New and Experienced Climbers over 50 #33

rgold wrote:

That "thing" is called Sandberg Peak. (No idea where the name comes from.). As it happens, I was around for what I thought was the FA in the early 1960's with Bob Kamps and Mark Powell, but MP credits Royal and Liz Robbins in August of 1963, which is very possible as they were there and made other (more important) FA's in the Switchbacks area.  No bolts of course then, that came much later.  As far as I can tell, three bolts were added to create a "direct variation" whose claim to directness rests on a refusal to take one or two steps to the right, a type of squeeze job not at all typical of the Custer SP region, especially in view of the acres and acres of possibilities that aren't three or four feet from an established line.

Our ascent of Sandberg Peak was the occasion of a peculiar interaction with some tourists.  I posted about it on Supertopo, sixteen years ago and here is the account. ( I mention 16 years ago because the last two sentences seem eerily prescient.)

Mark was leading, Bob was belaying, and I was on the ground watching. A tourist pulled up and watched Mark lead for a long time, long enough to see him place a piton or two and clip into them, and finally reach the tiny summit. After watching all this, the guy got out of his car, walked over to me, and asked, "How'd they get the cables up there?" (Mind you, he and his wife had just watched how they got the cables up there.) I was very polite, and in my best imitation of the professor I would become, I offered a careful and detailed explanation of exactly what Mark had been doing. At the end of this mini-seminar, his wife (whose size seemed to preclude an exit from the car) leaned out the window and shouted to her husband, "How'd they get the cables up there?" To which her husband replied, in tones rife with exasperation, "I don't know, I can't get a straight answer out of this guy!"

Experiences like this caused me to print up a bunch of tee shirts with the legend "Needles Repair Servce" on the back. Bob had one; I can't remember whether Mark got one or not. These shirts were, as I had hoped, self-explanatory to most of the tourists who stopped, the clanking of iron and occasional banging of pitons only reinforcing the repairing theme. Pinnacle repair was a notion they had probably already been exposed to by postcards sold locally showing Herb Conn rappelling down George Washington's nose while on one of the Park Service's periodic missions to patch cracks in the sculpture. The tee-shirts were more successful than I anticipated, leaving us to ponder the fact that many people are happier with a false explanation that conforms to their preconceptions than with a true explanation that does not. One cannot help but wonder, 30 odd years later, what role this phenomenon may have played in the civic and political life of our nation.

Great story Rich. I remember hearing it before but it is one that never gets old!!! Given the very close proximity of the road to many of the most popular climbs in the Needles ( definitely a correlation) there are many ' interesting' climber/tourist interactions there---definitely adds to the ambiance!!!!

As for dulfersitz ( body) rappels, I remember that my first 'mountain parka' ( from Holubar, I believe) included a sown leather shoulder patch for rappelling--it helped but still wasn't enough cushioning!!! Some folks also had pants with leather in the groin and butt for the same purpose, but I quickly adopted the Swiss seat method instead. Most 'revolutionary' though was learning the carabiner brake system and finally being able to rap without pain!!!!

RG and John. Any thoughts on what its was. It was bolted to the rock in a jumble of boulders in the picket fence area. Old button head and either a Leeper or some other minimalist hanger?

John. It was only about 10ft off the ground over in the picket fence. discovered it while running from a thunder storm that turned into a hail storm. I suspect it was a summit that tipped over?

I know a number of folks on this thread travel to Europe from the USA.  There are a couple of regulations for entry going into effect which were news to me, so I thought I'd share the info...

Thanks Phylp.

On a similar note, we will need a Real ID in order to fly domestically stating May 7th. Most states can do this when you renew your drivers license.  If you haven’t gotten one yet, a valid passport can be used.

Robbin's Queenpin came up a few weeks ago. Here I am leading perched at the point where Royal placed a "miracle" bolt for protection. As Rich mentioned, he had a flake to stand on. Renn Fenton is down and around the corner belaying. 

edit: Nick, looks like the typical Conn summit register, a light aluminum canister 35mm rolls of film came in.

Did you open it? If it was attached by a bolt it was either a register they placed there for an unknown reason, or perhaps a guide to that area.

