June - July 2006
world news
Requiem for a Dream
Scotsman Dave Macleod has completed the long awaited direct finish to Requiem E8 6b, at Dumbarton Rock in Scotland, completing what may be the most difficult trad line anywhere. The original Requiem, established by Dave Cuthbertson back in 1983, is a 115 ft climb combining both crack and face climbing and translates to roughly 5.13c on gear. It still stands as one of the hardest lines in Scotland, having seen only five repeats since its inception, and only recently led with all gear placed on redpoint.
The direct finish to Requiem has been a long-standing goal for Macleod. “I’ve known about the true line of the Requiem crack since I started climbing; it’s obvious, in your face. You just climb the crack all the way to the top. I’d tried the moves in 2002 when I had just done the first E9 in Scotland and couldn’t even hang on the holds.” Having tried the climb on and off for the past two years, Macleod feels his strength came into form this winter and began serious attempts early in the spring. Serious in this case meant taking repeated 60 ft falls from the crux onto an RP, which became 70-footers if the piece snapped, which happened more than once. Macleod described the fall as similar to jumping off a boulder, “knowing full-well that you would hurt your ankle doing it.” He sprained both of his ankles badly on his last fall, prior to his successful redpoint attempt. In addition, inverting during a fall and taking the ankle-breaking force on his head was a constant worry.
Macleod boasts an impressive list of climbing accomplishments in many disciplines. He has bouldered up to V13, sportclimbed up to 5.14b, including a free solo of Hurly Burly 5.13d, and mixed climbed up to M12, and previous to Requiem, repeated an established E10, Breathless. Macleod is the consummate all rounder, perhaps the best all rounder in the world.
On the subject of grades, Macleod feels the difficulty of the line, combined with the exposure and its status as a longstanding project, is enough to warrant the unprecedented grade of E11 7a, translating to roughly 5.14 b/c. The British trad scale is broken down into two parts. The first half or E grade describe the overall difficulty of the climb taking into account the length and objective dangers, the second half rates the hardest single move on the climb using the British bouldering scale. Therefore, if a climb has a high E grade but a relatively low single move difficulty rating, then it would indicate the climb is very dangerous and offers meagre opportunity for protection. Requiem, topping out on both halves of the rating, is naturally both difficult and dangerous.–Andre Cheuk
Sonnie Trotter Repeats Two of the Hardest Finger Cracks in Indian Creek
Canada’s Sonnie Trotter continues to impress, with his ascents of the two hardest cracks in Indian Creek, Utah. From Switzerland with Love 5.13+ and Learning to Fly 5.13+ R were both first climbed by Didier Berthod of Switzerland. He sent the latter route on only his second try. Its crux is a 50 ft section of overhanging rock with no footholds.–Andre Cheuk
The Return of Garth Miller
At the height of sport climbing’s popularity during the mid 90s, Garth Miller almost single-handedly ensured that the development of hard sport climbs in the southern hemisphere kept pace with the furious development of Europe. In an era characterized by long endurance affairs, Miller stood out as a power monger who was able to best the stamina fiends at their own game. Miller’s early repeat of Diaphanous Sea at Hueco Tanks and 5.14a flash at American Fork, are testaments to his prowess.
Plagued by various injuries for the past few years, hard ascents by Miller have been few and far between. Of late however, Miller has returned to his roots by putting up a few new routes. Miller started out with Direct Hit 31 (5.13d) at the Gallery in the Grampians, followed by Heat Seeker 32 (5.14a) at Blue Mountain crag Redledge, then repeated the established Tuckertime 33 (5.14b) for good measure. But the real prize, and the one that signals Miller’s return to form, is his latest creation One on One 34 (5.14c) at Mini Ha Ha Falls in the Blue Mountains. One on One stands as only one of three routes at the grade of 5.14c in Australia, the others being Mechanical Animal by Ben Cossey and White Ladder by Chris Webb.–Andre Cheuk
Pocket Rocket
It would seem that Rich Simpson is the man to call if there is an unsent pocket project at your local cliff. The Englishman is quickly amassing an impressive ticklist, most of which involved heinous pocket pulling. Simpson first gained prominence last fall, when he tore through the Black Forest of Frankenjura, Germany, culminating with an ascent of Action Direct 5.14d. This past spring, the Brit chose the sunnier, but just as classic, sport crag of Siurana, Spain.
