First Ascent Photos

[YETI]

Whoa yeah!  Now were talkin!

Pulling on gear makes a happy Yeti.

Jerry I wanna do that route.

[YETI]

John, I will take you there.  You bring the beer.

[Jerry]

First 3 pitches have gone free at 10b, 10b and 11a. Nobody even wanted to try pitch 4 but John wants to give it a go. Overhanging, flared 4-5" so as long as I can bring my Jumars I'll belay!

[Jerry]

Graham Hubner freeing pitch 3, 5.11a, of Walking With Walt. The overhanging 4-5" crack of pitch 4 above

[NateD]

Inspiring stuff' Jerry!

Can't recall if I drew up that basic photo overlay topo correctly for you. I must have not drawn in a dotted line for pitch one behind the trees, right?

Never took much note of the huge eye/hole further left on that impressive face. Must be some amazing portal to another dimension. No routes thru it currently, are there?

[John]

Jerry- I am relieved to see you no longer call the route A1. Pins will ruin that climb.

[susan]

Jerry,  I like the name, and what a tribute... Would enjoy hearing more about your first ascent sometime.

The first pitches strike me as harder than noted, though. When you get to the incipient crack of Narrow Gauge, it feels even harder than rated in the Soyo guide at 11b to me.

[Jerry]

It interesting the difference in ratings. I just followed the second and third pitches and rated off of what we felt that day. I'd like to go back and do the second again and see if we super sand bagged it. John said he liebacked P. 2 and we did it as a fingertip jam so maybe the difference? I probably can't do it at all now! On the FA we aided almost the whole route just to get it done but pitches 6, 8 and 9 will go free and I think Albert Nugue and Pat Warren freed pitch 8 and 9 at 10a.

The FA is a classic example of why I hate only having two days a week to climb. We did the first 4 pitches over one of our mid week "weekends". Pitch 5 is a bolt ladder and another weekend finished it. Another weekend for 6 and part of 7. 6 is a beautiful thin crack in a corner and 7 is mixed cams, hooks and bolts though I understand some or all the hook placements may be gone. It was so hot we then bagged it until fall.

Going back in late Sept there was a "10% chance of light scattered showerrs along the crest" so as you can guess it was a raging blizzard by the time I finished pitch 6. I set up the ledge and even with me in it and the haul bag tied to it the wind would pick up the ledge above the anchor and then drop it over and over again. It was obvious the ledge was going to be destroyed so as soon as Sigrid finished cleaning we did the most miserable raps and return to the car we have ever done or hope to do!

Don't remember why we put off finishing until the following fall but Kenny Rose joined us and we knocked it off in 3 uneventful days.

Does anyone have an explanation for the mental flaws that someone has to have to do a wall route, especially a FA? And we still have 3 or 4 more V aid FA's we want to do. Help me-what is wrong!!!!!

[mungeclimber]

Does anyone have an explanation for the mental flaws that someone has to have to do a wall route, especially a FA? And we still have 3 or 4 more V aid FA's we want to do. Help me-what is wrong!!!!!

Walt would be proud, I'm sure.

Now as to your affliction... I would write a prescription of cragging on good stone for a week. Come back and see Dr. Mucci. If the munge/choss/blocks he digs thru doesn't fix ya right up in a jiffy, it's hopeless.

[Jerry]

Pitch 8 on Walking With Walt

[Jerry]

I think it is hopeless until old age cures it!

[YETI]

NOnsenSE!

I'm in my PRIME!

Steve tells me it only gets better with age.

Viva La AID!

[Jerry]

Yeah probably right, I'll be 66 in March and the fire still burns!

[mungeclimber]

The rock inspires out in the soyo

[John]

Jerry-
Did Albert and Pat climb the entire route or did they rap in to free the upper pitches?

It is so great to see you posting photos! I know you have tons of great ones we want to see so keep em coming.