Trip Report
A Milktoast Free Ascent Of Tenaya Peak!!

by survival
Monday October 20, 2014 12:53pm
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Credit: survival
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Some forum member, who will remain unnamed, while advocating for an invitation, threatened to dust my ass in the alpine recently. He was invited anyway.


The route. Borrowed from the web.
Not exactly the way we went, but there are MANY ways up that thing.
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Well.....let's just say that no ass dusting occurred. The unnamed ass duster DIDN'T SHOW UP!! In fact it sickened Survival so deeply that it actually caused him to hurl on one of the beautiful ledges.
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Dad, WTF? That's Dinguscusting!!
Dad, WTF? That's Dinguscusting!!
Credit: survival
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It was alright though, this mission was all about Layton, my 14 year old son.
See, he has been begging to get in on the adventure action. He has climbed many peaks, and done some top roping, but never done a peak with technical climbing and all the trad logistics of rope handling, gear removal, anchors and the like. All of my kids have been forced to undergo the mandatory introduction to roped climbing, but I haven't forced any of them to continue. Layton is the one who began to crave it by having it kept away from him!
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Credit: survival
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So anyway, Lepton and I hatched a plan to get him up something long, fun, and still challenging. He got it all!!


Visit on photobucket.com













So away we go! Mandatory caffeine upload in the parking lot.
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Credit: survival
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Credit: survival
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Visit on photobucket.com














Layton with the route behind him.

Visit on photobucket.com












Visit on photobucket.com













Visit on photobucket.com










Visit on photobucket.com











Visit on photobucket.com





Must run errands. Back soon with many more pics!!



  Trip Report Views: 3,656
survival 		About the Author
survival is a big wall climber from A Token of My Extreme.

Comments
JEleazarian

Trad climber
Fresno CA
  Oct 20, 2014 - 01:19pm PT
Thanks for the TR. I first did this climb in 1977, when few knew how enjoyable it was. Five years later, there were crowds, but no matter. It's always been an enjoyable, satisfying romp. I hope to climb it many more times before I'm done with life.

John
hellroaring

Trad climber
San Francisco
  Oct 20, 2014 - 01:21pm PT
Awesome! Good fathers/cool dads, seem to be a rarity. Seems like a lot of boys have to figure out what it means to be a man in our society with little or no guidance. Hell, some even have to rely on their mothers to try and show them the way. Not a lot of positive male role models out there (think NFL recently). So hats off to you Survival for stoking your son's inner fire without cramming it down his throat. May the two of you enjoy a long & blossoming series of climbing adventure...maybe he'll even be your rope gun when the passage of time starts to slow you down, not that it won't for a long long time!
survival

Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
Author's Reply  Oct 20, 2014 - 03:17pm PT
maybe he'll even be your rope gun when the passage of time starts to slow you down, not that it won't for a long long time!


It's starting to look that way already. He wants more!










Father and son, digging the day!
MikeL

Social climber
Southern Arizona
  Oct 20, 2014 - 03:21pm PT
Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.

That kid has a terrific smile, too.
survival

Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
Author's Reply  Oct 20, 2014 - 04:12pm PT




























































Moquah

Trad climber
Carson City Nevada
  Oct 20, 2014 - 04:52pm PT
Beautiful! Hmmm? Inspiring me to maybe take a quick trip up there myself before winter takes hold.
bluering

Trad climber
Santa Clara, CA
  Oct 20, 2014 - 05:04pm PT
Really. Super. Awesome.

Layton looks stoked! (and Dad too)
survival

Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
Author's Reply  Oct 20, 2014 - 05:15pm PT
Lepton tiptoes thru the tulips!









Lepton on the sharp end again.








Leptogazing.









Showing off his Smokey The Bear pin from New Mexico!


















We ran into a bit of a traffic jam up high. Wonderful people though. I will not identify any of them. Maybe one of them will view the thread and identify themselves!
Ezra Ellis

Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
  Oct 20, 2014 - 05:34pm PT
Nice Bruce, he will remember this forever!!!!
That is a lucky kid!
Avery

climber
New Zealand
  Oct 20, 2014 - 07:02pm PT
Lovely pics, Survival.

