most memorable sport climb for you...

Orifice Politics on Mt. Lemmon. Orifice Politics Looked at it for years but didn't work it as the bottom half had been bolted by another climber. After he passed it on I TR'd the top as it was all new (the first was already done and I had that part wired as it was the start of Coup De Tat). I then bolted it and lead it with a toss at the top as I was melting off. Gave it everything I had that day and made it to the anchors. Had to hook my wrists over the finishing jug as I was too pumped to hold on.

My most memorable sport climb was one I didn't even finish.

A top-rope only girlfriend and I were out exploring a new-for-us area, without any reliable beta. This particular area has a reputation for having a good range of easier climbs on solid, highly-featured rock. As a fairly-new leader, I was just trying to eyeball the stuff I thought I could get up safely.

After we'd spent a couple hours climbing, we ran out of obvious lines and went looking farther back in the canyon. I saw a bolted line up an interesting-looking buttress with a ton of juggy flakes. Perfect!

Did I mention that the bolts were all brand-spaggling new?

I started up the line, and as I got to the first bolt, little bits of rock were coming off. I thought, "No biggie, it's someone's new line that still needs a bit of cleaning." So, I called down to my belayer to watch for kitty litter heading her way.

Around the second bolt, those flakes were getting more and more brittle, so I adjusted my line and worked around the corner from the bolts, where the flakes became crimpers.

Somewhere between the second and third bolts, I realized that I was climbing nothing but layers of dried mud and that bailing before I got any higher was going to be my best bet.

Reluctant to leave any of my brand-new Petzl Spirit draws on some jackass' (as I'd determined by then) crappy route, I clung to the rock trying to figure out the best way to downclimb without killing myself or dropping anything heavy on my patient, but unhelmeted, belayer.

A half hour later, safely back at the car, strangely enough, I was high as a kite! I mean, absolutely euphoric. Never mind the fact that, through my own inexperience and stupidity, I'd gotten myself into a bad spot, I'd gotten myself out of it! That's the moment that I first thought, "You know, I can DO this. I don't have to rely on someone stronger, braver, more experienced than me in order to go out climbing. I'll probably bring better beta from now on, though."

If you've ever climbed with me, you know that I bring so much beta when I climb that the paper in my pack weighs more than my gear. :)

Most memorable is a bit difficult, but here are the ones I've thought about the most.

Sinister Dane Socorro NM, Thought this was going to be impossible until I did it.
Goliath Enchanted Tower NM, My longest ever project, and one of the more striking lines in the Southwest.
Bullet the Blue Sky Penitente CO, Striking arete, and blew out my A4 pulley.
Nosferatus EL Salto Mexico, Almost got the onsite, but another one to come back for.
Mercy, the Huff RRG KY, simply amazing climbing.
Burnt Offerings - Thailand, OK climbing, amazing position, Last route I tried in Thailand. Grapped a wasp nest in an undercling, got stung, recovered, then fell off after the crux.
Genesis Jack's Canyon AZ, First weekend of leading, didn't really know how to clip yet and chipped front tooth while biting the biner trying to get the rope through.

The blue one with the green stripe.

Greg D wrote:But, I bet many of the sport only climbers would love to cross the fence to trad

Funny, most of the sport climbers I know used to climb trad. Most of the fresh out of the gym types I have meet have been on trad routes, I suspect because there are more easy trad routes than easy sport routes. I also tend to suspect this same crowd is largely responsible for the "sport climbing is lame" rants because they have never had the ability to get on any classic sport route. If you think sport climbing is lame, you should stop climbing lame routes.

No Money Down, Rumney, NH. My first 5.10 lead and first time I truly pumped out. Did it second try and was scared shitless at the top I was so pumped and thought I was going for the "big" whip ;). Felt so good to clip the anchors on that one.

My comment was tongue-in-cheek, but not intended to be arrogant or spark a trad vs. sport debate. But I can see how I could be interpreted that way, mea culpa.

Sport climbing was super cool, and I was super psyched to go sport climbing as I now am super psyched to go trad climbing.

Back in the mid-eighties I had a couple of horrifying, near death experiences while leading trad, both within the same week.
I was so shaken up that it took me months to get back to leading at my previous level.
It was right at that time that the first Rock & Ice mini-guide came out for The Bank at Shelf Road. I believe it was in the same issue that covered Patrick Edlinger's win at the Snowbird comp.
I'd heard about the new sport routes that were being put up at Smith Rock, but this new wave of French style climbing was relatively new to Colorado so my buddy Mark Johler and I decided to spend a week at Shelf to check it out.
Back then routes were going in so fast that the mini-guide was already outdated and I was attracted to a line that wasn't in our mini-guide (actually it was, but so many new lines had gone up in between the published routes that it was hard to discern). I decided to give it a go and since the bolts were spaced about eight to ten feet apart I found it a rather easy send.
After rapping off the anchors a guy who had been watching seemed rather impressed with my lead and wanted my opinion on the climb.
I said that I thought it was really fun and he told me it was called Surreal Estate and was rated 5.12!
That experience was a real shot in the arm for my confidence level that had been severely diminished so recently.
Soon after that trip I purchased my own Bosch drill and started putting in my own sport climbs, but only after getting tendinitis from putting in my first sport routes at Castlewood utilizing the old tap and twist method.
I will always look back on the first route I bolted with fond memories. Helm Hammerhand, a short 9+ at The Wood.
Certain sport climbs that we put up back in the early days of Devils Head development stand out. During the period that File Drawer, Crocodile Rock, Rock Nazi and other routes on The Headstone and Crimpfest went in we had so much fun. Back then the core Head Crew of Tod Anderson, Mike Lane, Richard Wright, Ziggy Moscovitz and I were having so much fun it is amazing we ever got any routes in.
There was so much camaraderie and we had this amazing new areas to ourselves.
Putting in and sending Better Rad Than Trad with Tod stands out as a particularly eventful and memorable day.

