West Face C2F 5.7

 
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Leaning Tower


Yosemite Valley, California USA


Trip Report
Leaning Tower Photo Video TR

by kev
Thursday October 16, 2008 4:03am
Yo,

So here is my TR as promised! As a forward I'd like to say that aid climbing is the shizzle! We did a grade 5 in PTPP style. Enjoy. Hopefully the video links work if not I'll put em up again tomorrow.

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Our plan Beer, Whiskey, and Wet Denim Day Dream....My First wall with and first time climbing with Mucci - another dirtbag. I met Mucci in the parking lot in TM over beers we hatched a plan to do a wall. 1-2 months later we jumped on the Leaning Tower.

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Racking up at the parking lot...Wow that's a lot of gear - I may like this aid thing. Were gonna need to have a few beers before the load humpin begins.

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Myself, Bones our mascot, the pig, and the beer bucket. Unfortunately I didn't have time to repaint the beer bucket so I added some tape. Some of you have prolly seen its companion the UN helmet.

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Two taco goers say us on the approach and wanted to snap a shot. It turns out that one of them was Studly and he emailed me this pic. Thanks Brah!

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We started out the day with beers and humped in the first load. We then returned to the deli, drank more and humped in the last load. Apple juice containers work really well for Jack and Coke.

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Bones hanging out at the base of the climb.

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This is looking out from the start of the West Face (same first 4 pitches as Wet Denim). What you see is the Leaning Tower Traverse. A super fun slightly loose PG protected route I did earlier this year - Wahooo 2 trips up the tower this year, one free and one aid!

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Mucci cruising up the P1 Bolt ladder. Dude is FAST on ladders. I had so much fun swinging off the bolts. Mucci was kind enough only to clip every 4th or 5th bolt for me to give me a fun ride.

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Bones dug it too!

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Styling for a photo on P3 or 4 I think.

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Bones feeling a little scared. Note the quality duct tape job on him.

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Awahnee ledge means beer time. We met Kevin (not me another one) who was soloing Jesus Built My Hot Rod. Unfortunately a large chunk of the route fell off and Kevin was bailing (he'd take a couple of 20-30 footers earlier) and hooked us up with his left over water. Anyhow he had done Wet Denim a few months ago and he felt it was pretty stout. So after a few beers we figured the West Face might be a better idea for my first wall.
My first night on a wall was here and was full value with the good old morning poop tube.


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Me leading out on P5.

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Super fun P5 traverse.

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Mucci cleaning P5.

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Me following P6.

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It's getting close to beer time.

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Cobras at the bivy. My first night in a ledge which was borrowed from drc. He still hasn't used the homemade ledge he bought this year. Hope it doesn't rain on him when he does and hopefully he'll shrink to 5'6" cause the ledge is a kinda small.
Thanks for the ledge dude - it's got the kev seal of approval now!

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It's beer thirty!!!!!

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Mucci chillin out on his giant A5 ledge. Lucky Bastard!

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Mmmmm, morning smoke. I had kinda quit smoking but took a sabbatical from my non-smoking ways for the tower.

[url=
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[/url" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://s430.photobucket.com/albums/qq21/kevinclimbs/?action=view¤t=PortaledgeBivy.flv]
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[/url
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Portaledge Bivy Video

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Mucci about to hit the roof on P7 or 8.

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Now that's gonna be fun for Kev to clean!

[url=
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[/url" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://s430.photobucket.com/albums/qq21/kevinclimbs/?action=view¤t=Pitch9Belay.flv]
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[/url
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Mucci explaining Bones Decision to stay at P9 until at least xmas...You can see him from the 41 Tunnel with Binocs now!

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Mucci approaching the topout. He's looking kinda thirsty.

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Just as I topped out I notice the storm I'd been eyeing all day was gonna hit us so it was time to get a fire going.

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Full value storm. All we could see was white. It rocked!

[url=
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[/url" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://s430.photobucket.com/albums/qq21/kevinclimbs/?action=view¤t=StormBivy.flv]
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Yeah baby here comes the storm!

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Gear sort the next day.

We're now planning a winter wall soon!

I'm hooked!

  Trip Report Views: 6,398
kev
About the Author
kev is a climber from CA.