Simpson opened his bid by flashing a 5.13c and a 5.13d, then got down to work in earnest on an abandoned Dani Andrada project, A Muerte, which means “To the Death.” The 20 m climb, all natural, is practically tailor-made to the Englishman’s specification, starting with the opening mono, a series of long pulls off bad pockets on a bulge leads into the crux of the established El Membre 5.14b, five moves which go at roughly V11, leading to easier 5.12d climbing to the top. Simpson feels “it is essential to have plenty of power in reserve for the crux otherwise you don’t stand a chance,” since the V11 crux comes after the opening 5.13d section without a rest.
Aside from the efforts of Andrada, A Muerte has also seen attention from Ramon Julian and Iker Pou, all men who have climbed 9a (5.14d), all to no avail. Simpson proposes 9a for the climb.
Aside from the visiting Brit, the cliffs of Siurana also saw action from the young local Edu Marin, who repeated the classic Broadway 8c+ (5.14c) and Estadio Critico 9a. More 9a
Fresh off his success on Bain de Sang 9a (5.14d) at St. Loup, his first 9a, Ricardo Scarian turned his gaze to a project a bit closer to home. Drumtime at Fonzaso Italy, is a 40 m long route that climbs the first half of Gladiatore 8c+ (5.14c) and the second half of Diaboluna 8c (5.14b). The two established climbs take opposing diagonal lines across the cliff, in the shape of an X, while Drumtime takes the relatively straight up combination of the two. Scarian took more than 30 attempts spread over four months before solving the stamina problem and feels Drumtime is probably 9a (5.14d) given Bain de Sang took him far fewer attempts.
Also arriving at St. Loup looking to do his first 9a, Czech Rosta Stefanek chose instead the less well-known Bimbaluna 9a/a+ (5.14d/15a) established by the less famous Nicole brother, François. The 20 m long route is similar to its more famous sister route – just past vertical with a bouldery crux – and took Stefanek five months to complete.–Andre Cheuk
Bokassa’s Fridge
Toni Lamprecht has completed a new variation to his classic problem Antonator 8b (V13) in Kochal, Germany, adding the highball finish of his new creation Snowcrash 8a+ (V12). Lamprecht christened the new 12-move combo, which took him six weeks to complete, Bokassa’s Fridge and speculates V14/15 for the grade. Lamprecht, a well known music lover and lead singer of his own band Anal Steel, named the problem after a favourite indie band which had a big influence on him in his teenage years, and claims to have carried a frozen fridge without breathing for 30 seconds as part of his training in the lead-up to sending the problem.–Gripped Staff
New Research: Sport Climbing Doesn’t Affect Cliff Vegetation
We’ve all heard reports that climbing negatively affects cliff vegetation. Research projects have stated that climbed cliffs support less dense, less diverse vegetation, and even different communities of species than unclimbed cliffs. Researchers in the Cliff Ecology Research Group (CERG) concluded that climbing has significant negative affects on the old-growth cedar trees, sensitive cliff plants, mosses and lichens that call Ontario’s Niagara Escarpment home. Management recommendations based on these results include banning new route development across the Escarpment to limit the extent of disturbance to “damage already done” at currently developed crags.
As a climber and an ecologist I was intrigued by this research, but after reading the literature I had more questions than answers. Most studies of the affects of climbing had not accounted for physical differences between cliffs with and without a climbing presence. Wouldn’t the physical fracturing of the cliff face influence the vegetation? Also, prior Escarpment research only sampled 5.7–5.9 trad routes in Milton. Would results be consistent for sport climbs, or those outside of Milton?
