Hello Oceansiders, yes, the referred crack was probably first done with what we called RURPs. Realized Ultimate Reality Piton. About a square inch of annealed malleable steel. As the Joshua granite is friable, it probably didn't take long to start using ordinary pitons. Anyhow, yes when I was there in 86, people definitely were carrying trick spring loaded and cammed gear, but the overhanging diagonal crack, which must have had a name by then, was being free-climbed.
Climbed Joshua frequently in 1963-65. Just a rope. In 86 I was there looking at an overhanging wall that we'd considered unclimbable. But by 86 the crack had been done so many times with fancy equipment that fingerholds were worn in it. Guys were freeclimbing it just with chalk. Mentioned the change to a kid festooned in $3000 of aluminum and stainless. He started yelling at his friends to come talk to the "oldtimer". I must be truly ancient by now.
@speedboat - Fancy equipment in 86? Friends were fairly new, not a lot of climbers were carrying them. Ray Jardine invented them in the late 70s. Pitons were the more likely culprit in the expansion of the crack. Piton scars are not really common in Joshua Tree
Hello Oceansiders, yes, the referred crack was probably first done with what we called RURPs. Realized Ultimate Reality Piton. About a square inch of annealed malleable steel. As the Joshua granite is friable, it probably didn't take long to start using ordinary pitons. Anyhow, yes when I was there in 86, people definitely were carrying trick spring loaded and cammed gear, but the overhanging diagonal crack, which must have had a name by then, was being free-climbed.
speedboat 1 month ago
Climbed Joshua frequently in 1963-65. Just a rope. In 86 I was there looking at an overhanging wall that we'd considered unclimbable. But by 86 the crack had been done so many times with fancy equipment that fingerholds were worn in it. Guys were freeclimbing it just with chalk. Mentioned the change to a kid festooned in $3000 of aluminum and stainless. He started yelling at his friends to come talk to the "oldtimer". I must be truly ancient by now.
speedboat 1 month ago
@speedboat - Fancy equipment in 86? Friends were fairly new, not a lot of climbers were carrying them. Ray Jardine invented them in the late 70s. Pitons were the more likely culprit in the expansion of the crack. Piton scars are not really common in Joshua Tree
Oceansiders 1 month ago