Comments
kev

climber
A pile of dirt.
Author's Reply  Oct 16, 2008 - 11:31am PT
Come on I want comments ):
bluering

Trad climber
Santa Clara, CA
  Oct 16, 2008 - 11:43am PT
kick ass!!!!


Nice job, dude. With all that fun it looks like you guys had, it almost, almost makes me wanna do a wall like that now.

Lambone

Big Wall climber
Ashland, Or
  Oct 16, 2008 - 12:18pm PT
Nice dude, the crux of Wet Denim is pretty heads up and not a good place to be learning how to nail beaks and small heads. Glad you had fun on the West Face!

Don't leave stuff on the route next time. You may think it's cute but most think it's trash.
Dirka

Trad climber
Hustle City
  Oct 16, 2008 - 01:09pm PT
Uber sweet!
bluering

Trad climber
Santa Clara, CA
  Oct 16, 2008 - 03:56pm PT
I'm bumping this because it's such a bad-ass TR. Video even!
batman from MO

Trad climber
Kansas City Missouri
  Oct 16, 2008 - 08:40pm PT
Good job Chef! Makes me glad I stick to training new troops instead of jumping on big walls. Thinking about going to Quartz for the Fall Gathering. You have inspired me to get busy and get out there. Kevin, you have a quality climber in the Chef there, listen to him and you will be a hard man in a hurry!

Ever higher,
Batman
Studly

Trad climber
WA
  Oct 16, 2008 - 09:28pm PT
Good effort from a couple snake charmers. I will take skelty off the tower when I go if he is still there, as will be doing a solo effort. Hows his gainer?
mucci

Trad climber
The pitch of Bagalaar above you
  Oct 16, 2008 - 11:01pm PT
Wow big Kev! Good job on the TR. You really wanted that thing! I have never had so much fun on a wall, Let alone the military surplus of cobra and food.

Good job Studly on the thief, that thing looks BAD A**. You guys looked like you just found a pot of gold!

*Mucci* aka the chef
kev

climber
A pile of dirt.
Author's Reply  Oct 17, 2008 - 12:32pm PT
Yo Mucci - it was a blast. Time to start planning a winter wall brah!

kev
yosguns

climber
  Oct 17, 2008 - 09:44pm PT
:) Looks like fun times. Kev Dude, ways from bolt ladders at the Pinns. ;-) Congrats!

mucci

Trad climber
The pitch of Bagalaar above you
  Oct 17, 2008 - 10:07pm PT
Whoa......DRC is in the house! Takin down Son of Dawn!
hungry man

Trad climber
around
  Oct 17, 2008 - 10:10pm PT
allright!
drc

Trad climber
Durham, NC
  Oct 17, 2008 - 11:03pm PT
cool,
looks like CMac liked it. You got a link on the route beta pages.
Cheers
V.
mojede

Trad climber
Butte, America
  Oct 17, 2008 - 11:34pm PT
Great eye candy, thanks for posting up.
Clarke Brogger

Mountain climber
Seal Beach, Ca
  Oct 19, 2008 - 10:03am PT
Classic. Safe to say you guys don't fly with the old axim "light is right" eh? All that beer might have saved a load or two.

Thanks a bunch for the TR. I'll grab "bones" with me this week. I can send him to you guys if you want.

cb
Bertrand

climber
California
  Oct 22, 2008 - 02:55am PT
Mooch, thanks for the word on the TR today. it did not disappoint. Kev..congrats on the route, I'll be seeking your advice as we try to bag one or two next month.
murcy

Gym climber
sanfrancisco
  Oct 22, 2008 - 03:13am PT
great pixtures and psyching tr!
Mungeclimber

Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
  Oct 22, 2008 - 03:40am PT
kewl beans
kev

climber
A pile of dirt.
Author's Reply  Oct 23, 2008 - 03:30pm PT
Clarke,

Did you grab bones?

YosGuns,

Ha, and to think that picture you posted was earlier this year!!!

Big K
kev

climber
A pile of dirt.
Author's Reply  Oct 27, 2008 - 05:30pm PT
Yo Mike,

You don't even know me. My trash???? Has it ever occurred to you that other people climb that rock, both before us and after us? Hmmm the bivy is shared by how many people? Anyhow perhaps you should think before you speak - on that one. I pick up way to much of other peoples sh#t and it's rather annoying to hear this kinda crap from someone who doesn't know me....I guess I get faulted because I didn't scour the climb for other peoples sh#t????

