Trip Report
4 new routes at Lover's Leap near Lower Buttress
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Tuesday May 31, 2005 3:01pm
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Over the last week or two i put up 4 new routes near the Lower Buttress at Lover's Leap. They are mostly bolted with a few pieces of protection required here and there. Unlike most Leap routes, it is relatively easy to walk to the top and set a toprope on all climbs. The routes are rated 5.9, 5.9, 5.10a, 5.10d. None are mega classics. But they are all fun face routes that are relatively safe to lead and easy to toprope.
Below is the topo:
http://www.supertopo.com/topos/obscurities/billy_butt_topo.jpg
you can also find the topo for this and other climbs at:
http://www.supertopo.com/topos/yosemite/obscurities.html
The cliff is named the Billy Buttress because most of the work on the routes was done by a group of Strawbillies. We had trouble coming up with names to go with the Strawbilly theme so I just gave up and went with what the cliff looked like: a map with tons of big horizontal cracks that form meridians/latitudes. and from there i went with the ocean theme for the route names. I guess we could have named the routes billy names like "All em' chillin" but i thought it would be more fun to say you climbed a route like high Seas or Latitudes or Pirate Bay. if i could come up with some good Strawbilly names... then i guess i would rename the routes... suggestions welcome.
Chris McNamara
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About the Author
Climbing Magazine once computed that three percent of Chris McNamara’s life on earth has been spent on the face of El Capitan—an accomplishment that has left friends and family pondering Chris’ sanity. He’s climbed El Capitan over 70 times and holds nine big wall speed climbing records. In 1998 Chris did the first Girdle Traverse of El Capitan, an epic 75-pitch route that begs the question, “Why?”
Outside Magazine has called Chris one of “the world’s finest aid climbers.” He’s the winner of the 1999 Bates Award from the American Alpine Club and founder of the American Safe Climbing Association, a nonprofit group that has replaced over 5000 dangerous anchor bolts. He is a graduate of UC Berkeley and serves on the board of the ASCA, and Rowell Legacy Committee. He has a rarely updated adventure journal, maintains BASEjumpingmovies.com, and also runs a Lake Tahoe home rental business. |
Comments
Lambone
Big Wall climber
Ashland, Or
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May 31, 2005 - 07:47pm PT
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Hey Chris, nice work man!
(tell Mitch hi for me)
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Clair
climber
Strawberry,CA
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You have too much time on your hands to get your hackles up over something like billy names. I figured being born and raised in Strawberry and one of NINE children and spending a majority of my time climbing and bare foot made me a billy. You should be nice. Chances are you would have NO idea what is new with climbing without Supertopo.com. Don't judge. Clearly you don't know Chris.
Clair Nicholas
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akclimber
Trad climber
Eagle River, AK
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"What the f*#k?
A group of Billies?
The Nichols are hardly billies, they don't drink, they don't smell, and the last time one of them offended me or passed out drunk at my house was.....wait....the Nichols don't do that. They are actualy really nice people. You should know, you sponge!! Don't you make enough money to afford your own place? Besides that Mark climbs harder than any of the billies, except for that really smelly one. I know its hard to tell which one smells more, but the guy who's almost as bad as coiler. Heck, Coiler is Billy and buddy you ain't so don't go frontin' like you belong to something you are not a part of and never will be.
Why don't you name the routes Bible Study and Damn the Souls of the Heathen, something more in line with the whole born again christian thing. Even better, name them after your exploits. Call it the Spoiled Rich Kid Choss Pile with routes like Bed Wetter, Pussy-Ass Wienie, and I Am Not A Billy.
If anything is going to be named after the Billys, it should be done and named by the Billys. Back off you overachieving bed wettter."
Hey KLAUS! STFU! You are just jealous that Chris is smarter than you,has an absolutely hot GF, is richer, contributes more to society, and the list goes on. Shut up loser!
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akclimber
Trad climber
Eagle River, AK
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Bullsh#t, just look at your writing style and choice of words in other posts. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out. You have an unhealthy addiction to following Chris around and ripping on him. WTF did he ever do to you?
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akclimber
Trad climber
Eagle River, AK
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I don't know Chris from friggin' Adam. I just know that this A-hole Klaus has an unhealthy obsession with Chris. Eric, Chris is heterosexual and has a hot GF, he is not attracted to you.
