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bandycoot
Apr 20, 2011, 4:38 PM
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Almost a year ago, I onsighted the crux pitch of Moonlight Buttress (5.12d). However, I fell on the two 5.12c pitches. I go back up in two days to try and clean up that ascent a little.... Woot!
Josh
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epoch
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Apr 20, 2011, 6:50 PM
Post #27 of 86
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bandycoot wrote: Almost a year ago, I onsighted the crux pitch of Moonlight Buttress (5.12d). However, I fell on the two 5.12c pitches. I go back up in two days to try and clean up that ascent a little.... Woot! Josh
It's OK. Get the onsite this go around!!!!
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northfacejmb
Apr 20, 2011, 8:18 PM
Post #28 of 86
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10a-b... as well as trying a new 5.11 variation at the end of a long pitch if that counts.
My hardest sport onsight is probralby like a 10b... I haven't climbed sport in a long time.
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rangerrob
Apr 20, 2011, 11:08 PM
Post #29 of 86
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Caught, you are very sharp indeed. I said tried to onsight it. i didn't acually onsight it, as I took a short fall at the crux, then finished it. The onsight matters very little to me, but I am honest when I tell people what I have done. I love climbing things I know nothing about. whether I fall, hang, pull on gear, or get it clean is fairly irrelevant to me. Not caring allows me to climb much more amazing routes than only what I can onsight.
I recently got on Erect Direction in the Gunks...again..not caring whether I onsighted it or not. What a sweet climb!
To me the question the thread should ask is what is the hardest/coolest pitc of trad you've ever climbed? Why does the onsight matter?
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caughtinside
Apr 20, 2011, 11:24 PM
Post #30 of 86
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rangerrob wrote: Caught, you are very sharp indeed. I said tried to onsight it. i didn't acually onsight it, as I took a short fall at the crux, then finished it. The onsight matters very little to me, but I am honest when I tell people what I have done. I love climbing things I know nothing about. whether I fall, hang, pull on gear, or get it clean is fairly irrelevant to me. Not caring allows me to climb much more amazing routes than only what I can onsight. I recently got on Erect Direction in the Gunks...again..not caring whether I onsighted it or not. What a sweet climb! To me the question the thread should ask is what is the hardest/coolest pitc of trad you've ever climbed? Why does the onsight matter?
Well that is very honest of you to try to onsight the pitch, not send it, and then call it soft.
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Gmburns2000
Apr 20, 2011, 11:54 PM
Post #31 of 86
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Not sure, probably a 5.8 in the 'Gunks somewhere. If I had to choose a route it would be Arrow maybe, but I swear I did one before that (maybe Snooky's Return?).
^^ not me of course, but a friend near what I endearingly call the "blowjob hold."
.JPG)
^^ the unfortunately rarely climbed third pitch (also not me)
edit: clarify that the first pic is P2 of Arrow and the second pic is P3 of Snooky's
(This post was edited by Gmburns2000 on Apr 20, 2011, 11:56 PM)
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Jnclk
Apr 21, 2011, 12:42 PM
Post #33 of 86
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rangerrob wrote: Caught, you are very sharp indeed. I said tried to onsight it. i didn't acually onsight it, as I took a short fall at the crux, then finished it. The onsight matters very little to me, but I am honest when I tell people what I have done. I love climbing things I know nothing about. whether I fall, hang, pull on gear, or get it clean is fairly irrelevant to me. Not caring allows me to climb much more amazing routes than only what I can onsight. I recently got on Erect Direction in the Gunks...again..not caring whether I onsighted it or not. What a sweet climb! To me the question the thread should ask is what is the hardest/coolest pitc of trad you've ever climbed? Why does the onsight matter?
Come on now, not only is one's onsight capability a true measure of their skill, but sending onsight is the best style.
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cracklover
Apr 21, 2011, 2:48 PM
Post #34 of 86
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It depends.
A few 12a climbs at Indian Creek. Outside the Creek, but still crack, probably 11c or d. Face climbing trad, probably 11a or b.
And hardest thing I could onsight right now? Probably 10c.
GO
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dreday3000
Apr 21, 2011, 2:59 PM
Post #35 of 86
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The feeling I get from onsighting a hard trad climb at the edge of my abilities and getting to the top of a hard trad climb are very very different.
If I pull off an onsight I'm working bloody hard. To pull it off requires all my attention, effort, and courage. Everything has to come together and at the top I'll like I've pulled the send off by the skin of my teeth.
Conversely, when I don't get the onsight I've normally botched something: missed a key placement, misread a sequence, or chickened out.
Personally I'm always more satisfied getting a difficult onsight then working for a redpoint.
