Mt Whitney Zone Forums Trip Reports The Dog and Cat Death Valley TR 2011

Gary - well done with the photos. Thanks.

For local climbing - look here www.southeastclimbing.com
Sunset Rock in TN, Sandrock in AL, and Lost Wall in GA look good for beginners. Then on to Whiteside and Looking Glass in NC for some 1000 ft fun. Nice pics on the site.

Gary just found out there's some short old bolted rock in the West Palisades on the Chattahoochee only 30 min away. I'm going to see if I can find it this weekend.

For guided climbs - www.foxmountainguides.com

John

Gary and John:

I haven't been up to the ATL in a while so I will see if I can get up your way soon. I have a big race I am running in Boston on 4/18, so I know my weekends are booked between now and then. (My wife only allows me time for one obsessive-compulsive hobby at a time).

With longer days coming soon, any chance you guys could sneak away a little early one afternoon during the work week? If not, I will try to find a weekend I can work in a road trip.

John: as I recall the short bolted climb you found referenced at West Palisades is pretty hard, (like 5.12-ish as I recall). Also, some of the places you mention that are listed as "beginner friendly", (example: Lost Wall, Tennessee Wall, etc) are listed that way because they do have several easy and moderate routes, but most of these routes have to be led from the ground and traditionally protected in order to hang a top rope. Don't even think about Whitesides as it has a significantly greater pucker factor than either the East Face or East Buttress on Whitney. There are a few nice crags a couple hours from Atlanta that are great for beginners though. I know of one spot very close to town where we might be able to work on a few things. Maybe we should just climb Gary's hotel?

Anyway, let me know what you think. I seem to recall I still owe Gary a dinner and want to hear more about the Dog and the Cat in DV.

Kent

Kent, I haven't met you, but that sounds great. I just don't want to horn in on your free time. I have not done any real climbing since the mid 80's and even then it was easy stuff. I have been wanting to ease back into it, but I'll be a little limited in my pursuit. Three years ago I suffered a complete rupture of the long head of my right bicep. I'm in good shape now with just a little weakness in that arm. It is very easy for me to get time off, so I'm up for anything.

And don't worry, I'm risk adverse by nature so my only involvement with Whitesides will be looking at it. I do like the way you described it though. For some reason Gary thinks all mountains east of the Rockies are wimps.

John

Kent:

Spending an afternoon (or two) with you is exactly what Gary needs to prepare for Cathedral Peak. It's no harder than 5.6 and most of it is easier than that. He doesn't need to practice on any 5.12s or spend months in the gym lifting weights. It wouldn't hurt if he had a little experience pulling and racking pro, but that's not mandatory. I've taken plenty of newbies up there without any problems.

Gary:

An afternoon or two is all the experience you'll need. You'll need your own rock shoes. I have all the other gear. You'll get to carry the rope and I'll carry everything else.

John:

It's a little harder to climb with a party of three, but if you're here with Gary, I could be talked into taking you both. You'll get to carry the lighter rope, since Bulldogs are stronger than Yellowjackets.

Hey Kent, if you're up this way and willing, I'd love to take a crack at something you feel is appropriate for John and I. I'm generally pretty flexible with work, so whatever suits you best. Just give me as much advance notice as possible so I can clear the path. It would be great to see you again - especially if you're buying! Also, you and the catpappy will get along great.

By the way, do you have Sierra plans this year? I know you're hooked after your trip last fall!

Re John's comment about my considering the Southern Appalachians "wimpy" - that's not entirely true. The local north Georgia mountains will kick your ass in slope and steepness - the reason that so many AT through-hikers quit before they're ever out of the state. You will burn some cals hiking here, so that's not the kind of "wimpy" I mean.

What I love about hiking anywhere out west is the vistas you are exposed to. The scenery along even the most mundane western trail is grand compared to the best local hikes here. There are trees in the Rockies, Sierra, Cascades, yes, but not in anything like the numbers here. North Georgia is nothing but a hilly/mountainous, super-dense forest. You can hike for hours and never see anything but foliage - thick and close. I've done numerous hikes here where I never saw a damn thing from start to finish but deep forest. That gets real old. I used a description on a thread here a while back to describe the experience: in some sections of north Georgia Bozo the Clown could be 100 feet away, riding a pink elephant and waving a neon sign, and you'd never see him. No BS, folks. You want to see dense forest, swing this way. The only thing I've seen in the US that's comparable is the North Woods in Minnesota, and some lower-elevation sections of the Cascades.

John, think of the view we had from Corkscrew Peak in DV at a measly 5800 feet of elevation - compare that to the view from a (rare) 6000-foot peak in North Carolina. To me it's no contest. Doesn't mean it's not beautiful in and of itself - it just means I'm personally sick of trees blocking my view, and a little rock and open space looks pretty doggone good as an alternative. That's probably why I love the desert so much.

Some of that love for vistas is undoubtedly a product of spending most of my 53 years in Atlanta. There's simply no such thing as a horizon. Your horizon here is either a tree-line a hundred feet away, or tall buildings (factoid: Atlanta has more tall buildings than any city in the US other than NY or Chicago - read that in the local paper a couple of weeks ago). I've spent most of my life not seeing beyond the nearest man-made structure or tree trunks, and getting to hike with a glorious view out west really charges me up.

It's apples and oranges, and a degree of personal bias, all rolled up. I'll trudge through the local forested mountains 'cuz I love to hike. But the Bulldog fun-meter goes up dramatically when I get to do the same in Colorado, California, Utah, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, etc!

Gary:

I will look at my calendar and see what we can work out. I may email you a couple of dates to see if you, John, and I can make it happen. In an afternoon or two you can probably learn to belay a leader, clean a pitch, take apart an anchor without turning it into a cluster, rap, and most importantly we will have some fun. We will get you "ready for Bob".

While I share your sentiment that "West is best" when it comes to mountains, views, etc, don't think that everything East of the big river is "wimpy"....certainly not our college football. Mt. Wasington in NH is home to what many describe as the "Worst weather in the world" and has killed more people than any other mountain in North America to include any mountain in AK and Canada. The day I summited Mt. Washington the wind chill on top was -46 or about average. There is little wonder the North Conway, NH area has produced some of the finest climbers in the world from old timers like Henry Barber to modern prodigies like Kevin Mahoney and plenty in between.

We even have some pretty wild stuff in the South...check out NC's Laurel Knob which is about 3 hours from your house:

http://www.osiny.org/images/content/pagebuilder/20311.jpg

Local NC ethics call for bolts to be placed only where no other options exist and they are typically very far apart often making for some very spicy climbing.

Anyway, it is all good...just so long as you get out to enjoy it!

Hope to see you guys soon.

Kent

Sounds good Kent - just let me know. Since you're making the effort to come up here, John and I could probably buy this round!

I want to do Mt. Washington some day, but every opportunity that comes up to travel for hiking, I head west. Hard habit to break. That, and I don't have gear suitable for way-below-zero weather!

Ahh heck Gary, I'm just bustin your chops. I will admit that the vistas out west are bigger and and and... ahh do I have to say it - a little better. But I'm thinking you might have never been to the top of a S. App. mountain with a proper panorama. Like Charlies Bunion, Mt. Cammerer, Mt. Leconte, The Hangover, or Mt. Sterling. Two things you'll get - views and a good workout. Mt. sterling 4200 ft. gain in 6.1 miles.

John

Kent, Bob, John - just started Rock Climbing: Mastering Basic Skills. I'm determined to not be completely ignorant when the day comes. Freedom of the Hills is on it's way from Amazon.

Note the temperature inside the car.