The first lead of Acid Rock-- An essay by Jason Huston.

Jason-

Awesome job dude. I really appreciate the work you put into your send, and the work you put into writing about it. They're both exceptionally inspiring, and I hope there's more to come. Pay no mind to these people that are slagging you. They're the same type that say "Pad People" in a deragatory fashion. Well Done.

James

P.S. As for the ethics, it's just a beak, and able to be cleaned by hand. I don't think much access is being endangered there.

Nice work Jason! I enjoyed your story. It's great to hear that Acid Rock was finally lead. It brought back a lot of memories from when I climbed at DL many years ago. I rapped down Acid Rock and fiddled with gear a few times, but never found a reasonable way to make it go. Nice job…

As far as pounding in the pin goes, that probably wasn't the best idea. The park service prohibits pitons (even beaks) and bolts any where in the park, no matter what the ethics of the particular group you may be climbing with. Take the slap on the wrist that the other posters have given you and try to walk away a better man.

For those who are trying to justify breaking the rules, you're not doing the climbing community any favors...

Again, nice job Jason. It really was a remarkable feat...

Matt

Have Fun or Get Hurt Bad.
Death to Croutons.
Live fast, die young and leave a smoking crater.
Drink to Puke, puke to bleed, bleed to die.
Jackness for the revolution.
Fukness now and forever.
Long live the DLFA and those who live the life!

P.S. We ate the crane

Jason; Great job finally it has been led. For a generation brought up on Spotted Cow you did well. Steve S. must be very depressed. I looked at the gear in the 80's but I am a really bad slab climber. Next you should lead Cheap Thrills!To those who are whining about the pin(to bad).If we all followed what the goverment said we would think the war in Irag is great and Bush should have a 3rd term. A small pin scar is nothing compared to trail erosion etc. etc.I started climbing at DL in 1976 or 77 and when I look at it now the place is trashed.Perhaps the best thing would be to ban climbing at DL.As the great legend Bob Cooper of Hickory Grove once said(The land will heal it self)!Yours Truly - Richard A. Bechler President for life of the DLFA and co-co prince of Jak-nez. Grade 6th or death and long live the DLFA!! Drink to puke and death to the CMC!

Jason
Nice job, really impressive lead. One of the last test pieces has fallen! It is great from my prospective to see the old DL tradition of the head point carried on. Maybe you will spark a renascence, few people know all the different things lead at DL. It was great to read your story and reminisce to that mental space,place I can relate!!
It is to bad we will now have to suffer through the ethical quagmire to destroy the moment.

Boys the long standing ethic among those doing the head points has been....pins are ok on FA's It's up to the first ascenist. Once a route has been lead clean no more iron.

Dave Groth

Uhh Steve,

It is really a pretty simple equation. The local ethic for pounding pins has been in place for a long time. By long, I mean a really long time. Pete Cleaveland launched out on Son of Great Chimney (5.11c)in 1965, pounding pins in for the onsight and FA. Most folks were still trying to figure out were the footholds were on 5.10s. And pins at DL have been with us since the begining. The park rule is comparatively still young and naive. What we are talking about here are two entirely different things. On one hand we have the consensus ethic (not law), and on the other the park rule (law). Are you upset because Jason placed a pin, or because he broke the law?

My understanding of the park "law" is that it does not allow any climbing practices which harm the rock. Placing pins, in many instances, harms the rock. However, placing a beak that is easily removed probably doesn't do that much harm, and therefore might not fall under the park's "law."

As for the tradition at the Lake, I agree with Jeremy. There is an ethic of using pins on first ascents. Many of the pins used have been left in place because their removal will harm the rock. Under the park's rule, removing the pins might be considered illegal.

Any climber worth his or her salt realizes that the rock at the Lake is a precious resource. However, to suggest that the park's "law" is well defined regarding the use of pitons is to suggest wrongly. Just don't hurt the rock and the park doesn't care.

Wow , cool story. I immediately started looking through the DL guidebook for something inspiring to lead....then realized it was snowing out, and went to the gym.

I've never climbed at DL, and I won't pretend to have anything useful to contribute to the ethics discussion. Just wanted to say, RAD story, very encouraging to read, thanks for writing it! It's awesome to hear someone's inner process for such a proud accomplishment.

Nice send dude. Cool to hear about the process.

As far as the ethics go: If DLFAers say you are cool, then you are cool.

I agree with Ingman, if DLFAers and THE Dave Groth say you did good, you did good! Very inspiring and well written essay.
Climbing a hard route to me is like trying to pick up the hottest girl in the bar. You think about it, forget it, think about it some more. Sweat, drink and sweat some more. You try to talk to her but geek out. When you finally get up the courage to talk to her you still face almost certain death.
Jason, in my eyes you went home with the hottest girl in the bar when you climbed Acid. Good work!
I'd bet EB went home alone...

Reading this essay was like watching a climbing video in my mind. I could see it all. Wonderful story, great send!!!! Screw all those that say otherwise!!

This essay "story" did exactly what it was intended to do, it inspired me both to climb harder and the lead more at the Lake.

Thx Jason.

Congratulations on the lead Jason. For someone new to the lake and working on pushing myself at the DL leads, you're description was insightful and humanizing. With the few leads I've done, the lake seems to have the potential to bring out the best in a climber mentally and as an athlete. You're lead of Acid Rock epitomizes this.

Congrats again,
Isaac

Bumping up a cool story about a proud send! I think I'll integrate the beta about placing a hook and having a buddy hold it down with cord more into my everyday climbing. Seems like great pro!

Thanks for bumping! 

Thanks for posting! 

Thanks for writing! 

Totally inspiring!

Good bump, thanks for the read Jason!

Hmm...I never posted on this thread?! That's out of character isn't it? Or is it?

The beak placement was out of line in my opinion, as was the assisted hook. I gave Huston enough shit about it that we haven't spoken in 10 years now. Absolute purity is hard to come by in climbing but DL can deliver. I can understand why Jason did what he did, there's no fucking pro, but the decision to place those pieces detracted from a historical ascent and over-shadowed more impressive ascents by him. I would like to imagine he regrets the decision but if the whole thing has any real significance for him or anyone else I think we are subtracting from what really matters in life.

All that said, Acid Rock is dope, you should lead it bro!                   

Why, Nick?  What’s the problem with hand-placed beaks?

Ted Pinson wrote:

Why, Nick?  What’s the problem with hand-placed beaks?

Nothing, it's the assist that's out of bounds.

Ah, gotcha.  I just caught the old posts at the beginning where the ethics were debated as well.  Can’t blame the man for wanting to live, but I see your point.