What an experience for your son. Sadly, father-son adventures like this are something of a rarity.

You have a good eye for a pic: beautiful light and color.
phylp

Trad climber
Upland, CA
  Oct 20, 2014 - 06:09pm PT
Great choice! I discovered this route late in life but now that I did it this year and last year, I want to do it once a year for the rest of my days!
Fritz

Social climber
Choss Creek, ID
  Oct 20, 2014 - 06:20pm PT
Great trip report-so far! Glad you got to have your son want to go climbing with you!

(Did he get over wanting to wear his helmet on his butt, rather than his head?)
Jingy

climber
Random Nobody
  Oct 20, 2014 - 06:45pm PT
Great trip report.

Thanks for the photos. Now I can tell my imagination that I've been there too, with none of the evidence and not a single story to tell about it.
Ghost

climber
A long way from where I started
  Oct 20, 2014 - 08:33pm PT
So what's next? He's going to drag your wrinkly old ass up some new route on Cerro Torre?

Nah... He would probably worry that you might not be able to keep up.
survival

Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
Author's Reply  Oct 20, 2014 - 09:38pm PT
My son has been asking me about doing multi-pitch climbs - I think he may have caught the bug.

How old is he Dave? Always curious how other parents approach these things.





















Now listen Layton, it's getting late, so every little thing we do now has to be quicker. Climbing, pushing yourself, clipping, unclipping, it all has to be done faster.....











Bonsai!!!








This is what my little camera can do with low light.


I really appreciate all the nice comments about dads and sons. Layton treated me like no other partner ever has. He really let it all hang out about his feelings and joy.
mike m

Trad climber
black hills
  Oct 20, 2014 - 09:50pm PT
Awesome looks like a great route.
this just in

climber
Justin Ross from North Fork
  Oct 20, 2014 - 10:47pm PT
You sure do take your kids to some cool places Bruce. Congrats to each of you.
Jaybro

Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
  Oct 21, 2014 - 04:13am PT
Nice! The cool family, complete with funny Uncle Lepton goes peak climbing, love it!!
Sierra Ledge Rat

Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
  Oct 21, 2014 - 04:30am PT
Sweetness! My first multi-pitch routes in California were the Great White Book, South Crack and Tenaya Peak, when I was a young teenager back in 1978. That route on Tenaya Peak has a special place in my heart.
telemon01

Trad climber
Montana
  Oct 21, 2014 - 06:12am PT

Great experience, way to go Survival.

clinker

Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
  Oct 21, 2014 - 06:20am PT
Totally cool dudes.
survival

Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
Author's Reply  Oct 21, 2014 - 07:41pm PT
The cool family, complete with funny Uncle Lepton goes peak climbing, love it!!


(The crazy uncle you have to lock in the garage when company comes over.)

He is indeed funny. And also brilliant. He can take apart, and reassemble damn near anything, build anything from scratch, fix anything and more. Plus, he challenges my kids to think like no one else ever has. The man is more multi faceted than a freekin' diamond.
Our crazy Uncle Diamond......

He also provides MUCH of the stoke for these adventures, and for that I will always be grateful.


Timid, I don't think Layton caught any special bird sightings. He's so into figuring out what plants are what these days that I don't think he was watching for birds as much.



Having fun with alpenglow. Yes, it was that late.












What I really want to know is, what the hell is that beautiful squared off tower to the southeast? And those pointy buttresses behind it?












My men. Senior Man and Junior Man!!
Mark Sensenbach

climber
CA
  Oct 21, 2014 - 07:50am PT
Awesome!!
survival

Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
Author's Reply  Oct 21, 2014 - 08:21am PT
Awwww, thanks eKatStokeMamaFromTheWayBackMachine!!

Check out what time we headed down the Southwesteyish ridge....
NutAgain!