To answer these questions I worked with CERG to determine the relative influence of many physical and environmental variables, including climbing presence, on cliff-face vegetation. Cliff faces with sport climbs rated 5.10–5.14 were compared to pristine faces in the Milton region, the Beaver Valley and the Bruce Peninsula.
Consistent with prior studies, the sport-climbed cliff faces I examined support fewer species and less vegetation than unclimbed cliff faces. However, my research reveals that this is not a result of climbing disturbance. Instead, cliffs developed for sport climbing support fewer species and less vegetation because they have fewer and smaller ledges and crevices, differences in slope and exposure, and far less soil than unclimbed faces.
This doesn’t mean that prior research was wrong or that climbers have had no affect. The sawn-off branches on ancient cedars and the lack of soil and vegetation on cliff tops at popular top-roped crags are obvious illustrations of past disturbance. Rather, my research reveals that popular sport climbing routes exist where climbing does not affect cliff vegetation. Management recommendations to restrict all new climbing route development should be re-evaluated based upon this result. –Kathryn Kuntz
Kathryn is a climber who was a member of the Cliff Ecology Research Group at the University of Guelph from 2000–2005.
alpine + ice news
Two Winter First Ascents
Two significant winter first ascents were made this winter. Zac Hoyt, a native of Petersburg, Alaska made the first winter ascent of the Devil’s Thumb via the Krakauer route of 1977. On the way out he fell into a snow-covered crevasse; after climbing out, he radioed for a US Coast Guard helicopter to rescue him. Despite high winds and low visibility, they managed to pull him off the mountain. He was later treated for frostbitten hands.
Sean Isaac of Canmore and Marc Piché, a guide at Canadian Mountain Holidays in the Bugaboos, made the first winter ascent of Pigeon spire in early March. After a snow cave bivy they ascended the Beckey-Hieb-Wedrig route on the north face in eight pitches of mixed climbing up to M6. Bad weather prevented them from attempting the first winter ascent of North Howser Tower. This was apparently only the fifth winter ascent of a Bugaboos peak.–Gripped Staff
New Hard Rockies Trad Ice
Mt Patterson, home of the 1987 thin ice horrorshow, Riptide WI 7 R 225 m, now has a new four pitch line by Jon Walsh and Caroline Ware. The Shadow WI 6+ R M6, is four pitches long and has one bolt for a belay on the fourth pitch, with most of the remaining pro from rock gear. At the Mt Stanley Headwall, guidebook author Sean Isaac with Shawn Huisman, sent Ramnusia M8 WI 6, five pitches. The first pitch was M7 trad drytooling in a splitter crack. The crux is pitch 4, M8 climbing on poor rock and thin ice protected by bolts. These routes show that with modern mixed climbing skills, even apparently climbed out areas like the Stanley Headwall hold much potential.–Gripped Staff
Banner Year in the Thunder Bay Area
A wet fall and gentle cooling trend kept the seeps from freezing underground and provided one of the best ice seasons in nearly 15 years. With no avalanche danger, short approaches, and over 200 ice and mixed climbs to choose from, it is no wonder this area is getting a well-deserved reputation for being an worthy, if “off the beaten path,” winter climbing destination.
The season opener started on Mt McRae. Located right in Thunder Bay and crowned with long and intimidating ice routes, McRae is the most impressive crag in the area. A new wall of ice with three distinct routes formed this season and Will Mienen and Brandon Pullan climbed the most obvious and stunning line with their ascent of The Boys are Back in Town WI5+ 75 m. Only days later, following the time-honoured tradition of route name one-upmanship, Nick Buda and Shawn Robinson climbed The Men Didn’t Leave WI5+ 75 m. A few days after that, Scott Backes and James Loveridge continued on the age theme with their ascent of Young at Heart WI5+R 75 m. Three rarely formed Grade 5/6 classics, Nanibijou, Pukasahib and Chuckie’s Revenge, received several ascents. A 30 m smear of ice about a metre wide and 50 m up the tallest part of the cliff tempted Loveridge. After cleaning and bolting the first overhanging shale pitch, the second was attempted on gear. This resulted in a 40 ft fall onto a slung chockstone. Another day of bolting and Mishipeshu M8 WI6 100 m was sent.
