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I am sorry for all the high level spray about how great some of these guys are but there is one more like that. The history of LCC climbing is preserved in the routes that have been done. Not everyone feels that way. Some people like to think that if something is run out then it is their right to bolt that old route to bring it into line with their cumulative climbing ability. They may not have realized that the first ascent team struggled up from hte ground not knowing if it would go, and having nothing to go for. I am only writing this because fewer and fewer climbers understand the difference between ground up and rapp and drill. If you have climbed both ways then you know what I am talking about. If you have not then I would highly recommend it. You will be a more rounded climber because of it. This intro is my attempt to link the thoughts about ground up climbing with a guy who did it well.

“It’s the BEST route in the canyon! TOTALLY CLASSIC!!!”

Anyone climbing quite a bit in the late 70’s to 80’s in LCC probably heard this infectious enthusiasm. The guy was not spraying and he knew what routes were good, hell he had done most of the standards and put up more routes than anyone of that era. More importantly was the style in which this guy put up new routes, always ground up, on lead. In those days it was not considered sporting to drill bolts on rappel. Minimal impact and ground up ethics made some of these routes very bold and there were numerous times where Les Ellison took big wingers trying to work out the moves an a new route. I spent quite a bit of time at the Gate Boulders then, trying to gain the required skill set to climb some of the granite. Back then, bouldering is what you did to get a bit of a workout and maybe get outside and were too afraid to actually climb a route but the “real” climbing was done on the cliffs. I hardly ever saw Les in the boulders, he was always to busy on his next project out on the “real” cliffs.

To the outsider and non-climber our sport can appear to be silly and selfish. It does not really benefit anyone. Sport climbing at least is relatively safe. But why would you willingly put your life in danger to brave the unknown of a new route on lead? Better equipped philosophers have dealt with this question. I think it has something to do with the way that you do something and the values that you hold. It is not the end goal that matters, but how you get there, the way you play the game as opposed to the final result. I think this is what Les did and he did it well. He set standards for himself in those days that most of us tried in our half-hearted ways to emulate. Nobody was better at pushing their limit than Les on a consistent basis.

I will never forget the first time that I climbed with Les, talk about an eye opener. Little did he know the impact that he had on my climbing and many other people like Bret Ruckman and Steve Carruthers introduction to rock climbing. The day before I climbed with Les, Bret and I were up at the Crescent Crack Buttress in about 1980. I think we may have done something like the Coffin that day, I don’t remember exactly, but we were headed down and we looked up at a guy climbing out in no man’s land. This guy had his trademark black framed Vuarnet sunglasses on and he was on the edge of the buttress above the Great Chockstone. He was grunting and trying desperately to mantle a sloping hold. The last pro was a ways down and it looked way sketchy. Next thing you know, he’s off. Falling on a mantle when you are going for it is terrifying and Les swung upside down on the rope, nearly loosing those Vuarnet’s. I had never seen anything like that.

Les was working on his new route, “The Missing Link”. It was late and he and his partner gave up for the day. That night Bret got a call and it was Les. “Lets go climbing tomorrow!” Bret and I had planned on going, so we all went together. It was one of those stellar days in LCC, cool temperatures, and nobody else at the cliff. We all climbed up the first pitch of the great chockstone route and Bret was belaying Les there. The Missing Link goes out a series of underclings to the face then climbs up to the wicked mantle move and face climbs to a sloping belay ledge out on the main face. Les made short work of the mantle this time and set up a belay on the sloping ledge. I had never been on a 5.10 route in my life, what a way to start! I flailed my way up that pitch and with a little tugging on Les’s end I made it up to the ledge.

On the second pitch, Les led up a crackless face with tiny crystals and chickenheads that are so common in LCC. He was about 20 feet up off the sloping belay ledge where Bret belayed and I sweated watching Les work out the moves. He was up there asking “should I put a bolt in up here?” “For god sakes yes, Les, put a bolt in!” Bret and I looked at eachother and silently hoped that Les would stick one there. Les dinked around a bit muttering about how it might be too close to the ledge and he didn’t want that. The climbing was pretty solid 5.9 and it could have turned more difficult in a hurry. Les stood on a chickenhead and placed the bolt. He led higher and placed another bolt. The climbing eased a bit and miraculously he was able to find a #4 friend placement. While I was almost a human haulbag on the crux, the second pitch went well on a TR. “Classic route! I think I will call it Warpath, or maybe the Missing Link!” “One of the best routes in the canyon!” Les was psyched, and my eyes had been opened to real adventure climbing by a master.

