Does Climbing Matter Anymore?

A provocative title of this NY Times article. Included are these quotes about the recent K-2 accident:

'Dozens of readers commented at the New York Times Web site with sentiments overwhelmingly along these lines: “Utterly pointless. What a waste of time and lives.” Or, “Why is this news? Reckless incompetents commit utterly predictable suicide, endangering rescuers.” Or, simply, “No Sympathy. Sorry.”'

"But climbers argued last week that despite the tragedy, there was value in taking risks against nearly impossible odds, testing the strengths of human nature in extremes, and continuing to explore the world’s frontiers."

So what do you think? When conquering the last unclimbed peaks,

"There was something pure and glorious in what they did as they climbed into worlds where no one else had been."

Since there no more peaks to conquer, is mountain climbing not heroic anymore? Does it matter? And to whom is it supposed to matter?

(Also check out the interactive graphic on the K-2 accident.)

Friday at Taylor's Falls

Set up the top ropes and belay on down! That's how things began at TF on Friday. It wasn't too hot but at least it was muggy as we began our escapades whilst QD's mom looked on from her lawn chair. She is very brave to spectate at the likes of us. Ron did a little climbing with a full pack. Richard used his top rope set up skill...a lot. I fought the battle of the bulge and won...kinda. A1 did a little trad leading with a skittish belayer. They both survived. We left with the same number of dogs that we arrived with AND got a Dairy Queen (haha! that's a DQ for QD et al) A very good day to be alive and outside in Minnesota.
I'm leaving for Colorado in the moring but I have a phone and computer access. You won't even know I'm gone!

Needles on the 21

Hello, Jake and I are planning a trip to needles on the way back from the rockies. If you have any good websites I should look at or guide books I should have please let me know.
Thanks

Longs Peak Done

Last Night Jake, Lyle, Andrew, and I set off on our adventure. We got to the trail head at around Midnight and started our adventure. This was one of the hardest hikes I have ever done. The first 6.75 miles were fine and dandy. We got lost around 4 times, searching for Carren stones in a boulder field larger than you can imagine and we got up to the keyhole around 415. We tried sleeping for a while but I got a 10 minute nap in and said lets go summit lyle! Andrew and Jake continued to sleep for 2 hours in the stone building we had found. There was only 1.25 miles left of our journey but this is where it began. Although we had hiked 6.75 miles the ascent was nearly half over. I traversed across for 400 yards and lyle exclaimed "I can't" in his taiwanese accent and he said he would wait for me there, as I told him to get comfortable. After a .5 mile hike up the well known "trough" I was pooped. A forty five degree incline full of softball size boulders to couch size boulders. I then traversed another 400 yards where I was met by a granite ramp which was the last but hardest thing I would have to do. After pushing my self to a drunken state of altitude I reached the top of the mountain and the end of the targets spray painted on the rocks. I had made it at 6.37 am, the first person to reach that summit on the fifth of august. I was met by my new friend nick who gave me a delicious Cranberry almond cliff bar. I was then met by andrew arriving at 7:30. Jake will tell his story on another blog. Here is some pics from my phone before it stopped working. It was way cooler than the pics by the way.

Report From The First Ascent Of Super Pin

Found this quote in the Piana guide book to climbing in the Needles of South Dakota. This is a report from the first ascent of Super Pin - one of the climbs we did last Saturday.

"My belayer Ron was too nervous to belay after I had gone beyond both the point of no return and my protection against falling to the ground. We certainly felt it would be better for him to be in the best position should I succeed rather than in the best position to witness my failure...  The holds were small & occasionally loose & Ron was observing from the safety of the highway."

Longs Peak Tonight

Tonight Jake and I are hiking longs peak. For those of you not aware of Longs Peak, here you go. Longs peak is a famous 14,teener in colorado 15 miles from Estes Park. Longs Peak is the 15th highest mountain in Colorado. This compares nothing to Mount Harvard the third highest that I did when I was 14 haha. This hike consists of a 5000 vertical distance and 14 miles round trip. Because of weather issues they constrict you from being up at the top after noon. Therefore Jake and I are starting at 11 tonight to see the sunrise at the top. Hope to post pics tomorow. seeyou!

Twin Peaks

(I know, most of you don't even remember that old TV show.)

