bigwally - Nov 24, 2004 10:56 am - Voted 10/10
Trippin' Down Memory LaneOh , THAK YOU. This picutre is truly worth 1,000 words and more. It sets strong emotions flowing through my Soul. Seneca was where I did my first lead climbs, in the late 1960's and it was always a place "frought with fear" for me. I could only imagine being "smiley" and "happy" (as this picture portrays). All that I could ever muster, however, was white knuckled, with labored breathing. Climbers were few and far between, and many weekends we had the entire rock to ourselves. Buck Harper Sr. looked to be the only rescue party and it seemed obvious that the only reason that he ever left the front porch of his store was to try and collect some camping fees. Yes, Formative Years/Golden Years....but more so Frightful Years. Yet somehow we found our way up CONN'S EAST & WEST, climbed THE GENDARME (while it was still there), DUSTY'S POP-OFF, LSD, WEST POLE, BREAKNECK ,ECSTACY, THAISIS, YE GODS & LITTLE FISHES AND T2(Alcoa Presents). I still have a Guidebook that shows COTTONMOUTH to be 5.8!!!! When I saw that I knew that I would NEVER be able to climb 5.8......Thank You for sharing this picture
CharlesD - Nov 24, 2004 12:50 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Trippin' Down Memory LaneMy pleasure, Wally,
The reason Amy is smiling in this picture is because she didn't have to lead Gunsight to South Peak Direct (a 5.4 with a 5.11 'sphincter factor'). Seneca was formative in my climbing as well in the late 90's and early 00's. I've paid my dues in fear on both the Conn's, Thais, EJ, Critter Crack, Banana, and a dozen other climbs. In fact, about three years after this photo was taken, I presented Amy with an engagement ring about 50 yards to the right of this view, sitting on the South Summit, under sunny skies with no one else around. Perfect!
Even though I now live in Boulder, Colorado, climbing capitol of the free world, I still miss Seneca..
desainme - Nov 24, 2004 1:28 pm - Voted 10/10
Re: Trippin' Down Memory Lane''76 and '80 Bill Webster guides (red and yellow respectively) say 5.9 for Cottonmouth and nowadays the internet upgrades Cottonmouth to 5.10a! Gave it just as much berth as the viper it's named for!
CharlesD - Nov 24, 2004 11:43 pm - Hasn't voted
Seneca sandbagging.The old saying was "There are no 5.11's at Seneca." This was technically true. Oh, there were 5.11's and worse in difficulty; they were just called 5.10's.
The other quote I've heard (regarding the fabulous Conn's East route) was: "Like most Seneca 5.5's, it has no more than three or four 5.8 moves."
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