Stories!!! Grab your marshmallows and pull up a campfire! THANKS! :-)

I believe the year was 1997 or 98 hidden valley campground my buddy Chris and I had been totall dirt bagging it for two weeks we had had no flavor outside of ramen coffee beer and weed and longed for a bite of real food. Friday befor thanksgiving the campground is packed and the grungy monsters of men are rolling through in a freshly flipped Isuzu trooper looking for a place to rest. Being the southern gent I sometimes pretend to be I offered our extra car space and that they could share our spot. The kinda lad of the group offers a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on some wholesome looking 7 grain bread. I was nearly in tears at the thought of such flavor and texture outside of ramen cooked or raw. I was elated as this savior of a Canadian was making me this beacon to my tastebuds. As I am cramming the last bite into my mouth trying not to nibble my fingers in the process the kind fella belts out "would you like some chocolate cake." The heavens parted angels came down playing beautiful music and light shown almost to blind me. I struggled to agree that I would very much like some chocolate cake and this fucker responds "me too"
My introduction to some of the crudest nasties most awesome kind people I would ever climb with. God bless BC and the people that call it home.

Mark NH wrote:Awesome, badass story Hank! Thanks for sharing!

Awesome Mark, I thought the same thing! That's an amazing story for sure!

DanielHart wrote:I believe the year was 1997 or 98 hidden valley campground my buddy Chris and I had been totall dirt bagging it for two weeks we had had no flavor outside of ramen coffee beer and weed and longed for a bite of real food. Friday befor thanksgiving the campground is packed and the grungy monsters of men are rolling through in a freshly flipped Isuzu trooper looking for a place to rest. Being the southern gent I sometimes pretend to be I offered our extra car space and that they could share our spot. The kinda lad of the group offers a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on some wholesome looking 7 grain bread. I was nearly in tears at the thought of such flavor and texture outside of ramen cooked or raw. I was elated as this savior of a Canadian was making me this beacon to my tastebuds. As I am cramming the last bite into my mouth trying not to nibble my fingers in the process the kind fella belts out "would you like some chocolate cake." The heavens parted angels came down playing beautiful music and light shown almost to blind me. I struggled to agree that I would very much like some chocolate cake and this fucker responds "me too" My introduction to some of the crudest nasties most awesome kind people I would ever climb with. God bless BC and the people that call it home.

Well told, lol!!

@eli, ya got a deal. Maybe I'll know how to climb by then? OLH

Wow! A lot has happened since I launched this...

A cute story from the gym:

I've been training at our local climbing gym this winter, going in 2 or 3 times a week. Usually, I am solo, working on the treadwall, and the autobelays. 

Recently, a boy about 9ish made his first trip up the wall, probably first climb ever, on the autobelay. He introduced himself to me, and we had been chatting (he was impressed such an ancient was a climber, lol), so I chose to encourage him, while I waited my turn.

About 1/4 up, he got intimidated, and started to carefully try to downclimb, not trusting the autobelay. I yelled up, "no! Just jump off, you're fine!" J: "dad, catch me!" Me: "really, it's fine! Look, we're both right here. Just lean back and let go. You got this, J!".

He did. Slowly floating down, all fear left him.

High fives all around, he got that grin. Yeah. THAT one. 

Up he went again, immediately. This time, I was yelling up encouragement, "You got this, J!! Just stand on that right. Yeah! Now you got it! Grab that jug, the pink one... Yeah! Yeah! Just like that! You got it, J!!." And so forth.

And....he got to the top. SOOO PROUD, and rightfully so. 

He and Dad went over to the roped climbs, and, last I saw, he was happily tearing up those climbs as well.

I continued with my climbing. About my last climb of the day, I'm on the same autobelay, near the top, on a cool down climb. 

What do I hear?

"YOU GOT IT, HELEN!!! YOU GOT IT!! YOU CAN DO THIS!!"

The best thing in the world, as far as I'm concerned, is being there to see a new climber, when that thing happens that changes them forever. You know it when you see it.

Welcome to the family, if this is you...

Best, OLH

Beware of Fritz Weissner Climbs

My story happened the day after my wedding. The distances aren't exact. I think it is about 60 feet to the top of P1.

My husband and I got married in the Gunks and decided to spend several days enjoying the amenities of Camp Slime. I have a thing for Fritz Weissner's climbs and since we were down near the end of Near Trapps we decided that I would lead P1 of White Pillar (https://www.mountainproject.com/route/105946229/white-pillar) and we would TR Harvest Moon. White Pillar is a chimney and I hadn't had a great deal of experience with that kind of climbing. 

I started up the climbing was easy and I got a nice piece in about 12 feet up. I keep going - climbing is still pretty easy but there's not any gear. There has to be gear up there somewhere.It is only rated PG. There's gear up there. I will get to it. I'm still climbing - no gear. At some point, my husband, afraid that he might pull me off the wall takes me off belay. I don't know he has taken me off and at this point, I don't think that there's anything else to do but go up. Still going. At about 30 feet, I hear peeping and it starts getting louder. About 10 feet up is a nest. As I keep climbing, the peeping gets louder. To my left is a nest with 2 tiny baby birds. It seems as if I can see all the little black fluffy feathers covering their tiny bodies. Luckily, there is no pissed off mother bird hanging out to peck at me. It feels like I'm looking for them for years. About 15 feet past the nest is the place where I will exit the chimney and I'm sure that there is something there. God - why is this taking so long. It feels like someone is moving that spot where I hope there is gear away. Finally, I get to the exit - there's a place for gear. It looks like it will fit a green alien. I'm so happy when I clip that piece. I scoot out and up to the top of the top of the pillar. I'm so happy to be there - it hasn't really sunk in. Obviously, this was the last climb of the day. My husband was a bit pissed. The green alien was not as good as I thought and the yellow would have made for a much more secure placement. The mother bird did come back to the nest.

