New and Experienced Climbers Over 50 #28

I ran into Jeremy a few times at our climbing gym before it went out of business during covid. It was very impressive to watch him cruise up the hardest routes, and he was kind enough to belay me on a few climbs and offer tips on how I might be able to do them better.

Climbing  partner decided to snuggle with his wife in front of a fire and soup…

Bouldered, just missed two V4 flashes, flopped about two V5 and a V6. Not exactly a “peak climbing day”. I’m still a bit sore from Tuesday. Hung around too much   

Damn. Damn. Damn!

I had the most wonderful day at Watergate Rock with Chris, climbing some moderate routes on that beautiful wall.  But during a break I wandered around to the right side of the formation and saw an almost vertical route on perfect granite (you could rub your cheek on it) with a thin seam right up the middle. I spent a long time inspecting it visually, and decided I wanted to come back just to put a foot on the rock and try what I could. I estimated it might be an 11a.

It’s called Dirty Tricks 5.11d.  I’m truly crushed.  I got my heart involved with this one.  If I could only have that superpower for one day… OMG. 

Meanwhile… 

We were admiring the bolting on Dirty Tricks and Chris commented on how confident the FA team must have been. I see the story is in MP, and Jan, Darrell and Mike Waugh did the FA.  Totally impressed.  (I do not know the history on Kevin Powell and only a little on Jonny Woodward).

The rock and the route reminded me a lot of Count Dracula over at Belle—another route I will likely never be strong enough to climb. But I can certainly admire.

Beautiful day, perfect weather, beautiful granite… what more could you ask?  

Lori Milaswrote:

It’s called Dirty Tricks 5.11d.  I’m truly crushed.  I got my heart involved with this one.  If I could only have that superpower for one day… .

Think positively, yes, you will do, someday.

This is why I’m working so much at the gym to gain strength.

Beautiful lines.

Well, I’ve also to work on my cowardice as well   

Li Huwrote:

Think positively, yes, you will do, someday.

This is why I’m working so much at the gym to gain strength.

Beautiful lines.

We’ll, I’ve also to work on my cowardice as well   

Regarding cowardice: it’s a little inside secret, but if you’re on a top rope, you really have nothing to fear. If you think you’re gonna lead around here, I got nothing helpful to say. But it’s nice to see you working so hard.

As  for an 11d, I don’t mind a little wishful thinking, but I do know when I am completely and totally out of my league. One thing about Climbing for me is I am so aware of the limited time I have on rock that I’m just judicious about where I spend it.  
—-

I also wanted to thank Kris and others for the discussion on stretching, Pilates, and yoga. I woke up to the fact that I was getting increasingly stiff and feeling joint pain where I never did before and I think it has come from only using certain muscles in climbing (and not properly stretching and working all the other muscles). Anyway, the local Pilates studio didn’t work out but I have good PT to do twice a week and now Yoga and I love it.   

Lori Milaswrote:

Regarding cowardice: it’s a little inside secret, but if you’re on a top rope, you really have nothing to fear. If you think you’re gonna lead around here, I got nothing helpful to say. But it’s nice to see you working so hard.

I’m familiar with TR. when I flash a TR climb it’s different from an on sight on lead  

Seriously though, as you get older TR is a better option. Very wise of you.

As  for an 11d, I don’t mind a little wishful thinking, but I do know when I am completely and totally out of my league. One thing about Climbing for me is I am so aware of the limited time I have on rock that I’m just judicious about where I spend it. 

11d face is like V3. It’s not quite as “cranky” as V4.

It may be possible, and cool if you can?

Li Huwrote:

11d face is like V3. It’s not quite as “cranky” as V4.

Not in my experience.

__________

BTW, Dirty Tricks was named due to the methods we used to place the first bolt. Two climbers held the leader's feet in place on the stance, so he could let go and drill (1/4 hand drilling, this being before the advent of power drills). I actually have a picture somewhere of these shenanigans (not quite as bad as using a picnic table - e.g., Count Dracula - but then again, none were available.)

We never got much further. Later, KP, Waugh and Jan TR'd it, and finally, Jonny & Hensel finished it as a lead climb.

