Trip Report
Quiet and killer day on Bridalveil East (Midget Chimney variation)
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Thursday October 9, 2014 8:41pm
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le_bruce
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About the Author
le_bruce is a climber from Oakland: what's not to love? |
Comments
Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Love it!!
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
Wyoming
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Good. Finally some shots of the real business. But it's confusing, listing it also as Aqua Variation. Which this was not. Aqua V. actually gets you within 20 ft of the falls. You are traversing several times to the right, avoiding harder climbing of course to be at 5.8. You even hand traverse (5.4) to this ledge and old tree as marked. Above there is the last and very short pitch above the marked ledge, but kind of an athletic liebacky kind of situation for a few fee to freedom and the pools!
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NutAgain!
Trad climber
https://nutagain.org
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Radness!!!
Gorgeous looking down on the top of the falls. So was whatever version we attempted a few years ago on route at all?
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Spider Savage
Mountain climber
The shaggy fringe of Los Angeles
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Sweet! Definitely on my list.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Oct 10, 2014 - 02:45pm PT
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Peter,
I believe supertopo does not have a complete list of climbs, and le_bruce used the closest match.
The Aqua var got listed after my 2008 trip report:
http://www.supertopo.com/tr/Bridalveil-East-Aqua-var-Trip-Report-10-25-08/t65n.html
(we used that var. to avoid the Midget Chimney).
Bruce,
Thanks for sharing the cool photos.
I think we saw you guys descending the Gunsight on Sunday afternoon.
[Edit:] Yep - we were climbing stuff at the base of The Flakes.
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kaholatingtong
Trad climber
The fake McCoy from nevernever land.
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nice! quite the swimming hole!
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Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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best!!!!!! and Peter totally contributes!!!
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le_bruce
climber
Oakland, CA
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Author's Reply
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Oct 9, 2014 - 09:58pm PT
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Scott - you and I were off route, but it seemed like it would keep going, didn't it? Maybe we should head back there... What are you doing in April? (haha)
Clint, you're right, I just picked the closest thing. Were you guys climbing the Flakes or something in that area? Saw some folks over there.
Peter, that Midget Chimney was stout. Physical. And really really good. Looking at the pics, it seems to me that all four of us did it a bit differently. Hand size matters a bunch on that pitch. Tight fists or strenuous cups - both hard!
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Willoughby
Social climber
Truckee, CA
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I approve of this TR.
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
Wyoming
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Oct 10, 2014 - 12:47pm PT
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Le Brucer, make no mistake. Back in the day, The Midget Chimney was one of Frank S's set of test pieces.
It was roundly feared and hardly ever climbed. I remember John Morton sitting in the lounge back then, totally ruined hands but still casting a big attitude to us kids in his full beard and totally new 501's. He had just been Frank's belayer on the FA. And the legend kind of went on from there.
Because it was a bit obscure compared to Twilight Zone, left side of the Slack, the Crack of Doom, and others, most never did the route because they could get away with ignoring it in its obscurity. But look now, here we have photos half a century later that show us it was a superb bit of climbing, a must-do and as visionary as the other much-feared climbs.
As far as the Aqua variation, RR thought it was of no importance. He told me so and couldn't remember a thing about it as usual. I did it as a teenager and loved the adventure, devious route line and hidden holds all over the first pitch or two. Climbing near the falls was also great fun, especially when it would blow over our way. And of course, then, the pools in Autumn.
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
Wyoming
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Oct 10, 2014 - 12:46pm PT
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Le-Brucer, Chuck(edit: Sacherer) of course only had pitons. So some bongs. But mind you, there would have been very few placed. He was fully into running out 40 ft on stuff like this. "Technique is your protection" as he would say and write. To stuff an off width with pro, whether pins, cams or tubes, was just ugly. And you had to climb over the suckers. And after all, it wasn't till quite later that you heard of people falling in off widths.
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Gnome Ofthe Diabase
climber
Out Of Bed
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, awsome thanks and nice that you took up the challenge
SNAOR = So Not An Old Geezer's Route still I am sure that this TR
Is going to send a lot of them/us:-)
after it!!
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Oct 10, 2014 - 12:01am PT
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I got pretty lost trying to find this route, making to the rim with some aid and choss, never knowing if I was near or on the route ever.
Any way to trace it on the photo of the are area posted above?
Appreciate the tr, thanks!
Peace
Karl
here's my thread about our semi-epic. Good comments including Morton's story from the FA and a Walt Shipley story from Jaybro
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=40071&msg=40071#msg40071
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NutAgain!