Trad climber
https://nutagain.org
  Oct 21, 2014 - 09:23am PT
Beautiful climb with beautiful views, and a beautiful way to bring your son into the fold :)
drljefe

climber
El Presidio San Augustin del Tucson
  Oct 21, 2014 - 02:55pm PT
Nice Bruce!
The Outlaws!
I saw it yesterday but waited for an effective bump.
survival

Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
Author's Reply  Oct 21, 2014 - 03:33pm PT
The Outlaws Of Poker Flat!!


How about a few art pics from the next morning?






























Ooops!
guido

Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
  Oct 21, 2014 - 05:04pm PT
Can't get much better than this old boy-lucky dad and lucky son!
F10

Trad climber
Bishop
  Oct 21, 2014 - 07:26pm PT
PDC

Pretty Damn Cool

That's AWESOME !!
Avery

climber
New Zealand
  Oct 21, 2014 - 07:36pm PT
More great pics, Survival. Don't let me hold you up!
yanqui

climber
Balcarce, Argentina
  Oct 22, 2014 - 07:14am PT
Groovin' on the photos
SC seagoat

Trad climber
Santa Cruz, Moab, Bozeman, the ocean, or ?
  Oct 22, 2014 - 09:14am PT
That was one fun read! Everyone looked like old pros out there...regardless of their age.
My son was 14 when I took him on his first climb. He did so much better than me.
Hope to see many more of these TRs...beautiful pics and lively guys!

Susan
Captain...or Skully

climber
Boise, ID
  Oct 22, 2014 - 10:02am PT
Ahhhh. That's the stuff. TFPU, Bruce. Looks like a grand time.
micronut

Trad climber
Fresno/Clovis, ca
  Oct 22, 2014 - 10:50am PT
Great stuff man. A father and son's bond is enriched and strengthened by each of these adventures and those knots, once tied, stay strong for a long long time.

Here is Gabriel, my boy (10) and I last year on Cathedral Peak...his first real mountain.
One of the best days I've ever had in the mountains.

Good job Dads,


Scott
survival

Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
Author's Reply  Oct 22, 2014 - 03:53pm PT
I love all the support on this site for us regular guys. Yes, I used to be such a bad ass, but these days I just want to keep up the game, best I can, and share.
Layton appreciates all your kind words.
melski

Trad climber
bytheriver
  Oct 22, 2014 - 04:12pm PT
shine on all you crazy diamonds,,,glad to see lepton out of his aiders,,,,last time i saw layton he was busting moves on the resterant floor,,your little camera works great,,did that route about five years ago and loved how wandering about was allowed, maybe the folks at home dont know its your daughters middle name,,[Tenya],,chow for now,,
survival

Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
Author's Reply  Oct 22, 2014 - 04:20pm PT
Holy Schit!! Melski??!!

Gawdamnit, now I am truly honored and humbled!!

Melski is a great man and great climber who I've climbed with since I was 15 years old!!


F*#k, I just sh#t myself with joy......
survival

Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
Author's Reply  Oct 23, 2014 - 07:37am PT
No one recognizes what the big square tower upthread is?
survival

Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
Author's Reply  Oct 23, 2014 - 05:24pm PT
Spider Savage

Mountain climber
The shaggy fringe of Los Angeles
  Oct 23, 2014 - 08:50pm PT
This is the good stuff, baby.
Gnome Ofthe Diabase

climber
Out Of Bed
  May 11, 2017 - 11:07am PT
A well stacked report! A classic
Worthy responses too.
Larry Nelson

Social climber
  May 14, 2017 - 10:39am PT
Bump for a great TR
Excellent photos, good looking son.
It tugs at the heart strings.
NutAgain!

Trad climber
https://nutagain.org
  May 14, 2017 - 01:07pm PT
This thread makes me want to get back out there with my kids... it's been a while since we've have had some mountain scrambles, and Tenaya Peak looks like a perfect all-day classic mild climbing adventure!
survival

Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
Author's Reply  May 14, 2017 - 01:30pm PT
Thanks for the bump Larry!

Nut, it is perfect, but you do have to keep moving. We ended up doing the hardest part of the descent in the dark. Lots of sniffing around right and left and running into cliff bands. Probably easy peasy in the daylight, but...it wasn't.....
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