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irregularpanda
Jun 1, 2010, 1:06 AM
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There's a husband and wife trying to climb all 50 classics in north america.
This sounds like an inspiring project, and the videos that have been done (so far) are pretty good. It kinda makes me wish I had more ice climbing experience, so I could take this on too.
http://www.smileysproject.com/50/Videos.html
Funny, the photo of Mt. Stuart really doesn't do it any justice.
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guangzhou
Jun 1, 2010, 2:25 AM
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Interesting goal. Good luck to them.
I've done quite few of them, some are still on my list, others I'm not at all interested in.
Nice to see people have climbing goals and go after them.
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csproul
Jun 1, 2010, 12:37 PM
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Check out Gary and Lynn Clarke. The Los Alamos mountaineers site has a list of "classic climbs in North America", which I think was an offshoot of the 50 classics. It looks as if Lynn and Gary have climbed most of these routes too. Awesome site for beta and inspiration.
http://lamountaineers.org/...other/misc/index.htm
(This post was edited by csproul on Jun 1, 2010, 1:44 PM)
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dynosore
Jun 1, 2010, 12:52 PM
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irregularpanda wrote: There's a husband and wife trying to climb all 50 classics in north america. This sounds like an inspiring project, and the videos that have been done (so far) are pretty good. It kinda makes me wish I had more ice climbing experience, so I could take this on too. http://www.smileysproject.com/50/Videos.html Funny, the photo of Mt. Stuart really doesn't do it any justice.
Devil's Thumb, E Ridge is a tall order. Easily the most difficult climb on the list. I aspire to do it someday with my son when he's older.
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kaizen
Jun 1, 2010, 1:32 PM
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I wouldn't hold my breathe on this. Hummingbird Ridge has never seen a repeat, and that includes attempts from teams far more skilled and experienced than the Smiley's appear to be.
EDIT for clarity.
(This post was edited by kaizen on Jun 1, 2010, 1:34 PM)
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irregularpanda
Jun 1, 2010, 4:25 PM
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kaizen wrote: I wouldn't hold my breathe on this. Hummingbird Ridge has never seen a repeat, and that includes attempts from teams far more skilled and experienced than the Smiley's appear to be. EDIT for clarity.
Awesome. I'm sure huntington would be a huge challenge too, I've heard it's generally loose, steep, dangerous, with frequent avalanches.
I'm into this sort of thing, except for most of the alaskan routes.
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irregularpanda
Jun 1, 2010, 4:26 PM
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dynosore wrote: irregularpanda wrote: There's a husband and wife trying to climb all 50 classics in north america. This sounds like an inspiring project, and the videos that have been done (so far) are pretty good. It kinda makes me wish I had more ice climbing experience, so I could take this on too. http://www.smileysproject.com/50/Videos.html Funny, the photo of Mt. Stuart really doesn't do it any justice. Devil's Thumb, E Ridge is a tall order. Easily the most difficult climb on the list. I aspire to do it someday with my son when he's older.
Cool. I don't know much about devil's tower. I'd like to go there someday.
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dynosore
Jun 1, 2010, 4:31 PM
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irregularpanda wrote: dynosore wrote: irregularpanda wrote: There's a husband and wife trying to climb all 50 classics in north america. This sounds like an inspiring project, and the videos that have been done (so far) are pretty good. It kinda makes me wish I had more ice climbing experience, so I could take this on too. http://www.smileysproject.com/50/Videos.html Funny, the photo of Mt. Stuart really doesn't do it any justice. Devil's Thumb, E Ridge is a tall order. Easily the most difficult climb on the list. I aspire to do it someday with my son when he's older. Cool. I don't know much about devil's tower. I'd like to go there someday.
Devils Thumb, not tower. Be prepared to wait a long time for the weather!
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tomtom
Jun 1, 2010, 4:58 PM
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irregularpanda wrote: Funny, the photo of Mt. Stuart really doesn't do it any justice.
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irregularpanda
Jun 1, 2010, 5:03 PM
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tomtom wrote: irregularpanda wrote: Funny, the photo of Mt. Stuart really doesn't do it any justice. Their picture is of the south face of Mt Stuart. The north ridge is on the other side of the mountain.
Good catch. I love that climb. The complete N ridge is much better than the recommended route.
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guangzhou
Jun 2, 2010, 12:48 AM
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50 Classic climbs, the route at the top of my must do list.
I would go out of my way to climb this, the rest, I'd climb them if I was in the area. Not much into mountaineering, so I would focus on the pure rock routes.
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flamer
Jun 4, 2010, 10:06 PM
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The true 50 classics are no longer possible.
The Northcutt/Carter route, on Halletts in Rocky Mtn. National park, FELL OFF the face about 10 years ago.
Yes you heard it right. The first 3 pitchs are literally laying in a pile at the base.