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csproul
Apr 21, 2011, 3:38 PM
Post #36 of 86
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cracklover wrote: It depends. A few 12a climbs at Indian Creek. Outside the Creek, but still crack, probably 11c or d. Face climbing trad, probably 11a or b. And hardest thing I could onsight right now? Probably 10c. GO
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sandstoned
Apr 21, 2011, 4:16 PM
Post #37 of 86
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Flying Buttress, Vedauvoo. 10B
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cracklover
Apr 21, 2011, 6:45 PM
Post #38 of 86
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Okay, here's a chance for more spray:
What's the easiest grade trad climb you've backed off of.
I have a few. Most follow the same pattern - a poorly protected insecure move a short distance off the belay. I'm having a bad head day, can't figure out the sequence, and don't have the cajones to commit.
First one was a 5.7 in J-Tree called Mental Physics. Actually, in that case, my partner asked me to come back to the belay, because he was freaked about the prospect of me factor 2-ing onto him from 15 feet up, before clipping the first bolt on the second pitch. But it still counts. And I've done the same thing of my own choice several times.
GO
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jt512
Apr 21, 2011, 6:53 PM
Post #39 of 86
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cracklover wrote: Okay, here's a chance for more spray: What's the easiest grade trad climb you've backed off of. I have a few. Most follow the same pattern - a poorly protected insecure move a short distance off the belay. I'm having a bad head day, can't figure out the sequence, and don't have the cajones to commit. First one was a 5.7 in J-Tree called Mental Physics. Actually, in that case, my partner asked me to come back to the belay, because he was freaked about the prospect of me factor 2-ing onto him from 15 feet up, before clipping the first bolt on the second pitch. But it still counts. And I've done the same thing of my own choice several times. GO
Gotcha' beat by a number grade. Mine was a 5.6: SW Corner, Headstone Rock, J Tree. Since it fell over a few weeks ago, I'll never have the chance to redeem myself.
Jay
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csproul
Apr 21, 2011, 6:54 PM
Post #40 of 86
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jt512 wrote: cracklover wrote: Okay, here's a chance for more spray: What's the easiest grade trad climb you've backed off of. I have a few. Most follow the same pattern - a poorly protected insecure move a short distance off the belay. I'm having a bad head day, can't figure out the sequence, and don't have the cajones to commit. First one was a 5.7 in J-Tree called Mental Physics. Actually, in that case, my partner asked me to come back to the belay, because he was freaked about the prospect of me factor 2-ing onto him from 15 feet up, before clipping the first bolt on the second pitch. But it still counts. And I've done the same thing of my own choice several times. GO Gotcha' beat by a number grade. Mine was a 5.6: SW Corner, Headstone Rock, J Tree. Since it fell over a few weeks ago, I'll never have the chance to redeem myself. Jay
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jt512
Apr 21, 2011, 6:57 PM
Post #41 of 86
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csproul wrote: jt512 wrote: cracklover wrote: Okay, here's a chance for more spray: What's the easiest grade trad climb you've backed off of. I have a few. Most follow the same pattern - a poorly protected insecure move a short distance off the belay. I'm having a bad head day, can't figure out the sequence, and don't have the cajones to commit. First one was a 5.7 in J-Tree called Mental Physics. Actually, in that case, my partner asked me to come back to the belay, because he was freaked about the prospect of me factor 2-ing onto him from 15 feet up, before clipping the first bolt on the second pitch. But it still counts. And I've done the same thing of my own choice several times. GO Gotcha' beat by a number grade. Mine was a 5.6: SW Corner, Headstone Rock, J Tree. Since it fell over a few weeks ago, I'll never have the chance to redeem myself. Jay Did it fall over on April 1st?
Well, I'd have to look up the exact date, but that would be a few weeks ago.
Jay
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olderic
Apr 21, 2011, 7:25 PM
Post #42 of 86
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jt512 wrote: csproul wrote: jt512 wrote: cracklover wrote: Okay, here's a chance for more spray: What's the easiest grade trad climb you've backed off of. I have a few. Most follow the same pattern - a poorly protected insecure move a short distance off the belay. I'm having a bad head day, can't figure out the sequence, and don't have the cajones to commit. First one was a 5.7 in J-Tree called Mental Physics. Actually, in that case, my partner asked me to come back to the belay, because he was freaked about the prospect of me factor 2-ing onto him from 15 feet up, before clipping the first bolt on the second pitch. But it still counts. And I've done the same thing of my own choice several times. GO Gotcha' beat by a number grade. Mine was a 5.6: SW Corner, Headstone Rock, J Tree. Since it fell over a few weeks ago, I'll never have the chance to redeem myself. Jay Did it fall over on April 1st? Well, I'd have to look up the exact date, but that would be a few weeks ago. Jay
Like clockwork
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sandstoned
Apr 21, 2011, 7:31 PM
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Jeez, what are the chances? It's amazing how many formations seem to topple on that date... Sorry about your luck jay.
