Californiaâ Yosemite Yosemite Valley, 1985. Following is a partial ...
C alifornia— Y osem ite Yosemite Valley, 1985. Follow ing is a partial list o f new routes done in the V alley during 1985. On the wall scene, clim bers continued to be active on El C apitan. Bill Russell and Doug M cD onald clim bed M r. M id w est, w hich starts left o f the W est Face route, crosses it at the “New W orld” pitch and stays right o f it until T hanksgiving Ledge (V I, 5 .1 0 , A 3). Just right o f this, Steve Bosque and Dan M cD ivett did Realm o f the F lying M onkeys (V I, 5 .1 0 , A 3), w hich exits from the W est Face at a large arch a quarter o f the way up and stays right o f the preceding route. C harles C ole, in a 12-day solo effort did a new route w hich starts right o f M escalito, joins that route for its m iddle section and finishes left of it (V I, A 5). John B arbella and John M ittendorf clim bed A tlantic Ocean (V I, 5.1 0 , A 5), starting adjacent to the rock scar near the Footstool, and jo ining New Jersey Turnpike 8 pitches from the top. Further right, Greg C hild and Randy
L eavitt did C ow boys in Space betw een T angerine T rip and Z enyatta M ondatta, joining the latter route for its final pitches (V I, A 5). Sue H arrington becam e the second w om an to solo El C ap w ith her ascent of Z odiac, follow ed soon after by Ellie H aw kins, who did N ever N ever Land. H aw kins also becam e the first w om an to solo a new w all, clim bing D yslexia (V or V I, rating unknow n), in the R ibbon Falls area. On M ount W atkins, Bosque and M ike C orbett clim bed Tenaya Terror (V I, 5.9 , A4) w hich stays right o f the South Face route and parallels it closely. The C ookie C liff was the scene o f som e o f the harder free clim bs this year. Kim C arrigan and G eoff W eigand clim bed A m erica ’s Cup (5.12), the oft-attem pted thin seam left o f R ed Zinger. O n the far right side o f the cliff, K urt Sm ith and D ave H atchett did R a y ’s Pin Jo b (5.12) and Som ething fo r N othing (5.12 + ) . Todd Skinner freed the old aid route The Stigm a (5 .1 3 ), in a contro versial ascent, due to his use o f pre-placed protection. The route is, nonetheless a very difficult pitch and was repeated soon after by Alan W atts in better style. A bove the C ookie, D im itri B arton and Johnny W oodw ard clim bed K lingon (5.11) and R om antic Tension (5.10 + ) , tw o routes leading to the slab adjacent to G ait o f Pow er. Left o f C hicken Pie at the N ew D iversions cliff, Barton and Joe Heage did R ad ica l Shiek (5.10). On El C ap, Ken A rizza and Eric Kohl clim bed W here’s the Reef, a dihedral to the right o f W endy (5.10). The Yosem ite Falls area was the scene o f several new routes. Ten Years A fter (5.10 + ) is the first pitch o f the old Y osem ite Falls-W est Side route done free, and has becom e popular. It was clim bed by Sm ith, A rizza and D ave G riffith. R ight o f these, Sm ith and C hris B eigh did M ist Fitz (5.11 + ) , w hich leads to the sam e spot. Further right are Play M isty fo r M e (5.11 − ), and P ow er Slave (5 .1 1 ), done by Sm ith, H atchett, A rrizza and G riffith. F ine Line is a 5.1 0 – finger crack ju st left o f Peeping Tom in the Royal A rches area, done by G rant H iskes and Doe D eRoss. Just right o f Façade, F ishfingers is a 5.11 thin crack clim bed by W oodw ard and M aria C ranor. C ole and M ittendorf did C ryin’ fo r M om m a (5.9 + ), a three-pitch route in the A rches T errace area. Bob O st and N orm an Boles did Sleight o f FIand (5.10) to the right o f Face Card and ending at the sam e belay. B arton and Steve G erberding added a second pitch to these routes (5.10 + ) . O ne o f the longer free clim bs reported is Friday the 13th (IV, 5.1 0 + ) betw een Shakey Flakes and G reasy but G roovy, done by Barton and Scott Burke. On H alf D om e, C ole, M ittendorf and R usty R eno did D euceldike (5.8), w hich ascends the face left (I think) o f Snake D ike. Further right, the trio did A utobahn (IV , 5.11 ), an excellent tw elve-pitch route on the m argin o f the south face. A lso in this area, M ark and Shirley Spencer and Dan and D ave A bbott put up E ye in the Sky (5.10), w hich parallels Snake Dike to its right. The Spencers, with Floyd H ayes also put up Z o n er (5.11), w hich goes right o ff o f the right side o f M onday M orning Slab. A lso on the A pron, W oodw ard and C ranor m ade the first free ascent o f T hunderhead (5.11 + ) . Ed Barry and Scott C osgrove freeclim bed Bridalveil E ast B uttress via a variation to produce R eturn to the Stoneage, w hich involves three 5.11 pitches. F inally, at Elephant R ock, Lance R ow land and T ucker Tech clim bed F oam ing A t the C rotch (5.10 − ), w hich traverses right out o f Straight Error and continues up for several pitches. D o n R e id