Randywrote:

Not in my experience.

5.11d is not V3? Maybe a V4?

Have to admit when I used to boulder everything was using John’s B rating system so whatever you folks say, I’ll follow…

__________

BTW, Dirty Tricks was named due to the methods we used to place the first bolt. Two climbers held the leader's feet in place on the stance, so he could let go and drill (1/4 hand drilling, this being before the advent of power drills). I actually have a picture somewhere of these shenanigans (not quite as bad as using a picnic table - e.g., Count Dracula - but then again, none were available.)

We never got much further. Later, KP, Waugh and Jan TR'd it, and finally, Jonny & Hensel finished it as a lead climb.

Hahaha, that’s a cool story!

Randywrote:

Not in my experience.

__________

BTW, Dirty Tricks was named due to the methods we used to place the first bolt. Two climbers held the leader's feet in place on the stance, so he could let go and drill (1/4 hand drilling, this being before the advent of power drills). I actually have a picture somewhere of these shenanigans (not quite as bad as using a picnic table - e.g., Count Dracula - but then again, none were available.)

We never got much further. Later, KP, Waugh and Jan TR'd it, and finally, Jonny & Hensel finished it as a lead climb.

Thank you for this, Randy.  This route is a heartbreaker for me, since I 'bonded' way too early.     No wonder we stood and admired the handywork, it's really quite something to look at.  That granite is so beautifully smooth...

Here is a route I did NOT bond with, Uppercut 10c.  I believe I was there the day Bob took this picture, and I could have gotten one better if I had my camera with me.  I think I was towards the top of Tim's Valentine, when I glanced over to see Jared Stiles climbing this on lead.  I just couldn't get down fast enough, but Bob caught a good picture.  What I clearly remember is the groaning of the guy following Jared... I mean, he was not having it.    

Sometimes watching someone else thrash on a route is helpful in understanding the difficulty.  Just as I watched that young climber get spanked on the Decompensator.  She just couldn't get it done. I'd still like to try it.  I'm feeling pretty strong lately.  

we had a hard freeze after the last big thaw and I could not let it rest. I really wanted to get up something new to me this season. seems like with tomorrows huge warm up again that will likly not happen this winter. First time in as long as I can remember a season slips by without doing something new.... I have done the climb on the left several time both roped and unroped but never done the prominent line up the middle of the face in winter. Climbed pretty much the same line  as a summer rock climb @9+R.Just once ;)   The ice drinkers were out in force. 

 everyone I talked to thought it was probably their last day out on the lake.

There was a single set of crampon tracks up ahead of me when I started the hike up through the woods to the cliff. I assumed it was another solo climber either headded to the climb I was aiming for or the climb up and left . No one on the Watermelon when I got there. ( no clue why they called it that?)  Jon Sykes just corrected me . The climb I was on Is Cold Hearted Hor which is on the watermelon slab.  Just as I had hoped there was fresh  well bonded ice on the first pitch.

fun casual climbing for 150ft and then the reality check.. this little curtain didn't sound right. 

The ice was reasonable decent but not well bonded and the  shelf it was sitting was rotten unbonded crud/snice. this type of layer can turn  what would be a solid free standing curtain solidly supported by the base being bonded to the cliff into a free hanging / unsupported curtain. even though it looks supported at the base it is not because of the crud layer. I was about 90% certain that I could have  tip toed up it without anything bad happening but a 10% chance of dying on something that is not an FA is unacceptable in my book so it was time to bail. 

you can see on the right edge the crap layer that I was seeing. that went all the way across.   My thread is above the bad layer but I was ok with that. I wasn't ok with swinging tools into the attachment point at the top of the curtain. 

 Really good exposure on this climb.. You can see that mindbender fell down wed evening after I left and started to reform. 

One 30m rap from a thread and then being lazy  I left a bail biner on a bolt to get down the last 20m. 