The next morning we head to the Trapps and my husband leads Apoplexy (the climb with the creaky flake). It is a beautiful lead. I hit the creaky flake and then burst into full-blown tears - not little ones - the full small child tears and snot blow out. In front of everyone in the Uberfall area. Pete lowers me and I'm trying to get it all back together. I had apoplexy on Apoplexy and I wasn't even leading it.

Lessons learned: Don't get blinders on - the gear for the climb is further inside the chimney instead of out on the face at the edge. Also - look for wildlife before starting out. If that mother bird had been in the nest I would have been in trouble.

http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/814211/Fritz-Wiessner-A-Man-For-All-Mountains

Deirdre wrote:

Beware of Fritz Weissner Climbs

My story happened the day after my wedding. The distances aren't exact. I think it is about 60 feet to the top of P1.

My husband and I got married in the Gunks and decided to spend several days enjoying the amenities of Camp Slime. I have a thing for Fritz Weissner's climbs and since we were down near the end of Near Trapps we decided that I would lead P1 of White Pillar (https://www.mountainproject.com/route/105946229/white-pillar) and we would TR Harvest Moon. White Pillar is a chimney and I hadn't had a great deal of experience with that kind of climbing. 

I started up the climbing was easy and I got a nice piece in about 12 feet up. I keep going - climbing is still pretty easy but there's not any gear. There has to be gear up there somewhere.It is only rated PG. There's gear up there. I will get to it. I'm still climbing - no gear. At some point, my husband, afraid that he might pull me off the wall takes me off belay. I don't know he has taken me off and at this point, I don't think that there's anything else to do but go up. Still going. At about 30 feet, I hear peeping and it starts getting louder. About 10 feet up is a nest. As I keep climbing, the peeping gets louder. To my left is a nest with 2 tiny baby birds. It seems as if I can see all the little black fluffy feathers covering their tiny bodies. Luckily, there is no pissed off mother bird hanging out to peck at me. It feels like I'm looking for them for years. About 15 feet past the nest is the place where I will exit the chimney and I'm sure that there is something there. God - why is this taking so long. It feels like someone is moving that spot where I hope there is gear away. Finally, I get to the exit - there's a place for gear. It looks like it will fit a green alien. I'm so happy when I clip that piece. I scoot out and up to the top of the top of the pillar. I'm so happy to be there - it hasn't really sunk in. Obviously, this was the last climb of the day. My husband was a bit pissed. The green alien was not as good as I thought and the yellow would have made for a much more secure placement. The mother bird did come back to the nest.

The next morning we head to the Trapps and my husband leads Apoplexy (the climb with the creaky flake). It is a beautiful lead. I hit the creaky flake and then burst into full-blown tears - not little ones - the full small child tears and snot blow out. In front of everyone in the Uberfall area. Pete lowers me and I'm trying to get it all back together. I had apoplexy on Apoplexy and I wasn't even leading it.

Lessons learned: Don't get blinders on - the gear for the climb is further inside the chimney instead of out on the face at the edge. Also - look for wildlife before starting out. If that mother bird had been in the nest I would have been in trouble.

http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/814211/Fritz-Wiessner-A-Man-For-All-Mountains

I'm completely lost here on the belay part of this story.

T Roper wrote:

I'm completely lost here on the belay part of this story.

It's not about the belay man................. ;)

T Roper -

He took me off because he was afraid that any pull on the rope might pull me off. He put me back on belay when I got the piece in.

Don't knock my story. I am not very bold so it is the only one I have.    

T Roper wrote:

I'm completely lost here on the belay part of this story.

Yeah... just a day after getting married, you'd think that wasn't enough time to piss off your spouse so badly that he would be trying to kill you. But you never know.

Deirdre wrote:

T Roper -

He took me off because he was afraid that any pull on the rope might pull me off. He put me back on belay when I got the piece in.

Don't knock my story. I am not very bold so it is the only one I have.    

I do hope that you just saw that thread about the quality of trolling on MP being way down, and made a valiant attempt with your story... Otherwise...   

Deirdre wrote:

T Roper -

He took me off because he was afraid that any pull on the rope might pull me off. He put me back on belay when I got the piece in.

Don't knock my story. I am not very bold so it is the only one I have.    

I imagine what you mean is he decided to spot you instead of holding the brake hand /rope. 

In my very green 2015 year of learning the ropes...

My buddy was teaching me how to lead belay, with very little context. He gave me the rope, checked the gri, and told me to 'pay slack as i get above my gear, id rather not get pulled off the wall.'
That's it! Thats seriously all he said, mind you i made him aware of my 100% gumby status.

Well, a noob who doesn't understand systems surely would not understand exactly what he meant. Ironically, this was on a climb called Princely Ambitions, and his sure were, asking me to lead belay without no instruction. (ive seen people do this around me now, and it drives me nuts! but everyone has to learn somehow, i suppose...as long as they dont kill their partners in the meantime...)

Anyway, he clips the first piece, (pay slack) then a bolt (pay slack) and climbs above it, places another piece...and what am i doing every time he gets above a piece? What else would i be doing? I'm paying out slack!

Someone finally noticed this giant loop of slack (Princely starts on top of a giant block you have to climb to get to...which i didn't understand may have been the death of my partner, and told me to reel it in. I still hadn't seen a lead fall at this point, perhaps my second time climbing outside... I replied that 'he looked so solid up there, though.'

He gets lowered down. We chat about it. We're stoked he didn't die. And i have an embarrassing story...It is my 100% favorite story to recount as i am no longer a total noob, and actually love catching a good winger...ya know, if the gear is good and the rock is solid.