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akclimber
Trad climber
Eagle River, AK
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I just know these things.:)
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akclimber
Trad climber
Eagle River, AK
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I don't know if Clair is Sarah but Sarah is definitely hot.
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akclimber
Trad climber
Eagle River, AK
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I just know these things.:)
And she is a very sweet girl, too.
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akclimber
Trad climber
Eagle River, AK
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So, when did he dump Sarah?
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Clair
climber
Strawberry,CA
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you should check out the new routs. They are nice!!!!
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akclimber
Trad climber
Eagle River, AK
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"Clair" you are a troll. Chris did not dump Sarah and you are not his GF. Nice try.:) You are probably Klaus with another name...
P.S. Did I mention how hot Sarah is?
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akclimber
Trad climber
Eagle River, AK
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"so how do you think I look?"
With an e-mail like azzkicker_firefighter you are probably butch...LOL!
Haven't been to the routes yet, but when I get back to CA in the fall I will try them out.
P.S. No, I will just be wrong, but I won't feel like an idiot. This is cyberspace.
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akclimber
Trad climber
Eagle River, AK
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This is too much. EJEEEEEEEEEEEEECTTTTTT!!!!
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mrtropy
Trad climber
Nor Cal
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One time my friend made his little stepbrother beat off his dog. No Joke
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akclimber
Trad climber
Eagle River, AK
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"One time my friend made his little stepbrother beat off his dog. No Joke "
Thanks ahole! I just spit food all over the monitor. LOL!
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akclimber
Trad climber
Eagle River, AK
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Whose point?
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akclimber
Trad climber
Eagle River, AK
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"No im not butch ...If you saw me you wouldn't think i am a climber."
So, are you saying climber chicks are ugly? I wouldn't think you are a climber? What would I think, that you are a sumo wrestler? I wouldn't think a sumo wrestler is a climber if I saw them. Sarah is extremely hot AND she is a climber.
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akclimber
Trad climber
Eagle River, AK
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"so you think im a wannabe?"
Yes. You wannabe Chris' GF.
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mrtropy
Trad climber
Nor Cal
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He did, he and his brother also had toad fights where they threw small toads at each other. He never went climbing with us but he joined Scientology (SP)
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azzkikr
climber
Strawberry ,CA
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you can't be his GF cause i am
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Clair
climber
Strawberry,CA
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do you guys know of any good finger cracks near tahoe?
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akclimber
Trad climber
Eagle River, AK
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I know what crack you like to put your finger in.
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akclimber
Trad climber
Eagle River, AK
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Name them after great presidents. Kind of like a mini-Mt. Rushmore.
Hey Clair, thanks for deleting your posts. Makes me look like I am talking to myself.:)
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azzkikr100
climber
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I think the STRAWbilly buttress is such a great name!!!!!!
Go with it.
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azzkikr100
climber
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Im not so sure bout all the Hip Hop names. some are tight , but I like billy names better.
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akclimber
Trad climber
Eagle River, AK
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TR, you are not funny. The "I climbed your mom" thing was stupid.
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azzkikr100
climber
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so is there any good crack climbing near or in tahoe that you know of?
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azzkikr100
climber
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Hmmmmmm.... why would you respond? Guess you are too much of an ahole to.
thanks
for nothin
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wonderbread
climber
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How's about-
Klausterf*ck
Metrosexuklaus
Das Klaussen Yah
Santa Klaus Hearts Little Elfs
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WBraun
climber
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Out-of the-klauset
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Chris McNamara
SuperTopo staff member
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Author's Reply
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Jun 5, 2005 - 01:20pm PT
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How about "Born to Mac"
I do not place ASCA bolts on new routes. I buy all my own hardware (although i do benefit from the ASCA by being able to find out which resellers sell bolts the cheapest).
in fact, klaus, if you ever want to know who we have found selling bolts the cheapest, i would be happy to hook you up.
SIDE NOTE: A lot of people slander on this forum under anonymous names and post incorrect information. That is the nature of having an open forum with very very little censorship. But, anonymous posters also dont get much respect compared to someone who either uses their real name or has posted under the same nickname for a long time.