Trad climber
https://nutagain.org
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I notice that nobody is actually in the pools... did you guys swim it? Or is it too sketchy to get pulled into a current and go over the lip? I know the cold wouldn't stop le_bruce.
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Oct 10, 2014 - 12:05am PT
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I found this on Clint's tr
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Oct 10, 2014 - 06:18am PT
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That was awesome.
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Oct 10, 2014 - 06:29am PT
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That rock is a lot like the stuff in the Five Open Books, especially the ones closer to Lower Yo Falls. It's clean, polished, and nubs abound.
And the vegetation, too, which makes it truly a Yo classic. Too bad about people's poor route-finding skills.
If you get up, you get up.
le bruce's lack of verbiage is a tricky treat. Thanks for being original, man.
Nice hands, too.
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this just in
climber
Justin Ross from North Fork
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Oct 10, 2014 - 08:16am PT
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Love these photo TRs. Hard to beat the pool pics, but I think the one with the tree belay is my favorite of the group. Very cool info Peter Haan.
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Alexey
climber
San Jose, CA
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Oct 10, 2014 - 12:08pm PT
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The Midget Chimney was one of Chuck P's set of test pieces.
It was roundly feared and hardly ever climbed. I remember John Morton sitting in the lounge back then, totally ruined hands but still casting a big attitude to us kids in his full beard and totally new 501's. He had just been Chuck's belayer on the FA. And the legend kind of went on from there.
Peter, according to Reid book and Roper description it was Frank Sacherer and John Morton FFA of Midget chimney var in 1964 (proud!)
NutAgain: the photos from swimming pools was censored to post as nudes (no dicks/no boobs policy on ST)
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John Morton
climber
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Oct 10, 2014 - 11:16am PT
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Yes, it was Sacherer. Pratt/Fredericks did the 2nd. All these folks showed the exact same hand wound. Too stupid to use tape in those days.
John
Attitude? 501s? Was I bragging about my scar?
Thanks Bruce, for such a lovely and complete set of photos. And btw thanks to all those who carried film cameras years ago - I appreciate that more than ever.
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RyanD
climber
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Oct 10, 2014 - 09:51am PT
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Le Bruce,
You always climb cool looking, long, obscure routes and then post fun TRs with awesome photos of said route.
This another great example of that.
Awesome stuff, much appreciated.
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clinker
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
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Oct 10, 2014 - 09:56am PT
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Cool pics.
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Alexey
climber
San Jose, CA
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Oct 10, 2014 - 12:43pm PT
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Really pleased that John Morton chimed on this TR. He did FFA with Sacherer exactly 50 years ago.!
here his FFA story from old 2004 tread
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=40071&msg=40848#msg40848
Sep 15, 2004 - 02:36pm PT
Just stumbled on "who's done Bridalveil East? is it OK?" ... I was half of the FFA party (via the Midget Chimney). Haven't thought about the route for a long time, but seeing as this is the 40th anniversary I'll mull it over and toast the late Frank Sacherer tonight. Here's a belated trip report for your entertainment:
The crack/chimney system is obvious from a distance, the first continuous weakness in the wall left of the fall. That's not to say you can't get lost. I think we used Powell's writeup from the Sierra Club Bulletin and had no trouble finding his route. But maybe it was also in the blue guide. (That's all you need, some 40 yr. old beta, right?)
Don't remember munge or trees or crummy rock, but memories of the last pitch overwrote whatever else happened that day. Mark Powell coined the name "Midget Chimney". Everyone wondered what he meant, because it's a flare with a 3" crack in the back. The midget would have to be 6" tall. Frank didn't tell me what was on his mind, I think he just suggested we do Bridalveil East. Just as well not to know, because I was awestruck when I saw the crack and realized we were working on his tick list of notorious problems.
Sacherer had a reputation for scant protection, but he was very diligent about this pitch - I think he got in 3 pieces, and it's not that long. There was a 3" bong at the very lip, and my palms are sweating now as I think of the effort it took to hang off a fist and beat that thing in. I was able to climb to that point, but took tension for several minutes to remove the bong. And then I dropped it and had to endure Sacherer's wrath until we finally found it in the talus that afternoon.
We each returned home with a bleeding wound in the same place on the back of the left hand. My scar is still visible. Pratt and Fredericks did the first repeat and had identical wounds in exactly the same place. There was tape in first aid kits then, but climbers were too stupid to use it.
I think Karl has got it right about leaving the route in obscurity. Leave a few word-of-mouth climbs around so Valley newcomers can get a taste of what it was like to have the Cathedral group all to yourself, with only some rumors about the route to steer you. A few suckers will go up just knowing there's a great swimming hole at the top.
regards
John
so we had taped our hands which made them looks better after the climb and had 3 blue and 2 gray camalots, to protect this stelar pitch well.
