Hyperbola 

I added Diff Ritchie in on the FFA of this route as he had also freed the first pitch of this route close to the same time period.

Thanks for these excellent climbs, Bob. I've also been on some of your other scarefests at places like Sagee(sp?)and found them enjoyable.

The variation mentioned above is 11-. It's probably safer than the 9 start. I believe that a pink tricam was the first piece, then (2) semi-decent bolts followed by a crazy mantle (if you're short. crux). After that, the climb sews-up.

Climbed in September 2005 with Dave Pearson. One of the best routes I have ever climbed anywhere. The traverse definitely tightens up one's sphincter. Probably best to tackle the 5.11 start if you are not a solid slab aficionado.... a fall in the difficult section beyond the bolt will not end well.

The way I remember it, Dave Black and I climbed the entire route before anyone at the end of July or beginning of Aug 1977. Bobby and Tom, not knowing we'd done it, made the second ascent a few/several days later. Personally, I don't think it makes any difference. It wasn't like years passed before the second ascent. Both parties essentially climbed it the same time. The first pitch --left side, via slabs -- had been climbed several times. While the first pitch might be more technically difficult and aesthetically pleasing the second pitch is geniunely one of those Looking Glass "what-the-hell-am-I-doing-here / I'm-going-to-die" pitches.
It was a typical hot, muggy, thundershower-interrupted Transylvania Co. summer afternoon when Dave, his fiance, Kathy, and I arrived at the parking turnout for the Nose. As usual, we got there mid-afternoon and had to wait out a rain shower or two. I think we intended to do Odyssey but ended up on Hyperbola. The tribe of copperhead snakes that used to sun themselves all over the slab below the starting ledge had mysteriously disappeared after the unusually cold winter of '76/'77. Jeep and the Hun will attest to the added objective danger of venomous, irritable copperheads. So we didn't have to sweat the snakes. We farted around on the first pitch, swapping leads. Dave made it on his last try to surmount the left-leaning flake, above which is the ledge at the bottom of the main dihedral. Suddenly we were committed to go to the top despite the lateness of the afternoon and Kathy doomed to waiting alone for us in the woods or at the car. "Drastic Dave" was (and is) a superb climber but not naturally gifted like Jeep, Bobby, et al. Dave was very athletic, intelligent, & stubborn /irresistible when willful --gifted and handicapped by incredible will. More of the Joe Myers/Henry Barber type that attracts or induces epics. He spent an hour wandering around the featureless section at the start of the second pitch: he actually went right few feet -- maybe four or five -- and managed to stay on the rock as he worked his way up. He was on the edge of falling every second for 30 minutes. As I understand it, Bobby took the route more logically straight up from the top of the first pitch --- and placed a bolt (he later regretted, I heard) several feet above the start of the first pitch: and understandably/justifiably -- the first part of the second pitch is intimidatingly featureless, a long fall both likely and unhealthy. I don't think Dave could have even placed a friend where he meandered. I'm not sure friends were even available then. Dave wouldn't have bought one anyway: he religiously stuck to his 1960s rack of hexes and a few wired stoppers -- fine for Tahquitz, useless for most of the Glass. Thank god he didn't place some protection out there in the middle of nowhere so that I would have had to go that way to retrieve it -- I went straight up. There were no bolts on the route before and just after we did it. Dave wore an ancient pair of Kronhoffer "climbing shoes" (a cross between blue Royal Robbins boots,Chuck Taylor high tops, and gray Hush Puppies) and I wore a cruel pair of EBs. Anyway, it was nearly dark when I arrived at the upper ledge with Dave belaying me up. We 3rd classed to the top and coiled our ropes in the dark. We yelled down to Kathy that we were at the top and on our way down -- wouldn't take long. We were on the/a trail for about 100 ft then lost it for the rest of the night. The next 4 hours was an epic bushwhack off the top of the Glass in pitch black darkness, crashing through cat briars, rhododendron hells, falling off boulders, and nearly stepping off into the black void once or twice. We stumbled out of the Stephen King National Forest and onto the dirt road not far from the fish hatchery around 3 AM. All along we thought we were descending the north side somehow. Some crazy sob and saint gave us a ride back to our cars(and a frantic Kathy) around 3:30 or 4 AM. No doubt Bobby and Tom's descent several days later was done in better style.

Grover Cable
Chapel Hill

Thanks for the nice bit of history on this route, Grover! Keep the stories coming for other routes/areas.

JL

That's a great story, Grover! Thanks! Hyperbola was my first ever 5.10 lead and holds a special place in my heart.

How does this climb stack up to other climbs of it's grade? Is it solid, soft, or stiff. Just climbed last week with the direct start and trying to guage the ratings in the area for future visits. Stellar line though

Great addition Grover. I didn't realize or remember that you & Dave had done this to the top when you freed it. Hell it was only 30 plus yrs ago!!