There was also much activity in Orient Bay, which has the highest concentration of ice and mixed climbs in the area. A couple stellar new routes were done on a newly-opened area called the Wall of Doom. Bryce Brown and Randy Hyvarinen climbed Nickophobia M5 WI4+ and longtime area activist Dave Rone climbed the aptly named Doomsday WI6 55 m with Wes Bender. Orient Bay also saw the establishment of the area’s hardest traditionally protected climb. James Loveridge and Matt Giambrone sent Mechanical Advantage M9- WI6 which drytools out a 4 m roof to snag an anemic hanging dagger.
Kama Bay is farther from the road and a bit more remote and serious than OB. Visiting climbing dignitary Raphael Slawinski, who has been to the area three times, says that, due to the concentrated, multi-crux nature of the routes, climbing there is “more like mountain mixed climbing than actual mountain mixed climbing.” Kama Bay Cakewalk WI6 50 m was the first to go, done by D. Rone and Eric Landman. Giambrone and Dean Einerson climbed Fumbledusk WI5+ 50 m as well as Straightjacket M5+ 50 m. Two more hard traditional mixed lines were climbed by J. Loveridge and Giambrone: Galadriel’s Phial M8 WI6, 60 m climbs an ever steepening hand crack and out some small roofs to get established on a wild wind-formed dagger, while Evanesce M7 WI5+ 80 m drytools up 45 m of steep, blocky rock to gain the ice. More than 40 new routes were put up this season and the routes mentioned above are just a few. –Brandon Pullan, James Loveridge
Ice World Cup Winners
The final comp of the World Ice Cup was held at Hemsedal, Norway on March 7. In the previous four competitions Hari Berger of Austria had established a small lead whereas German Ines Papert had dominated throughout the women’s circuit. The final route at Hemsedal was a steep drytooling M10 leading to an overhanging curtain of ice. Despite a serious accident on an alpine rock route last summer, Papert continues to raise the bar for women’s mixed climbing. Papert became the 2006 Women’s World Cup Champion and Berger won the men’s title.–Gripped Staff
New Standard for Alpine Water Ice
In March, Austrian climber Hari Berger, fresh from winning the World Cup in Hemsedal Norway (see above), Hermann Erber and Albert Lichtfried beat global warming and sent some of the hardest ice yet done at altitude. On Chile’s Marmolejo (6,110 m), they found Senda Real WI 5, WI 6-, WI 7-, WI 7+, WI 6-, after giving up on their original plan to do a new mixed line that was out of condition. Berger later said, “I’ve done some harder glacier ice on our home training area, the Pitztaler Gletscher, I’ve never done or seen an ice line like this. Doing figure fours is not a big deal anymore, but doing them at 4,500 m altitude in normal ice climbing boots is a real challenge.”–Gripped Staff
Free Fitzroy
In 2004, the incredible Linea di Eleganza on Fitzroy’s northeast face was climbed by Elio Orlandi, Horacio Codo and Luca Fava. It was considered one of the greatest Patagonian rock routes and nominated for a Piolet d’Or. The first ascensionists made the 1,350 m climb in icy conditions, but noted that it would be possible to free climb it if it were dry. Americans Tommy Caldwell, Topher Donahue and Erik Roed did just that in late February. In a sustained day-and-a-half push they managed to free the entire route at 5.12+. It is now the hardest free route in the Fitzroy group.–Gripped Staff
Alain Robert, Greg Child Inspire at the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival
The ninth annual Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival
(Feb 17–26, 2006) screened 73 films more than nine days at five different festival venues. In total, over 4,600 people attended the sold-out or near capacity shows and enjoyed a cinematic buffet of diverse mountain films.