This is El Mokanna, in the Picket Fence area of the SD Needles. Pete Cleveland and I made the FA in the 1960s. I had seen what looked like a challenging boulder at the top and tempted Pete to come along. I don't recall any difficult climbing getting to the summit boulder, but once there  we could relax on the platform to the right and see a slightly overhanging bulge in front of us with no piton cracks - we had no bolts with us. I pulled up onto the bulge a couple of times but couldn't seem to turn loose with either hand to reach up, Pete belaying. I decided to trust Needles rock and told Pete to be alert - he had a piton in where he sat for an anchor - so I did a blind dyno around the corner and up to the right, and, sure enough, lit upon a crystal fingerhold. Pete said, "You shouldn't have had to do that", and started up in static mode. After a bit of experimenting he also dynoed around, and on top said, "I see what you meant".

edit: A few days later Mark and Bev Powell made the second ascent by going around to the other side of the spire lower down and easily climbing the summit boulder.  The name of the spire came from a book I was reading by Sax Rohmer.

Wow, wonderful story John!!! If Pete--of Superpin fame ( his belayer just walked away because he wasn't doing any good and didn't want to watch the potential fatal fall!!!)--was worried, that must have been quite a committing dyno!!! I was amused by your 'trusting Needles rock' comment. On my first climb there--on a top rope, no less, a key crystal broke as I was starting a traverse--I took a big swing and ended up with multiple cuts and scratches. Ever since, I've never been able to 'really trust Needles rock'!!!, though did continue to visit and climb there.

Speaking of Conn Needles summit registers, here's one I happened upon during a visit in 2019.  It seems Bob and I made the second ascent nine years after Herb and Jan!  The climb is obscure and nothing special, which accounts for the nine-year gap between first and second ascents, but it is fun a half-century later to encounter a time capsule from bygone days.

C Miller wrote:

Acuity (5.7)

I meant to thank you for this C Miller. You always come up with the goods! I wanted to get a little closer, but from this distance it wasn’t what I expected.  Maybe I could climb it after all.  

I’d like to head back up this morning and see if I can get a little closer to Crystal calisthenics—it looks like you did a description in MP.  I’m wondering how I can get to the base?  There are so many really large boulders in front of that formation. It could be like walking through a maze. How would you get there?

Speaking of getting hopelessly lost or injured outside of cell range – – I guess I’m a little slow out of the gate, but I just learned that my iPhone has a satellite feature for emergencies. I have been trying to find out whether 911 could receive texts in the case where you cannot speak. For instance, what if you were choking and couldn’t tell the dispatch that you were in trouble? Or, like last week when I had a severe middle of the night, low blood sugar. I don’t know if I could have carried on a cogent conversation with 911.  I could not have opened my front door if an emergency team had shown up so I would hope that they would break down my door.I think this iPhone feature transmits your health information and address to the local 911. I could probably also use it if I were stuck somewhere in the park.

Fortunately, I have never had to use my mini Garmin but it’s very discomforting to know that hitting that SOS button still winds up being 3 to 4 hours before an emergency team would come and how do you tell them exactly which rock or crevasse you are under? I do carry a whistle.

The desert and its wanderers have been extraordinarily kind. I’ve lost my fear of being alone, encountering snakes, and bugs and getting lost,  more and more I feel the goodwill of this place.  But I’m also learning to be prepared.

Acuity looks quite appealing from below, but turned out to be rather uneventful climbing. The other side of Hitman Rock has a collection of nice crack climbs. The Bruiser stands out to me as one of the better ones.

Bump to stay notified. 

Grizzly Dome NorCal 1977

Old lady H wrote:  Anyone else starting to look for the promise of spring, out there???

As it happens, I am. It's only four to six weeks before the start to maple sugaring season. This is the time of year when i get closest (but not really all that close) to the bad-assery of Nick, as I tromp around snowy hillsides carrying multiple five gallon buckets of sap, boiling late into the night, and generally having fun being a solo person in the gorgeous New England forest. 

Oldtradguy wrote:  Too all of you Gunks climbers out there, check this video out on Rich Romano. He was a prolific climber in the Gunks and Millbrook areas. He put up a lot of FA in the 10s & 11s all Trad climbing with only stoppers and a 1 inch webbing swami belt.. youtube.com/watch?v=-Sv_VVM…

Thanks for this!  

