My oldest son Ian has developed a keen interest in experiencing climbs as I saw them back in the seventy’s at Suicide and Tahquitz Rocks here in California. Over the past few years I’ve had the pleasure to relive the thrills of my old stomping grounds with a very eager young man determined to develop a strong head for leading.

Ian on Serpentine

Last month while doing Serpentine on the Suicide's Weeping Wall Ian spied the smooth expanse of rock to it’s upper right. I told him it was the “Window Pane” on “Ten Carrot Gold”. He was impressed it was so flawless and lacked bolts, intrigued he asked if it was hard. My reply was, for the lead its not that it’s hard but more an excursion into your own reasons you climb. Somewhat perplexed he was curious as to what I was really meaning to say… I pointed out there also seemed to be a variation to the left of it that offered a few more bolts. This could be a good option to get a feel for the rock before you tackled the original route. He thought about it for a minute considering both options and says he’d like to do the original way up the Pane. So we put Ten Carrot on the list to do the next time, giving him the chance to bone up on some more slab skills.

Over the period of the next month he asks a lot about the climb. I tell him about the first ascent party, John Long, Rick Accomazzo both of whom Ian knew having recently surfed with Rick and Biked with John. But Ian hadn’t ever met Richard Harrison. I told him that Richard had Painted all the hardware they were planning to use on the FA gold as a final detail to the route they had planed to establish. It amounted to a handful of bolt hangars and a couple Knife Blades. I went on to say it’s been a long time since I did the route but I had remembered it being quite enjoyable and the hardware was still gold clad at the time. I reminded myself out loud the last time I did the route was with his mother a few years before he was born. Hearing all of this made him want to do it all the more.

We arrive at its base on Sunday afternoon at around 3:30 and even I am apprehensive about the climb. I offer to take the first pitch because of my concern of how far out the second bolt is above the first and besides he was so keen to do the Window Pane. As I throw the rack together I’m finding myself eager to put this to bed and asking myself in silence why I still climb? It’s been twenty nine years since the last time I did this route and would it still hold the same meaning for me? So off I go very quietly keeping to myself moving deliberately from hold to hold putting in the distance needed. The cool breeze and perfect conditions cleared all my stress and the thankfully very few problems I have in my life. A chance to truly concentrate on what was before me… I caught a sigh of relief from Ian as I clip the second bolt and pretty much assure myself safe passage to the top. Drifting a bit I comment about the unknown you experience on a first ascent and how a number of elements dictate where you might place the bolts and its not clear for everyone. I continue that we today have our path before us on established routes so it’s not so unknown where our next piece of protection is going to be and we can take for granted the bolts we clip. We even know with today’s guide books what the difficulty is between each bolt so finding some unknown takes a little more effort. Yakking even more I say a fun exercise is to never grab the bolt and imagine standing there for the first time and placing it. Perhaps you can even conger up some inspiration as to what the first ascent party felt.

As I reach the top of the first pitch I find all the apprehension and maybe any doubt of my abilities flush away. I am once again reminded why I climb and I am feeling quite alive.

In a very focused state Ian follows the pitch with a slight shake of his head here and there as he looks back at the previous bolt. I know his mind must be turning inside out as to what’s in store for him on the second pitch. I can see he is getting a feel for keeping over his feet and mindful of his center. All the time knowing he will have to put all this to use on the Window Pane soon enough. I comment he’s developing some good foot work but I don’t think he heard me.

As he reaches the belay I mention it’s nice the bolts have been improved over the years (maybe last ten or fifteen) although I do miss the touch of gold. The added strength at the belay is welcomed when you look out and see the next placement a good forty feet up and right. I tell him the missing old fixed Knife blade straight out right might actually be better gone for less rope drag but it didn’t register with him I could see. A moment or so after his comment that he wants to gather himself mentally he grabs the two quick draws he needs for the only bolts on the pitch and a couple cams for the belay and he’s off.

Shameful Advertisement for climbing Knickers

If there is a true crux of the route its right off the belay and Ian fusses with the sequence with a bad start but finds the correction quickly and he’s off into his own unknown. He tries to joke about his bumbling the start then says his head isn’t on right as he keeps going. I tell him if he thinks he’s as solid as he looks to me, then he has nothing to worry about. With one move remaining he pauses, then steps up and quickly clips the bolt with a hoot of satisfaction. Having got the swing for the friction technique this section of the climb requires he continues to the top with a feeling what must have been like being on the home stretch.

As I come up I can only smile doing this for the first time in sticky shoes. The method of taking baby steps seemed to work the best to assure you stay well planted to make the best of the friction on a holdless face. As I top out I congratulate him on a job well done and the decent belay he had set up for his old Dad.


For more photos of this adventure please visit Ancient Gold, a Suicide TR at Stonemastergear.com

Edit: Damm I finally figured out how to format these links. look out!