Premeditated Part 1: Pitch 1 goes clean.

[mungeclimber]

ah, nice, take your time. I'm in for the full ride amigo.

The word ephemeral comes to mind as I read of the dust falling from the shuffle of the aiders. So true.

[Brad Young]

   This idea of history is turned on its head on this route. I attempt statistical equations in my head. What percent of the rock that falls to the floor is part of that highway touched and paved by those before me? To carve out a new placement with the barest touch of my finger can be seen as holistic retrobolting as the path that Bridwell made with tied off bongs and angles crumbles to dust and spreads out into the wind between my feet and the ground.
   Aiding at the Pinnacles allows one to gain a first ascent with every step. Second ascents and all other ascents are made at the base of the climb as you step on the fallen past while flaking rope and preparing the rack.

The rock on this route is not the only thing that is impermanent.

I've got to run out with Tricia and get some guidebook work done. But two "photos" will be coming.

[Brad Young]

Your comments about the impermanent nature of the rock on Premeditated got me thinking about which is less permanent, the rock, or the people who climb on it. And that got me to thinking about one of the route's first ascentionists, Jim Bridwell.

Soon after the new 2007 guidebook came out (four years ago almost to the day), I was talking with Tom Higgins about it. In this conversation Tom asked me if I would sign his copy of the book. I laughed robustly at this request, but only for a little while (until I realized that he was serious). I laughed because to me the concept of me giving a signature to someone of Tom's stature is very slightly short of ridiculous. Verrrrry slightly. But he was serious, and so I agreed.

But I thought up one condition: I'd sign his book if he'd sign a second copy of the book for me.

And thus was born an ongoing project of attempting to get a signature in this same book from every Pinnacles first ascentionist I can find.

Many of you are familiar with this project because many of you have signed this book. It now contains about 80 signatures, including those of very many of the "big names" that have done Pinnacles first ascents.

Which brings me back to Bridwell. I got his signature with the help of my friend Todd Gordon (who lives near Jim). I asked Todd to have Jim sign on page 287, at the location of his (locally) famous Pinnacles route Premeditated. And Jim not only obliged my request, he did so in a beautiful form of calligraphy using a flowing, black ink:





And, to close the circle, Jim also included in the book a separate note, written in the same pen, on a separate sheet of paper. A separate note that I thought of immediately when I read your comments about the fleeting nature of the rock on the route. Pinnacles rock isn't the only thing fleeting about Premeditated; human memories are also impermanent, they too crumble over time. Jim confirmed this:

[cobbledik]

This sunday's trip back to premeditated will be my 4th time on the route. No other route has had that same pull on me. Like I teach my students in English class, when something is given more attention that you would normally expect, it's probably a symbol with more embedded meaning than its literal meaning.

I distinctly remember talking to Brad in the parking lot the first day I intended to get on the route; he told me about the last ascent up the route that Mucci and Munge has done. He mentioned that they had used Bridwell's hammer and that they had a real appreciation for the history of the route. I doubt you know it Brad, but that exchange had a profound effect upon me.

Up until that point, I was in love with the technical experience of sick aid, feeling like hard scary aid was something I could sink my teeth into. I wanted to nail routes that couldn't be done without nailing, I wanted to do something that trade routes no longer allowed due to the eroding effect of popularity.

The "history" aspect of the route made me think that what drew me to hard nailing, hooking, and such was the idea that on those routes, I shared with a direct lineage to those that had created it. Climbing the Shield today no longer allows you step into the path of Porter, but hard routes allow you to get closer to the past. Premeditated feels that way, less like reaching for the next placement, more like reaching for places in history. (that was overly dramatic, but my B.A. is in creative writing, so I can't help myself)

Randomly, I ran into Chuck Clance at Discovery Wall, months before Premeditated was a sparkle in my eye, where we got to talking about aiding and he mentioned Mucci as someone he had climbed with and respected as a true climber and strait up guy (this all said as he down 3 cans of beer then went off to solo Portent) I feel now like, at least at the Pinnacles, I can move in the path of names like Bridwell, and, more recently, Mucci, and connect to something I can't do when I'm groundlocked.

I sound starry-eyed, but it's not that. I feel like i've been changed by climbing through fear and reluctant success. That change is part from within, but just as much from without, by people that help me understand what I'm doing and understand myself in the process.

[mungeclimber]

Mucci is the real deal. He should tell the tale, but the topo of his and Steve Bosque's newest big wall says A3+, and I know he won't ever call it A4 out of respect for other guys that have gone before him.  It sounds way heads up.

The "history" is another way of saying the common cord that ties the climbing community together. It varies and is subject to human foibles, but especally at Pinns there is a certain appreciation for the absurdity of scratchin up rock faces that speaks to a few.

[cobbledik]

Scarface is def high on my list of to-dos for next year

[cobbledik]

Super rough edit of the first pitch. Halfway up the climb, some dust got in the gopro so it gets a bit blurry in parts. cut it down to 1 hour. Once everything is said and done after the second pitch, I'll cut it down to 30 mind or so overall.

Premeditated Full Pitch 1

[mynameismud]

sweaty palms

[MUCCI]

Nice of you to share your thoughts while in the process of climbing a notorious Pinns route.  I spent a few nights without sleep waiting to finish off that route.

Chuck taught me how to climb, and instilled a lust for early repeats by saying "Get it before it get's all blown out and bolted".  He was never much into new routing, but with early repeats of Aurora, ZM, Mescalito, Mushroom and many others he was my hero.  Through him I met Steve Bosque, who had done some hard new routes in Pinns in the 70's, not to mention his Valley tally.  Steve was the opposite of Chuck, always down for a FA. They did the 2nd ascent of SOD wall on machete. 

