HEMP ROPE CLASSICS 8 Excellent Routes from Pre–World War II
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HEMP ROPE CLASSICS 8 excellent routes from pre–World War II BEN FULLERTON ROUTES CLIMBING.COM | 37 ROUTES Classics BY BRENDAN LEONARD 1924 You’ve said it while climbing a clas- sic route—after an exposed traverse, an unprotectable chimney, or a spooky runout: Wow! Imagine climbing that without cams or nuts, sticky rubber, or any beta. Without even a nylon rope, harness, or belay device—instead, you’d have to wrap a rough, natural-fiber cord around your body to hold a fall. The saying goes that there are no old, bold climbers, but there are still old, bold climbs that demand respect. Prior to World War II, most American area, 3.8 miles south on Jefferson County Road 96 climbers’ focus was ELLINGWOOD from its intersection with Jeffco Road 97. Elling- on alpine climbs like CHIMNEY, wood Chimney is the obvious feature in the corner Stettner’s Ledges on on the west face of the Bishop, left of an enormous Longs Peak, Colora- THE BISHOP, SOUTH roof. Chimney up and attempt to gracefully pull do—a 5.8 multi-pitch PLATTE, COLORADO, over the chockstone on pitch one, or just bellyflop with serious weather onto it. The second pitch has a cavernous chimney and other hazards, put 5.8, 2 PITCHES and then a wide crack to anchors on the right- up more than 80 years FA: Albert Ellingwood, Agnes Vaille, Stephen Hart hand summit. ago. But to prepare for mountain routes like Albert Ellingwood was one of Colorado’s earliest DESCENT: Rap with two ropes, or one rope to a rap station these, climbers went and boldest climbing pioneers, putting up notable in the Bishop Chimney (just to the le! of Ellingwood cragging, developing routes like Ellingwood Ledges (5.7) on 14,197- Chimney). RACK: Cams to 4 inches; a 5- to 6-inch piece the techniques of rock foot Crestone Needle and the difficult San Juan is good to protect the second pitch. GUIDEBOOK: South climbing—and leaving Mountains choss spire Lizard Head, nowadays Platte Climbing: The Northern Volume, by Jason Haas, Ben classic climbs you can rated 5.8 R. If you get a little sketched stemming Schneider and Craig Weinhold (fixedpin.com) still do. Want to follow up the historic Ellingwood Chimney, just remem- in some legendary ber that after Ellingwood led it for the first time, footsteps? History placing no gear, he downclimbed it after lowering The Bishop stands proudly in the middle, with The Dome to the class begins now. his partners. right. Ellingwood Chimney is located around the corner to the The Bishop is located in Colorado’s South Platte le! of the face. 1924 1925 1927 George Mallory and Andrew First issue The first flight of Irvine attempt to summit of The New Pan American Mt. Everest—neither is seen Yorker. Airways, from Timeline again. Mallory’s body is found Key West, Other events that coincided in 1999. Florida, to Mickey with these historic climbs. Havana, Cuba. Mouse appears in Global popula- Steamboat First Winter tion reaches Willie. Olympics are held two billion. in Chamonix. 1928 Leon Trotsky 1922 exiled to East face of Longs Peak, Alma Ata. Colorado, first ascent solo by J. W. Alexander, Princeton JASON HAAS; PREVIOUS PAGE: COURTESY NEPTUNE MOUNTAINEERING IN BOULDER, COLORADO University professor. 38 | AUGUST 2012 JASON HAAS; PREVIOUS PAGE: COURTESY NEPTUNE MOUNTAINEERING IN BOULDER, COLORADO CLIMBING.COM | 39 ROUTES Classics 1929 WHITNEY-GILMAN RIDGE, CANNON CLIFF, NEW HAMPSHIRE, 5.7, 5 PITCHES FA: Hassler Whitney, ing close to the ridge; if you find Bradley Gilman yourself on loose rock, you’re probably too far left. The crux When people say “Whitney-Gil- is on the third pitch, where man,” they also usually say “ex- you’ll step around the corner Hervey Voge took these images on the posure,” and you’ll know what to the right and look down on September 4, 1933, first ascent of Lunch Ledge. they mean midway through the tremendous exposure and this East Coast mega-classic. spot the infamous pipe. Plenty Cousins Whitney and Gilman of variations are possible, but LUNCH LEDGE, WASHINGTON first climbed this obvious spine staying to the true 1929 line will COLUMN, YOSEMITE NATIONAL jutting from New Hampshire’s keep the climbing 5.7 or easier. Cannon Cli! not only without Get here first on a weekend or PARK, CALIFORNIA, 5.6, 6 PITCHES cams, but without pitons—they come on a weekday—there’s a FA: Hervey Voge, Richard Leonard, Jules Eichorn, Bestor Robinson just stopped to belay a dozen fair amount of loose rock on this times, whenever they found a alpine route. Imagine a Yosemite Valley untouched by climbers. On Labor Day decent ledge. Remember that weekend in 1933, 24 years before Royal Robbins climbed Half when you step out onto the right DESCENT: Follow the trail off the Dome, and 78 years before Tommy Caldwell updated his Facebook side of