Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss

Salathe Trip report and pictures

0 views
Skip to first unread message

Scott Fischbein

unread,
Jun 9, 2003, 8:42:31 PM6/9/03
to
I've posted a trip report about a recent (May/03) ascent of the Salathe on
El Cap on my website. There are also a bunch of pictures on there. I'm a
regular reader of rec.climbing, and a very sporadic poster, but I've enjoyed
reading other people's trip reports, so I figured it was time to create one
of my own. And I had to do something with those 412 pictures. I hope you get
some vicarious pleasure from reading about our adventure.

Here's the link:
http://www.climbernet.com/miscellany/climbing/salathe.html

Scott

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Scott Fischbein
http://www.climbernet.com


Melissa

unread,
Jun 9, 2003, 8:55:10 PM6/9/03
to
In article <61e18a567fcc8ca7...@free.teranews.com>, "Scott says...

>
>I've posted a trip report about a recent (May/03) ascent of the Salathe on
>El Cap on my website....And I had to do something with those 412 pictures.

Thanks and congratulations! That was really a fun read. You weren't kidding
about the pictures. I loved the shaddow climber. Nice epigram too.

Melissa

Tim Stich

unread,
Jun 10, 2003, 9:35:29 AM6/10/03
to
Melissa <Melissa...@newsguy.com> wrote in message news:<bc3a9...@drn.newsguy.com>...

Very nice pics. Don't have time to read it all at the moment. Was Mr.
T talking wild guff on the wall?

"Don't let that crazy Murdoch haul the pig. He'll drop everythang.
I'll do it. Jazz!"

-Tim

Gnarling

unread,
Jun 10, 2003, 12:31:43 PM6/10/03
to
"Scott Fischbein" <em...@removethisclimbernet.com> wrote in message news:<61e18a567fcc8ca7...@free.teranews.com>...

> I've posted a trip report about a recent (May/03) ascent of the Salathe on
> El Cap on my website.

> Here's the link:
> http://www.climbernet.com/miscellany/climbing/salathe.html

Thanks Scott for a fun read and I really enjoyed the pictures. They
brought back great memories for me. It was also fun to see and read
about Mitch who I met last spring in Castleton Valley. Indeed he is a
proud leader of "Wyde" and a really nice guy.

Congratulations! Enjoy the Freeblast when you do it (and you must, of
course). The Half Dollar is a magnificently frightening pitch.

Inez

Crotch Robbins

unread,
Jun 10, 2003, 1:53:29 PM6/10/03
to
Melissa <Melissa...@newsguy.com> wrote in message news:<bc3a9...@drn.newsguy.com>...

Pic #81 was great too! Another thank you and congrats.

Guillaume Dargaud

unread,
Jun 10, 2003, 10:45:09 PM6/10/03
to
> Congratulations! Enjoy the Freeblast when you do it (and you must, of
> course). The Half Dollar is a magnificently frightening pitch.
Could you please refresh my memory ?
I remember leading that pitch 8 years ago.
And I see it's on my boss' ticklist for the autumn...
My left shoulder hurts just trying to remember what kind of pro I placed in
it. What goes in ?
--
Guillaume Dargaud
Colorado State University
http://www.gdargaud.net/Climbing/Yosemite.html
"The gear or practices that we argue about are rarely the real cause of
accidents. More dangerous are inattention, fatigue, ego, and bad
ma." - Karl Baba.


Bill Wright

unread,
Jun 11, 2003, 12:39:16 PM6/11/03
to
"Guillaume Dargaud" <NOusen...@gdargaud.net> wrote in message news:<VIwFa.97428$d51.164695@sccrnsc01>...

> > Congratulations! Enjoy the Freeblast when you do it (and you must, of
> > course). The Half Dollar is a magnificently frightening pitch.
> Could you please refresh my memory ?
> I remember leading that pitch 8 years ago.
> And I see it's on my boss' ticklist for the autumn...
> My left shoulder hurts just trying to remember what kind of pro I placed in
> it. What goes in ?