Both of them walked up to premeditated, well into thier aid careers, and immediately walked away.  When they heard Munge and I did it, both were astonished. That was how this route was seen by the hardmen of the day. Possibly not worth getting hurt on, when you could still get Grade VI FA's in the valley.  Or maybe that the West side in the late 70's had a different aura than it does today, making the balconies a truly scary place to repeat the Bird's aid route.

Bridwell routes have never been taken lightly, and the way the route was described as a 4 pitch "Evil"  route in some guidebooks, is a testament to how descriptions and misinformation contributed to it having only been repeated 4 times in 40+ years.
Kevin, I felt the same way about Brad, Jim, Eric, Rob etc... They had made the history (or found it) and were part of my "introduction to pinnacles adventure". 

Good route to test your mettle (metal?) on...

[cobbledik]

Finished pitch 2 today. Managed to get the first 2/3 clean, placed 5 pins on the long left traverse, clean through the final bulge and one last pin to get the anchor.

Final score:
Premeditated in 6attempts.
1. Walked up and walked away (did bongladesh instead)
2. Freeclimbed to first bolt, too scared to do traverse into crack, bailed off bolt
3. Made it 2/3 of the way up first pitch, rangers informed us that it was bird closure, I say omg I'm so sorry I forgot to check built anchor, came down
4. Intending to rap in and solo rest of first pitch, I walk to top, find bolts, then decide to find another place to climb
5. Send first pitch clean 3.5 hours
6. Send 2/3 of second pitch clean, nail the rest. 5 hours.
7. There will never be a 7. Ever.

[mynameismud]

Ya know what they say


Never say never.

[cobbledik]

Nevernevernever.

I had an emotional breakdown at the 4 hour mark ( which is when I decided to nail ) sobbing and repeating a chorus of "I think I can do it" the followed by " I'm going to die" over and over. I've never been that scared or mentally exhausted before when climbing.

[mungeclimber]

YEAH!!!! fuk yay!!!! you didn't die!!! victory is yours!!!!

now just imagine how rock solid granite A3 will feel!!!!  like taking candy from a baby


if you left a rope fixed I might go back up there to try a third pitch, but I don't want to relead that shit.

[cobbledik]

I had sugar plum visions of maybe a third, but by the time I got to the anchors, I was out of there and just wanted to be on the ground. I didn't even look around and we pulled the rope. But you can alway rap into the second pitch from the top.

[Brad Young]

Well Done!

Like everyone here, I was kinda cheering you on for an all clean second pitch, but that crack up under the roof is really incredibly thin and I didn't know whether that would go.

Here's a suggestion: since you're obviously in a PInnacles frame of mind, do the second ascent of Los Banditos on Machete (it's in the new routes sticky thread). To my knowledge this hasn't had a second ascent and I think it's really pretty good (and the aid is bomber A1).

[cobbledik]

Working through a TR (hard to find time with grades coming due for my high school students) but thought I'd share some of the pictures I have from the second pitch. I was taking video with my GoPro and so didn't get many pictures of the clean placements up to the final section because the camera was taking care of that. Once it ran out of of batteries, I then switched to taking pictures of the placements.

https://picasaweb.google.com/111001858119976450058/PremeditatedPitch2?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCIWOoP_l07D3Vw&feat=directlink

a few selected pix:
Belay Anchors (LOL, I just realized that the pano program I used to stitch together the three images of the anchor made the red sling seem to separate in midair.)


Looking back on nailing section


Bomber cam to return to clean at the last leg to the anchor (kitty litter to blind to blind to large pika hook - why is it that clean after nailing feels lame compared to the clean before resorting to nailing?


Dixie (my gf) starting to clean the pitch.

[Brad Young]

You'll stick with Dixie if you're smart. I've never met her, but she seems tough and devoted. I've gotten a very good impression of her already.

[mungeclimber]

she looks like shes going to whip around the corner!!! yikes!!

stay low, stay low!!


afraid to open the picasa pics 


maybe heading down this weekend. you going to be around?

[cobbledik]

She did whip around the corner. I have video of it that I'll post. I told her she had the choice of lowering off a bolt or just taking the swing... I turned on my camera because I had a feeling I knew which one she'd choose. She's like me that way.

She's amazing, I've never found anyone who learned how to second so quickly. Believe it or not, pitch 1 of premeditated was the second time she'd ever cleaned an aid lead and pitch 2 of premeditated was the third time she's ever cleaned an aid lead.

Not only that but she only started climbing trad and leading trad (both on the same day) two months ago. This weekend she led Ordeal and Jorge's Crack with no falls and every piece she placed was solid (I think seeing me lead pitch 1 of premeditated made her appreciate what rock at the pinnacles can be like and so she takes that into account when placing gear)

Edit: just so nobody thinks I put her on pinnacles trad at such a young trad leading age, a quick list of routes she's already led in those two months
Pop bottle
Corrigation corner
Last pitches of bird on a wire on lost horse wall in J tree
Chasing the sun in Indian cove Jtree
Half of whodunnit

She's a natural pitbull who is willing (and has) to whip on her gear and understands how to run it out through fear to get to better placements rather than force crap placements. Scary bu inspiring to belay. She's probably the only thing that got me through my freak out at the four hour mark of the second pitch of premeditated

[mungeclimber]

LOL!!!

what, it's possible to fix and not hang out at the belay while the second cleans?