And Bryce, thanks for taking camera and making photos.
BTW, it was a lot of chalk on the route, looks like it was recently climbed
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
Wyoming
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Oct 10, 2014 - 12:48pm PT
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edited my error vis a vis Chuck / Sacherer above.
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Ezra Ellis
Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
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Oct 10, 2014 - 01:03pm PT
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Embrace the gobies!
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BASE104
Social climber
An Oil Field
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Oct 10, 2014 - 01:11pm PT
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That is one hell of a cool swimming pool. I could see going up there with a week of goodies and just hanging out. As long as it doesn't rain.
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le_bruce
climber
Oakland, CA
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Author's Reply
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Oct 10, 2014 - 07:30pm PT
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I hope the beta will remain minimal but one important error in the line that Karl Baba posted above.
When Scott and I attempted this line a few years back, we followed the line showed in Baba's pic. I linked the first two through nondescript 5.8 and stopped on a big, sloping ledge 10 ft right of the main chimney.
You don't want want to end up on this ledge (from Clint's TR ).
From that ledge, you can traverse left into the chimney on moderate face climbing to get back on route, no problem.
The problem with doing this is that you will miss the second best pitch on the route, almost as good as the Midget Chimney.
The true second pitch is not the blocky, nebulous stuff out right of the main chimney that leads to the ledge, but the dark, overhung, intimidating squeeze with uncertain protection inside the main chimney system. Miss this pitch and you miss one of the most memorable and high quality pitches of the route! Now that I've done both the on-route second pitch and the off-route second pitch, I can say that missing the "real" p2 makes a huge difference in the experience of the climb.
Here is the line you want to take. Sharp left to a good ledge after only 25m or so, depositing you at the base of the intimidating chimney. You can Alexey in one of these pics. The pink line is the one Nick took, straightens the rope a bit:
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Oct 11, 2014 - 07:35am PT
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Thanks to all who contributed to this outstanding thread, but particularly to le bruce for those wonderful pics. This route has been on my "to do" list since I first started climbing in the Valley, but I always found something else to do instead. I can see now that was a big mistake.
John
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WBraun
climber
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Oct 11, 2014 - 07:49am PT
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Nice photos le_bruce.
This a super climb. I've done it several times over the years.
There's a finger crack just to the left of the midget chimney.
Me and Merry did the FA of that variation many years ago.
It's probably 5.11?, I don't really know how to rate very well.
There's never anyone on Bridalveil East and being next to that soothing water flow makes it even more enjoyable.
And at the top there's nice water for ducks to swim in :-)
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Oct 11, 2014 - 09:25am PT
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"The true second pitch is not the blocky, nebulous stuff out right of the main chimney that leads to the ledge, but the dark, overhung, intimidating squeeze with uncertain protection inside the main chimney system."
Way to sell it! How hard is that Squeeze? (no sandbagging!)
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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Oct 11, 2014 - 10:05am PT
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Nice pics
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Oct 11, 2014 - 10:25am PT
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hey there say, le_bruce...
wow, this is fantastic photos here... wow, and a great trip report!
thanks for sharing this...
say, i was also wondering about the safety of the 'pool', as well--looks a bit 'precarious' :O
though very inviting, ... was it awful cold, or not?
i know water can be deceptive, and far colder than one may think...
lovely pool, though, either way...
:)
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WBraun
climber
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Oct 11, 2014 - 10:46am PT
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This the driest year in a while.
I've tried the where the yellow arrows are pointing before but it was too wet at the overhanging area.
Why no one try this? If it wasn't under the waterfall area it would be an all time classic climb.
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mooser
Trad climber
seattle
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Oct 11, 2014 - 01:23pm PT
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One of my favorite TRs in a quite a while. Thank you! I love the perspective from a route that seldom gets air-time. So cool to see the pool at the top of the falls, too. Loved it!
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Oct 13, 2014 - 08:20am PT
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Really cool stuff!
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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Oct 13, 2014 - 11:02am PT
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That's gotta be the greatest swimming hole on earth. I swear even with that measley flow I'd want to be tied in. What a blast to go swimming there! Great shots. Thanks.
JL
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Oct 13, 2014 - 11:08am PT
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le-bruce,
It's cool you found the 5.9 fist/chimney p2 shown on the topo.
I was glad to find the 5.7 corner which avoids it just to the right!
Will show both on the updated topo.
Here is another angle on the steep/wet corner close to the falls that Werner has tried:
(In lower right corner of photo). Pretty big roofs.
