Two of my old friends

Discussion in 'Free Zone' started by mike, Apr 27, 2019.


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  1. mike

    mike iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Western US
    Name:
    Mike O
    Current Bike:
    HT, FS
    1) Mark
    2) West Face Route, Leaning Tower, Yosemite

    I met both back in the Mesozoic era (aka the 80s). Mark was a new rock climber, naturally talented and eager to learn from slightly-more-experienced bumblers like me and my rock mentor, Dan. Between the dawn of man and the internet, that’s how it was done. Every climber was duty bound to pass on knowledge, because that’s how they obtained it.

    Dan led me to the West Face of the Leaning Tower, having done it once before. It was a mandatory pre-req for climbing El Capitan, which we were determined to tick. But a university student’s body in May is not exactly the epitome of hardened – especially compared to my bricklayer buddy who had put in some Yosemite time to that point. Three days of physical and mental pummeling ensued.

    Yes, the overhung West Face of the Tower will tell you if you want to climb El Cap. It has relatively moderate technical challenges, but the setting could not be more exposed and wild. Ridiculous upside-down direct-aid climbing dangling in space, strenuous technical challenges for both leader and follower, and a start 400’ off the deck. Like Yeager Mesa Trail, I turned an initial drubbing into a regular challenge, climbing the “WFLT” at least 20 times, in all conditions, with all types of partners, from dueling noobs to my precious weezl to solo. And I climbed it with Mark at least twice.

    Today, Mark is much more of a climber than I, with a good edge for free climbing that he regularly hones on Joshua Tree granite. But big wall aid climbing? None since our push up Lurking Fear in 33 hours two decades earlier. About one inactive wall year for me. We were both coming off the big wall couch, but felt confident enough. Mark had never aid climbed using "short-fixing,” which allows the team to climb simultaneously for much of the route, with one person leading the entire 1000’ climb. We hoped his free climbing edge would transfer at least some to dangling on gear all day.

    So, the geezers were out to see if they could still deal with it. Mark piloted my rental car from his place in Ojai while I gawked at Los Padres NF and the Central Valley, aiming for our bivy spot just outside YNP. Old was new, and such a rarity to get some time with busy dad Mark. Weather looked unseasonably warm. The only wild card, as always, was traffic on the route. We drove into the Park in the morning and hiked our packs up while scoping the wall for inhabitants. Two teams were on the wall, in positions that would not impede our progress.


    The route goes up the center of the face behind the tree:

    LT01.jpg


    The last flat ground for awhile.

    LT02.jpg


    From zero to extreme exposure just scrambling to the start of the route.

    LT03.jpg


    We started at 11:35 am, one hour before sun hits the wall. Many expansion bolts enable progress up the first 400 feet of the route.

    LT05.jpg


    The sun started getting mean around 1:30. It’s a vertical desert on sunny rock, and the best you can hope for is being in shape for it, or just surviving it using prescribed desert survival techniques.

    We brought about three liters of liquid each, not a lot for conditions. I crumpled into a ball while belaying Mark on the tricky right-trending pitch. The only pitch I’ve fallen from, and the only pitch from which I’ve caught a partner’s fall. Mark found technical difficulty, and took a 15’ fall when a small cam pulled out. By the time he got to the belay, he could not continue. He was wasted. Damn, I felt wasted just laying there barely moving.

    A couple who were recon’ing the free parts of the climb was hiding under their sleeping bags on Awhanee Ledge, 30’ to the left of my belay. Jerome was awfully kind to bring over a bottle of water to my position and force me to hammer a bunch of it. They were over-stocked and were not planning to continue to the top. (The route can be rappelled with some trickery.) Profuse thanks to Jerome. I’d be needing my Tailwind later.

    I cleaned the pitch, joining my spent pal at the belay about halfway up the route. Even if we wanted to bail, we could not practically do it from that position way out right. We had to do the next pitch to get back left, whether to continue or retreat. Jerome’s chalk bag was essential for the short free climbing section in the next pitch. Mark found the fortitude to send the free climbing and finish that pitch.


