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cracklover
Feb 5, 2010, 9:23 PM
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So, how many have you done? How good were they? Are there any on your must-do list? Have you done a bunch, but found other climbs you think are better?
In case you haven't heard of them, here's the link: http://en.wikipedia.org/...mbs_of_North_America
GO
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vegastradguy
Feb 5, 2010, 9:29 PM
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just three- all were incredible routes in their own right.
royal arches- my first and most oft repeated, i love this route, just a good romp up a cliff.
east butt of middle- just did this one, quite good, but we didnt do the crowded classic variation, instead opting for the original route, which, while not as clean, was a more obvious line imho. not sure if i'd call rank this a 50 classics, though.
regular route on fairview- absolutely incredible, probably the best 5.9 on granite i've climbed. well worth doing. and that we were alone on the entire route was an added bonus!
on the list- the nose, salathe, rnwf, and the steck salathe are on top, everything else i would do if i had the chance.
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Arrogant_Bastard
Feb 5, 2010, 9:30 PM
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cracklover wrote: So, how many have you done? How good were they? Are there any on your must-do list? Have you done a bunch, but found other climbs you think are better? In case you haven't heard of them, here's the link: http://en.wikipedia.org/...mbs_of_North_America GO
Good call, unfortunately that doesn't cater to my pivot table though... going to need a softer book. Hmmm, I've got just the thing.
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Arrogant_Bastard
Feb 5, 2010, 9:36 PM
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Aww crap, that's 60, not 50. So much for my parody thread
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cracklover
Feb 5, 2010, 10:06 PM
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camhead wrote: The fifty classics are designated based more on historical significance than for aesthetics. I've done none: lived in Castleton for two years, and did about every route in Castle Valley EXCEPT Kor Ingalls. Also got rained off of Fairview Dome. Other than that, the one on that list that I;d really like to do is Lotus Flower Tower.
Interesting. You seem to be implying that Kor Ingalls is the least worthwhile route in Castle Valley. I'm guessing that's hyperbole? Or did you stay off it because of the crowds?
I haven't done KI. I did the North Chimney of Casteleton instead, and I thought it was fantastic. One of my favorite routes of all time, for both aesthetic and personal reasons. I'd still like to do KI. But, to be honest, I'd rather do the North Face route.
Only route on the list I've done is the East Butt of Middle. I thought it was a superb route, with an even better view.
Routes on the list that I'd really like to do are The Titan and the Nose. And Royal Arches would be great fun, too, of course.
Looking into the list deeper, there are a lot of climbs there I'm sure I'd love to do (like the Durrance route on Devil's Tower) but they're just not really on my radar.
GO
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pendereki
Feb 5, 2010, 11:12 PM
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The Petit Grepon remains one of the best outdoor adventure days of my life. That was 20 years ago. We hiked up to look at it last year (we were climbing Taylor) and the flood of memories unleashed a strong desire to do it again. That makes me think I should do a few more of the 50 Classics. My wife bought me a first edition of "50 Classics" last year and I drool on it regularly--there seem to be several routes I should do before I die.
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byran
Feb 5, 2010, 11:14 PM
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I've only done Castleton, Royal Arches, Middle Cathedral, and Fairview. All of them were fun, but far from my favorites. Castleton is definitely the coolest formation out of those 4 and the Kor Ingalls route is better than the North Chimney imo. The EB of Middle Cathedral probably had the most enjoyable climbing out of the ones I've done.
Lots of others have been on my todo list for a long time: Whitney, Hallett Peak, Petit Grepon, The Exum Ridge, and The Durrance Route are all ones I've had my eye on for a while.
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climboard
Feb 5, 2010, 11:21 PM
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I've been on five of them, here were my impressions-
Royal Arches- excellent moderate climbing. This is a great warm-up for other long climbs in the Valley, I could do it every visit. A good alternative for an easy, long day would be Matthes Crest in Tuolumne.
East Buttress Middle Cathedral- crowded and fun, although I probably wouldn't repeat it. East Buttress of El Cap is a little better IMO.
North Face Fairview Dome- I've climbed this twice and smiled the whole way both times. Get up early for this one or you'll definitely get stuck behind other parties and you wouldn't want to get caught high on this route during a thunderstorm. Lucky Streaks climbs just as well but suffers from a lack of decent belay stances.
East Face of Mount Whitney- this is worth doing just for the hike in, the experience of standing on the summit, and the hamburgers and fries at the Whitney Portal store. East Buttress is just as good.
Salathe Wall- I wasn't able to complete it but it was incredible up to the point I bailed. I am definitely getting back on this one.
While I've enjoyed every climb I've done on the list, I think the North American Classics list or Mark Kroese's Fifty Favorite Climbs are better, more modern lists.
