So often in mountaineering classes I've heard it said that experience is the best teacher, but it's not -- it's the most emphatic one. When you read about awards being given to public school teachers, how many of those go to teachers who lose a significant number of students to death or injury due to their lessons?
Our best hope for enjoying our forays into the hills is to be good students and learn from others, not wait for experience to come crashing down on us.
Thanks for your story. I hope a few students will learn from it.
great report . . . so you might have been wearing red? Maybe you've heard this . . . I was out in the sierra, high, and kept getting buzzed by hummingbirds––like right in my face. Turns out they are attracted to red and I was wearing a red bandana. Got any ideas for this winter/spring on the east side? I am in SF and always looking for a ride.
I really enjoyed your report and I found myself hanging (by my fingertips) on every word. I climbed the East Ridge route about thirty-odd years ago and your excellent video really brought back the thrills (and a little fear).
The fisheye lens does exaggerate exposure somewhat. It's is certainly a beautiful climb. Seems hairy from a distance, but a reasonable way always opens up at the last minute - without losing the exposure though! I can see why it's a classic. I recommend a more standard approach than mine next time...
Or, in fact, I'd love to see what a party with a little gear and sense makes of that approach gully on Carillon. The crux move felt like 5.7 to me. But I won't be at all surprised if there were other ways out that I missed. One day I might have to go back better prepared and put the ghost to rest.
I don't know the area at all, but I can relate to how you must have felt. I have to admit that I've made some mistakes myself (and I'm sure I'll be making more), like climbing myself into a spot of trouble because it starts so easy ...
I figure, the key error was to go up on a route that, after a bit, you didn't trust yourself to get down from, while not knowing if you could actually climb it up all the way. The next decision, to continue to go up even when it got a lot harder than you bargained for, simply followed from that - I'm not even sure that's an error, because going down was too tricky. The others, I think, are contributing factors only.
Thanks! A lightweight rope and some webbing will make it into my pack in the future for rappeling troubling sections. Added weight? Yes. But worth it if venturing into unknown terrain, in my view. I've carried it so many times "just in case" and came to regard it as excessive. But this goes to show that a chain of events can make it valuable.
From this experience than your prior ones. My greatest learning moments have come from my hardest moments. You survived, you'll evolve. In 5 years you'll remember this as a defining moment.
Eric Sandbo - Oct 30, 2011 1:20 pm - Voted 10/10
Excellent lessons.So often in mountaineering classes I've heard it said that experience is the best teacher, but it's not -- it's the most emphatic one. When you read about awards being given to public school teachers, how many of those go to teachers who lose a significant number of students to death or injury due to their lessons?
Our best hope for enjoying our forays into the hills is to be good students and learn from others, not wait for experience to come crashing down on us.
Thanks for your story. I hope a few students will learn from it.
ElGreco - Nov 7, 2011 10:24 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Excellent lessons.Me too. It was my main motivation for writing it up. Thanks, Eric.
Bascuela - Oct 30, 2011 10:11 pm - Voted 10/10
ThanksAhhh the old.... "Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment."
Good read and thanks for sharing!
-Aaron
ElGreco - Nov 7, 2011 10:25 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: ThanksThank you!
ExploreABitMore - Oct 31, 2011 11:44 am - Hasn't voted
Nice ...photos and video. Just curious what kind of video setup you used. Is that a GoPro strapped on the chest, or something similar?
ElGreco - Oct 31, 2011 12:43 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Nice ...Thanks. Yes, that would be the GoPro!
Denjem - Oct 31, 2011 12:12 pm - Voted 7/10
Good footageThe filming really give a good idea of the terrain. Good stills as well. Good pic of the hummingbird.
ElGreco - Oct 31, 2011 12:44 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Good footageThank you. I didn't take the hummingbird photo though - that's symbolic!
rlshattuck - Oct 31, 2011 3:13 pm - Hasn't voted
them hummers . . .great report . . . so you might have been wearing red? Maybe you've heard this . . . I was out in the sierra, high, and kept getting buzzed by hummingbirds––like right in my face. Turns out they are attracted to red and I was wearing a red bandana. Got any ideas for this winter/spring on the east side? I am in SF and always looking for a ride.
ElGreco - Nov 1, 2011 3:57 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: them hummers . . .No red. Funny that both times I was buzzed just after the hard sections. Hummers and polemonium kept me good company!
boyblue - Oct 31, 2011 7:28 pm - Voted 10/10
Wow!I really enjoyed your report and I found myself hanging (by my fingertips) on every word. I climbed the East Ridge route about thirty-odd years ago and your excellent video really brought back the thrills (and a little fear).
ElGreco - Nov 7, 2011 10:31 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Wow!The fisheye lens does exaggerate exposure somewhat. It's is certainly a beautiful climb. Seems hairy from a distance, but a reasonable way always opens up at the last minute - without losing the exposure though! I can see why it's a classic. I recommend a more standard approach than mine next time...
Or, in fact, I'd love to see what a party with a little gear and sense makes of that approach gully on Carillon. The crux move felt like 5.7 to me. But I won't be at all surprised if there were other ways out that I missed. One day I might have to go back better prepared and put the ghost to rest.
Thanks for reading.
rgg - Nov 3, 2011 12:56 pm - Voted 10/10
Great read!I don't know the area at all, but I can relate to how you must have felt. I have to admit that I've made some mistakes myself (and I'm sure I'll be making more), like climbing myself into a spot of trouble because it starts so easy ...
I figure, the key error was to go up on a route that, after a bit, you didn't trust yourself to get down from, while not knowing if you could actually climb it up all the way. The next decision, to continue to go up even when it got a lot harder than you bargained for, simply followed from that - I'm not even sure that's an error, because going down was too tricky. The others, I think, are contributing factors only.
ElGreco - Nov 7, 2011 10:20 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Great read!Thanks! A lightweight rope and some webbing will make it into my pack in the future for rappeling troubling sections. Added weight? Yes. But worth it if venturing into unknown terrain, in my view. I've carried it so many times "just in case" and came to regard it as excessive. But this goes to show that a chain of events can make it valuable.
workmanflock - Nov 4, 2011 6:55 pm - Voted 10/10
You'll learn moreFrom this experience than your prior ones. My greatest learning moments have come from my hardest moments. You survived, you'll evolve. In 5 years you'll remember this as a defining moment.
ElGreco - Nov 7, 2011 10:23 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: You'll learn moreThat sounds right. It has already sunk in as a turning point in fact. Learning without cutting it so fine would be nice though! Thanks for reading.
Vitaliy M. - Nov 5, 2011 2:20 am - Voted 10/10
Nice TR.Glad you made it out alive : ) Would not be a good place to get hurt!
ElGreco - Nov 7, 2011 10:22 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Nice TR.Thanks, V. Yes, me too! It would have been both bad and unglamorous.