This has been on my tick list for awhile dont know why I have not done it in the past. However have done the first 5 pitches to the El Cap tree. agree that it does not get nearly as much traffic as some of the other surrounding routes. If I recall there was a team on it last Sept. but I dont think anyone did it this spring (would have to go back and look at El Cap Report) I find the route interesting. not sure but thought the closure was to end this coming Aug.

bolts next to solid head placements kinda suck too.

Closed till Fall, fyi

cleaning your hands and putting some moisturizer on goes a long way toward preventing them from getting fucked.

they make topical ibuprofen cream too.

Really good.. 

i like the cathedral in his head bit:

"I knew my mind had space free of tiredness in which I could operate, and I visualized a citadel within it, an impregnable fortress in which my core function was safe from sleep - everything else; memory, desire and dreams was consumed by the darkness. This skeleton crew of still firing neurons got moving and down I went, got my stuff and jugged back, flaking out on the ledge as soon as I got there, my legs in my rope bag, a bothy bag my only insulation, so tired I slept still attached my my jumars to the rope."

Thanks for the link..

I read some others - The one called short fix is fun as well..

take air,
adam

I'm trying to understand your logic on the the GSR retro Erik, but I just don't see it.  I realize you climbed these variations with the public interest in mind.  You avoided cruxes to make the route approachable to a broader group of climbers not because you "lacked sack".  If you wanted to climb the original cruxes, you could have, you certainly have the necessary aid climbing skills/experience.  But by drilling all these extra bolts, you've broken one of the golden "rules" of yosemite bigwall climbing: to never drill when natural options exist.  This "rule" is in many ways the backbone of the yosemite bigwall ethic.  It is based on the fundamental idea of leave no trace, which is of course an imperative logic to follow in order to maintain the relatively unrestricted access we currently enjoy. 

Adding these bolt ladders does not improve the quality of the route, and it will not increase the popularity of the route any more than replacing existing hardware and a bit of cleaning would have. Yes, people climbing the route now will probably climb your variations in the interest of self preservation and expediency, but that doesn't make them better than the original line.  The original route was a cunning line seeking of natural features, whether or not they were conveniently located.  Didn't that seem at all impressive and worth preserving while you were up there?  Intricate natural lines are part of the classic yosemite bigwall experience. This is why routes like Mescalito or NA wall have always been favored over routes like T-trip or WOEML.  Would the NA wall be a better route if there were bolt ladders avoiding all those pesky traverses?  Of course not.  The route as it was followed the natural line of weaknesses and as such involved some sections that were difficult, or "inconvenient". But those factors would have made it a better route than it now is in the vast majority or big wall climbers' eyes.  So how is what you did a public service?

As one of, if not the, most active local yos bigwall climber currently, you have a huge responsibility as a community leader.  As a leader in anchor replacement and now with you spearheading the guidebook project, this responsibility has increased even more.  The massive thankless effort you've put into bolt replacement deserves the community's respect and support.  But every time you make a move as questionable as this one, you alienate yourself even more from the climbing community, and this in my opinion is a huge shame. 

I'm still utterly perplexed as to how drilling around two whole pitches can be remotely acceptable, even in this day and age.

Perhaps a cleanup ascent, complete with a crowbar and epoxy is in order?

A bolt ladder bypass pitch is just a shame...

Well one of the best big wall climbers I have ever known added his share to belays, where stuff fell off, or when he got lost.  He had lots of fun up there too!

I think the real issue is that Erik has been going solo.  When you include a restoration effort, coupled with a few pitches with some consequence.....

How Many HAND DRILLED bolts are there on your variation? Seems like alot of work to bypass a few sketchy pitches to me.
 
Further, a ladder of BOLTS up and out of a roof in no way compares to leading the route proper.  So how can you write the topo accurately?

If there were features, and an obvious way to naturally protect the variation, I think a few bolts would be okay.  Provided I had talked to FA about my plans

Just don't see it your way eric,  and there are not many who care, but understand you drilled one of the most rude ladders on that side for a 1 pitch chicken exit.  No way you are ever gonna convince the few your actions were justified.  The rest of the folks who you are marketing this route to will surely enjoy the A0.

I just hope you post the ORIGINAL line on your topo, or at least the parts you climbed and an educated guess on what you skipped. That would be the first step in recovery.


WTF happend to HOLE COUNT management?  You have more holes in your variation than a 1/2 dozen 12+ pitch wall routes I can think of..

That is a shame, never even gave the route a chance to prove it's worth


Best REgards,

Mucci

Apply a good hand cream nightly as a preemptive measure. Getting cracked fingers to heal on a wall is a painful bitch, so I try to have them never crack to begin with. The dry air does a number on my hands (and inside my nose), so I use the moisturizer liberally in advance.

Nightly I also trim down every single small loose cuticle and loose strand of finger skin with a nail clipper. Those micro flappers of dead skin, given the chance, will peel back into more major flappers from shoving your hands into the rack, the haul bag and everything you grab into.

And don't cut your nails too short. This enhances separated nails. Leave a little nail there for protection.

yessir, Wet Ones for regular cleaning.

I have 1/2" waterproof tape on hand for finger detail. Athletic and duct tape just don't do the job of this stuff. The generic brands as I've experienced are often not as good as the J&J.

A finger splint isn't a dumb thing to have on hand. The bend-able aluminum/foam ones are light and small. Even trim down a small piece of one you could tape on a bad joint.