I recently talked with my good friend Bret Ruckman, and we both acknowledged how cool it was for Les to climb with two new teenage kids and show us the ropes. One day after climbing we went over to Les’ house. He used to live just off Wasatch Blvd and had recently had a stone wall built in a part of his house. It was his indoor bouldering wall. This was way before plastic holds were made. While we were over sharing a brew with Les he said he needed to shower. Next thing you know he comes out for the first nude solo ascent of his new wall, an ascent we didn’t really need to witness….For a while Les was making haul bags and chalk bags. His haul bags were very good and I used one a few times. I think the name of his company was Alpine Adventures. Bret and I used to joke about Les making a chalk haul bag for those long routes when you needed lots of dips.

Les also had the best stories. He told one about the FA of Crown of Creation, a proud line in Bells Canyon that goes out a big roof that I think was A3 on the FA (Old school ratings). He and his partner were at a hanging belay above the roof and Les was getting ready to launch off into the unknown, sketchy slab climbing above. The two ¼” bolts were connected by a sling and his partner had inadvertently clipped in such a way that if one of the bolts failed they were going to crater from a few hundred feet up. Les said he looked down as he was leaving the belay and said “Terry, I think you wanna adjust that biner just in case….” Terry adjusted the belay to make it safe and a moment later one of the belay bolts failed. When you are a young teenager learning to rock climb, stories like this were always coming out of Les and they made him larger than life.

He hooked up with Steve Carruthers around the late 70’s and Steve got the maximum effect, crash course introduction to rockclimbing. I will never forget talking to Steve in those days about the routes that Les took Steve up. Most normal guys would of packed it in, but Steve, was way into it and his and Les’s enthusiasm seemed to feed off each other. I remember hearing how they went to do the Titan and I think it was Steve’s first year of climbing. If you have done that you know how damn scary it is, now think about before CAMs, of course we pounded pins in the big guy back then too. Apparently they were moving kind of slow and ended up bivvying on that first ledge on the route. Steve was some kind of special dude not to quit after that one.

Les Ellison and Brian Smoot wrote the book “Wasatch Rock Climbs” and it was published in 1984. They will have to tell you all about it, but for us back then, it was a long awaited guide that presented many more routes than what the old guides had. Being published by the American Alpine Club it kind of made me feel like the Wasatch had come of age, even though we were still a quiet backwater, but that is a good thing. After Bret and I did a new route and called each other up to spray about it, we always said, “It’s a TOTAL CLASSIC DUDE! BEST ROUTE IN THE CANYON!”

and I might add.....night shifts suck....

"I think the name of his company was Alpine Adventures."

I still have an Alpine Adventures chalk bag sitting on a shelf at home; that thing is a relic from the past. I think I must have bought it at the old Timberline Sports shop on Highland.

Ahh...got the ol' BCC guidebook info wrong, Merrill on the cover...and...penned by YOU! Still have my copy...



That route must have been on the radar. Cover shot in an old Summit magazine of Ed Webster trying it. I chatted with Henry Barber a bit over a year ago, and, he told me about his attempt on it. He knew Hong would probably send it, so, he tried to get up there as quick as he could, but, the weather was poor. Started raining right as he turned the roof, and, he was close to gettin' shut down and needed to place some pro. He tried to set a hex and was sorta tossin' it at the crack up above but it wouldn't set. Then it started raining. And...he slipped off. Told me that if he'd have got the hex to stick, he'd have probably done it, and, even if he had to tug through on the hex to finish the "free climb", he'd have claimed the FA anyhoo (I think he was pullin' my leg at this point, but, interesting).



Is there a funnier route name than "Mr B cranks a feces"? Whoo hoo!



His license plate don't say "sends14's" for nothing...

I think he competed in '89 at Snowbird. '88 was an invitational and mostly hired Euro guns with a few token Americans.