North American classics-
http://lamountaineers.org/...climlist/clindex.htm
Fifty Favorite Climbs: The Ultimate North American Tick List-
http://www.amazon.com/...erican/dp/0898867282
(This post was edited by climboard on Feb 7, 2010, 7:26 PM)
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donald949
Feb 5, 2010, 11:29 PM
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cracklover wrote: So, how many have you done? How good were they? Are there any on your must-do list? Have you done a bunch, but found other climbs you think are better? In case you haven't heard of them, here's the link: http://en.wikipedia.org/...mbs_of_North_America GO
Did:
Mount Rainer
Rained Off:
Exum, Grand Teton (like to get another crack at)
On My List:
Royal Arches
Fairview Dome (this I feel I need to work up to)
Clyde Minaret
Charlet Dome
While I own the Book, I haven't cracked it open in a while. On reviewing the list I would add to my list as of today.
Lovers Leap, Travelers Butress
Some of the Canadian Peaks and Wyoming rock.
(may require a little working up too most of these)
Since we haven't had a 2010 goal thread. I looks like I'm going to be free for close to 2 weeks first half of July. Wife will be visiting family back in Minnasota. And I was actually considering some of these as things to do.
Anyone interested in the Leap, the Meadows, Charlotte Dome, or Clyde?
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kachoong
Feb 6, 2010, 12:57 AM
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Only one... east ridge of Mt Temple, which I believe it actually a 5.7 not a 5.6... but it's interesting that Temple would be chosen over Mt Assinniboine. Although the north ridge of Assinniboine is a 5.5, it's also the easiest way to a very prominent summit. That is a classic in my book, even if it's not in the 50 Classics book. I guess they have their reasons.
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rschap
Feb 6, 2010, 1:14 AM
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I never looked at this list before but I have done a couple. I would say “The Fishhook Arête” on Russell was a better route then “East Face” on Whitney. Royal Arches is the other one on the list that I’ve done and it was so good I even climbed it twice.
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stagg54
Feb 6, 2010, 1:23 AM
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Wolf's Head - amazing. Easy to moderate climbing but the exposure and routefinding made it quite challenging and added to the adventure. Lots of other great routes in the same area. Highly recommended. Pingora is also in the same area. My friend climbed it and really liked it. He said it was very difficult for the grade for what it is worth.
Exum - Fun route. I've only done the upper Exum. Probably overrated. Definitely crowded. Doing the whole Exum would probably be a much better experience. Some of the other routes up the Grand are probably more interesting. The only other one I've done is the Owen Spalding which is not quite as exciting. If I go again I wouldn't mind trying the East Ridge or Petzoldt Ridge.
I highly recommend that you climb the Grand if you get the chance.
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lena_chita
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Feb 6, 2010, 1:39 AM
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cracklover wrote: So, how many have you done? How good were they? Are there any on your must-do list? Have you done a bunch, but found other climbs you think are better? In case you haven't heard of them, here's the link: http://en.wikipedia.org/...mbs_of_North_America GO
Since the cassics apparently only happen on the other side of the American continent, I haven't done any-- yet.
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csproul
Feb 6, 2010, 2:16 AM
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I've done the following:
Charlotte Dome, South Face III 5.7
Clyde Minaret, Southeast Face IV 5.8
Fairview Dome, North Face III-IV 5.9
Mount Whitney, East Face III 5.4
Middle Cathedral Rock, East Buttress IV 5.9 A1 or 5.10
The Royal Arches, Royal Arches Route III 5.6 A1 or 5.9
Castleton Tower, Kor-Ingalls Route III 5.9
Petit Grepon, South Face III 5.7
Pingora, Northeast Face IV 5.8
Wolf's Head, East Ridge II 5.5
Grand Teton, Direct Exum Ridge III 5.6
Devil’s Tower, Durrance Route II 5.6-5.7
They were all very good in their own way, although I'd say Castleton was probably lowest, and there were many better routes on Devil's tower than Durrance.Wolf's Head and Pingora were amazing and among a high concentration of great climbs. East face of Whitney is good, but the buttress is better. RA isn't that great, but I'd like to do the Crest Jewel link-up. Here is a cool site with many of these routes and several other north American classics: http://lamountaineers.org/...other/misc/index.htm
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johnwesely
Feb 6, 2010, 2:18 AM
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lena_chita wrote: cracklover wrote: So, how many have you done? How good were they? Are there any on your must-do list? Have you done a bunch, but found other climbs you think are better? In case you haven't heard of them, here's the link: http://en.wikipedia.org/...mbs_of_North_America GO Since the cassics apparently only happen on the other side of the American continent, I haven't done any-- yet.
They only pick longer climbs, and the list was written before much of the development on the east coast.
