|
kansasclimber
Nov 6, 2005, 9:00 PM
Post #1 of 16
(1845 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 21, 2002
Posts: 541
|
What was your longest standing project, and what did it feel like after you did it. be descriptive............ Stephen
|
|
|
|
|
slavetogravity
Nov 6, 2005, 9:41 PM
Post #2 of 16
(1845 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jan 9, 2003
Posts: 1114
|
6 years. A horribly sandbagged route at my home crag. Imagine a near to vertical slab that requires nothing but body tension and precise foot work. After about the 4th year I gave up on the thing in utter discuss. Then on the 5th year a friend of mine gave me some key beta but I still wasn't strong enough to do the crux. So that winter I began a strength training regime. I would do 20 pushups during commercial breaks while watching TV. On average I was doing between 100 to 200 push ups a day. That spring I finally did on my third day of effort. I gave a loud shout of "Woo-hoo" but -all in all- it was a very anticlimactic moment.
|
|
|
|
|
localshredder
Nov 6, 2005, 10:16 PM
Post #3 of 16
(1845 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Sep 22, 2005
Posts: 55
|
15 days before the weather moved in. Now Hell Cave where the climb is, is too cold to climb in, and won't dry out until about the end of June. I hate winter, I don't think I can last that long. Why does it have to snow in Utah?
|
|
|
|
|
porcelainsunset
Nov 6, 2005, 10:40 PM
Post #4 of 16
(1845 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Sep 26, 2005
Posts: 289
|
My longest standing project was somewhere around two years. It was this route called Alien Invasion, at my local crag. For what the place offered, this route is awesome. Slightly overhung, starting with crimpy face climbing, then moving into a wide slapping/crimping section of moves, where your left hand is next to horizontal, and your right is practically dynoing for these little holds. Then, real dyno for the crux, heel hook, and then some 5.9 face climbing to follow it all up. All around, this route is rated a 5.10c, but it never felt like that to me until I finished it. Alien Invasion was always a source of stupid competition. It started out with me and my buddy Sam, just screwing around on it with a top rope, while we where climbing other 5.9's. At first it was hard just to get off the ground. When i first started looking at the route, it looked impossible, but over time, my opinion of what a hold was changed. Itty-bitty pockets became obvious footholds, and lybacking, slapping, and crimping became techniques that I was trying to master. The first year I was working on it was not a serious one, but more of game to see who get further. It was never more than like 5 moves or something, if that. After a trip to Smith rock that summer than really got me focused on climbing, I began to work harder at it. Me and another friend, Brit, where working on it feverishly now, going days in a row and only working this one problem. Each of us doing the first sequence of moves until we could hardly untie from the line. At first we thought that the crux was sticking the dyno, until we stuck it, and realized that getting on top of that small feature was going to be harder than just getting our hands on it. Above, there where no positive hand holds, and nothing to get our feet on below either. At first it seamed like a dead end, both of us exhausting all of our strength to get there, and then having no idea where to go. This was the case until we saw somebody else climb the route with a poetic ease that took our breaths away. He not only made it feel very possible, easy in fact, but also destroyed our pride at how easy he made it look. The key was a heel hook, something that neither of us had thought of. So it was back to working it for Brit and myself. Brit was always a much stronger climber than I was, often relying only on his brute strength, where as I mainly focused on technique. Because of this difference, Brit was getting incredibly close to flashing the route. By now both of us could climb it, but this involved one or two falls. We had our eyes set on flashing it. I was still struggling getting over the crux, where as Brit was getting so close to the Anchor, but just didn’t have the stamina to finish the 5.9 climbing. Then Sam came back into the picture. Sam was the overly competitive person in the group, often bothering other people. The three of us went climbing one day, and with Brit walking Sam through it, giving him streaming beta, Sam flashed Alien Invasion. I had already left at this point, so Sam felt the need to call me and rub it into my face. His arrogance and overly aggressive competitive nature angered me, but I was still happy for him. Brit too was not happy with Sam's boasting, because if it wasn't for Brit, Sam never would had of done it, but Sam never really thanked Brit for his help. So, Brit and I continued to work on it until winter