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cologman
Aug 6, 2003, 5:28 AM
Post #1 of 7
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Registered: Sep 29, 2002
Posts: 581
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Getting Hallie my 17 year old daughter psyched up about another climb on the Diamond was not particularly difficult especially when she read about superb jamming in the route description. I had long been intrigued by the line taken by Pervertical, when she showed an interest, I was all about locking in the climb. So, nearly a year to the day after her first trip up the Diamond she was heading back for more. Our first trip, up the Casual Route, a year earlier established a bit of a pattern for our climbs on the face. Hike into the base of the East Face with light overnight packs, ascend the North Chimney, bivouac on Broadway in what most know as the Bivy Cave and I refer to as the Broadway Hilton, arise early the next day fresh and go for it. The fact that all week long weather reports had been indicating terrific afternoon storms and “the return of the monsoon” only added to that bit of nervousness which seems to settle in before a big climb. Only a day or two before our leaving on Friday a TR from a good friend about the same route the weekend before indicated the epic a horrific weather event can unleash, more butterflies.
My wife and younger daughter figured this was a good weekend for them to explore the Park and they were last minute troopers to the Longs Peak campground. Do you smell a fiddle f*ck factor? Camp was set in the campground for mother and daughter, required bivvy permits were procurred and now, finally, at 4 pm we were headed up the trail for Broadway. As we approached the turn off to Chasm Lake we noticed two climbers eyeing us speculatively. When we reached them not quite breathless, one of them (who I had never seen before) said “I know you”…. “You’re the father/daughter team who climbs together”… “You’re her father right?”… “You have done some really good routes together”. Right about now I’m both speechless and beaming. He told us he had been doing some route research on the web and came across our pictures and recognized us as we came up the trail. Seems they had been on D-1 that day and backed off when the lateness of the day began to overshadow their progress. After exchanging tidbits about bivy sites below the face and their speculation that it would take us about 3 hours from where we were to reach Broadway we set off again right at 6 pm. While walking I begin thinking of alternatives to spending the night on Broadway. I too, think we will be pushing the daylight envelope getting to Broadway. A short stop at Chasm Lake to filter water and off again we go. I stop at the better of the bivy sites above the lake and mention to Hallie we could stay there and get up early and go for it. It is 7 pm and she wonders how long it will take to get from there to the top of the North Chimney. I guess 2 hours which means after dark. She thinks for a second and then says lets go for it. Now that’s my girl! I’m glad she felt like that, but I also know we have to get it on.
Up we charge, and 30 minutes later we find ourselves under the North Chimney with a little over an hour of daylight left. We quickly put on our helmets and harnesses and start 3rd classing up the choss. Moving slowly, but steadily we get to the last bit before Broadway where prudence always has me rope up. A quick runout of the rope puts me on Broadway and I bring up Hallie. It is now 8:40, not quite dark, and we are in one of the most beautiful bedrooms in America. The lights of the front range cities and towns are a radiant orange glow from north to south, the temp a comfortable 57 and not a bit of wind. We quickly ensconce ourselves in the bivy cave, spreading out our bivy sacks and bags and eating our power bar dinners. Tucking ourselves in I quickly fall asleep and wake around 2:30 am. The knowledge that day climbers will be showing their headlamps over the next few hours always leaves me restless, and I am unable to sleep soundly the rest of the night. I do feel comfortable knowing that most climbers come to do the Casual Route, but Pervertical is a popular second. Both Hallie and I are aware when another party raps from Chasm View and hits Broadway at 5:30. A quick question from us startles them as they set up under the Casual Route and confirms their intentions. Ahhhh… another 30 minutes before we have to crawl out of the bags. Finally at about 6:15 we roust ourselves and prepare for our climb. Another party shows up as we are close to roping up, again to do the Casual Route.