Ward Onsighting Tricouni Nail

Here's a video of Ward onsighting Tricouni Nail last Saturday. (The sun was shining in the camera and made it hard to film.) If the player below doesn't work, here's the link.

ward Tricouni mpg from rgsletten on Vimeo.

"Beta Lickers"

Is what the Black Hills Climbers called us as we climbed on top ropes set up by them in the Ten Pins area of the Needles.

That's alright with me. Most of these climbs were first done 40 years ago and the pitons and bolts that are left, are of that vintage. And, one of the routes we top roped, "Super Pin," has two bolts on it; one at about 15 feet above the start and the other about 10 feet below the summit. And it's around 75 feet tall. (Just before the lead climber got to the 2nd bolt, he told Ward - who was belaying him - "I'm on my own now. You can't catch me. So don't jump over the edge if I fall." With that in mind, I'll proudly wear the badge of "Beta Licker."

Of course, when we told them we had climbed in Spearfish, they called us "Jug Haulers." I told them we'd rather be referred to as "Bolt Lickers."

Buddy At Camp

Buddy our canine climbing companion went to Camp Mahtomedi where Lisa is the Camp Director. He studied up on Darwin and afterward was rewarded with a refreshing treat.

 

 

Spearfish Canyon & Moonlight Ridge Video

Video of assorted climbs in both places. 

Some More Photos Of Our Trip

(If you see a photo in the slide show you want bigger, just double click on it.)

This Is Mostly For The Warden

The Boyz voted me in as secretary so I had to document - in photographs as well as in writing - every climb we did. (Since I was secretary & I had to wear a skirt, it made climbing particularly hard for me.)

Yesterday I did not have an opportunity to list the climbs we did in Rushmore for Ward. So here they are in order (I think.)

Reef One

• "Way Cool Junior"
• "Old Number 8"

Toy Boat

• "Full Speed Ahead - lead & free solo"
• "Damn the Torpedoes"
• Unnamed 5.9 climb on to the right of "Full Speed Ahead"
• "Putt Putt Toot Toot"

Toy Boat 2

• Unnamed route left of "Life Vest Made of Lead"
• "Unknown"

Cavity

• "Tranquil Evening"

Borneo

• "Pelican's Dyke"
• "Bolts for Bob"

Then it was about 1:30 and we had to leave.

Return From Black Hills

 

Got home about 12AM. John and Ward are still driving to their homes. So while they're still driving, I'll put some photos up.

 

 

"Pakastani Route" in Spearfish Canyon

 

 

 

 

 

 

Advance base camp at Mt Rushmore 

 

 

 

 

 

Moonlight Ridge in the Needles

 

 

 

 

Summit of "Beside the Point" Moonlight Ridge done trad style

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rapping down "The Point" Moonlight Ridge

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ward approaching summit of "Tricouni Nail" in Ten Pins area of the Needles and unknown climber standing on top of "Super Pin."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

John approaching summit of "Tent Peg" in Ten Pin area. 

QD, Johnny Mac and The Warden "Strike" 10 Pins!

Over the roar of motorcycles this tale was told to me by a very excited Needles climber named Richard. He spun a yarn of folks from the Black Hill Climbers Coalition gathered in the Ten Pins to set top ropes (good thing too, I hear the leads are truely frightening) Our fellas climbed a lot of routes; Hairy Pin, Super Pin, Ten Peg, End Pin, Tee to the Ball. They also climbed Nantucket Sleigh Ride on Moby Dick. Descriptions of all these routes at can be found here.

Yes, there was lead climbing too!
The Warden Locked up Tricouni Nail, a Needles Classic, of which he can be very proud. That's it in the photo.
Mountain Project says this about Simul-rap required in this climb.
This is one of the most classic climbs in the Black Hills, and the descent is a notorious though completely secure simulrappel from the top. No anchors exist on the summit, so the rope must be layed in between two of the horns with one climber rappeling off each side simultaneously. Be sure to maintain good communication with your partner while doing this because you end on opposite sides of the spire. Local climbers harvest booty almost daily from people unfamiliar with this technique.

I'm not sure what it means to "harvest booty" but I bet Ward would want to do that too. Ward was a very bold belayer as well. His climber told him "If I fall between the first and second bolt, you jump off the 20 foot rock, We will both get scraped up but we will both live" Jeez. That's a dynamic belay!

After all that excitement, the threesome went for a refreshing swim in Sylvan Lake, then found Hill City closed to mere autos. You shudda taken the bikes, guys!