I have gobs of pictures from those comps, and, a really good one of Merrill (talk about ripped!) on route. Slides, but, should try to get them scanned. I remember the women's comp in the NA open that year was dominated by two women I knew from good ol' Bozeman, Kristen Drumheller and Meg Hall, who finished 1 and 2. Overheard that Lynn Hill said that she was glad Kristen didn't like competition climbing. Too funny. Strong lasses.

Good stuff, Gary!

I was privileged to climb with Smitty and Dave just as I began climbing (’86). They were friends of my brother and so we climbed with them quite a bit. They were quite the inseparable pair.

Smitty was amazingly solid on everything! We used to call him the iceman, since you couldn’t tell how serious things were just by looking at him. Same expression on his face regardless of the situation! Went along with his quiet personality. He knew about everything in LCC too.

Smitty climbed on an old ratty 11 mm rope. Furrier than a cat and filthy, I honestly don’t know how old it was! It was ancient! I used to tease him about his rope and he would always calmly reply that the core was still good. Sometimes he would joke about how Brian Smoot would use his ropes for towing cars, roof work (tar on the rope), and pulling out tree stumps, then still climb on it. This seemed to imply that his rope was just fine. Now I admit this is probably him just joking around, but Brian is there any truth to this?

Speaking of Brian Smoot … Smitty and Dave also joked about leaving slings at belays. They always claimed that if they did, Brian Smoot would scab them and use them for draws. The rumor was that Brian Smoot would scab some pretty crispy (weathered, sun drenched) belay slings throughout the canyon and use them as draws!

In the guidebook, Smitty is famous for running it out after pulling the crux on the first ascent of Genuine Risk. He didn’t stop to drill a bolt because he was running late and had to get to work. He told us that it was due to the easy climbing (5.7). It may be 5.7, but it sure is run out!

On an early ascent of the SunDevil Chimney in the fisher towers, Smitty used a tent pole for aid tied off like a longggg tube chock. He was always solid, so I figure he probably didn't even think twice. Though he did mention that it was pretty scary.

Smitty messed his ankle up real bad while leading Dark Horse with Brian Smoot. He was heading to the first bolt after pulling the roof, fell, flew over the roof, and hit the slab below. What was believed to be a sprain was actually torn ligaments. He walked out on his own (Brian?) and had to have surgery to repair everything. Must have been a good surgeon, because the ankle didn't slow Smitty down.

Dave was fun to climb with. Always talking. He was in his mid-twenties, but had a wife and a few kids and the responsibilities that go with that. As a result, he sometimes wouldn’t be able to climb for a couple of months, then show up and it would be like he had never been away from climbing. We would then sick him on the scary hard routes that we wanted to do but couldn't lead (Smitty usually declined since he had already led most of them). He was very strong and incredible on LCC friction.

Dave was an anomaly. He would scramble up or solo (ex. Lunge or Plunge – if I remember right?) the most insecure things, then you would give him a rack and tie a rope to him ... then he would get real shaky. He used to say that he had to really get serious about climbing and spend the time or give it up all together because he couldn’t handle it anymore, but then you’d see him in a couple of months cranking up something very difficult and scary.

In October ’86 Smitty, Dave, and Brian Smoot went down to Zions to try and bag an early ascent (2nd ascent?) of Lovelace Crack (Fang Wall). My brother and I helped haul their stuff up to the starting ledge while they fixed the first few pitches. They cast off the next day and climbed up to the big bombay chimney, they decided to bail there for various reasons. I’m telling this to illustrate the funny nature of Dave. He can be real solid and then jelly fish in a heartbeat. At a belay a little below the bombay chimney, Dave jelly fished. The belay was a pod of sorts that went deeply into the wall. Dave crawled into the pod as far in as possible and wouldn’t budge until it was time to bail. LOL.

Anyway … I learned a lot from this pair. We would go to climb something and they would be like …”this would be a good lead for Mike”. I’d only been climbing for a short while, and so I wouldn’t question them. Needless to say, I had some of my most memorable and desperate leads during that period of my life. They knew what was what and when it got too dangerous. They would always say, “ah, you’d be alright if you fell.” LOL. It was a great apprenticeship! They knew everything and I gained a tremendous amount of experience climbing with Smitty, Dave, and my brother.