Seems like alot of folks do the Culp/Bossier instead.
josh
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Couloirman
Jun 17, 2010, 1:02 AM
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If anyone has a copy of the book they want to get rid of shoot me a PM and Ill buy it off you.
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clews
Jun 18, 2010, 8:34 PM
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you can find it online
I have a pdf of it on my computer... although I can't remember where I got it
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cchas
Jul 1, 2010, 7:48 PM
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and you are sort of forgetting a few routes, like Hummingbird on Logan, Middle Triple,....
The Fifty Classic Climbs just don't inspire me. A lot of them are chossy or ok. When you compare Middle Cathedral to the Rostrum or Astroman, no comparision.
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tradmanclimbs
Jul 2, 2010, 12:23 PM
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Climbing all 50 classics would take a skill set that few climbers these days posses. So many folks specialize in one aspect of climbing and do not have the rounded skill set to be solid at Aid, Alpine and free climbing. additionaly you have to be stealth to snag Shiprock....
It would be an impressive accomplishment INMOP
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cchas
Jul 4, 2010, 4:04 AM
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tradmanclimbs wrote: Climbing all 50 classics would take a skill set that few climbers these days posses. So many folks specialize in one aspect of climbing and do not have the rounded skill set to be solid at Aid, Alpine and free climbing. additionaly you have to be stealth to snag Shiprock.... It would be an impressive accomplishment INMOP
Few?????? You gotta get out and meet climbers more often. I know a lot that after doing a 5.13 finger crack, can crank out off widths and then do pretty hard ice climbs and can slog mountains with the best of them. Their out their,.... except you don't see them in the rags much, and you definately don't hear about them.....
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acorneau
Jul 4, 2010, 1:29 PM
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cchas wrote: Few?????? You gotta get out and meet climbers more often. I know a lot that after doing a 5.13 finger crack, can crank out off widths and then do pretty hard ice climbs and can slog mountains with the best of them. Their out their,.... except you don't see them in the rags much, and you definately don't hear about them.....
"They're out there"
Sorry for going all "grammer police" but that just bugs me to no end.
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rangerrob
Jul 4, 2010, 4:27 PM
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Chas is right, there are some badass peoplel out there slaying it up old school, then going to work during the week. No magazines, no endorsements, just a love of adventure and exploration. These are my favorite climbers.
That being said..I wish BD would get back to me about attempt to climbe High E 50 times on one day. I want some sponsorship!!
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tradmanclimbs
Jul 7, 2010, 12:26 PM
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It's still and pretty wide range skill set. and many who are solid ice and rock climbers are not aid climbers. Many aid climbers have no intrest in hard free climbing and its even harder (at my age) to find someone with healty knees to slog up all those mountains ;) It would be an amazeing accomplishment and cost a considerable ammount of $$$
I have dreams about Lotus Flower tower ocasionaly...
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dynosore
Jul 7, 2010, 12:33 PM
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cchas wrote: tradmanclimbs wrote: Climbing all 50 classics would take a skill set that few climbers these days posses. So many folks specialize in one aspect of climbing and do not have the rounded skill set to be solid at Aid, Alpine and free climbing. additionaly you have to be stealth to snag Shiprock.... It would be an impressive accomplishment INMOP Few?????? You gotta get out and meet climbers more often. I know a lot that after doing a 5.13 finger crack, can crank out off widths and then do pretty hard ice climbs and can slog mountains with the best of them. Their out their,.... except you don't see them in the rags much, and you definately don't hear about them.....
I think you underestimate or are unfamiliar with how hard climbs like the Hummingbird Ridge are. I've climbed some wimpy Alaskan routes, and it's an entirely different world up there.
(This post was edited by dynosore on Jul 7, 2010, 12:34 PM)
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dynosore
Jul 7, 2010, 12:35 PM
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acorneau wrote: cchas wrote: Few?????? You gotta get out and meet climbers more often. I know a lot that after doing a 5.13 finger crack, can crank out off widths and then do pretty hard ice climbs and can slog mountains with the best of them. Their out their,.... except you don't see them in the rags much, and you definately don't hear about them..... "They're out there" Sorry for going all "grammer police" but that just bugs me to no end.
"definately"! 
(This post was edited by dynosore on Jul 7, 2010, 12:35 PM)
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cchas
Jul 7, 2010, 1:33 PM
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I understand Hummingbird Ridge. If you noticed in posts previously I said that its a bad M#$F#$%er since its killed quite a few individuals. Middle Triple was also quite a feat in the day it was done since its been done so rarely since then.
All I am saying is that if you think that todays climbers are a bunch of specialist prima dona's then you don't know todays climbers. Look at Josh Wharton, he'll go climb sport at Rifle, crank out hard routes in the Black Canyon, ice climb M9, and then go put up hard FA's in Pakistan. And he may be good but there is a good contingent of young climbers in hot pursuit or surpassing him, such as Kennedy, Stanhope, Haley. I'm just saying, give these guys credit.
