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neadamthal
Apr 14, 2003, 3:22 PM
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i've got a question about lynn hill's (amazing) freeclimb of el cap.
i've read that she was the first (and last) person to ever freeclimb el cap in a day.
this confused me - haven't people climbed el cap in less than 3 hrs now? were they not freeclimbing? or did they alternate leads and she led every pitch? or was she freesoloing?
can anyone clear this up for me? either way, lynn hill is a climbing god(dess)...
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westside196
Apr 14, 2003, 3:34 PM
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I could be wrong, but I beleive when climbing The Nose the usual way to climb it is with aid. She was able to free climb that part ofthe climb.
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brianthew
Apr 14, 2003, 3:35 PM
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She free climbed...as in, not using aid techniques...every pitch, always on lead. People who have done faster ascents either have traded leads, or used pitches of aid...the sub 3 hour team had one person always on lead, but they used aid; etc. The route, when done entirely free, is something like 5.13d or so (correct me if I'm wrong). It's one super-crazy accomplishment that would fully extend any climber, male or female, alive today.
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camhead
Apr 14, 2003, 3:41 PM
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seems as if there was a thread exactly like this a month or so ago.
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dsafanda
Apr 14, 2003, 3:43 PM
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In reply to: "i've read that she was the first (and last) person to ever freeclimb el cap in a day. "
Something very similar was asked just last month but this is actually a different question.
I think the first part might be true but the second part is not correct.
She is the only one who has free climbed the Nose in a day. In fact, she is the only one who has freeclimbed that ElCap route period. However, other routes on ElCap have been freeclimbed in a day. I think both Yuji and Caldwell have freeclimbed Salathe in a day. Didn't Dean Potter just recently climb both HalfDome and ElCap free in a day? He climbed FreeRider on ElCap.
The question is which came first. It's possible that Lynn Hill's freeclimb of the Nose in a day was the first but it sure wasn't the last.
As for the aid vs. freeclimbing question:
When Dean and Timmy or Hans and Yuji send the Nose in under 4 hours they are pulling on gear(aid climbing) frequently during the course of the climb.
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neadamthal
Apr 14, 2003, 4:08 PM
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cool. thanks for the info peeps. i did know that it was the nose that she climbed, but a brain fart prevented me from stating that in my question. oops.
considering the covetedness of el cap i'm surprised that no one has attempted to freeclimb the nose since ms hill did.
thus, another question --> have there been attempts to repeat lynn's achievement? or are all the big wall climbers so used to pulling on gear that the idea hasn't crossed their minds?
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wigglestick
Apr 14, 2003, 4:15 PM
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In reply to: thus, another question --> have there been attempts to repeat lynn's achievement? or are all the big wall climbers so used to pulling on gear that the idea hasn't crossed their minds?
There have been attempts at the second free ascent. One guy worked on it for months I believe. I can't remember his name though. Yuri has worked on it as well. But here is a fun idea. How about we start a pool where everybody predicts who the next person to do it will be. My vote is Beth Rodden.
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dsafanda
Apr 14, 2003, 4:21 PM
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Rodden is probably a good guess. It sounds like the Great Roof is the stumbling block for most. Small fingers seem to help.
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neadamthal
Apr 14, 2003, 4:22 PM
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that would definately make a statement about the state of climbing and western society in general if a woman made the second free ascent of the nose, eh?! go beth! push past us lumbering males! :D
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bandycoot
Apr 14, 2003, 4:27 PM
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It took Scott Burk 261 days to free the nose and some was on top rope.
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neadamthal
Apr 14, 2003, 4:32 PM
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In reply to: It took Scott Burk 261 days to free the nose and some was on top rope.
ethical question then...
does this constitute a true free ascent? shouldn't it all be on lead to be considered 'freeing' the nose? after all, if lynn can do it then repeating the feat should mean being true to the test...
no?
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melekzek
Apr 14, 2003, 5:08 PM
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I guess Scotts problem was not the pitch being wet, but his fingers being to large for it (?)
Spending 250+ days.... that is determination.... or maybe obsession :shock:
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karma274
Apr 14, 2003, 5:38 PM
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Beth is a fantastic climber and has been ticking off trad testpieces quite easily recently, but I don't see her freeing the nose anytime soon. She doesn't strike me as the all free by herself type of person. I think Tommy doing it is more likely, but his fingers might be too big.
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flamer
Apr 15, 2003, 4:34 AM
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You mean the fingers he has left!!! :wink:
josh
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xanx
Apr 15, 2003, 4:49 AM
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i'm not sure if that was really tastefull...
i would really like to see Dean Potter free solo el cap... hehe...
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foolry
Apr 15, 2003, 5:25 AM
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first:
Dean Potter does lot's of free soloing on El Cap. When he's trying to set new speed records he free solo's everything he comfortably can (it's a helluva lot faster).
second:
If it truly is a finger size thing that's keeping these guys (males) from repeating the great roof, then I'm sure Potter won't be our man. He has huge fingers, or so I've heard him say.
cheers,
Oh, and here's another vote for Beth Rodden. (I'm single if the Tommy thing doesn't work out 8) ) I'm just throwing it out there as a possibility
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climbhigher
Apr 16, 2003, 8:33 PM
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To answer the question. Sometimes it's faster to pull on gear and aid climb some of the harder pitchs on the Nose . This is how they go so fast. Plus they use other techniques that would keep them from doing a true one day all free acent of the nose Like leading in Blocks and a technique called short roping. So, Lynn Hill is the only person to ever lead every picth and truely repoint every pitch in a day. I believe Scott burke has Redpionted every pitch on the nose, but it took him something like 180 ++++days.....????.. I would love to see Beth Rodden send it. And it's interesting that no male has not tried or succeeded in doing it. Maybe it is because of the finger size. Maybe Alan Lester??? To be the first male to do it???
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brianinslc
Apr 16, 2003, 9:22 PM
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I think the "changing corners" pitch is the crux of El Cap's Nose. Hill pulled off a "Houdini move" to do this pitch, and hence the pitch is now sometimes referred to as the "Houdini" pitch.
Burk said that the great roof dry wasn't that hard for him. Also said that the changing corners pitch is 5.14b, a rating confirmed by Leo Houlding. Lynn of course said, "no way!".
Folks have been tryin' to free climb the nose for many years. Jardine, Bard, etc etc. Its not like its been settin' there untried all this time...
Still stands as a testiment to perhaps one of, if not the greatest Yosemite ascent ever.
Brian in SLC
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grayhghost
Apr 16, 2003, 9:44 PM
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scott burk broke off a key hold on the changing corners pitch and this is why he upgraded it from 5.13 to 5.13+/5.14-. It is also helpful to point out that the bolt ladder near the top of the route was heavily chipped to create a "free" passage through this blank section of rock. Lynn Hill used this chipped section to free the route even though she herself did not do the manufacturing. If this constitutes a type of aid (using more than just your body/physical ability) I will not dare to say due to the glorification of Lynns achievment.
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dsafanda
Apr 16, 2003, 9:57 PM
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Are you sure you aren't thinking of the Jardine traverse which is on the lower half of the route? I haven't heard of chipped holds on the final 5.12 pitch. However, I haven't done the route yet so I'm no expert.
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