    LT06.jpg


    I don’t mind bailing. I’ve done it a lot. But this was too monumental of an outing to pass off to a future re-match, so I agreed to take the lead. I try to get some of this action every year, so it did not feel too weird, and what little climbing I’d done in winter helped keep me out of the cramp zone. Night climbing has a notable calming effect – no exposure, no pounding sun, just the few placements above you and your feet stepping into slings below in your headlamp beam. I moved consistently and felt good. We ditched the short-fixing MO, due to the mental strain of the added rigging and continuous activity, which allowed me to relax while I waited for Mark. It also allowed Mark more recovery time while he belayed me.

    LT07.jpg


    With one pitch to go, the doubt started to drain away, and elation bled in. The last technical pitch ends at an incredible, spacious ledge. Some climbers ahead of us left a half gallon of water there. I got to the anchor, fixed the rope, called down to Mark, took off my shoes, sat down, drank some water, smoked a bowl, turned on some music and ate a slice of pizza while the world became light again. Words truly fail these moments high on a summit. So I won’t try.

    LT08.jpg

    LT09.jpg

    LT04.jpg

    LT10.jpg

    LT11.jpg


    Mark eventually emerged at the last move between ceiling and ledge, having some difficulty and looking at a scary pendulum fall with the rope grating along the edge if he blew it. He finally whimpered and thrutched his flaccid body onto the ledge, like the giant limbless manatee, worming its way forward to safety. My god, the laughter had to have echoed throughout the entire cirque and beyond.

    Like so many times before, the summit ledge provided a comforting respite. A 40’ scramble over the summit leads to many rappels down to and through the Leaning Tower Chimney, an adventurous endeavor in itself which deposits the climbers near the start of the scrambling (and where the cold beers would be stashed in the snow).


    Hey dad, you got a metal weewee!

    LT12.jpg


    Many raps plus scrambling down the massive chimney, replete with car-sized chockstones to tunnel under. And more residual snow than I've ever seen there (that chunk is five feet thick).

    LT13.jpg

    LT14.jpg


    Well, the beers suffered 25% attrition, but I guess it was worth if for the half gallon of water at the summit. I know at least one of the chaps ahead of us, so I’ll bring that up later… If you see a beer in the forest, do you steal it? I don’t, because I know how important it is. Redundundancy is key for safety. That’s why we brought four and not two. But a bear would have no such discretion; they all would have disappeared. The fine points of big wall climbing, right here on a mountain bike site.

    We climbed the route in 19:10, one of my longer pushes on the route. But we’re not up there to make it go by as fast as possible. Sometimes it’s around 10 hours, sometimes around 20. It’s all good times with friends, so who’s really counting? If nothing else, something to do while the snow melts off my local trails.



    Here's a nice photo of the route from chossclimbers.com:


    leaning_tower_overlay-768x1024.jpg

    http://chossclimbers.com/testing/us/california/yosemite-valley/leaning-tower/
     
    BeckTrex, Chevrolegs, ~JB~ and 23 others like this.
  2. sir crashalot

    sir crashalot iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    laguna beach
    Name:
    gary fishman
    Current Bike:
    2018 banshee rune
    Awesome.
    I miss climbing.
     
  3. Cornholio

    Cornholio iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    CA
    Name:
    B
    Current Bike:
    Huffy
    Next level sheet right there, awesome and inspiring. Thanks for posting..
     
  4. SnakeCharmer

    SnakeCharmer iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Front Range, San Gabes
    Name:
    Mike, aka "Ssnake"
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    Simply amazing!!! :cool:

    Thanks for the detailed report @mike, I felt like I was right there with you. :thumbsup:
     
  5. Sasquatch9billion

    Sasquatch9billion iMTB Rockstah

    Name:
    trinidad j. mendez
    That was going to be my exact post.:laugh:
    I figure eventually I'll go back to at least bouldering.
     