One of the more memorable sport routes for me was a somewhat overhanging pocket route that I don't know the name of. It was steep, sustained, and had several interesting sequences. I did not send it after two goes, and probably won't get the chance to go back to it.

The crag was at 10,000 feet, surrounded by several fourteeners and the second tier where this particular climb was located was a large ledge overlooking a grassy cirque. There was a waterfall immediately to the right, occasionally blowing some mist on the route, and erasing any signs that it was ever climbed.

Typical sport climbing pile.

tooTALLtim wrote:My comment was tongue-in-cheek, but not intended to be arrogant or spark a trad vs. sport debate. But I can see how I could be interpreted that way, mea culpa. Sport climbing was super cool, and I was super psyched to go sport climbing as I now am super psyched to go trad climbing.

FWIW Tim, my top 10 memorable routes are all trad, but thats not the OP's intent. I regret sounding snarky. Especially since you are a good guy.

This is a fun topic.
Let's not let it digress into the tired old trad vs sport debate.
Yes, we can all agree that trad climbing is more dangerous and adventurous, but that is not the point of the original post.
One of the highlights of sport climbing is that it tends to be more social than trad climbing by its very nature and herein lies one of its many virtues.
Leading trad can be a rather lonesome, profoundly personal experience with very few words exchanged between partners until sharing a belay stance.
Sport climbing is relatively safe and for this very reason it is lighter and more jovial in character.
Hideously scary trad leads are fun only in retrospect for all but the most masochistic climbers.
Ok, I'll shut up, lest I not practice what I preach.

No sweat Mike, happy climbing!

Hey Ubermike. What are your plans for Saturday?
We're heading to The Gragoyle Walls at The Wood and it would be great if you could join us for some wimpy inferior sport climbing and toproping.

Tim: I think you and Tom ought to hook up next spring for an FA spree up at the crag I showed you last year. Plus there's more around the backside too. You 2 should keep that in mind, you both have a similar sense of enthusiasm.

There's a route at the Gym/Shelf Road I was on like 15 years ago, it has a big roof/bulge about halfway up and the thing I remember is the 2-hand mailbox slot in between cruxes on the bulge. Anyone know which route that is?

DisturbingThePeace wrote:Mercy the Huff RRG KY, simply amazing climbing.

Great choice DTP! When I first saw this thread I couldn't think of one route that was perfect, but the first one to cross my mind was Table of Colors. My first onsight of that grade, on an amazing wall that I had all to myself, on the last day of the best climbing season of my life. After I clipped the chains on that I honestly felt I could never climb again and be totally content. That notion lasted about 2 weeks :)

Admit it TooTall - you do like sport climbing or otherwise you wouldn't be posting in this forum. :)

I have to add to this one.
about 5 years ago, a couple years after I first started climbing, my wife (who doesn't climb), when contemplating her mortality wanted us to come up with "goals" before we turned 30. She said she wanted to finish a marathon. I said I wanted to climb a 5.13. My comment was fairly impulsive and sarcastic as I was trying to get out of the hypothetical conversation that my wife tends to drag me into. As the years went on I didn't give much thought to it until I turned 29 and figured it might be possible. Anyway, that year and that goal (which I suddenly became obsessed with) kept me focused on climbing. And last year I sent Buddha Belly (Boulder Canyon). It's amazing what you can do in life if you stay focused and dedicated to something. My wife finished her marathon about two years prior.

HoseBeats wrote:The night time, nude send attempt was sweet as well.

Ah. That reminds me of another climb. :D

How could I have forgotten Agatha Christie, Halloween night 2008?

While there are no bolts on this route (there are chain anchors), I've only ever toproped it, so it might as well be a sport climb to me.

My most memorable sport climb, is listed as a trad climb. It's not even close to being a true trad climb. But it climbs like a sport climb for the most part other than the cam just below the roof on the 1st pitch (which I led). The bolts are rather spaced out on the 2nd and 3rd pitch, but the last (4th) pitch make up for that in a big way. About 12 bolts in about 85 feet. South Platte area. Can anybody guess yet? Or better question, do any of you colorado climbers not know what the name is? OK.............Topographic Oceans on the Dome. I've only done it once, but couldn't quite get the last pitch clean (even though I followed it). Quite thin for 5.10a IMO! Anyhow I plan do go try it again clean someday. A truly beautiful climb in a great location.