Northwest Face Mt Burkett Stikine Ice Cap, AK

1. FA Northeast Face Mt Dickey Ruth Gorge, AK

 

Onward

[Drederek]

1. Cinnamon Hedgehog on cactusflower tower at RR. Its been a few years since we walked out of desert in the dark. And whats not to love about 200' pitches.

2. 5 (easiest?) routes up Mt washington incl a winter ascent (finally, although it was xmas eve 2011)

3. Getting lost in the fog in Boston Basin and ending up on Sahale via the Quien Sabe glacier.

4. 4 more t-shirt routes at the city (incl thin slice), looks like I'm down to the Crack of Doom.

5. Ride the Lightning with my wife. Everything I love and hate about climbing with that woman in one perfect autumn day.

[matt_warfield]

I didn't have a good climbing year, so this is a proxy vote for the moderate climbers out there:

 

1) Outer Space, Snow Creek Wall

2) Midway, Castle Rock

3) Diedre, Squamish

4) Super Slab, Smith

5) N. Ridge of Stuart

 

Thousands of climbers did these in 2012 and enjoyed the hell out of them.

Edited January 1, 2013 by matt_warfield

[Tyson.g]

5. Gym Jones Instructor Full Certification

4. FA "Nose Bleed Seats" Strobach

3. FA South Face Mt Wake Ruth Gorge, AK

2. FA Northwest Face Mt Burkett Stikine Ice Cap, AK

1. FA Northeast Face Mt Dickey Ruth Gorge, AK

 

Onward

 

Then Frieh has to chime in and crush what I considered a good year!

Impressive list John.

[genepires]

1) Hidden Lake Peak Lookout - December

2) Lookout Mountain Lookout - Winter (Storm Riders Trip)

3) Olympus Ledge Party - Squire Creek Wall

4) Waterfall Basin - Walkabout and Waterfall Buttress Route

5) Direct East Buttress - South Early Winter Spire

 

was glad to be present on 2 of the 5.

[Tyson.g]

1) Hidden Lake Peak Lookout - December

2) Lookout Mountain Lookout - Winter (Storm Riders Trip)

3) Olympus Ledge Party - Squire Creek Wall

4) Waterfall Basin - Walkabout and Waterfall Buttress Route

5) Direct East Buttress - South Early Winter Spire

 

was glad to be present on 2 of the 5.

 

Always a pleasure Gene.

How were things for you and Pat?

[G-spotter]

1) Your mom

2) your mom

3) yo mama

4) your mother

5) Your mum