Any one have any stories about John Storm?

i've never heard anything about him, but he seems as prolific in the ruckman guide as many of the people being talked about here

beyond that, thanks for the history guys, makes for interesting reading

John Storm was a natural, I think I first remember him in about 83-84 and he disappeared a few years later. One time in the mid 80’s I met him in the City of Rocks. After a quick warmup on Crack of Doom (the king of Trad routes in Idaho IMO) we went over to a new route that Bingham had had just sent. I am trying to remember the name but it was a bolted 12b/c (Pygmy Aliens???). Apparently it had taken Bingham and partner at least a few days to crack. With essentially no beta, Storm literally hiked it. It was very impressive. I think when you look in the Guidebook and notice the dates you will see that he put up many of the more difficult routes in the mid 80’s in LCC.

You guys are refreshing some old memories…I think that "Mr. B cranks a Feces" came about after DB and MB had a little spiff. I think that DB had put in some anchor bolts on the top of Goodro’s and MB may have had issue with it, hence that route name. Those guys are still out there and know the story better than I, and I apologize if I got it wrong. Last thing I want to do is drag up 20 year old tiff's. However, it does let you guys know that anchor bolt arguments have been going on for years.....

Smitty’s ascent of Genuine Risk was one of those stories that Les was so excited to share. That was a route I had on my list of, when I have enough balls, maybe….Never did. At one time maybe 10-15 yrs ago, someone was going to retro and I heard that they had talked to Smitty about it. I dont know the full story there.

When Ed Webster blew into town Bret and I climbed with him one day. That dude was amazing. Fast climber, always in a hurry and wanted to pack one more in. I learned the 30 second rope coil from him. In the early 80's he was a very prolific climber in the desert and in the Black.

cheers,
Gary

Fortunately, it hasn't been retroed! However, Final Link runs alongside (intentional?) and is fully bolted. Wouldn't be surprised that folks clip some of the bolts on Final Link when finishing Genuine Risk so they don't have to run it out.

Reminds me of the third pitch of Cheetah (best pitch in my opinion). I've led it once, but not sure whether I'll ever have the huevos to do it again! But after all the cruxes, it's only 5.7 or so, but runout quite a distance. The easy climbing is such a relief after pulling through the cruxes that the runout 5.7 part is no big deal. However, when Cheetah was rebolted years ago (~15 years?) an additional bolt was added. It is obvious which bolt it is because you want to clip it, but it isn't a spot you want to stop at. Probably better without the additional retro bolt!

Gary, on Missing Link ... is there a story behind the bashie placed in the difficult grooves leading up to the undercling roof on the first ascent? There has to be ! I remember a 2 cam friend placement below it (crap!) inspiring more confidence than the bashie. 12-13 years ago, I met an old guy from Ogden who started up Missing Link mistakenly thinking it was Lazarus (LOL - he must have had a little much to drink!). He fell on the bashie , ripped it out and ended up way down in the chimney below. A bolt has been placed where the bashie once was.

burp, doing all of cheetah is an accomplishment I think, good job. It has been so long since I did it I dont know about retro efforts.

Sorry I dont know about the bashie on Mising Link either; howeverr, I do remember les extolling the virtues of 2 cams of a friend. That poor dude, a rude awakenening for sure...

burp wrote:



Yes, these stories are true. I was poor and cheap! The tar came from roof tops. I washed windows for $10 an hour in down town Salt Lake. I worked with Les doing this. Once he took a fall off of a window ledge, he was caught by his safety rope. Everything was an epic with Les.

burp wrote:



We were really on the Fin Arete. Mark was moving up to the 6th bolt on the first pitch. He got too far right and fell. His foot skidded off the edge of the Dark Horse roof. After a short moan, he quietly said "I'm done for the day". He hobbled down while I cleaned the gear off of the pitch. I caught up to him down on the church road. To this day I feel horrible about not helping him out more on the hike out. Mark was quite the hard man.

In 1979 Mark & I climbed a new route at Lone peak called Flying Circus. On the last pitch I had a poor semi hanging belay while Mark started up a blank section. He was stemming above me with no pro, tried to mantle a chickenhead, then backed down & continued stemming up the solid 5.9 section. After 25' he finally got a nut in and finished the pitch. This was a bold lead and a dangerous climb.