L eavitt did C ow boys in Space betw een T angerine T rip and Z enyatta M ondatta, joining the latter route for its final pitches (V I, A 5). Sue H arrington becam e the second w om an to solo El C ap w ith her ascent of Z odiac, follow ed soon after by Ellie H aw kins, who did N ever N ever Land. H aw kins also becam e the first w om an to solo a new w all, clim bing D yslexia (V or V I, rating unknow n), in the R ibbon Falls area. On M ount W atkins, Bosque and M ike C orbett clim bed Tenaya Terror (V I, 5.9 , A4) w hich stays right o f the South Face route and parallels it closely. The C ookie C liff was the scene o f som e o f the harder free clim bs this year. Kim C arrigan and G eoff W eigand clim bed A m erica ’s Cup (5.12), the oft-attem pted thin seam left o f R ed Zinger. O n the far right side o f the cliff, K urt Sm ith and D ave H atchett did R a y ’s Pin Jo b (5.12) and Som ething fo r N othing (5.12 + ) . Todd Skinner freed the old aid route The Stigm a (5 .1 3 ), in a contro versial ascent, due to his use o f pre-placed protection. The route is, nonetheless a very difficult pitch and was repeated soon after by Alan W atts in better style. A bove the C ookie, D im itri B arton and Johnny W oodw ard clim bed K lingon (5.11) and R om antic Tension (5.10 + ) , tw o routes leading to the slab adjacent to G ait o f Pow er. Left o f C hicken Pie at the N ew D iversions cliff, Barton and Joe Heage did R ad ica l Shiek (5.10). On El C ap, Ken A rizza and Eric Kohl clim bed W here’s the Reef, a dihedral to the right o f W endy (5.10). The Yosem ite Falls area was the scene o f several new routes. Ten Years A fter (5.10 + ) is the first pitch o f the old Y osem ite Falls-W est Side route done free, and has becom e popular. It was clim bed by Sm ith, A rizza and D ave G riffith. R ight o f these, Sm ith and C hris B eigh did M ist Fitz (5.11 + ) , w hich leads to the sam e spot. Further right are Play M isty fo r M e (5.11 − ), and P ow er Slave (5 .1 1 ), done by Sm ith, H atchett, A rrizza and G riffith. F ine Line is a 5.1 0 – finger crack ju st left o f Peeping Tom in the Royal A rches area, done by G rant H iskes and Doe D eRoss. Just right o f Façade, F ishfingers is a 5.11 thin crack clim bed by W oodw ard and M aria C ranor. C ole and M ittendorf did C ryin’ fo r M om m a (5.9 + ), a three-pitch route in the A rches T errace area. Bob O st and N orm an Boles did Sleight o f FIand (5.10) to the right o f Face Card and ending at the sam e belay. B arton and Steve G erberding added a second pitch to these routes (5.10 + ) . O ne o f the longer free clim bs reported is Friday the 13th (IV, 5.1 0 + ) betw een Shakey Flakes and G reasy but G roovy, done by Barton and Scott Burke. On H alf D om e, C ole, M ittendorf and R usty R eno did D euceldike (5.8), w hich ascends the face left (I think) o f Snake D ike. Further right, the trio did A utobahn (IV , 5.11 ), an excellent tw elve-pitch route on the m argin o f the south face. A lso in this area, M ark and Shirley Spencer and Dan and D ave A bbott put up E ye in the Sky (5.10), w hich parallels Snake Dike to its right. The Spencers, with Floyd H ayes also put up Z o n er (5.11), w hich goes right o ff o f the right side o f M onday M orning Slab. A lso on the A pron, W oodw ard and C ranor m ade the first free ascent o f T hunderhead (5.11 + ) . Ed Barry and Scott C osgrove freeclim bed Bridalveil E ast B uttress via a variation to produce R eturn to the Stoneage, w hich involves three 5.11 pitches. F inally, at Elephant R ock, Lance R ow land and T ucker Tech clim bed F oam ing A t the C rotch (5.10 − ), w hich traverses right out o f Straight Error and continues up for several pitches. D o n R e id