This is a great pitch and certainly intimidating, but this is nothing
compared to the Hollow Flake or the Ear pitch on the Salathe. This
pitch protects fine and isn't too bad, except for the really slick,
flared 10b (not!) moves at the start.

The Salathe is such a great route. A brilliant, natural passage up the
weaknesses of the wall.

Bill

Gnarling

unread,
Jun 11, 2003, 1:13:31 PM6/11/03
to
"Guillaume Dargaud" <NOusen...@gdargaud.net> wrote in message news:<VIwFa.97428$d51.164695@sccrnsc01>...

> > Congratulations! Enjoy the Freeblast when you do it (and you must, of


> > course). The Half Dollar is a magnificently frightening pitch.

> Could you please refresh my memory ?
> I remember leading that pitch 8 years ago.
> And I see it's on my boss' ticklist for the autumn...
> My left shoulder hurts just trying to remember what kind of pro I placed in
> it. What goes in ?

Okay, first, I fell on the roof just below the Half Dollar (my piece
popped) and we ultimately had to come down the next day because of my
sprained ankle...Returned the following year to finish the route. So,
I do have a vivid recollection of following/jugging the Half Dollar
flare once Brutus took over. It was heinously hard given the fact
that even on jumars one generally has to climb squeezes anyway. Bill
Wright wrote a great trip report and posted it on rec.climbing in June
of 1991 (those were the days!!). Here you go: excerpt from
"Misadventures on El Cap: Freeblast." I couldn't describe it any
better!
****
I started out on the infamous Half Dollar pitch. It starts out as
5.10b and then, supposedly goes into a 5.8 chimney/flare. I
couldn't quite free the 5.10b section and had to grab a couple of
slings. Now I found myself in the Mother of all Flares. It
sucked. I a vertical V-slot with solitary crack in the back and
smooth walls. Because of the flare it was quite difficult to use
chimney technique. Not impossible however. It was very difficult
to place the pro due to the awkward position, but once it was in it
was bomber! This awful situation goes on for about 50 feet and
then it opens up into easy climbing and ends on a nice ledge. This
is also a very long pitch. I swung the haul line out on top of the
Half Dollar and hauled the pack for Lou (actually, I hauled if for
me -- I wanted the water!) Lou jugged the pitch and we rejoiced --
the worst was behind us.

Cheers, Inez
gone way soft!

Karl Baba

unread,
Jun 11, 2003, 2:47:30 PM6/11/03
to
My Half Dollar recollections is that you have to change the way you
face during the course of the chimney, twice I think.

With chimneys, if it starts to get harder than you expected, take a
hard look at the angles and holds and ask yourself "what would it feel
like if I turned around?"

Peace

karl

--
Remove NOSPAM to email
http://member.newsguy.com/~climbing/

Lord Slime

unread,
Jun 12, 2003, 10:24:41 AM6/12/03
to
"Karl Baba" <gu...@NOSPAMnewsguy.com> wrote in message

> With chimneys, if it starts to get harder than you expected, take a
> hard look at the angles and holds and ask yourself "what would it feel
> like if I turned around?"

I do that all the time. I stop, get turned around, move the rack over
to the other shoulder, then get totally stalled. Decide that the other
side in was the right way. Repeat.

- Lord Slime


Bill Wright

unread,
Jun 12, 2003, 1:22:38 PM6/12/03
to
idrix...@ucsd.edu (Gnarling) wrote in message news:<2a3bd3cd.0306...@posting.google.com>...

Touche, Inez! How the mind goes. I've climbed the this pitch three or
four times now and familiarity breeds...easier climbing! :-) I've
gotten to be a bit better at flares as well, though I don't remember
doing the turning around that Karl mentions. Maybe that makes it even
easier. There's always more to learn about climbing this stuff...

Bill

Chiloe

unread,
Jun 13, 2003, 7:15:42 PM6/13/03
to

Hence Kor's route name, Twister.
This technique only works on the Umph Slot, though, if you hit
the eject button between cycles.


0 new messages