And a question for RGold:  I know this is a silly question, but I'm curious if all three of you Gunks Richards ever climbed together?  It would make for a tricky day, especially as two of the three of you are "Rich G".

GO

C Miller wrote:

Skirt the entire mass of Saddle Rocks to the south and it's easy hiking to the base of both Pommel and Cantle.

It's a little off the beaten path but worth the effort for the amazing views.

Uh oh  I was afraid you were going to say that it's an easy hike.  This is exactly what I did... although I still was not brave enough to go all the way to the base.  I would not say 'easy'. 

Hiking down was a different story.  With no trail, there are thousands of rocks, boulders etc... and I went SO slow.  I had the distinct feeling that one slip, even a little one, could send me face first to the ground.  Several rocks were wobbly,  I tested everything.   It's embarrassing.  If I was with a group of you guys and was this slow, you'd tell me to pack up and go home. 

But doggone!  That rock is beautiful.  I'm guessing/hoping that the next move is up and over those low lying black rocks.  Hopefully no roadblocks after that.  I might try again. 

Meanwhile... when I grow up I want to do this.    This was Zach climbing Runaway, leading up to set up a top rope for me on Run For Your Life.  He RUINED my adventure up Run For Your Life.  After watching him on Runaway, that's all I wanted to climb.    

About the Barbell book.  It's hard to imagine doing squats with painful knees.  But what he seems to be saying is that the tension is generated at the hip.  Squats are hip exercises.  If you do them exactly as prescribed the hips are strengthened, the knees don't have to carry the brunt anymore.  Maybe...  hmmm.  

Tomfoolery on my 67th birthday with my daughter on belay

Tim Bratten wrote:

Tomfoolery on my 67th birthday with my daughter on belay

Very cool!  FYI you may be fine with this but looked like a lot of slack in the belay: 

And happy birthday! 

GO

Li Hu wrote:

Cool! Thanks!

Yesterday, first go, I had made it halfway up a 5.12c (gym grade of course), next easily led a 5.11c. Tried to mock lead a 5.12a and muffed up the second clip swinging out 20 feet to the centre of the gym greeting a family below me as they stared up at me flying above their heads.

Planning more mock leads closer to my climbing ability to push myself.

Planning campus board today. Control is key.

I assume this is a pretty overhanging wall. Is the gym okay with toproping on this wall?  Most gyms I've been to that have a severely overhanging wall make it lead only for exactly this reason. Fall low down on the wall and you could really hurt yourself or someone else.  Imagine they're standing 20 feet from the base, looking away from the wall.  You fall, swing out, and try to lift your body above them but wind up clocking them in the back of the head with your knees. Not good. 

Another option aside from leading it could be following/seconding it. Then you only swing from the next clip up.  Or if you must mock lead, have a second belayer on the mock rope who could brake your swing. 

Cheers,

GO

GabeO wrote:

Very cool!  FYI you may be fine with this but looked like a lot of slack in the belay: 

And happy birthday! 

GO

You're right Gabe, I am fine with this! It's a steep route, a totally clean fall, there's a lot of rope out, there's a bolt at my chest, I'm taking a short rest in a completely secure position  and she's ready for me to move again. Plus I hate it when the belayer tight ropes me or yanks my chain.  Why do you think a couple of feet less of slack makes things better in this situation? Cheers!

GabeO wrote:

And a question for RGold:  I know this is a silly question, but I'm curious if all three of you Gunks Richards ever climbed together?  It would make for a tricky day, especially as two of the three of you are "Rich G".

GO

We've climbed in pairs but never all three. And there are really at least four Richards if you count Richard C. (Dick) Williams.

I thought Dick Willimans was one of the Three , so who's the 4rth? 

For the last week or so, I’ve taken on the massive project of thinning out the collection of Krap that is my garage. There’s stuff in there that I’ve been carrying around for decades, and some recent events have heightened the need to finally do something with it (i.e. get rid of it). I came across these over the weekend:

What the hell can I do with them? Several years ago, I got rid of about twenty years of Climbing magazines- I gave them to the local library, but I don’t think they’re going to be interested in these. Periodically, I’ve seen people post up on Supertopo (bitd) or here on MP with this kind of stuff, and I don’t recall any good solutions coming forward. I just can’t bring myself to toss them in a dumpster somewhere, either. Suggestions are welcome.