I stretch our rope out to the base of the climb across 4th class terrain and bring Hallie up. Since the description suggests the first pitch is chossy and runout I take it and link it with the next pitch to the top of the Mitten. Chossy is a good description although I didn’t think it was really very runout. If the merits of the climb fell to the first two pitches it would certainly not receive 3 stars. Hallie came up and donning her lead head took off up the first of the 5.9 leads. Barely missing a beat she quickly reached the point where an intermediate belay can be set or the decision to link to he next pitch is made. She opted to set a belay and bring me up. I joined her atop what was now our second pitch and gave her the option to continue leading to the base of the crux pitch. After a few seconds of thought she wanted the pitch, more moves up a broken crack system ending with a move around a bulge and a pull onto a giant flake at the base of the crux crack. She lead this well, resting once on gear before pulling the bulge. When I arrived at her belay I was confronted with the price of admission. The .10c crack system jumped straight up above me. Starting with a few thin finger/face moves to get into the crack proper then just grunt and go. After about 30’ or so a fixed nut beckons the weary. I hope I can get there before the pump takes over. Unfortunately, right below the fixed nut I place a cam and take. Breathing heavily and thrilled to have done so well so far, I recharge and ready myself for the next section. The crack tightens to fat fingers and goes like that for about 10’- 12’ before widening back to hands. I head out and am forced to take again after only 5-6’. I manage to get thru this section on one more take and relish in getting to the hand section. Things go much better once the crack widens to hands and I take it to the belay stance. I bring Hallie up and am thrilled when she manages to get through the tough section with only one take. Our constant eye on the weather has me notice a grey cloud. I know we are close to wrapping this thing up but I also know things can change fast on the Diamond. Off I go up the .10a offwidth to the top of the Obelisk, one of the best belay spots on the Diamond. I must candidly say the 5.8 offwidth at the top of this pitch kicked my ass. The constant retrieval and moving up of the 3.5 and 4 camalot on this section wore me out and I was really glad to get to the belay. Hallie was equally tuckered by the ptich and although she had planned on leading up to Table ledge turned it over to me. I checked out the slimy dihedral chimney to the right before heading straight up the face to Table Ledge. Once we were both on Table Ledge we quickly rigged our lines for rapping D-7 and headed to Broadway. Two hours later we were on the ground under the East face and Diamond. A slight glitch as we pulled our ropes put the last rope snarled in the schrund under the final rappel. Along comes Chris, a climber out scouting with a friend, and he tramps up to the base of the rock and retrieves our snarled rope for us. He has watched us descend from broadway and knows only to well the frustration we felt when our rope snagged. After regaining our rope we pack up and head off to the trailhead still under mostly clear skies with lots of daylight left. We both love the Diamond and we know we’ll be back and with any luck it will be as a father/daughter climbing team.
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tim
Aug 6, 2003, 12:39 PM
Post #2 of 7
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Registered: Apr 4, 2002
Posts: 4861
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cool TR, man. good luck kicking its ass next time :-)
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flamer
Aug 6, 2003, 2:28 PM
Post #3 of 7
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Registered: Oct 22, 2002
Posts: 2955
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Jeff,
Glad to hear the climb went well! I'm looking forward to the Black soon. Let me know when the time is right.
Tell Hallie I said hello!
josh
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wigglestick
Aug 6, 2003, 3:17 PM
Post #4 of 7
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Registered: Jul 27, 2001
Posts: 1235
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Jeff & Hallie, that is awesome. Good work. Meeting the two of you in Leadville and seeing the incredible father-daughter relationship that you two have made me feel all warm and fuzzie inside.
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flamer
Aug 6, 2003, 8:03 PM
Post #5 of 7
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Registered: Oct 22, 2002
Posts: 2955
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In reply to: Jeez, haven't times changed, and aren't I glad for it! My Dad expected me to stay at home and cook for him and my brothers! :lol:
just joshing 'ya Martha...
josh
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takeme
Aug 8, 2003, 5:25 AM
Post #6 of 7
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Registered: May 7, 2003
Posts: 367
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I too found the "5.8" at the top of pitch 5 to be the toughest part of climb. Partially because it comes on top of 200 feet of burly 5.9/10 jamming. About fifteen feet from the ledge, I couldn't take it any more, and unwisely just started liebacking. By some miracle a large jug appear on the left arete and saved me!
The ledge on top of the Obelisk has got to be the coolest I've ever belayed from. I also love how, while in the Pervertical wide crack, you can see sunlight reflecting in from the Obelisk route wide crack.
Nice job on the climb--great trip report!
Charles
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chrisclimb
Sep 5, 2003, 5:11 AM
Post #7 of 7
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Registered: Sep 5, 2003
Posts: 1
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No problem, glad to help. Yeah, having a rope stuck after a full day on the rock can be a little exasperating.
Nice job on the climb! :wink:
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