[jwi]

Fear's heartbeat by Jonas Wiklund, on Flickr


Mia on Jam Session by Jonas Wiklund, on Flickr

[Adam Lincoln]

Needs no introduction!

[slackline]

Needs no introduction!

Just like the English ski-slope?

[Adam Lincoln]

Needs no introduction!

Just like the English ski-slope?

Exactly like the English ski-slope.

[Will Hunt]

The pic there of the Salathe headwall makes you wonder about the first ascent. I guess it was inspected from long range but going off route does happen. Pretty lucky that crack is there! Must be pretty scary if you haven't got a lot of same size cams!

[Stubbs]

Will, Salathe was first climbed as an aid route in the sixties, and the first free ascent of the Salathe took 7 days after 30 days of effort, I gues they had a lot of time to figure out where the route should go!  http://www.supertopo.com/rock-climbing/Yosemite-Valley-El-Capitan-Salathe-Wall

[duncan]

The pic there of the Salathe headwall makes you wonder about the first ascent. I guess it was inspected from long range but going off route does happen. Pretty lucky that crack is there!

Almost the whole line of the Salathe is visible to the naked eye from El Cap. meadows if you sit there for long enough for different lights to show different features.  The headwall crack is very clear in the late afternoon.  I don't know how much (tele)'scoping of routes went on at the time of the first ascent (1961) but I'd be amazed if they didn't have and use binoculars; by the early '70s Jim Bridwell was using a big astronomical telescope and could draw topos for his prospective lines before leaving the ground. 

Must be pretty scary if you haven't got a lot of same size cams!

The Salathe first ascentionists were using pitons rather than cams but the principle applies even more strongly: they a limited amount of gear to climb a long and parallel crack.   It's not as easy to back-clean 3/4" angles as it is to take out a red alien and plug it in again a few feet higher.


Some aid-climbers view of the same spot (well-tickmarked...)

[SA Chris]

Will, Salathe was first climbed as an aid route in the sixties, and the first free ascent of the Salathe took 7 days after 30 days of effort, I gues they had a lot of time to figure out where the route should go!  http://www.supertopo.com/rock-climbing/Yosemite-Valley-El-Capitan-Salathe-Wall

Fisrt climbing lecture I ever saw was by Todd Skinner, and he told tales of the FA. I think there was a question mark over wether they actually did it or not at the time. Anyway, totally awe inspiring tale, complete with accidental trundle of an enormous boulder at the end.

http://www.toddskinner.com/Gallery_Salathe/index.htm

[chillax]

It's not as easy to back-clean 3/4" angles as it is to take out a red alien and plug it in again a few feet higher.

I reckon the crux there is probably getting your hands on a red alien. Why oh why did they have to stop being made..... 

[Stubbs]

complete with accidental trundle of an enormous boulder at the end.

Is that the one the first climber up and all their gear was anchored to, and he'd just clipped some shitty bolt near the edge as an afterthought? Or is that another story?  So many El Cap epic tales!

[SA Chris]

That will be the one. I think one of them got a bit squashed by it as well. Apparently they also celebrated by flinging some leftover food off the edge and just about broke someone's halfway up's shoulder with a carrot. Apparently

[Paul B]

I reckon the crux there is probably getting your hands on a red alien. Why oh why did they have to stop being made..... 

aren't the new Metolius offersing very similar?

[chillax]

The mastercams are about as similar as they can get while complying with necessary safety regulations. They're good but not quite as good as the originals. The lobes of the are made of a harder metal, the little strings of the trigger mechanism tend to wear out, and they have a bit of a habit of popping out of thin horizontal placements. Though the heads don't snap off as frequently as they did on aliens, so thats one positive 

[Will Hunt]

Good Salathe info. Inspiring stuff.

[Wipey Why]

[Drew]

There is no chuffing in the pic, but there is chuffing in this cave! Apparently it's called Millenium.

[Wipey Why]

[Stubbs]

"Alex Honnold cruises the Nose of El Capitan, about 47 pitches into his solo link-up. Photo by Corey Rich / Aurora Photos"

from

http://www.climbing.com/exclusive/features/2010_golden_piton_awards/index.html#

[Control freak]

A couple from the blue mountains last weekend

Grape Hour 25 (7b)


Dont Believe The Tripe 29 (8a)

[SA Chris]

That rock looks very cool. Is it quartzite or sandstone? What crag is it?

[Adam Lincoln]

That rock looks very cool. Is it quartzite or sandstone? What crag is it?

Boronia in the Blues. Not sure on rock type.

[Control freak]

Adams right - Boronia Point in the Blue Mounatins. The rocks sandstone with iron stone bands running through it. You can see these in the first pic to the left and down of the bolt

[SA Chris]

Looks well cool.

[slackline]

[SA Chris]

Is it my eyes or is only one of those actually in focus.

And why is that paint roller hanging off the crag?