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ClimbSoHigh
Apr 21, 2011, 7:52 PM
Post #44 of 86
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5.3 baby! I don't really care about onsights at all, and usually I prefer to have followed/TR a climb before trying to lead it. I'm a wus climbing above gear.
I have sent a few soft 5.12a sport climbs and a few V7 boulder problems.
Ahhh it felt good to spray about something. Two shakes and I'm done.
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byran
Apr 21, 2011, 8:32 PM
Post #45 of 86
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cracklover wrote: Okay, here's a chance for more spray: What's the easiest grade trad climb you've backed off of. I have a few. Most follow the same pattern - a poorly protected insecure move a short distance off the belay. I'm having a bad head day, can't figure out the sequence, and don't have the cajones to commit. First one was a 5.7 in J-Tree called Mental Physics. Actually, in that case, my partner asked me to come back to the belay, because he was freaked about the prospect of me factor 2-ing onto him from 15 feet up, before clipping the first bolt on the second pitch. But it still counts. And I've done the same thing of my own choice several times. GO
I like this topic better. I'm sure I've backed off easier climbs, but the most recent one I can think of is After Five (5.7) in Yosemite Valley, about a month ago. It's located on Commissioner Buttress just a hundred yards or so from those two popular climbs that share a similar name.
The climb starts with some easy cracks and then a 40ft runnout of hummock climbing.* I found some gear behind a flake off to the right and then the gully steepens just below the belay tree. The hummocks continue up to the tree but get quite steep and thin near the end. It was also March and so there was a lot of water running down the gully making everything wet. I'd climb up a move or two and the entire pillar of mud would start to detach from the wall and threaten to topple over. I'd downclimb and press the mud back on the wall in an effort to keep it in place. This went on for several minuets. I tried traversing left a couple times but the friction moves required weren't happening with my wet shoes. I also thought about stemming straight up the groove and ignoring the hummocks, but the stemming looked at least 5.9 and with wet shoes and questionable gear several feet below, that wasn't happening either. Eventually I downclimbed and found a place below to traverse left and climb up a crack before traversing right again to the belay tree.
At the belay tree I looked up at the second pitch which was a gully that was even more wet and dirty than what I had just climbed. I opted to rappel. I later found out that the old Roper guidebook specifically says you're supposed to move left before the first belay which would have been enormously helpful information to have. The Reid guide has nothing more than a topo consisting of a line on a page and a couple trees. So yeah, that's After Five. I'll probably go back and finish it sometime when it's a bit more dry.
*For those not familiar with hummocks, many of the lower angle climbs in the Valley will get caked with dirt, held together with grass. This dirt and grass then gets stepped on by climbers and forms into little shelves, essentially making a staircase out of munge. They are usually quite bomber when dry, but fall apart easily when moist.
(This post was edited by byran on Apr 21, 2011, 8:34 PM)
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rangerrob
Apr 22, 2011, 1:29 AM
Post #46 of 86
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The "best style" is personal. My best style is having fun and not getting hurt. That being said I fully enjoy doing a route I have no previous knowledge of...which includes knowing the grade and where it goes.
And for the record, I didn't call it soft. That pitch held my full attention. What I said was that it felt easier than a lot of east coast 5.10's. I only had one problem in one spot that eas easily figured out.
Easiest route I have ever back off of was the second pitch of Andrew (5.4) in the Gunks....middle of winter, soaking wet, in hiking boots. Yep....we went and did something harder, but less scary.
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potreroed
Apr 22, 2011, 3:53 AM
Post #47 of 86
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I've never backed off a trad route--I either go for it or I don't even start.
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rangerrob
Apr 23, 2011, 2:20 PM
Post #48 of 86
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That's a good life philosophy Ed. It ensures either a life of boredom or sheer terror, with nothing in between.
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tradmanclimbs
Apr 23, 2011, 2:45 PM
Post #49 of 86
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Does it count as an onsight if you spent half the the climb in aiders wire brushing, trundeling and hand drilling?
The easiest # wise that I have backed off would be bannana 5.6 @ Seneca In typical seneca fassion it has one poorly protected 10a move in ankle breaker territory.
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potreroed
Apr 24, 2011, 2:52 AM
Post #50 of 86
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tradmanclimbs wrote: Does it count as an onsight if you spent half the the climb in aiders wire brushing, trundeling and hand drilling?
Good question. I guess the answer would have to be no, not a true onsight. More like a slightly tainted onsight. I know what you mean, though. You might have pre-inspected the pitch but when you actually do the free ascent it doesn't always turn out the way you visualized it--it's usually harder.
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