HEMP ROPE CLASSICS 8 excellent routes from pre–World War II

BEN FULLERTON ROUTES .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 —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 , Colora- THE BISHOP, SOUTH roof. Chimney up and attempt to gracefully pull do—a 5.8 multi- PLATTE, , 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, , 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, , 5.6, 6 PITCHES cams, but without —they come on a weekday—there’s a FA: Hervey Voge, Richard Leonard, , just stopped to belay a dozen fair amount of loose rock on this times, whenever they found a alpine route. Imagine a untouched by climbers. On Labor Day decent ledge. Remember that weekend in 1933, 24 years before 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: 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, 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 , 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 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 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, , 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 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. From Coveny, and House’s five-hour ascent of this Tower. Pitch two is the o!width that keeps Lunch Ledge, take an almost-horizon- route to the summit is the first ascent of the tra"c away from this route; take a 6-inch tal crack to the left until it peters out, tower by “fair means.” Wiessner and House piece to reasonably protect it, or a 7-inch piece then friction up the slab with a lonely had already established their pre-eminience in to be comfortable, and a double-length sling bolt for protection. North American climbing—the year before they to tie o! a chockstone. Wiessner’s sole did the coveted first ascent of 13,177-foot Mt. placement on the route came above the dif- DESCENT: Come down the Friction Route, a Waddington in ’s Coast Moun- ficult o!width. Cruise up pitch three and take class 4 downclimb beginning at the huge tains. As you grunt and sweat up the pitch-two in the view of the high-desert Belle Fourche boulder at the edge of the South Face cliff. o!width on Devils Tower with a couple of big Valley below, then third- and fourth-class to Climb down the northeast side of the boulder cams on your harness, remember that Wiessner the summit. to a ramp, and then head right down the only pounded in one piton on the entire route, ramp until you can begin making your way and afterward wished he hadn’t placed it. As he DESCENT:Use the Meadows Rappels: four double- down and le!. RACK: Cams to 3 inches; some said in 1937: “I wouldn’t recommend that any- rope raps to the ground. RACK: Cams to 6 inches, long slings to prevent rope drag GUIDEBOOK: one except an experienced mountain climber two ropes for rappel. Anchors are bolted. GUIDE- Rock Climbing Tahquitz and Suicide Rocks, attempt the trip we made. It is an extremely BOOK: Devils Tower Climbing, By Rachael Lynn and by Randy Vogel and Bob Gaines (falcon.com) di"cult climb for 200 feet, and to one who Zach Orenczak (extremeangles.com)

1935 Pierre Allain creates Babe Ruth hits the first soft-rubber- the 714th and soled climbing shoe. final home run of his career.

The drive-in theater is invented. King Kong shows for the first time. 1938 1934 American Jesse Owens FBI guns down Anderl Heckmair, Ludwig wins four gold medals 1933 Bonnie Parker Vörg, Heinrich Harrer, and at the “Nazi Olympics” Prohibition is repealed and Clyde Fritz Kasparek make the in Berlin. with the passage of the Barrow. first ascent of the North 21st Amendment. Face of the Eiger. 1936 KENNAN HARVEY

42 | AUGUST 2012 KENNAN HARVEY

CLIMBING.COM | 43 ROUTES Classics Jules Cho makes the deli- cate step that stymied Fritz Wiessner. 1942

BRINTON’S CRACK, DEVIL’S LAKE, , 5.6 FA: Bob Brinton his high point, devised a traverse, and stamped his name on this classic-of-all- Bob Brinton’s name doesn’t appear classics at Devil’s Lake. nearly as prolifically in climbing his- There’s no shame in first toprop- tory books as Fritz Wiessner’s, but this ing this heady and sandbagged 5.6 on single pitch at Devil’s Lake forever Brinton’s Buttress—that’s the style at marks the day Brinton bested the well- the Midwest’s most famous climbing known pioneer. By 1942, the legendary area. Start in the wide crack near the Wiessner had put up bold new routes in corner of Brinton’s Buttress, and when the Gunks, Cannon Cli!, Devils Tower, the crack runs out, take a deep breath, and other areas, and climbed to within lean in, and trust your feet at the “step- 700 feet of ’s summit. But he backed across” move. Jam up an exposed crack o! an attempt on this 5.6 line in Wis- to the top. consin. Plenty of leaders do the same thing, at the same spot Wiessner did: a DESCENT: Walk off. RACK: Lots of 2- and spooky and committing traverse across 3-inch pieces GUIDEBOOK: Climber’s Guide bad hand holds. After Wiessner bailed to Devil’s Lake, by Sven Olof Swartling and that day in 1942, Brinton climbed to Pete Mayer (uwpress.wisc.edu)

1939 1941 , Raffi Bedayn, Mt. Rushmore Bestor Robinson, and John sculptures are Dyer make the first ascent of completed by , New Mexico. Gutzon Borglum. ANDREW BURR ANDREW CLIMBING.COM | 45 ROUTES Classics

1944

Tim Keenan sails up the exposed final pitch on the Gunks’ Yellow Ridge.