came again. By now I was out of High School, but was still hanging around town. I got a job working 70 hours a week at a lumberyard and was pretty much the yard grunt. I rode my bike to work, 15 miles away, and got there at 5 am just about every day. Sundays I always had off. I started climbing with my girlfriend and another gall friend of mine in late winter and early spring. Often I would go to the crag with them after I got off of work, absolutely exhausted, but was still getting close to solving it. One Sunday I went there with my girlfriend. Felling strong and fresh, we approached the wall to see some other High Schoolers working on it. We talked to them, and they where in the same spot my friends and me where a year ago, trying to figure out the crux and dyno. They had been working on it for a while too. Then I asked if I could climb on their line, and they said 'of course'. Just before I started to climb, I told them that I had never finished the route, but had been working on it for some time. Then I said, "This is how I try to get over the crux." I started climbing calmly, and before I knew it, I was standing on top of the crux, and it felt effortless getting there. This was the first time I had come to the wall all winter with fresh hands, not already tired from the days work, and it made a huge difference. From there on out, it was easy 5.9 face climbing, which went very smooth for me. Ecstatic, I asked my girlfriend to lower me. She had no idea how much of an accomplishment this was for me, as my performance made it look effortless she said. From there on out, I was in this kind of haze, and just had a hard time believing that I had finished something that I had worked on for well over two years, with such ease. Later that day, Lauren (my girlfriend) did her first lead climb, which I totally overlooked because of my own enthusiasm at my own accomplishment. This made me feel like a dick. Then I shared in her enthusiasm, and she shared in mine. About two months later, we went climbing with Sam. He showed up late, with ipod in hand. We started climbing together on other routes there, with Lauren leading 5.9's, with Sam belaying, and patronizing her all the way, pointing out obvious moves, and giving useless or obvious advice. When I told him that she knew how to climb, and that he should let her figure some of the moves out on her own, he said with arrogance "But Taylor, some people need to be showed things." This pissed Lauren off more than it did me. Later, I asked Lauren if she wanted to set up a top rope on Alien Invasion, because I was already tired from lots of other climbing, and leading that thing is very hard, and she said yeah. Overhearing this, Sam said, "But Taylor, I am the only person here who can climb that." I told him that I to could climb it now, as I was roping up. For some reason, Sam was still being competitive with me over it, and didn’t believe that I could actually climb it until I flashed it twice in a row, both times effortlessly, with him watching all the while. Then I handed the rope to him, and said go for it. It made me sad watching him struggle up the fist section of moves, falling multiple times, but Lauren was struggling not to laugh at him, because she had grown very quickly tired of his completive nature. Sam never made past the third or fourth move that day, at which point he began to make excuses. That’s when I told him that a stupid climbing grade did not justify his existence, nor did it make him a better man, and in many cases, not even a better climber. I also told him that it wasn’t worth pissing friends off either. Since I solved Alien Invasion, I haven’t projected another route. Sam's over competitive nature left a bitter taste in my mouth for the whole experience. I hardly ever work on routes that really push my limits any more. And I have kind of grown objective towards focusing on route grades. Now, I just try to be out there enjoying the day, climbing for climbing's sake, because after all, nobody really cares about this sport anyway. I mean, were just a bunch of silly people climbing rocks, right? However, there is this one 5.12a at Smith that looks pretty fun…
|
|
|
|
|
vegastradguy
Nov 6, 2005, 10:48 PM
Post #5 of 16
(1845 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Aug 28, 2002
Posts: 5919
|
Mary Jane, .11b up at Mt. Charleston currently stands as my longest successful project. Three tries over two days. Good route, and I loved climbing it to the crux- the climbing is very enjoyable up to that point- even the crux is fun, just hard after all that overhanging stuff. Yin and Yang, .11b at Red Rocks is my longest unfinished project. I've only given it two real tries, and that was last spring- had to A0 through the crux, which was annoying, but strength was lacking. I keep meaning to go back and tick it, since its fairly short and I'm stronger now....eh, most likely I'll get it at some point this season.