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ptlong
Feb 6, 2010, 3:28 AM
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cracklover wrote: THE 50 classics
The authors make it clear in the book that these climbs aren't THE 50 Classics, just their choice of fifty classic climbs from a variety of regions in North America. They would surely choose a different set if they wrote the book today. There are a few odd choices and there are plenty of examples where a neighboring route outshines the "classic", but most of them are undeniably good climbs.
I've climbed 18 and there are another 7 or 8 that I'd like to do at some point, but not because they're in the book. They're just good routes.
Gary Clark put together his North American Classics list that includes the Roper/Steck fifty plus a few dozen more.
http://lamountaineers.org/...climlist/clindex.htm
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areyoumydude
Feb 6, 2010, 6:49 AM
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My first one was Liberty Bell Crack. We hauled a pig and bivied on it. My partner pissed on me in the morning, as I was sleeping on a ledge below him.
Royal Arches. Finished off the day climbing Crest Jewel on North Dome.
Kor/ Ingalls I've done this route many times and love it. Full on burly 5.9.
Did not do The Fickle Finger of Fate. Bailed after taking a huge gear ripping fall trying to solo it.
Fairview Dome with my buddy Ivo. He led all the pitches do to my effed up knee. We got hit by a brief snow storm and chased off the summit by lightning. I had to crab walk all the way down do to my knee. Epic fun.
Routes that I've done that should be in the 50
Scenic Cruise. My first unplanned bivi.
Jah Man. Done it a few times and will do it many more.
Young Warriors. The most unknown classic with a 10 minute approach. On Beacon Rock
That's all I got.
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atg200
Feb 6, 2010, 7:00 AM
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50 classics is a weird list. a few piles, a few rarely repeated death routes, and a few routes that have stood the test of time
i've done:
durrance on devils tower. pile. one of the worst routes on the tower, though historically significant. nothing on devils tower is worthy of a 50 classics, though it is the indian creek of south dakota(haha colorado reference).
ellingwood arete, crestone needle. ok. not as good as the prow on kit carson right next to it.
petit grepon. great route. 50 classic? maybe.
kor-ingalls on castleton. not a very good route. north chimney is better, and the priest is better in castle valley. there are dozens of tower routes that are better.
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munky
Feb 6, 2010, 1:21 PM
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I've done a few of them and found that some deserve the recognition they get and others were just ok and nearby routes were better. NW face of Half Dome is a must do, as is the Nose, and Scenic Cruise. Reg. Route on Fairview Dome is ok but a much better route is Lucky Streaks.
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olderic
Feb 6, 2010, 6:22 PM
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johnwesely wrote: They only pick longer climbs, and the list was written before much of the development on the east coast.
Before??? Check your history. I've done ~20 - CA, WY. CO and Canada. They have all been good routes. I did KI on Castleton. North Chimney is probably better. There are many examples like that - D1 is not very popular at all compared to its neighbors on the Diamond. But the point - as the authors state in the intro - is that these were historically significant routes. Less defensible - going back to John's statement - is their west coast/CA bias. Although they are CA boys after all. But to ignore routes like Whitney-G or the VMC Direct is silly. Heck if you are going to have Traveler's Buttress you might as well throw in Shockleys or High-E. But all "best of" lists from the Academy Awards on down - are formulated to stimulate debate. And this 30 yaer old book has vrtianly set the mark in that department.
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blueeyedclimber
Feb 6, 2010, 7:13 PM
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cracklover wrote: So, how many have you done? How good were they? Are there any on your must-do list? Have you done a bunch, but found other climbs you think are better? In case you haven't heard of them, here's the link: http://en.wikipedia.org/...mbs_of_North_America GO
At first, I thought you were talking about this book: http://www.amazon.com/...67282/ref=pd_sim_b_1
Your classic climbs book is older and is very WESTcentric. I haven't done anything on it. The "50 Favorite climbs in N.A.", however is a little more spread out among the whole of North America and asks 50 different people to choose their favorite climb. There is one on that list that I have done (Epinepherine), and 2 more on my ticklist for next year (VMC Direct Direct, Cannon and Grand Wall, Squamish), with a few more on my eventual ticklist, depending on when I get there (i.e. Levitation 29)
Josh
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cracklover
Feb 6, 2010, 8:07 PM
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atg200 wrote: 50 classics is a weird list. a few piles, a few rarely repeated death routes, and a few routes that have stood the test of time
Yeah, which is why I thought this might be an interesting topic.
In reply to: durrance on devils tower. pile. one of the worst routes on the tower, though historically significant.
A few of you have said that about Durrance. Just like many folks seem to agree that while Castleton is a fantastic tower, KI is not the best route up it. So if you were to pick the best route up to the top of Devil's Tower, what would you pick?
GO
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