New and Experienced Climbers over 50 #43

Todd Berlierwrote:

Wow! That brings back memories! 

BITD when I set there after hours, we would lead on the main prow in the middle. Lower to that nasty old tire rubber, then TR back to the top, except the belayer would stop taking in slack after climber got 10 feet off the ground. Climber would go to the I-beam, hang and drop off, stopping less than 5 feet off the ground. We called it practice for lead falls, but really it was just fun.

By Bob and Jeff, you mean the owners? 

Too funny.  We called it a "victory whip".  Didn't endear us to the gym management.  Wonder what ol' Steve is up to.  Was a pretty salty dude.  Fun.  AB signed my belay card and I have an earlier one somewhere that Dale signed.  Miss those good times.  Margarita night on Fridays.  Sigh...

I think when they redid the floors and got rid of the Teva rubber, didn't they find a few wedding rings?  

Yeah, the owners.  I think Bob's in Boulder now.  

My buddy Styles had a great name for Rockreation, probably not a name I'll post . I lived in SLC for almost 20 years and never went in, was always driving south when the valley was too nasty to climb. I did go to the front bouldering gym the last year I was there, mostly because I lived downtown at that point and it was way better than my dirt floor garage wall.

Tim, we were mostly on smaller roads.  Never got near 95. 220 south.  

Since there are  like 4 conversations going on concurrently in this thread I thought I would start a fifth.

Is Poodles are People Too the best route in Joshua Tree?  For me I have to say yes but I might have forgotten a few that I’ve done. Taxman and Rubicon are good but I always remember PAPT.

Edit: I also don’t lead harder than those so…

Edit2: yes at that grade. And as others have said there are many.

I think I just love routes that are face climbing but with gear protection. 

Great Heavens, Norm. PAPT is good but Run For Your Life is better!

Ha, I think that was one of the first routes I ever did in JT. I was running for my life for sure.

Papt is fun but so are so many others in that range. I'm horrible with route names but the most memorable ones for me are the ones with pucker factor where I was sweating hard and fearing for my life, usually involving a bolt or two. There was one, Alfs arete? I just about had a heart attack at age 35 . Another one that had a bolt or two, runout to a tiny RP that I fiddled with for too long and then a huge runout finish to the top. I was mentally broke down after those routes, very memorable being a slab hating crackhead.

Norm Larsonwrote:

Since there are  like 4 conversations going on concurrently in this thread I thought I would start a fifth.

Is Poodles are People Too the best route in Joshua Tree?  For me I have to say yes but I might have forgotten a few that I’ve done. Taxman and Rubicon are good but I always remember PAPT.

Edit: I also don’t lead harder than those so…

If you are talking about the best route of a similar grade to Poodles, my vote is for Figures. 

Brian in SLCwrote:

Too funny.  We called it a "victory whip".  Didn't endear us to the gym management.  Wonder what ol' Steve is up to.  Was a pretty salty dude.  Fun.  AB signed my belay card and I have an earlier one somewhere that Dale signed.  Miss those good times.  Margarita night on Fridays.  Sigh...

Yeah, Steve was salty! (Edit: his dog was the sweetest big giant breed, I've ever met!) If I remember correctly, when Steve was hired they fired a couple folks and a few more quit, myself included, in defiance. I got a job picking orders in the BD warehouse afterwards and started working my way up. 

What was the name of the older climber that climbed there, sandy blond/brown hair with a beard and did some development in Ferguson canyon I think? Climbed with him a few times.

I think when they redid the floors and got rid of the Teva rubber, didn't they find a few wedding rings?  

Yeah, the owners.  I think Bob's in Boulder now.  

That's funny! I don't think I was there at that point.

MM did the slang have male anatomy in it?

The rain stopped but it was cold and the wind was honking 50mph. Made for some shenanigans with the ropes on the way down... 

Bambi blessed us on the hike in

 Isa following P1

the view

Todd Berlierwrote:

Yeah, Steve was salty! (Edit: his dog was the sweetest big giant breed, I've ever met!) If I remember correctly, when Steve was hired they fired a couple folks and a few more quit, myself included, in defiance. I got a job picking orders in the BD warehouse afterwards and started working my way up. 

What was the name of the older climber that climbed there, sandy blond/brown hair with a beard and did some development in Ferguson canyon I think? Climbed with him a few times.

That's funny! I don't think I was there at that point.

MM did the slang have male anatomy in it?

Something to do with that and vibrations if memory serves me correctly. I hear there is a gym every other block in SLC now, I hope they have good air filtration systems!

M Mwrote:

Something to do with that and vibrations if memory serves me correctly. I hear there is a gym every other block in SLC now, I hope they have good air filtration systems!

Lol! That's the one I thought it was. 

In my naive twenties I was first exposed to folks who looked down on sport climbing at Rockreation. I didn't understand that there could be animosity amongst climbers! It's where I heard the sport climbing is neither phrase. It was written on the support beams but inside the climbing wall structure. 

I get being drawn to different disciplines, but animosity or negativity toward a discipline within the umbrella of climbing is silly to me. 

I havent been back to SLC since I left in 2005. Oops one ski trip in maybe 2012. Miss that place. Incredible climbing year round on the most varied terrain within 3 hours. 

And the bouldering! Little Cottonwood, Joe's Valley and Ibex: some of the best bouldering per rock type in the country!

Going to go look for some old photos!

Tim Schafstallwrote:

'Bout to leave for a week long climbing trip.  Shoulder hurts, wrist is f*cked (temporarily, I hope), and two fingers won't bend all the way.  Should be fun   

Oh dear!

Ibex, Joes, Triassic , the swell, Moab, St George were dreamy, especially with nobody around in the winter.

I never ran across any hatred of certain disciplines until moving east, especially CT. 

Nick Goldsmithwrote:

The rain stopped but it was cold and the wind was honking 50mph. Made for some shenanigans with the ropes on the way down... 

Bambi blessed us on the hike in

 Isa following P1

 and leading P2

the view

still in the top 3 of the most awesome pitches I've climbed. nothing hard but the exposure was right there!

It's totally ridiculous.  Silly fun pitch.  Especially in gnarly weather. 

Jim Uwrote:

still in the top 3 of the most awesome pitches I've climbed. nothing hard but the exposure was right there!

What climb is that? Definitely needs to be on my bucket list. Pardon my naivety… as I guess it is well known?

Daniel Joderwrote:

What climb is that? Definitely needs to be on my bucket list. Pardon my naivety… as I guess it is well known?

Gunsight to South Peak Direct, Seneca Rocks. 

One of my favorite places to climb. 

Nick and Isa, thanks for sharing your adventures!

M Mwrote:

My buddy Styles had a great name for Rockreation, probably not a name I'll post . I lived in SLC for almost 20 years and never went in, was always driving south when the valley was too nasty to climb. I did go to the front bouldering gym the last year I was there, mostly because I lived downtown at that point and it was way better than my dirt floor garage wall.

I briefly met/had known of Styles. Did a lot of development in Shasta area I think? 

The Front was a bit ahead of its time as a bouldering only gym in the early 00s

I lived in SLC from about 1991 to 2004

The April rains. This level of green is super rare. 

Headed to City next week, yay! Dunno how anything will go, climbing wise, but, just don't care. It is ALWAYS the trip that it is, and always a special place.

Pretty sure it'll be beautiful! That's a given, for me, but, it should also be green, and might be blooming, too. 

Helen