April - May 2007
rock news
Mike Doyle Climbs Out of Purgatory
On a visit to Red River Gorge as part of an extended road trip, Canada’s own Mike Doyle snagged the coveted first ascent of Lucifer 5.14c, an open project at the new area Purgatory, and now the hardest climb in one of North America’s premier sport climbing areas.
The first line bolted at the crag, Lucifer repelled all comers, including resident hard men Bill Ramsay and developer Kenny Barker. Fast ascents of classic testpieces of the Red (Transworld Depravity 5.14a in two attempts and the previous area heavy weight Thanatopsis 5.14b in four tries) convinced Doyle to try for the first ascent of Lucifer.
The nine-bolt, 100 ft line climbs a steeply overhanging face on barely-there pockets and edges. Doyle says it breaks down into three boulder problems. The business starts at the third bolt with a V7/8 to an OK hold for a quick shake, before launching into a V9/10 problem which ends at a moderate rest, with a final 13 moves somewhere between V9 and V11.
On the tricky matter of grades, Doyle has tentatively proposed 5.14c, citing the six weeks of continuous work it took him. However, the modest BC native is quick to say that he “won’t be surprised if it gets downgraded,” and that Thanatopsis really suited his strengths, while Lucifer did not. Despite these personal misgivings, Doyle graded it 5.14c, hoping that it would attract top climbers to the area.
Gritstone Boldness
Being a climber in Great Britain can be trying. Just ask Scot Dave Macleod. Before his repeat of Burbage grit testpiece Blind Vision E10 7a (the rough equivalent of 5.14a) in January, Macleod was thwarted several times by rain. He spent more time staring out of his cinched hood at the cliff than climbing.
On his third visit, Macleod gambled a quick day trip on a good forecast, only to find pouring rain and a drenched cliff. Despite spending most of the day sitting in the car watching hail bounce off the hood, Macleod and his partners hiked in for a look in the late afternoon. To their surprise the wind stopped and high winds flash-dried the rock, save for a ledge at the end of Slingshot, the V10/11 boulder problem that made up the start of Blind Vision.
Determined, Macleod used towels to dry the ledge for an attempt in the failing light. Launching into the starting throw of Slingshot, he checked his swing, and in a blur of slaps, gained the formerly soaked ledge. Macleod then dispatched the E8 6c (5.13-) upper section for the route’s second ascent. Not surprisingly, Macleod chose for his next destination the sun filled crags of Siurana, Spain, where he sent L’odi Social 8c+ or 5.14c.
Also seizing the brief window of cold dry conditions on the grit was Englishman James Pearson, who completed an off-and-on yearlong project to climb the coveted arête to the right of Superstition at Burbage. Pearson described The Promise E10 7a as “powerful, technical and very conditions dependant. The landing is very, very poor and the crux comes right at the top. It is a very intense route. You don’t even get a chance to chalk.” Pearson found The Promise harder than Equilibrium, the benchmark E10, making it one of the hardest grit routes. According to Pearson, he has already turned his attention to one or two other “last great problems.”
Witness the Fitness Repeated
Bouldering legend Fréd Nicole repeated Witness the Fitness, a 40 ft roof problem first put up by Chris Sharma in spring 2005. With his interest piqued by footage of Sharma’s first ascent, Nicole travelled to Arkansas last fall to work on Witness the Fitness and sample the bouldering in the Ozark Mountains. However, his progress was hampered by the soft sandstone which only allowed attempts on the driest days. Trying the problem in humid conditions had led to two holds breaking.
In December, in dry conditions, Nicole returned to Arkansas and sent Witness the Fitness on December 23. On the issue of grading, Nicole is following Sharma’s lead by declining to rate the climb, instead only saying it’s the hardest line in this style he has ever done.
New V16?
Japanese strongman Dai Koyamada completed a new project at Shiobara named Babel, and suggests a V15/16 grade. The line, typical of Koyamada’s style, is a 30 move problem straight out a horizontal cave on monos and small edges. The 12 m roof took Koyamada three years to complete.
In Switzerland, Christian Core became the fifth person to send New Base Line in the Magic Woods, the second V15 boulder problem in the world after Dreamtime. Originally put up by Bernd Zangerl, New Base Line was first attempted by Core this past summer, but the current Italian Bouldering champion found the problem impossible in the high heat of summer and returned to dispatch it in more favourable conditions in December.
mountain news
Himalayan Winter Season
The Polish winter attempt on the Schell route on Nanga Parbat began with an appeal to younger Polish climbers to continue the national tradition of winter Himalayan ascents with the first winter climb of a Pakistani eight-thousander. They started shortly before December first, the official first day of the winter climbing season. There was no doubt, however, during the thirty days it took to establish Camp Two in the face of blizzards, deep snow and avalanche dangers necessitating an unanticipated additional 7,000 ft of rope fixing, that full winter conditions prevailed. By January 15, Camp Three had been established, but deteriorating weather made further progress impossible. It was the fifth Polish winter attempt on Nanga Parbat.
After acclimatizing with the Poles, Italian Simon Moro turned his attention to Broad Peak. He was turned back by high winds and heavy snow after Camp Three.
