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Scout 2
Trad climber
Placerville
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in 77-78 I first remember seeing a bunch of hippys bouldering with this guy called the bird, around curry village housekeeping. And figured there was actually something to do besides follow tourist up dusty trails.
I remember bouldering around church bowl as a small kid of even bouldering Aunt fannys around 78. my mom made me take climbing school In the meddows.. I guess using the lines off curry tents, and a couple of Pins, and hiking boots dosent cut it.
first climb with my new Goldline and nuts,hexes was Biships terrace, Royal arches, the Gp apron...havent stopped yet.
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J. Werlin
Social climber
Cedaredge, CO
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Midterm with Roland Arsons, maybe 1986? I remember being up in that squeeze and looking out of the granite slot at the Merced far below and thinking, I'm climbing in Yosemite!
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JohnRoe
Trad climber
State College, PA
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Commitment, with Karl, about 2003.
Huge smile after p1, returns every time...
JohnR
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storer
Trad climber
Golden, Colorado
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'61 Sunnyside bench with Sacto (Mother Lode Chapter) Sierra Club.
Dulfersitz rappel, some generic boots. Next day up to Half Dome cables from Mirror Lake joined by Harding. Down the falls trail by moonlight. One tired puppy!
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ME Climb
Trad climber
Behind the Orange Curtain
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After going there every fall for several years and watching all the climbers, finally broke down and signed up for the go climb a rock class. While being trully terrified of heights did several things on Swan Slab. Worked through my fears and was ready to spend the rest of my life climbing. My wife is still pissed she let me climb that day cause that is all I want to do now.
Eric
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Ghoulwe
Trad climber
Spokane, WA
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My first climbing trip to the Valley was in Spring of '75 with Matt Orey. We climbed Bishop's Terrace on Saturday in practice for the real goal: Higher Cathedral Spire - which we climbed on Sunday. If I only knew what a lifestyle pathway that season set me on - I was hooked!
Eric Barrett
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tinker b
climber
the commonwealth
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1997 my first trip to the valley i didn't notice the road closure signs for 140 and have to back track around through oakhurst. i picked up a nice hitchhiker and dropped him off in yosemite west. then i meet up with my friend in camp 4 after copious amounts of driving. we crag a little bit at swan slab, go back to c4 to have a little lunch and see our friend talking on the payphones on our way back to the crag. we tell him that we are heading over to lena's lieback. as we rack up at the base, our friend comes over and starts to boulder the first twenty feet in his tennies. he gets up to a ledge, and decides to step across out right to a boulder holding a small tree branch for support. he slips, spins around and drops to the ground with a loud popping sound. i run up to him, and his femur is bulging (he broke it in two places, but it did not break through the skin.) i ran to call 911 from the payphones and got the white knuckled helicopter ride to medesto. we didn't climb the rest of the weekend.
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The Larry
climber
Moab, UT
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South Face of The Column in October '94.
We hauled to the top and then bivied in the gully after getting lost in the dark.
I'm lucky to have survived those early years.
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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I'm surprised more folks don't say The Cow.
So easy, and just next to the Grack (the 2nd climb).
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Barbarian
Trad climber
The great white north, eh?
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Royal Arches 1976. Noon start. Rapped it in the dark after dropping our flashlight. No moon that night, so it was pitch black. No bolted rap route back then; we hung our ropes around bushes, trees and flakes. Down at 12:30 am.
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Mark Hudon
Trad climber
Hood River, OR
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Believe it or not, Nutcracker and later that day, LIttle john Left side. May, 1974
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Jay Wood
Trad climber
Fairfax, CA
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Little John Right? 1969?
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Tomcat
Trad climber
Chatham N.H.
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Peruvian Flake
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Although it was 1980 and I was 16, I'm actually having a hard time remembering the exact route. It was either one of the usual suspects: Jam Crack, Royal Arches, Harry Daley or the Nutcracker. I did all those (along with the E. Butt of Middle) the first week I was there with--who else--a couple dudes I met from the Camp 4 bulletin board.
Good times.
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Daphne
Trad climber
Mill Valley, CA
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I've been following this thread and wracking my brain. I started climbing late in life so it hasn't been that many years and it is un-nerving that I can't remember. Something at Church Bowl, I think, Church Bowl Chimney and then Bishops Terrace, which I remember feeling desperate on as I had no idea how to jam.
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Morgan
Trad climber
East Coast
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Reed's Pinnacle Direct. I led the first pitch, and my partner Jim Wilcox led the money pitch.
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HighTraverse
Trad climber
Bay Area
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Who can remember that far back?
Sure can't remember which was the first. I started out climbing with other inexperienced guys so I'm guessing something on Swan Slab. Earliest note in my Green Guide is Swan Slab Gully, Nov 8, 1974. I remember we went all the way to the top and rapped down the right side beyond Lena's Lieback.
(If you can remember the late 60's early 70's you probably weren't there).
Too bad I don't keep a climbing log.
Two weeks later went back and swung leads on the direct start to Bishop's Terrace. I still remember leading the traverse under Bishop's Balcony and the overhanging rapp. I'm always surprised to see people skipping this fine finish.
First 5.9 Valley climb was Commitment with D Gibson and K Brockman on 22 May 1975.
Hey eKat, I'd always thought your name was familiar.
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Gene
climber
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Monday Morning Slab - 1970.
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Pie
Trad climber
So-Cal
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Sunnyside bench with my mentor Jim from England, 2006.He had taught me to climb in the gunks during the summer, I moved to Cali and he came to visit.
Later in the day we did munginella, got the rope stuck and we finished by moonlight, looking accross the valley at HD. I thought we were in some serious sh$t, but I never felt so alive. Been chasing the feeling ever since. The following day we did the footstool.
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hashbro
Trad climber
Mental Physics........
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I clearly recall my first trip to the the Valley in 1973. Mt brother belayed me on my first 5.10 crack Midterm.
Standing next to me on the base, was skinny teen Ron Kauk, and emerging mentors Jim Bridwell and visiting hotty Steve Wunsch.
Ron led the hotties up something nearby and I chatted with the boys while while I arranged my rack of hexes and headed up the hard first section of Midterm.
By the time I got to the slippery off width section at the top: I was out 25 feet from my last bad hex, and the boys were cheerfully joking around below.
Luckily I made it, got to meet the hotties of the time and found out that Yosemite cracks can be scary and dangerous.
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