|
|
|
|
|
alpine_monk
Nov 6, 2005, 11:32 PM
Post #6 of 16
(1845 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 9, 2005
Posts: 268
|
holy shit, I thought KC was long gone.
|
|
|
|
|
johnhennings
Nov 6, 2005, 11:43 PM
Post #7 of 16
(1845 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jan 30, 2005
Posts: 62
|
send a pm to jaybro. Ask him to tell you about Lucille.
|
|
|
|
|
miavzero
Nov 6, 2005, 11:52 PM
Post #8 of 16
(1845 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 8, 2005
Posts: 624
|
kansasclimber! how was your summer? did you pulldown on any rad projects? hope you had fun, see you at the comp.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
camhead
Nov 7, 2005, 3:25 AM
Post #11 of 16
(1845 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Sep 10, 2001
Posts: 20939
|
In reply to: 15 days before the weather moved in. Now Hell Cave where the climb is, is too cold to climb in, and won't dry out until about the end of June. I hate winter, I don't think I can last that long. Why does it have to snow in Utah? dude, I can totally relate. I don't usually project routes; onsighting easier stuff is much more my style. However, there is a route up here in Logan Canyon called "Paleface" that is incredibly striking. A barely over vertical technical crimpfest, full hundred feet, crux at the top, total combination of power, endurance, and technique. I've not sent it yet, and probably won't this year. Fallen twice near the anchors, have given it over a dozen tries (which is a lot for me). Today I went to go look at it, and the crux at the top was just seeping wet. lame!!!!
|
|
|
|
|
asandh
Nov 7, 2005, 3:29 AM
Post #12 of 16
(1845 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Nov 13, 2002
Posts: 788
|
:)
|
|
|
|
|
trailtripper
Nov 7, 2005, 3:31 AM
Post #13 of 16
(1845 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Apr 6, 2003
Posts: 26
|
a whole 8 hours, it was and 11a sport climb. i get tired of things easily. im sure i could climb a lot harder grades if i really wanted to and work on routes and trained, but i like to just throw myself on new routes and try new things.
|
|
|
|
|
kachoong
Nov 7, 2005, 4:48 AM
Post #14 of 16
(1845 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jan 23, 2004
Posts: 15304
|
Mt Cook 3764m (12349ft) New Zealand, South Island 9 years.... 6 attempts on four different routes.... maxed out at about 3500m, not far below the south summit.... Backed off on all attempts due to snow conditions or timing.... always happy to come back another day.... who knows, I may never get up that mountain.... :D
|
|
|
|
|
brutusofwyde
Nov 7, 2005, 5:40 AM
Post #15 of 16
(1845 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Nov 3, 2002
Posts: 1473
|
I guess my longest so far is Hairline on Mt. Whitney: Spotted the line around 1985. FA two years later after several attempts... fast forward to 2004 when we spent 7 days on the face (longer than the FA) replacing the old 1/4" bolts with 3/8" stainless. Most of my other projects required numerous attempts over two to three years to complete. But I always did suffer from ADD. Brutus
|
|
|
|
|
bandidopeco
Nov 7, 2005, 2:18 PM
Post #16 of 16
(1845 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Mar 17, 2004
Posts: 257
|
Slam Dunk at Twin Crags, Tahoe. Also my first 12. I had put in at least 40 tries over about a year and wasn't getting close on a long reach from a calf hook until my shorter friend who couldn't get anywhere with the reach tried something new. Didn't work for him, but I got it after a few tries. Projects are much more fun if you go at them in a team, no?
|
|
|
|
|
|