 I had heard ice tinkleing down the gully up and to my left so I figured I would investigate. The tracks did not lead to the next ice climb but instead went up to a little 10ft bulge  in the bushes..  I then saw a dude in a one piece Carhart  sporting scarpa invernos, BD sabertooths and a pair of petzl ultra light mountaineering axes. Turns out he is a total clueless noob that just bought the gear at the 2nd hand section of IME.  Creepy dude then proceeds to tell me his whole story with way too much information.. Apparently he is a nudist and was taking a video of himself climbing ice naked to post on a nudist dating site...   unfortunately he was also a fast hiker..  I switched into turbo mode  with my head down  while he babbeled away non stop the whole way across the lake . I did not speak to him the entire way across the lake . I just boogied as fast as I could without running. I kept changing angles rapidly trying to shake him and he was totally unfazed. Why did you turn so fast? what did you see? and then right back into his life story. people are strange....  finally lost him at the beach by going in the opposite direction of where my truck was unfortunately parked next to his van... 

 

Sounds like a classic NE Kingdom encounter,Nick. Lots of 'interesting' folk up that way!!!! Doesn't seem like it was the best day for nude ice climbing, but highly doubtful that there is EVER a good day for nude ice climbing!!!!

It definitely does seem like winter is ending in these parts, not that it ever really began this year  down here in tropical Massachusetts,

Randywrote:

BTW, Dirty Tricks was named due to the methods we used to place the first bolt. Two climbers held the leader's feet in place on the stance, so he could let go and drill (1/4 hand drilling, this being before the advent of power drills). I actually have a picture somewhere of these shenanigans (not quite as bad as using a picnic table - e.g., Count Dracula - but then again, none were available.)

There's a long history of using all types of aid to hand drill bolts on lead at Pinnacles National Park.

Here are two photos of a page from the now-half-finished new Pinnacles guidebook. My friend Jon using a pack of college students to hold him in place while he drills a route's first lead bolt (top left shot in the first photo):

Brad Youngwrote:

There's a long history of using all types of aid to hand drill bolts on lead at Pinnacles National Park.

Here are two photos of a page from the now-half-finished new Pinnacles guidebook. My friend Jon using a pack of college students to hold him in place while he drills a route's first lead bolt (top left shot in the first photo):

Hey Brad, thank you for these pictures. They put a visual, to what I have been imagining. I’d like to understand this better and maybe you or Randy or someone can help me out. I am still thinking about the route called dirty tricks, and all the effort to put up that route. So I hope this isn’t a stupid question but was all this to comply with the ground up ethic? Because this particular rock has easy access from the top, so how bad could it have been to rap down to a stance and do that first bolt?  Sacrilege ? And then, just out of curiosity why not put the first bolt at 10 feet instead of 20?  What was the thought process?

I know I am from a different time in a different generation of climbers, so I’m just scratching my head hard to imagine skipping a great route altogether when an easy solution is to lower down from the top.

I was trying to explain this route to Tony, and why I was so drawn to it and the fact that I will never be able to climb it and his immediate response. “get back over there and try!”  I am tempted to do that – – not with the intention of sending it, but for the experience of trying. This one really got to me.
 

I am so intrigued by the seam. I am not a great crack climber, but I do see spots for fingers and toes, and just enough on the face to make it doable. Mix up a cup of Mormon Tea and GO. ;:-)

Where is Carl? I know he was headed out for some camping but it’s been too long.

I keep bumping into pictures of mine when there was a climbing gym nearby and I think perhaps it was good training in a way for Joshua Tree. fThis was my favorite route at Pipeworks and I never figured it out. I tried every way I could and really the solution was easy I just wasn’t thinking outside the box.

The answer  was – – 2 feet on one wall, and two hands on the other. I think some part of Climbing here in Joshua Tree is innovation.    

Lori Milaswrote:

I know I am from a different time in a different generation of climbers, so I’m just scratching my head hard to imagine skipping a great route altogether when an easy solution is to lower down from the top.

I think Nixon said it best:  "We chose to put the bolts in this way not because it is easy, but because it is hard."