the ridge on pitch three top into the woods, and it will feed while attempting the Dawn Wall, four members of the Bay and feel all that air under your eventually head le! and down to Area–based Cragmont Climbing Club put up Yosemite’s first tech- feet. Whitney, a distinguished a bike path. RACK: Standard rack nical climbing route, using 10-inch hardware mathematician, might also hold GUIDEBOOK: Rock Climbing New nails as pitons. Through the 1950s, Lunch Ledge the claim to being America’s England, by Stewart Green (falcon. was one of the most popular climbs in the Valley, first boulderer—he explored the com) but by 1971, Steve Roper wrote in his guidebook 1933 blocs of Sleeping Giant, Con- that it had waned in popularity after the discov- necticut, while a student at Yale The Whitney-Gilman Ridge follows ery of “more enjoyable routes.” Still, it’s a worthwhile pilgrimage for in the mid-1920s. the obvious feature in the center of those who want to touch a piece of history. A year after the first ascent, the photo, le! of the shaded rock. To retrace the first route in the Valley, head east on the trail from Robert Underhill and Kenneth the back parking lot of the Ahwahnee Hotel, then head north where Henderson (who paired up to the bike path and horse trail nearly meet. Follow the drainage until pioneer several Tetons classics) you can begin making your way up slabs a few hundred feet left repeated the Whitney-Gilman. of the separation between Royal Arches and Washington Column, Underhill called it “a long series diagonaling up class 3 terrain to reach a ledge about 200 feet o! of passages of great techni- the ground. Follow easy ground up the heavily treed face, working cal di"culty, high exposure, generally up and right to arrive eventually at a large tree at the edge and dubious outlet.” The men of an 800-foot drop. Cracks and chimneys lead to the traditional hammered in the section of iron sixth pitch, a crack once called the “Reigelhuth Chimney,” with a pipe that still marks the most bolt protecting the 5.6 crux move near the bottom. exposed section on the now- One year after the ascent of Lunch Ledge, Eichorn, Leonard, famous Pipe Pitch. and Robinson returned to the Valley and completed a much more The Northeast’s most famous audacious climb: the first ascent of Higher Cathedral Spire, now a climb begins about 50 feet very popular 5.9. north of where the arête meets the talus. Follow cracks and DESCENT: Rappel off trees or continue up the Direct Route (5.7) on Wash- fixed pins up five pitches, stay- ington Column. RACK: Cams to 2 inches Seven rivals of Al Capone are murdered in the St. Valentine’s Day 3M creates Massacre in Chicago. Scotch Tape. 1931 First ascent of the north face of Mt. Sneffels, Colorado, by Dwight Lavender and the Stock market San Juan Mountaineers. crash of 1929 1929 begins the Great 1930 Grand Teton On March 12, Mahatma Gandhi National Park Depression. sets off on a 200-mile protest Empire State Building is established by march with 78 followers to Congress. completed, the tallest in the protest the British monopoly world. on salt. TOP TWO: COURTESY YOSEMITE CLIMBING ASSOCIATION; JAY KNOWER 1932 Laurent Grivel invents the 12-point crampon. 40 | AUGUST 2012 TOP TWO: COURTESY YOSEMITE CLIMBING ASSOCIATION; JAY KNOWER CLIMBING.COM | 41 ROUTES Classics Devils Tower bathes in golden light, with Wiessner ANGEL’S FRIGHT, Route near the right skyline. TAHQUITZ ROCK, CALIFORNIA, 5.6, 5 PITCHES FA: Jim Smith, Bill Rice 1937 The history of Tahquitz Rock is like a “who’s who” of early American climbing: TM Herbert, Bob Kamps, Jerry Gallwas, and Royal Robbins all did routes here. Oh, and that rating system that goes as high as 5.15b? That was invented here. After the Sierra Club decided to start a Rock Climb- ing Section in 1932, a few members quickly 1936 began exploring. The first fifth-class route at Tahquitz went up in 1936, and one month later, Smith and Rice put up Angel’s Fright, nowadays rated anywhere from 5.4 to 5.6, de- WIESSNER ROUTE, pending on who you ask. DEVILS TOWER, WYOMING, The route starts almost directly above Lunch Rock with 40 feet of 5.7, 3 PITCHES old-school squeeze chimney, leading to FA: Fritz Wiessner, Lawrence Coveny, does not know mountain climbing, it would be steep jugs heading up the face. Cruise William P. House practically impossible to reach the top. A serious up the right-trending corner to Lunch accident would be very likely to result.” Ledge (the top of the traditional third If the wooden-stake ladder William Rogers Wiessner’s namesake route begins at a pitch—not to be confused with Lunch and Willard Ripley used to climb Devils Tower bolted anchor down and right of the Leaning Rock); it’s easy to find another ledge in 1893 is considered cheating, then Wiessner, Column on the southwest shoulder of Devils if there are other parties there.