Even at the largest screenings, the venues were intimate. After each presentation, the speakers stayed to chat with members of the audience, giving every evening the spirit of being at a gathering of friends.
The festival started off with rock-star quality as Alain Robert, the French climber famous for his free-soloing of up to 13d and lately for his many ascents of skyscrapers around the world, presented a short film on the difficulties of climbing Malaysia’s Petronas Towers. His summary of what compels him, “I have difficulty resisting what I want to do,” set the tone for the rest of the festival.
Greg Child took an irreverent look back over a life spent at the cutting edge of mountaineering. He made near-death adventures, extreme cold, forced bivouacs and tent explosions seem like a lot of fun. David Dornian recounted his recent alpine successes in the St. Elias and gave us everyman’s alpinist manifesto: you don’t need to be Steve House to go light and fast; a good truck, good weather and a good partner will do. Jeremy Frimer confirmed our suspicions that resisting the urge to climb is futile through an entertaining and light-hearted look at his recent adventures in the Karakoram. Katy Holm and Katherine Fraser presented a moving and inspiring slideshow recounting their time spent exploring big granite walls in China with the late Aidan Oloman. Piotr Pustelnik’s understated manner made summiting 12 of the 14, 8,000 m peaks seem normal and almost everyday, as if we should be out there doing the same.
Considering the strength of the headliners, it was surprising that they risked being overshadowed by the quality of films that followed their presentations. Richard Heap’s Kilimanjaro – Going for Broke, Darek Zaluski’s Shisha in Winter, Michael Reardon’s Bachar – Man, Myth, Legend, and Peter Mortimer’s The Obscurist left strong and lasting impressions. Gilles Chappaz’s Sur le fil des 4,000 (winner of Best Film on Mountaineering) shouldn’t be missed by anyone.
Next year, if you want to visit friends that have been to high and far-away places, come to the VIMFF. You will be inspired to climb. Full details of films and category winners can be found at www.vimff.org. –Walter Strong
Obituaries
Jean-Christophe Lafaille
1967–2006
Lafaillle disappeared on Makalu in the last week of January while attempting the first winter ascent (see page 16). He was one of the most accomplished all-around climbers in the world and a master alpinist. His climbs were marked for their bold style and the purity of Lafaille’s vision of alpinism. He made long new routes on the Grand Pilier d’Angle and The Frêney Pillar, following the footsteps of Walter Bonatti, the father of modern alpinism in the Mont Blanc Range. Also an expert rock climber, he soloed up to 5.13. In 1992 he made an attempt on the steep and difficult South Face of Annapurna on which his partner Pierre Beghin was killed by falling rock. In 1994 he made a solo winter ascent of Shishapangma, garnering some criticism for making it outside of the calendar year definition of the winter season, but within the Nepalese Winter Permit season. At the time of his death, Lafaille had climbed 11 of the 8,000 m summits.–Staff
Aidan Oloman
1976–2005
Aidan Oloman, a leading female climber and resident of Squamish, died on January 14. Oloman was working as a ski guide and checking avalanche conditions near the Island Lake Lodge and was overwhelmed by an avalanche, despite being in an apparently safe area. Oloman was one of only three women to be certified as rock guides by the ACMG. She is survived by partner and fellow guide Sean Easton, her parents Mab and Colin and her sister Rowan, as well as her many friends. See page 44 of this issue for an article about Oloman’s expedition to China with Katy Holm and Katherine Fraser.
Aidan, there is so much I would like to tell you. You are beautiful and strong. You live lit by a glow that everyone around you can see and feel. You are genuine and warm with people. A tense situation or mood is easily defused when you laugh and make some silly comment. It is always a good time being with you.
Aidan, grounding your lightness is a solid core of strength and determination. You apply a lot of energy to all the important aspects of your life. You try really hard to be good to the people you love. You try really hard to excel at the activities you love. And you spend a lot of thought and energy at being good at guiding and teaching.