  6. buggravy

    buggravy iMTB Addict

    Location:
    Calabasas
    Name:
    Matt
    Current Bike:
    Transition Sentinel
    Dude, I LOVED seeing this! That is getting after it.
     
  7. rossage

    rossage iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    East Sacramento
    Name:
    Ross Lawson
    Current Bike:
    Highball
  8. mtnbikej

    mtnbikej J-Zilla

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    J
    Current Bike:
    SC Chameleon SS, SC Hightower
  9. MrGreedom

    MrGreedom Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Name:
    Ryan
    Current Bike:
    BH Lynx6
    So outside of my wheelhouse. But amazing that you can hoist yourself up that Sh!t.
     
    Faust29, Luis, Danmtchl and 3 others like this.
  10. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR

    Ummmmm, I got nothing, 'cept this:

    Freakin' AWESOME! :eek: :thumbsup:
     
    rossage, Faust29, mtnbikej and 4 others like this.
  11. Redman

    Redman iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Henderson, Nv
    Name:
    Kevin
    Current Bike:
    SC OG Hightower 29'r
    Kudos @mike !!!!!
    Not a climber and never will be. That stuff is for the REAL CRAZIES! The first time I saw climbers up on El Capitan I was blow away. No thanks!!
     
    Faust29, mtnbikej, mike and 3 others like this.
  12. mountaingirl sara

    mountaingirl sara iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    So Cal
    Name:
    Sara
    Current Bike:
    Ibis Ripley
    Mad respect for you guys, damn!!!! And what a great story, like watching a short film! Nicely done and thanks for sharing w us!!:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
     
    Faust29, Redman, mtnbikej and 4 others like this.
  13. sir crashalot

    sir crashalot iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    laguna beach
    Name:
    gary fishman
    Current Bike:
    2018 banshee rune
    I recently watched "the Dawn Wall" on netflix. Great documentary about big wall climbing.
     
    Faust29, mike, Danmtchl and 1 other person like this.
  14. mountaingirl sara

    mountaingirl sara iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    So Cal
    Name:
    Sara
    Current Bike:
    Ibis Ripley
    That was a good one! Of course there’s Free Solo too which I purchased as soon as it was available:whistling::thumbsup:
     
    Faust29, mtnbikej, mike and 1 other person like this.
  15. Danimal

    Danimal iMTB Addict

    Location:
    Mission Viejo
    Name:
    Dan
    Current Bike:
    Epic Evo
    Nice!
    Thanks for posting the report, mad kudos to you!
     
    Faust29, mountaingirl sara and mike like this.
  16. sir crashalot

    sir crashalot iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    laguna beach
    Name:
    gary fishman
    Current Bike:
    2018 banshee rune
    I still need to watch that
     
    Faust29, mountaingirl sara and mike like this.
  17. mike

    mike iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Western US
    Name:
    Mike O
    Current Bike:
    HT, FS
    Yo, dormant climbers... Don’t keep missing it. Get your mojo fired up and do it. It’s fun at any level. :thumbsup:
     
    mtnbikej and Faust29 like this.
  18. Faust29

    Faust29 Moderator

    Location:
    irgendwo
    Name:
    B. Bunny
    Current Bike:
    I gots some bikes.
    I've read it several times now... And even threw the pictures up on the big screen. Still can't wrap my head around it. :p Freaking awesome, though... :thumbsup:
     
    mike likes this.
  19. Dismay

    Dismay Member

    Location:
    Aliso Viejo, CA
    Name:
    Michael
    Current Bike:
    Cannondale Jekyll 2
    Nice, dude! WF of Leaning Tower was my first big wall. Your pics bring back some good memories...
     
    mike likes this.
  20. mike

    mike iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Western US
    Name:
    Mike O
    Current Bike:
    HT, FS
    Sweet, Mike! Props on your ascent. It doesn't get any easier, eh??? :cry::bang::cool:
     
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As a former Amazon Associate I continue to get screwed trying to stay qualified as an Amazon Affiliate. So I quit!


Want to donate to imtbtrails?