Lori Milaswrote:

Hey Brad, thank you for these pictures. They put a visual, to what I have been imagining. I’d like to understand this better and maybe you or Randy or someone can help me out. I am still thinking about the route called dirty tricks, and all the effort to put up that route. So I hope this isn’t a stupid question but was all this to comply with the ground up ethic? Because this particular rock has easy access from the top, so how bad could it have been to rap down to a stance and do that first bolt?  Sacrilege ? And then, just out of curiosity why not put the first bolt at 10 feet instead of 20?  What was the thought process?

I know I am from a different time in a different generation of climbers, so I’m just scratching my head hard to imagine skipping a great route altogether when an easy solution is to lower down from the top.

Hi Lori,

It would be and is undoubtedly easier to create new climbs by placing any bolts needed while on rappel. Up here on Sonora Pass I do first ascents both ways (from the ground up and from the top down). Depending on how I feel about a given climb. There's little history or tradition up here and so climbers create new routes in whatever style they want and our climbing community here seems just fine with that.

But "easier" isn't always the point and at Pinnacles in particular there is a long history of creating routes from the ground up and drilling bolts by hand (since the 1930s). It's a strong, strong tradition there and although it isn't easier, it's certainly more adventurous (and isn't adventure part of the reason for climbing?). It's more adventurous because it is less certain, and much, much more difficult. It takes 20 to 40 minutes to drill a bolt by hand there and doing this on lead while on a tenuous stance, or while hanging from hooks placed on little knobs, or maybe using a shaky piton in a seam to hold you upright while you let go with two hands to drill? And the rock at Pinnacles isn't always perfect either. It all adds up to very high adventure (often mixed in with some fear, by the way).

Often times this activity seems fun. Especially a week later ;)

The hand drilling part is also mandated by federal law and regulations at Pinnacles itself.

At Pinnacles the Park Service seems to like the ground up route creation method. It's kept route development there slower than it would have been if rappel bolting was the norm and it's kept bolted faces from becoming "grid bolted." All of this equals a lighter impact by one user group. So much so that the draft climbing management plan at this particular park mandates route creation from the ground up (and hand drilling and, one other small rule - no new route creation over established hiking trails).

EDIT: Yeah, what Russ said. As always (usually?) he captures the essence in just a few words.

Russ Wallingwrote:

I think Nixon said it best:  "We chose to put the bolts in this way not because it is easy, but because it is hard."

I needed a good laugh this morning Russ. Can always count on you. So let me see if I’ve got this straight. It’s OK for a bunch of guys to stand at the base and let someone hop onto their shoulders. But it’s not OK to rap down and drill the bolt.. I’d like to see the manual.   

Lori Milaswrote:

I keep bumping into pictures of mine when there was a climbing gym nearby and I think perhaps it was good training in a way for Joshua Tree. fThis was my favorite route at Pipeworks and I never figured it out. I tried every way I could and really the solution was easy I just wasn’t thinking outside the box. 

Gym climbs are typically a full number grade easier. 11a would be a 10a at Joshua Tree. Interestingly enough, boulders at V5 or above are about the same albeit no colours to grab, OTOH, no rules outside either. You can pretty much start the climb however you wish.

I’ve climbed at Pipes, it’s old school, but really cool! (Listen to me talking “old school” as if I were young   )

Lori Milaswrote:

And then, just out of curiosity why not put the first bolt at 10 feet instead of 20? What was the thought process?

To answer the question above specifically, when drilling from the ground up, the rock can and often does absolutely dictate where and when bolts are placed.

In the photo I posted, although the climbing is "only" 5.8, neither Jon nor I could get in a hook or any other common form of aid to allow us to let go and drill (he and I and these college kids did the first ascent of this climb). Nor could we "stance drill" by just standing on holds.

We could have run it out to 20 feet up and placed the first bolt there (I drilled the route's second bolt about 20 feet up while on a stance). But as we get older, many of us doing FAs at Pinns like the chance of a broken leg less and less. So, in this case we found what I thought was a novel way to place a lower first bolt using a really odd form of aid.

Randy's post earlier makes it clear that we weren't the first to think of drilling on lead this way.

Continuing on the same theme, here's another photo from the same half-finished new guidebook. Kelly was hanging on tenuous hooks while hand drilling... and they popped off.

As I said, sometimes adventure IS the point.