Mark climbed the Dihedral Wall with Dave Dixon. It sounded like a sufferfest...lack of gear, water the heat etc. Mark does almost all of the leading. They stagger off the climb & discover their keys are locked in the car. They start breaking off antennas from nearby parked cars in an attempt to unlock their car. They finally break in & start speeding home...No dinner celebration or showers. They both are late for work & out of money. It starts raining like hell. Their old leaky car starts to fill with water...so their feet are in 4 inches of water for the drive back to Salt Lake! I would love to hear more details from those guys.

Les Ellison did Cottontail Tower in the Fishers with Mark. They were making the 2nd ascent of Brer Rabbit (VI 5.9 A4) On one of Marks aid leads he plunged 30' ripping out gear. A pin holds him...below that it was 30' or so to the belay with no gear in between. He finishes the lead & Les cleans the pin that held the fall with his fingers. Higher, on a bivy ledge Mark accidently drops Les's sleeping bag...Mark gets to spend the night shivering without a bag!

Golsen - you did a lot of stuff at Hellgate. Were you around for Stump the Stars or some of the other tower 1 routes?

Brian - you mentioned the Dorsal Fin is different now. How much different is it?

Any of you guys help establish routes up on the Thumb?

Tenesmus said:



Can't remember when I said this, but it has cleaned up a lot. The route was originally done in 4 pitches, then a new bolt station was put into the middle of the classic 3rd pitch. This belay has since been removed.



Les & I did Spring Fever in 1979. We both had our eyes on it...the Zion curtain-like flake is what attracted us. Our line was left of the S Direct. Les led the pitch off Lunch Ledge in his EB's...these were the best shoes available at the time...very slippery compared to todays shoes. The pitch went up some inobvious grooves left of the start of the S Direct. The pro was some mankey cams in those grooves, then a 5.8 runnout to the belay. If you fell up high you'd crater on Lunch Ledge. This pitch may have had a bashie fixed on it too. Les was famous for his statement: "I put in a bashie...it's TOTALLY bomber."

Les insisted on leading the next pitch because he wanted to go a certain way. "Brian, this is the ultimate...It looks SO hard." He heads up & moves rightward along the top of a big roof along some kind of flake. Without warning I feel a big tug on the rope & Les is dangling in space. "It's gotta go...It's the no jip". Les tries again & slips off, flying again over the roof, this time nearly hitting the slab below. As I lower him, we notice a big slice in my rope. This was the only rope we brought, so we tie off the rope before the slice.

Usually Les is brilliant with his new lines but occasionally he does force things...this was one of those times! Hell bent on making this route serious, he blasts off up the easier slab above. Like a man possesed, he pauses 30' up & thinks about putting in a bolt. "BRIAN...I'M GONNA KEEP GOING, WATCH ME!" 60' out, the wall steepens & Les finally puts in a 1/4" bolt. 20 feet higher (5.10) he drills 2 more bolts for the belay. "Brian can you imagine if that one bolt failed?"

Finally I get to lead. I'm amped because of the flake. A blank section including a 5.10 mantle and I'm grabbing the flake. It's quite moderate and I'm soon belaying off of an ok nut & a rounded chickenhead...Hmmm. The route eases from here & we climb to the top of the pinnacle.

Spring Fever is really a good route. We only placed 4 bolts. I've been trying to get back on Spring Fever with Les to replace the bolts & re- assess things

burp, once a long time ago there was an energetic little assmunch named Styles that lurked his days away in LCC with the other boys mentioned....been out of town for a while...

So it was true! LOL!



I remember Dave and Mark telling me about their El Cap ascent ... apparently Mark worked at a grocery store and was able to get the damaged goods. They said they got hold of a bunch of damaged pork and beans cans to use for their Yosemite El Cap trip. After a couple of days Dave was hurting from the nonstop diet of pork and beans and got the runs BADLY on the wall. He somehow held out 'till the top of the wall and then hung out and let it loose!

Thanks for the clarification on Mark's accident and the additional stories! He was the hardman!!

BTW the quotes in your reply were messed up, your message should be quoting "burp". Not that it really matters of course.

You, eh?

tenesmus, I think stump the stars is a crack opposite the gate, not at the Hellgate. SR, Chris pendleton and I got sport climbing started up at the hellgate in the late 80's with some of the Tower Routes. Seemed like good rock for sport climbing