I will and have, given the guys of yesterday credit (doing hard-ass routes with the heavy gear they had, without Gore-Tex, with Double Leather Boots (My first pair, and man were they heavy). They were hard-asses. But the people on the forefront today are also, even though they get no press in the climbing rags.
(This post was edited by cchas on Jul 7, 2010, 1:42 PM)
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tradmanclimbs
Jul 7, 2010, 1:57 PM
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I don't read the climbing rags. I will stick to my guns on this one. It would be a damn rare find to hook up with someone who could do all these climbs. It would be an amazeing accomplishment. It would also involve a lot of travel and missed work!I wouldn't be anal about exactly which climb you do as long as its of simeler or harder dificulty on the same formation. For instance I did not do Durrance crack but did a 5.9 to the summit of Devils so it counts as a tic for me...
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builttospill
Jul 8, 2010, 2:53 AM
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Seems to me the biggest obstacle is the hard alpine stuff up in Alaska. I know enough guys that can climb 5.10 or 5.11 and aid A3, but I don't know anyone personally that could climb all the Alaskan stuff. The group of people who can climb the Nose is pretty big. The group of people who can climb Middle Triple is pretty small.
There are definitely guys who can do all of them. Some of them have been named in this thread, and there are others. I think the biggest reason those guys haven't is lack of interest in many of the objectives. I doubt fellas like Wharton and Haley are interested in climbing the W ridge of Forbidden Peak or Liberty Ridge on Rainier.....with unlimited time maybe they would, but no one has unlimited climbing time, unfortunately.
I suspect that and lack of finances are the biggest reasons no one has done it yet, along with the aforementioned small group of people capable of all the big Alaskan climbs.
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tradmanclimbs
Jul 8, 2010, 4:02 AM
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Also a lak=ck of interest in some of the climbs. guys that can and do enjoy some of the climbs may have no interest in others. I know there are quite a few in there that would not interest me yet there are others that I drool over. Still think it's a pretty cool list after all these years..
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rangerrob
Jul 8, 2010, 12:17 PM
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I understand what Tradman is saying. Your average recreational climber does not have the skillset to to do all these routes. When you round up all the climbers in this country, I'm guessing less than 1% would have the skills to get up all these routes.
Colin and Josh, are by no means obscure climbers. They are getting in the press, getting funding, etc. They are the cuttin gedge of Alpinism. They are in the 1%.
However I also agree with Chas as well. There are some pretyy badass people out there walking in and among us and you would have no idea what they have done. I was flapping my gums one day at Rumney and i did what I always tell myself not to do. I saw some gumby looking guy dressed very awkwardly and thrutching his way up a not so hard 5.10. I judged him before I even spoke to him. As it turned out, when I did come aroun dot striking up a conversation, I found out that the previous year he had been up the North Buttress of Hunter. For those of you who don't know...that route requires exactly the skill set we are talking about. Aid, hard rock, and harder ice. I was humbled, and quite embarrassed at how I had acted before getting to know the facts.
RR
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kachoong
Jul 8, 2010, 12:38 PM
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kaizen wrote: I wouldn't hold my breathe on this. Hummingbird Ridge has never seen a repeat, and that includes attempts from teams far more skilled and experienced than the Smiley's appear to be. EDIT for clarity.
I find it odd that something that's never seen a repeat ascent is considered a "classic"...
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tradmanclimbs
Jul 8, 2010, 2:25 PM
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That book is a slice of history. I also find it interesting that they considered a stunning line a classic even if it had only been climbed once. these days we conside a classic to be the climb that gets the most traffic.
The book was written in an era when most climbers were versitile in all aspects of climbing and the mountains were the ultimate goal.
Harvard students honed their skills at the gunks, cathedral, white horse, Cannon and Mt washington's Hunnington Ravine. When summer came and school was out they went to Alaska and put up new routs on big mountains.
These days most college kids in the NE hone their skills @ rumny with dreams of going to to Tailand to live in a bungalo for 6 weeks and smoke bales of weed while cranking limestone over bad bolts.
There are still a lot of real climbers out there but I venture a guess that they are in the minority..
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dynosore
Jul 8, 2010, 2:47 PM
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tradman, that is an insightful post.
I may never climb 5.12, but I sure hope to climb Devil's Thumb someday. Getting out in the big mountains is what I see as adventure. Standing in line at the base of a 1 pitch polished "classic" has no appeal to me. To each their own.
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kachoong
Jul 8, 2010, 3:26 PM
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tradmanclimbs wrote: That book is a slice of history. I also find it interesting that they considered a stunning line a classic even if it had only been climbed once. these days we conside a classic to be the climb that gets the most traffic.