You have a huge talent for being in the mountains. You float when you move: lithe movements up steep rock or fast, skiing downhill; whooping for joy as you pass by. Your decision-making is sure but it is easy for you to listen to the opinions of others. You have not created a false ego to hide behind. You are honest about your fears. You are conscious about moving past them, believing “I will” statements until you complete what you set out to do, victorious.
Aidan, you have nurtured an amazing relationship with Sean, your life partner. The two of you have spent eight years gaining a fine balance between your busy lives and the time that really matters: being together. The respect and adoration you feel for each other is equal and mutual. Your family is your foundation. Your parents, Mab and Colin, gave you and your sister Rowan unconditional love and the encouragement to grow up strong, free-spirited and caring. The warm smile of your sister Rowan is mirrored in yours; your bond is as close and easy as it was when you were young girls, swinging in trees.
You are an integral part of a large community of friends who treasure the days we get to be out playing in the hills with you. You motivate everyone to climb better and to laugh more. Aidan, you truly appreciate these gifts but you still aren’t satisfied. You are always ready for more challenges. You are always trying to be a better person. You are always trying to be the best that you can be.
I never got the chance, never took the opportunity, to say these things. The avalanche that took you came unexpectedly, unpredictably. It caught you while you were checking weather at work. The location of the weather plot, set up on a knoll, sheltered by old growth trees, should have been safe. The fast response of your lodge was unable to save you. Just the week before, you were telling me how lucky you were to be going to work, to do something you loved.
Aidan there is no sense to why you died. You were not meant to go. You were meant to be with us, to keep us inspired and laughing and loving. We are shattered without you, left grasping around us, trying to pick up the pieces. Everyone you touched will cherish memories of you. But memories won’t fill the huge hole that is created by your absence. You have affected our lives deeply. I will carry your spirit with me: you will teach me to be better than I am. I will be kinder and more tolerant, as you were. I will try harder and take myself less seriously, as you did. Thank you, Aidan, for the gifts that you have left us. Thank you for showing us how to live lightly and powerfully.–Katherine Fraser
The Aidan Oloman Fund is being established to empower women to gain physical and personal strength through outdoor pursuits. Those wishing to donate to the Fund may do so at www.vancouverfoundation.bc.ca/donate/donateonline.asp
Heinrich Harrer
1912–2006
At the age of 93, on January 7, Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer died in Karnten, Austria. Harrer was an influential figure in alpinism, who made first ascents of the North Face of the Eiger, Mts Deborah and Hunter in Alaska, and wrote The White Spider, and Seven Years in Tibet that are amongst the most popular mountain adventure books ever written.
He is also the last member of the first ascent party of the North Face of the Eiger to die. The Eigerwand was a revolutionary new climb, made in 1938, up a vertical 1,300 m limestone face on which many had died. The leader of the party, the immensely talented Anderl Heckmair, died last year in Bavaria.
Interned in India while on a climbing expedition in 1939, he escaped with Peter Aufschnaiter to Tibet. There he became a tutor to the young Dalai Lama and began to form the observations that he would use in his popular and unsentimental view of that country, Seven Years in Tibet.
His later decades were plagued by controversy when during the publicity for the film version of Seven Years in Tibet, it came to light that he had been a member of the Nazi SS in Austria prior to the overthrow of the National government by the Austrian and German Nazis. A close associate of Arthur Seyss-Inquart, Nazi governor of Austria and then Holland, and Chairman of the German Alpine Club, Harrer was deeply connected with the Nazis. However, he spent the most terrible years of Nazi rule in Tibet and was never associated with any crimes. Also, many believe that by popularizing Tibetan spirituality and civilization he had done a great deal to counter the racist character of his past. Despite his flaws, Harrer made great contributions to climbing and to culture, and his passing will be mourned by many within and outside of the climbing community.–Staff