I wonder if it is (or was) dry this year.
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crankster
Trad climber
No. Tahoe
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Oct 13, 2014 - 11:21am PT
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Awesome report and pics - wow, that pool!
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le_bruce
climber
Oakland, CA
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Author's Reply
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Jan 7, 2015 - 10:10am PT
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The swimming up top felt safe, was cold and clear. Fish as big as tennis rackets. Largo is right - might be the best swimming hole in the world.
Not easy to get to. And if the water flow was any higher, you wouldn't even think of swimming in it. Even approaching the water in higher flow would be courting death because the granite slabs are slippery.
All four of us got in, got infused with the magic of this amazing spot.
[Click to View YouTube Video]
Baba, the p2 chimney doesn't seem to get a rating in Reid's topo.
The crux pitch felt harder to me (and I think to the three other people who climbed it that day) than .10c. Though shorter, I thought it was more in your face than Uprising's hands section, and harder than the steep .11a pitch on Windfall.
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StahlBro
Trad climber
San Diego, CA
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Man, what a great day out. Gorgeous pic's of the swimming hole. Thanks for taking us along.
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
sawatch choss
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Maybe I'm a wuss but we tied the rope off to facilitate egress from the pool. What a spot!
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Pennsylenvy
Gym climber
A dingy corner in your refrigerator
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Mar 24, 2018 - 09:58pm PT
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I want to do this. It's on the bucket list......
because I'm sort of a midget
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NutAgain!
Trad climber
https://nutagain.org
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Mar 26, 2018 - 01:06pm PT
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Hey Le_Bruce, just re-read this and got inspired to check old pics... looks like our first effort, we started off on the right foot and missed a left turn...
You must have belayed somewhere near your spot in pic above... that matches up with this pic:
Then I led up from there, what I recall as a short dihedralish thing and just as I reached stable footing, we hear the hissing and then hunkered down for the firehose beating!
Which then blasted us every 30 seconds or minute until we got the heck out of there.
I want to get back and do the regular wide stuff, but also finish whatever line we were on that did seem promising.
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thebravecowboy
climber
The Good Places
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Mar 26, 2018 - 06:55pm PT
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man, this makes the valley seem palatable in spite of it all. I like this
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Don Lauria
Trad climber
Bishop, CA
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Mar 27, 2018 - 09:28am PT
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Hennek just emailed me to find out which variation we did on August 30, 1968, just two days before we went up on the 2nd ascent of the NA. Did we do the Midget Chimney?
Robbins and Drummond, Hennek and Lauria. Robbins, of course, knew where he was going and Dennis and I just followed his route. All I remember is it was only 5.8, no tape, no chalk, just pitons, no chimney. Your guess is as good as mine.
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PellucidWombat
Mountain climber
Draperderr, by Bangerter, Utah
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Mar 27, 2018 - 11:10pm PT
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I just HAVE to know, because I have wondered about this ever since I saw the topo for the route: WHY do they call it a midget chimney?
Does that mean it is a chimney for a midget (so an offwidth for most others)?
Or does that mean the chimney section is awkwardly short (like 3-4' long)?
Or something else entirely?
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Ryan Tetz
Trad climber
Bishop, CA
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Mar 28, 2018 - 08:38am PT
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It's a joke. It's an overhanging 5.10 fist crack that takes number 3's. Would have been a ballsy lead BITD on only a wide bong or 2 likely on the first free ascent! It's a pretty classic pitch. FYI the line drawn in the topo guidebook in the REID guide is in the wrong dihedral system. We had to rap 2 fixed ropes straight to the ground and come back to finish the the route the next day - ended up climbing through some interesting dirty chimney systems anyhow further to the right to get back to the line and find the "midget chimney" finish (the proper line was to the left of us and more obvious at this point in hindsight). Worth doing though! And you get to descend the gun site! There is more info that was helpful in the text description in the Roper green book that describes this route.
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Jun 19, 2018 - 12:42pm PT
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PeelucidWombat, Powell's write-up in the SCB simply said that he and Harding came to a "chimney . . . built for a midget," so they nailed a crack up and left instead. Since Harding -- notoriously two-dimensional in chimneys -- was the other half of the FA party, I always assumed it must be some sort of awful off-width or off-fist crack. The pictures tell me that was the case.
One other interesting story concerns Powell's write-up. He mentioned that a pitch above the ghastly chockstones required hanging on with both hands, and therefore caused "a forty-foot wall to be led bereft of pitons." This statement led to David Brower causing the SCB to publish his comments warning against climbers "whose pitons merely kiss the rock." The older generation looking askance at the actions of the newer has a very long history.
John
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