That said I can't argue with you about bones. Yes we left him there for Halloween, maybe we'll put Rudolph up there around xmas....

kev

Oh yeah and on the butts, well unless the pack or two of butts in my pocket at the top was a hallucination nope not mine
drc

Trad climber
Durham, NC
  Oct 27, 2008 - 05:38pm PT
Mike,
I know kevs faults and they are many;)
Wantonly littering however is not one of them. I have seen him dump pocketfulls of his own and others cig butts out in the trash after coming down off climbs.
A pile of 'bones' at the base or on the ledge is kinda funny IMO.
Way funnier than the piles of unburied sh#t and TP at the base of many a popular climb.
cheers
V.
Lambone

Big Wall climber
Ashland, Or
  Oct 27, 2008 - 06:17pm PT
I'm with Mike, leavin Bones on the route is ghey. Funny isnt what comes to mind when it comes down to packing out someone elses bulky and awkward trash. The Tower is the second most popular wall in the valley and is summited nearly everyday. Imagine if every party left their novelty item on the route and tore apart the summit bush for a campfire? Think impact and leave the holiday toys at home. Plus wasn't your climb in September? Little early for holloween dontcha think?

Now if you had climbed Nightmare on California Street, bones might have been fitting. Not trying to be a hater, I'm glad for your sucessful first wall, and I hope you climb many more. Just get over the n00by toy fetish and leave the route cleaner then you found it!
GhoulweJ

Trad climber
El Dorado Hills, CA
  Oct 27, 2008 - 11:59pm PT
Climbing thread bump
kev

climber
A pile of dirt.
Author's Reply  Oct 28, 2008 - 11:44am PT
Mike,

The bones thing is a liget debate. The idea came from the giant plastic spider that was in a crack over on the open books this year or last. I'll ponder this a bit.

Sorry if I got a little pissed. And I do understand being mad about trash - I've hauled out plenty of other peoples crap as well. I took offense to the suggestion that I left a bunch of crap there (again other than bones)....Anyhow I think we're square on it all now.

kev



Offset

climber
seattle
  Oct 28, 2008 - 12:13pm PT
GET A ROOM you two...

kidding...

nice send and TR... good to see some climbing here

...and i'll take trash arguments over political arguments on the taco....
nutjob

Sport climber
Almost to Hollywood, Baby!
  Oct 28, 2008 - 01:42pm PT
I dunno, I thought bones was charming.

At first glance, it seems inconsistent that if you climb harder than most you're entitled to leave inflatable sheep and other toys and its cool, and if you're new to the walls it's not. But then when thinking about it in terms of traffic and impact, the pack-it-in-pack-it-out maxim is a good one.
msiddens

Trad climber
  Feb 23, 2010 - 03:55pm PT
yaaaah, glad this popped up and an entertaining read.
micronut

Trad climber
Fresno/Clovis, ca
  Feb 23, 2010 - 06:49pm PT
Groovy. Well done. More to come I'm sure.
Wade Icey

Trad climber
www.alohashirtrescue.com
  Feb 25, 2010 - 10:28pm PT
nice one Kev. still hooked on wall climbing?
Nostrodomas

Trad climber
Visalia, Ca.
  Jun 3, 2010 - 04:57am PT
http://s430.photobucket.com/albums/qq21/kevinclimbs/PortaledgeBivy.flv

http://s430.photobucket.com/albums/qq21/kevinclimbs/Pitch9Belay.flv

http://s430.photobucket.com/albums/qq21/kevinclimbs/StormBivy.flv


Here is are links to the videos. They are .fly files so you might need vlc player.
Gnome Ofthe Diabase

climber
Out Of Bed
  Dec 6, 2014 - 03:04pm PT
CHUM BUCKET BUMP
No man no ideas where to get frozen Chum. You cold Reach out to PTPP over in esters Canada but that is just s00 paid as I know you are a sea fairing type
Canned Chile and Raw chicken?!
Go
Leaning Tower - West Face C2F 5.7 - Yosemite Valley, California USA. Click to Enlarge
The West Face of Leaning Tower.
Photo: Corey Rich
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