Moro’s experience underlines many of the problems involved in Pakistan winter climbing. Fees are only five per cent of the summer fees (so a permit for K2 is less than $300) but additional costs more than make up the difference. Moro spent $14,000 for Askari Helicopters, a subsidiary of the Pakistani Army Welfare Fund based in Rawalpindi, to fly his equipment to base camp. Flying their main route to Afghanistan makes them prone to rescheduling. Since they are the only helicopter rental option, Moro was forced to endure a three week delay.
Every Nepalese 8,000 m peak besides Makalu has been climbed in winter, but none of Pakistan’s 8,000ers (K2, Nanga Parbat, Broad Peak and Gasherbrums I and II) have seen winter ascents.
In Nepal, Japanese, Korean and Sherpa climbers teamed up to come within 40 m of the top of the south face of Lhotse (8,501 m) on December 27.
Americans in Patagonia
In early January, during the first stint of good weather of the 2006/2007 season, there were several ascents of Fitzroy and two important new routes elsewhere. François Marsigny of France and experienced Brit Andy Parkin made the second ascent of À la recherche du temps perdu ED+ 1,000 m to Cerro Torre’s Col of Hope. Later, Americans Kelly Cordes and Colin Haley linked that route with the West Face WI 5 500 m.The West Face was first climbed in 1974 by an Italian team led by Casimiro Ferrari. This was the first ascent of the mountain via this anticipated linkup and makes the longest ice route in the region. Another big new rock route was climbed on Aguja Poincenot by Americans Freddie Wilkinson and Dave Sharratt, providing 17 pitches up to 5.11.
Festival Season: Warm Temps in Canmore and Canadian Sends at Ouray
The 2006 Canmore Ice Festival in early December was well-attended, with comp organizers beating the unusually warm temperatures with an indoor drytooling comp and an artificial outdoor wall for intermediate and speed climbing comps. British alpinist Ian Parnell and German all-rounder Ines Papert gave spirited presentations to a full house. American Will Mayo won the drytooling comp. Papert came first in the women’s category and Canadian Audrey Gariepy second.
In mid-January, the Ouray Ice Festival was held for the twelfth year in Ouray Canyon, Colorado. Ouray sports one of the world’s largest artificial ice parks where water is deliberately routed down natural cliff faces to create an incredible selection of difficult routes. This year, top ice climbers flocked to the Canyon for the annual competition. Despite the absence of Will Gadd, Canada was well represented by Rob Owens, Rich Marshall, Sean Isaac, LP Menard, Gariepy, Maxime Turgeon and Mathieu Audibert, to name a few.
Gariepy, who was profiled in Gripped, Oct. 06, was the top woman, Marshall came third, Turgeon tied Manuel Cordova of Spain and American Paul Stein for fifth, and Audibert tied American Jason Nelson for ninth place.
The finals route had 50 ft of overhanging WI 5+ followed by an overhanging drytooling exercise beginning on rock and ending on the so-called diving board, a plywood board with plastic handholds. Gariepy climbed higher than every prior competitor, including the men, pitching only two moves short of the chains.
The only climber to finish the route was Ukrainian powerhouse Evgeny Kryvotsheysev, known to Canadian climbers for his incredible performances at Festiglace.
Festiglace du Québec the North Face 2007
It was the tenth Anniversary of Festiglace du Québec The North Face and the prestigious presenters, strong competitor roster and the record 7,500 attendees emphasized that this went a step beyond the usual annual event. Friday night, as usual, was a little less well-attended since many climbers arrive on Saturday. Louis-Phillippe Ménard and Max Turgeon gave a dramatic presentation on their successful season in Alaska which they followed up with an attempt on the North Face of Latok I. The crowd appreciated the exciting mix of video, music, slides and description from Québec’s premier alpinists.
French guide, star ice climber and wingsuit fanatic Sam Beaugey, who has visited Québec to compete at Festiglace and to new route several times in the past, came next. It was a humourous account of the first ascent of Azazel, a stunning big wall route on Pakistan’s Nameless Tower. The most startling part of the presentation was the footage of his wingsuit jump from near the top of the Tower. This is basically as close as you can get to unassisted flight. Beaugey took questions from the floor in an unexpected and welcome divergence from the usual practices of pro climbers. There were gasps when he revealed his plans to do a wingsuit jump from a helicopter above the canyon the next day.
A new set of stairs accessed the canyon. Although it was a little further, the staging area was more sheltered and closer to the bulk of the moderate climbing. Conditions were a little lean in some places, but in others there seemed to be more ice than last year and the proximity to the easier climbing reduced hiking times for most visitors.
There were three professional comps. The biggest was Saturday’s Marathon comp. Easier routes were given fewer points and harder routes more points, so the climbers had to strategize to score as many points as possible in the two hour-and-a-half sessions. The winner of this event was Evgeny Krivotsheitcev of Ukraine, who dominated the World Cup this year. Second and third went to Frenchmen Tony Lamiche and Éric Doiseau, respectively. The top Canadian finisher was Turgeon, who took tenth place. His usual partner, Ménard, took eleventh. The next day’s difficulty and speed competitions were also taken by Krivotsheitcev.