YELLOW RIDGE, SHAWANGUNKS, , 5.7, 2–3 PITCHES FA: Fritz Wiessner, Ed Gross, Ann Gross Yellow Ridge lies just a few minutes from the road at the Near Fritz Wiessner “discovered” the Gunks Trapps. The route works its way up for climbers in 1935, spotting the rock a tricky face down and right of an all the way from the offwidth about 20 feet up the wall. while climbing at Breakneck Ridge. Get into the business on the left side Wiessner first explored the cli!s at of the offwidth, and then set up a Millbrook (the first-ever Gunks route belay to minimize rope drag. Climb was the seldom-climbed 5.5 Old Route the corner above for 20 feet and at Millbrook), and then put up classics traverse out 50 feet left to a belay, everywhere else. His name is all over then head left to for your the Gunks history books, on routes dose of exposed and steep climbing like High Exposure, Frog’s Head, and to the top. Horseman. He waited until 1944 to put up Yellow Ridge, arguably the best DESCENT: Walk off via the cliff-top trail to 5.7 at the Gunks: a long exposed tra- climbers’ right. RACK: Standard rack. A 3- verse, classic “Gunks 5.6” roofs, and an or 4-inch piece works to back up the piton o!width start that will take you back on the offwidth. GUIDEBOOK: The Gunks to the early days of climbing. Guide, by Todd Swain (falcon.com)

1942 Of all the gin joints in all Duct tape is the towns in the world, invented. Ingrid Bergman walks into Humphrey Bogart’s in Casablanca. TOMÁS DONOSO CLIMBING.COM | 47 ROUTES Classics 1944

This route, boldly traversing a huge chunk CONN’S EAST, of the east face of Seneca’s South Peak, is a mark of their legacy—it was climbed for SENECA ROCKS, WEST VIRGINIA, the first time just a few months before the assault on Riva Ridge. 5.6, 3 PITCHES Conn’s East—named for American FA: John Stearns, George Kolbucher, Bob Hecker, unclimbable even during daylight. Much climbing pioneers Herb and Jan Conn— Jim Crooks of the ’s stateside begins about 50 feet left of the twin Castor training took place at Seneca Rocks and and Pollux cracks on Upper Broadway The U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division other nearby crags, where they hammered Ledge on the East Face of South Peak. is famous for its February 1945 night- in more than 75,000 pitons—many of Climb the right-leaning ledge system time operation to take Riva Ridge in the which have never been removed, giving past a tree, and continue up and right to Apennines, Italy, to the surprise of the one section of rock at Seneca the nick- anchor bolts. Pitch two is where you get Germans, who thought Mt. Belvedere name “The Face of a Thousand Pitons.” your old-school money’s worth, hanging

1943 1944 Due to shortages in copper, the U.S. one-cent coin is struck in steel. Dutch physician William Kolff invents the kidney dialysis machine.

Surgeons at Johns Hopkins Hospital perform the first open- heart surgery. IBM introduces the first automatic digital calculator, which is 51 feet long and 8 Smokey Bear debuts as spokes- feet high. person for wildfire prevention.

Nicky Dyal enjoys the jugs on the last pitch of Conn’s out over big exposure as you move across East, with an attentive a bulge, and telling yourself that it’s “only Dan Schwarz . 5.6” until a couple of big jugs appear. Fin- ish out the third pitch to join Gunsight to South Peak and then scramble to the summit along the ridge.

DESCENT: Scramble down north along the summit ridge to a notch at the top of Alcoa Presents, and do three single-rope raps to Up- per Broadway. RACK: Standard rack GUIDEBOOK: Seneca: The Climbers Guide—Second Edition, by Tony Barnes (earthboundsports.com)

The Allies invade France at Normandy Beach. First ascent of the Maid- en, Boulder, Colorado.

Benjamin Green invents sunscreen.

Ballpoint pens go on sale. 1954 First ascent of the Diamond, Star Wars director Longs Peak, Colorado, by Bob George Lucas is born. Kamps and Dave Rearick.