Good point... I can see too that a climb can be viewed as "classic" in terms of aesthetics. I know I've seen a line in the past and thought it to be classic-looking, even if I hadn't been on it.
tradmanclimbs wrote: These days most college kids in the NE hone their skills @ rumny with dreams of going to to Tailand to live in a bungalo for 6 weeks and smoke bales of weed while cranking limestone over bad bolts.
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wmfork
Jul 8, 2010, 4:36 PM
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tradmanclimbs wrote: That book is a slice of history. I also find it interesting that they considered a stunning line a classic even if it had only been climbed once. these days we conside a classic to be the climb that gets the most traffic.
For some of of free climbs in that book, there are many more climbs of higher quality in the same area. It has been more than 30 years since the book was first published, a lot has happened in free climbing.
(This post was edited by wmfork on Jul 8, 2010, 4:52 PM)
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tradmanclimbs
Jul 8, 2010, 5:09 PM
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Relax dude, we are talking about a cool old book that is a part of our climbing history. You got a problem with that?
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mr.tastycakes
Jul 8, 2010, 6:53 PM
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Deep water soloing and smoking bales of weed for 6 weeks in Thailand sounds much better than freezing my balls off in Nowhere, Alaska.
Aww schucks, I guess I'll never be a real climber.
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tradmanclimbs
Jul 8, 2010, 7:23 PM
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Ya, Real climbers take those Thiland beach party trips to wind down and relax after the crazy new bigwall in Kashmir...
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wmfork
Jul 8, 2010, 7:27 PM
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tradmanclimbs wrote: Relax dude, we are talking about a cool old book that is a part of our climbing history. You got a problem with that? |
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olderic
Jul 8, 2010, 8:56 PM
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wmfork wrote: tradmanclimbs wrote: Relax dude, we are talking about a cool old book that is a part of our climbing history. You got a problem with that? I'm not the one preaching "real" climbing (which by your definition means a lot of mountaineering, mixed climbing & aid) in a free climbing forum.
I think most trad climbers are much more likely to be well rounded and pursueing alpine, ice and aid - much more then you give them credit for. Some cockamaney definition that involves "free" climbing and dosen't include pins is not really where its at. Unless you are some noob who just bought a couple of shiney cams and is out to show that trad is rad.
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wmfork
Jul 8, 2010, 9:28 PM
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olderic wrote: I think most trad climbers are much more likely to be well rounded and pursueing alpine, ice and aid - much more then you give them credit for.
olderic wrote: Some cockamaney definition that involves "free" climbing and dosen't include pins is not really where its at.
olderic wrote: Unless you are some noob who just bought a couple of shiney cams and is out to show that trad is rad. |
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tradmanclimbs
Jul 8, 2010, 9:57 PM
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STFU NoooooB real climbers know how to swing a hammer
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tradmanclimbs
Jul 9, 2010, 12:55 AM
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Sorry, i could not resist that
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tradmanclimbs
Jul 9, 2010, 2:44 AM
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It was a joke .... I am sure you are strong like bull but you are obviously uptight as well. We were talking about some cool ancient history here and you jump in and belittle the climbs over ethics so i gave you some wise assed remarks meant as a joke. WTF were you thinking anyways? that shit came out of left field...
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olderic
Jul 9, 2010, 1:33 PM
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I think "smart like bull" might be more descriptive. Seems quite confused regarding the correlation of fixed gear and aid and free. Or fixed gear related to trad or sport. Presumably is one of those that think bolted 5.9's in the Meadows (that would be Tuolumne not Rumney - as any trad climber would know) must be easy sport climbs. Probably thinks "ground up" refers to pepper.
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wmfork
Jul 9, 2010, 5:08 PM
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olderic wrote: Presumably is one of those that think bolted 5.9's in the Meadows (that would be Tuolumne not Rumney - as any trad climber would know) must be easy sport climbs. Probably thinks "ground up" refers to pepper. |
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builttospill
Jul 12, 2010, 6:10 PM
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wmfork wrote: olderic wrote: Presumably is one of those that think bolted 5.9's in the Meadows (that would be Tuolumne not Rumney - as any trad climber would know) must be easy sport climbs. Probably thinks "ground up" refers to pepper. That reminds me of when I was in Alaska and a kayak guide told us about a couple from San Francisco that kept referring themselves as from "the bay area". 5.9? yawn, what year is it again? On second thought, you are the same guy who wants to inject you ethic 2 cents on Vedauwoo to Justin and John, why did I even bother to reply?
Why is that funny? Because someone chose to refer to their home by a major geographical feature and incredibly common name which is accepted near-universally and is only ambiguous to some literal-minded jackass because there happens to be multiple "bays" in the world? Someone better tell the people on the "Gulf Coast" that they're amusing to all the people that live in Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Iran. And all the people that say they live on the "East Coast," well, they're hilarious to all of East Africa, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina and a good chunk of Asia too.
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