Saturday night’s presentations and party were heavily attended. Greg Child, one of the first serious all-round climbers and a prolific outdoor writer reflected on suffering and risk on climbs he made on Gasherbrum IV and Mt Hunter and discussed a more recent first ascent on the overhanging limestone walls of Roraima in the jungles of Brazil. Mario Dutil and Maxime Jean, a pair of Québecois mountaineers who climbed Everest, followed. Dutil writes scriptural quotes on the toes of his boots to inspire him and buried a microfilmed Bible in the snow on top of Everest. The presentations concluded with a slide show of images from a decade of Festiglace and a tribute to German climber Hari Berger who died tragically two months ago.
The party moved to the basement of the town hall and continued until the early morning. Although it eliminated some of the climbers the next day, there seemed to be more spectators than ever.
By mid-afternoon on Sunday, climbers were heading out, most facing long drives home. We can thank the North Face, the organizers of Festiglace, the town of Pont-Rouge and all of the participants for one of the biggest, most exciting Festiglace events ever.
obituaries
Curt Dempster
Climber and Theatre Impresario
1935-2007
Curt Dempster was not a great climber. He wasn’t even a good climber, but he needed to climb. He would call me with schemes to make great escapes or just call with ice conditions or how the rock felt that day. If he couldn’t link up with a partner he would take his dogs and just go soloing around wearing sweatbands on his wrists and head because he was “Curt the human fountain.” He couldn’t cope with his day-to-day without having some of the adventure, beauty, and peace that he knew he would find in the mountains. He climbed in Alaska, Wyoming, California, Colorado, but most often in New York because it was close to his tiny cramped apartment in New York City and also close to the old farmhouse in the northern Catskills where he spent many weekends and spent his summer months teaching theatre.
His many obituaries focused only on his accomplishments in the world of theatre, but what the authors of these obituaries didn’t know, and therefore were unable to understand, was how climbing influenced his work. Curt was a playwright, director, actor, fundraiser, and visionary. Like the greatest climbers, he was an artist, a dreamer, and an absolute pit bull. Curt was determined to make a theatre that would be a crucible for people whose lives were devoted to theatre. The Ensemble Studio Theatre, which Curt founded and ran until his death, gave well known and not yet known writers, directors, and actors a forum in which to develop as artists without the compromises that arise when profit is the main motive.
He fiercely defended his vision and the people who believed in this vision against those who tried to crush the theatre. He was passionate that the one act play, out of fashion with mainstream theatre, was the brightest flame and should be protected and held in highest regard. He constantly had to find funds for the theatre, and operating capital he raised through doggedly pursuing grants and gifts always went out faster than it came in.
This was an expedition of the grandest scale that lasted for decades and cost millions, an expedition that had its detractors who didn’t want this developmental theatre to succeed and put up hurdles threatening its survival. Ultimately, it was an expedition that would finish Curt off. He became the aging warrior facing off against the ageless machine. Ground was taken and lost but, alas, the summit remained elusive. Summits are never truly won: our possession of these high places is only momentary.
Curt Dempster’s life grew in complexity at the same time that age was whittling away at his powers and abilities to hold on to the precious high ground of his life and work. He was running it out further and further until, at 71, he decided that he was stuck high on the mountain in a raging storm and with what he had left of his strength he resolved that nothing was going to get him: he wouldn’t let it. So he schemed, said his secret goodbyes, and picked his moment to die.
Both art and climbing have the potential to prove to the world that life has a heart and what is in that heart can be expressed. If nothing else, the lucky souls engaged with these follies hear the pounding heart and realize that it’s their own. Curt’s heart beat loudly and is now silent, but his gift to the many people he touched is coursing through their veins and joining them inexorably to those for whom life is art and art is life. –Rich Gottlieb
Bradford Washburn
Photographer and Mountaineer
1911-2007
On January 14, Bradford Washburn died at the age of 96. Washburn was best known for his evocative black and white photographs of Alaskan mountains taken with large format cameras from aircraft. His favourite accomplishment, however, was the expansion of the Boston Museum of Science which he directed from 1939 to 1980. Indeed, he once said that he would like a short obituary reading, “he built the Museum of Science.” Other achievements include extensive mapping of mountain ranges around the world and numerous new routes in his beloved Alaskan mountains.
In the romantic style of New England patricians of the Victorian days, Washburn learned mountaineering from guides in the French Alps in 1926. His first guide was no less than Georges Charlet and in his first short season he managed Monte Rosa, Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn.
After graduating from Harvard, he took the job at the Boston Museum of Science, and interspersed work with extended mapping and climbing trips to Alaska. Washburn made many first ascents, including the West Buttress of what was still known only as Mt McKinley. It is now the most popular route on the mountain. He also made the first ascents of Mts Bertha, Crillon, Hayes and Lucania, among many others.
Dedicated to his family, Washburn was married to his wife Barbara who was his companion on many climbs for 67 years. He is survived by her, his son Edward, his daughters Dorothy and Elizabeth, nine grand-children and two great grandchildren. The American Alpine Club will name its museum opening in 2008 in Golden Colorado the Bradford Washburn Mountaineering Museum.