Klaus, you fall into the category for having an awesome reputation and being one of the most accomplished big wall climbers out there. Don't take away from your reputation by posting incorrect information. What you wrote about me using ASCA hangers based in no fact whatsoever.
Or, if you are going to post incorrect info, at least try to hide behind a fake user name.
I would like keep respecting what you write on this forum just like a lot of other people would.
Or, if you dont care, ignore what i just said above, slander me back, and carry on...
This is an open forum. if you want, you can slander folks. or you can pass on useful info, usefull beta, funny stuff etc.
klaus, you have done so many awesome climbs and have a cool (dark) sense of humor, i think myself and the rest of the forum would much rather hear about those than listening to you spread incorrect info
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Chris McNamara
SuperTopo staff member
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Author's Reply
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Jun 5, 2005 - 01:52pm PT
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There have been some posts deleted from this thread. Some because somebody found out a person user name and password, then posted fake posts. the real user deleted the fake posts.
a few other posts were deleted because they clearly violed a the forum policy which i reposted below.
Look, i hate censoring stuff. and i think most people here would agree that the SuperTopo forum is one of, if not the most unmoderated climbing forums out there.
FORUM POLICY
Please keep in mind that that SuperTopo Climber's Forum is intended to
be a friendly information resource for climbers of varying levels of
skill, interests, and experience.
Posting to the forum is a privilege. Posts that are vulgar, hateful,
threatening, invading of other's privacy, sexually oriented, or violate
laws, may be deleted without notice and the author's registration may
be cancelled.
Thanks for your help in making the SuperTopo Climber's Forum a friendly
and informative source of climbing tips, discussion, and beta.
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Lambone
Big Wall climber
Ashland, Or
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uhm...yeah, ya did:
"Hmmmm, let's see, I count 14 ASCA hangers begging to be placed on a prouder formation."
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Chris McNamara
SuperTopo staff member
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Author's Reply
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Jun 5, 2005 - 02:46pm PT
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and to get more off topic...
one of my two favorite new stories to the big walls book were from the hotrod history:
[klaus] was especially inhibition-free as he had been working hard all day long—making mixed drinks. All of sudden he lurches up to pee, stumbles to the edge of the ledge, and falls off. I just remember standing on Ahwahnee Ledge in total blackness, not tied in to any safety line, watching the light from Klaus’s headlamp falling a thousand feet to the ground. I was thinking, ‘bummer, there goes the only bitchin’ wall partner I ever met.’ A couple minutes later, out of the darkness, I saw this hand reach up and clamp the ledge. Klaus, wearing the grimmest face I’ve ever seen, mantels back to safety. Turned out he had tied the lead line loosely around his waist and had just sailed off the ledge for a twenty-five footer. Without ascenders or any gear he just clawed his way back up the free-air rope to the ledge.”The excitement continued the next morning when the two pitons Rasmussen was hauling off pulled. The bags dropped four feet and placed the team’s entire livelihood on one belay bolt. Klaus recalls, “Weighing my options, I started to lead instead of drilling another belay bolt. I figured I’d feel better just getting some solid gear in between us. However, the next pitch, “Go for the Olde,” proved to be the crux of the route with plenty of rotten hooking and nothing bomber to speak of.” The two named the route after the popular Ministry tape they played during the ascent.
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Lambone
Big Wall climber
Ashland, Or
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Chris,
Just curious what style your new routes were bolted in? I assume ground up, on lead. I think this is worth mentioning. As long as youir style fits in with the traditional "Leap" style and ethic I think you should be prowd of your climbs. Plus, if they were...then no one has any business jabbing you for them.
On the other hand...if they were not...well that's another story.
BTW- again punch Mitch in the gut for me and tell him that's from Lambone. We'd be honored if you named one of your routes after our late friend Ryan Shreve....who took me up my first multi-pitch route at the Leap nearly 15 years ago.
cheers
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David
Trad climber
San Rafael, CA
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Jun 16, 2005 - 09:14am PT
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I had the opportunity to climb the 5.9 & 10.d yesterday.(marked c&d on the topo). Very fun! Great warmups for something longer or just a way to escape the crowds.
btw. Some even more interesting things in the oven.
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Minerals
Social climber
The Deli
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Jun 16, 2005 - 12:28pm PT
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btw. Some even more interesting things in the oven.
Yeah, you're telling me!
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