New "Style" Proposed for Big Wall / El Cap Climbing

Peter Zabrokwrote:

The authors and the editor of the magazine should have been clear in indicating that they are referring to free climbing routes and not regular aid routes, as Kevin notes. 

really- they are referring to 2/3 of one route

I thought the "free as can be" ethos was totally rad and something I've applied to my own pedestrian long free climbs in Yosemite (not on El Cap, lol). I don't think getting every last little move dialed thru siege tactics matters so much, although I can see how it would be satisfying. Starting from the ground and trying as hard as you can regardless of outcome is to be celebrated !! 

This past week we met some Spaniards on their first wall climb (Lurking Fear). They didn't bring a portaledge and were basically slowly questing up the wall a few pitches each day. When we met them, they were smoking cigs and drinking tea at a horrendous bivy. Now that is style. 

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P.S. If 5.13 is pedestrian pace, then I must be the climber equivalent of a slimy slug or maybe a tree sloth.

For a more philosophical read,

I'm remembering Steph Davis wrote an excellent piece tangentially related to this topic. It appeared either in Lauren Delaunay's book Valley of Giants or Steph's High Infatuation.

In contemplating her free ascent of the Salathe Wall (obviously an incredible accomplishment), Steph wondered whether she had gone too far in forcing the outcome, i.e. getting every pitch free'd, rather than going with the flow and letting everything fall into place naturally around you. I think it's a Buddhist thing. On that ascent, her partner jugged out to re-supply their bivy around the headwall. It seems very quaint to worry about that at all.

It left quite a mark on me, this balance of trying as hard as you can but also being willing to accept imperfections and things going awry. Very prescient to the punishing world of wall climbing.

But I like Brent Barghahn!

Peter Zabrokwrote:

"5.13 is pedestrian...."

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

"We're really bitchin' and write about it in Climbing mag, and if you're not as bitchin' as us, then you're not bitchin' at all."

Then you're not as bitchin' as you think, cuz Pete Whittaker rope solo free climbed Free Rider in under 24 hours.

"Entitled" free climbers working their routes from the top and then leaving behind their trash are the worst offenders of all, the rangers have told me, and a major reason for the implementation of the permit system on El Cap.  

I agree fixing ropes from the summit to work free pitches is lame because it interferes with regular climbers' experience and gets in the way of everything. I never fixed ropes to work free climbs back in the day. That was cheating. If you cheat, at least admit it. 

The authors and the editor of the magazine should have been clear in indicating that they are referring to free climbing routes and not regular aid routes, as Kevin notes. 

I wish I were pedestrian.

yeah, not under the "new" hierarchy of bitchiness.  somehow leading all of the pitches has somehow become lesser style than shirking half of them (and hopefully the shitty ones!) on a partner.

Eric Chabotwrote:

I don't think Brent would argue that. Lynn's was a first free ascent on a route a number grade (more than a number grade?) harder than what Brent did. I think he would say if she had climbed it with a partner of equal ability, where both team members freed the route, without any pre-rehearsal, that would've been cooler/better style than what she did. I mean, Lynn freed the nose, then went back and freed it in a day, improving on her style of ascent.

Any time siege tactics are applied to climbing, there's room for improvement in style whether that's the Dawn Wall, Free Nose, Freerider, or even redpoint attempts on your sport proj. If you're going to stick clip your way to the top of a classic 5.11 in order to get a TR up so you can work the moves risk-free, that's annoying to other people, it's poor style. Onsighting a 5.11 is not a big deal, lots of people can do it. Maybe don't do that if people who want to onsight the route are waiting.  I think Brent's saying it's time for people to stop stick clipping (i.e., rapping in, stashing, etc) their way up the Freerider, or at least throw a fat asterisk on their ascents if they do.

the ranking of style that is written up is pretty clear on this.  is it really lynn's fault that she couldn't find a partner of equal ability to lead half of it?  the funny thing is she did this almost 3 years ago (ie FNIAD).  TC did FN and FR in a day 17 years ago.  this makes the article seem kind of like 5.9 climbers complaining about people being slow on snakedike.

slimwrote:

the ranking of style that is written up is pretty clear on this.

I feel like you're disingenuously nitpicking and missing the point.

But I also don't really care that much about the article, so... Carry on?

In contemplating her free ascent of the Salathe Wall (obviously an incredible accomplishment), Steph wondered whether she had gone too far in forcing the outcome, i.e. getting every pitch free'd, rather than going with the flow and letting everything fall into place naturally around you. I think it's a Buddhist thing. On that ascent, her partner jugged out to re-supply their bivy around the headwall. It seems very quaint to worry about that at all.

It left quite a mark on me, this balance of trying as hard as you can but also being willing to accept imperfections and things going awry. Very prescient to the punishing world of wall climbing.

Isn't that the way, though? Style-conscious climbers define their own style with sets of rules or guidelines they impose upon themselves. It doesn't, or shouldn't, derive from what others are doing.

Let’s bring back the PinkPoint !!!