MY FIRST BIG WALL IN YOSEMITE | Climbing The South Face of The Washington Column

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  • Опубликовано: 31 янв 2025

Комментарии • 49

  • @bigislandnewbie
    @bigislandnewbie Год назад +3

    Great video! The first time I climbed that route was in 1983, and the Kor Roof consisted of a 1/4" spinner hanger and a couple of slings tied to 1/4" nuts on hanger less bolts! Up higher, I took a 40' whipper on the transition out of the chimney to the face that I will never forget, and we finished the climb in the dark, like many before us. I returned to the Column a number of times and I can't recall the number of nights I spent on Dinner Ledge. I think the spiciest climb I did on that side of the Column was an ascent of South Central. Definitely not a trade route then as now. Your video brought back many of the gripped moves I recall making and it was cool to see the same holds I used when I was young, especially on the third pitch. Looking forward to seeing your future video of the entire route! Proficiency comes with practice and practice builds muscle memory, and this route will do just that. Aloha!

    • @michaeltillman77
      @michaeltillman77  Год назад +1

      Wow! Thank you for sharing your experiences. So cool to hear how similar the route is but how much has also changed (mainly newer and a bit more protection on the roof 🤣). Will definitely be wanting to do a repeat send when I get out there again. I see you live on Big Island, I live on O'ahu, so if you are ever on island let me know and when can climb! Aloha!

  • @tommybahommy
    @tommybahommy Год назад +5

    Ah the classic bail after the Kor Roof, happened to me as well when I started bigwalling. Hope you get back on it soon, stay psyched!

    • @michaeltillman77
      @michaeltillman77  Год назад +1

      Haha ya definitely will get back on it because it definitely goes! Just gotta be faster and more efficient next time

  • @Invertmini1212
    @Invertmini1212 Год назад +1

    My hands and feet were sweating the entire time…. just can’t imagine losing your cool
    Up there, unreal video footage.

  • @peteranelson
    @peteranelson Год назад +3

    Tip for getting faster: find a fairly steep route at a crag that isn't visited much and do laps on aid. Time yourself. You'll get much better at the logistics of placing gear, testing (less as you learn the placements), and moving from one piece to the next. Seek a balance between getting as much distance between placements as you can (typically the goal for leading aid) and moving quickly--you can lose time trying get another 6" higher when an easier placement is right there but a tad lower. Remember that that "quick" really means "smooth" in this case. Don't hesitate to use a good foothold or handhold to stabilize yourself or even gain a little height--it doesn't have to be pure aid (or pure free) because the goal is to be smooth and efficient. You'll get good at these "cheats" by re-climbing that pitch several times over. Of course there are many other areas where you can also improve your speed (transitions especially), but I noticed a lot of extra steps in your aiding. If you're equipped (and know how to do so safely), setting up a solo TR for those aid laps will spare your partner from some really boring belay duty!

  • @PeterHajduk
    @PeterHajduk Год назад +3

    42 mins. Damn let me grab some popcorn and relax!

  • @laurelmakula2835
    @laurelmakula2835 Год назад +2

    I almost had to stop watching. My anxiety level was rising. I’m terrified of heights. How do you know those rocks won’t detach? I Could never do that! Kudos to you two!

  • @oysteinclimb
    @oysteinclimb 10 месяцев назад +1

    Way to go guys! Super good learning process!

    • @michaeltillman77
      @michaeltillman77  10 месяцев назад +1

      Thank you! Been wanting to get back out there soon, but my financial circumstances are keeping me from traveling lol. In the meantime just getting stronger and sport climbing. Hopefully I can get back to big walling soon!

    • @oysteinclimb
      @oysteinclimb 10 месяцев назад +1

      @@michaeltillman77 Same, but i am thinking about going back in October🤔

    • @michaeltillman77
      @michaeltillman77  10 месяцев назад +1

      @@oysteinclimb funny, I'm think around the same timeline as well 🤣

  • @pat13487
    @pat13487 Год назад +1

    Remarkable video

  • @matthewvandenberg7405
    @matthewvandenberg7405 Год назад +1

    Actually leveling up before our eyes. Beast!

  • @GreenGloop
    @GreenGloop Год назад +2

    Yup! Thanks for the upload. This was also my first big wall and the Kor roof was a butt kicker and it brings back memories!
    Couple tips about the adjust daisy - use a non locking key lock biner with a narrow nose so it’s easy to clip into things and you don’t need to deal with the gate lock when it accidentally screws down. Keep the adjust on its own oval clipped to your ladder so the adjust device is always clear to lock and extend. You’ll have 2 biners clipped to the top of the ladder - one for clipping to pieces and one for the adjust. Much less fuss.
    Here’s what I mean:
    ruclips.net/video/fEZ4iRx_70c/видео.htmlm32s

    • @michaeltillman77
      @michaeltillman77  Год назад

      This is great! I actually bought two oval carabineers for my Petzl adjust right after this because I realized how inefficient the pear shape was!

  • @jrigs30
    @jrigs30 Год назад +1

    Good stuff. Was that on June 21? Super crowded that day. I remember that fire kicked off in the afternoon and got out of control. The weather was perfect for those few days!

    • @michaeltillman77
      @michaeltillman77  Год назад +1

      Haha ya I believe that might have been the exact date! If not definitely that week. Ya weather was prime but the crowds were heavy! Surprisingly not too many climbers though, the walls and routes felt empty but lots of tourists

  • @gmanctrazy
    @gmanctrazy Год назад +1

    You kept cutting out the placement of the pro and you were driving my anxiety nuts I was screaming put in a piece!

    • @michaeltillman77
      @michaeltillman77  Год назад +1

      Haha ya, I figured that's the least exciting part and wanted to trim some time down on the video. I definitely was placing pro 😂

  • @Billy-wg8ii
    @Billy-wg8ii Год назад +5

    Your exposing yourself to uneeded risk by not clipping your rope through the pieces and leaving them clipped. Many spots would have left you with a huge avoidable fall.

  • @mjh42777
    @mjh42777 Год назад +1

    Haha dude we just met at vertical endeavors! 🎉

    • @michaeltillman77
      @michaeltillman77  Год назад

      Haha small world! How did you stumble upon this video? You trying to climb the south face of the Washington Column soon 👀

    • @mjh42777
      @mjh42777 Год назад

      yah i remember you said you bailed and my friend wants to do it in November. we are just gonna wake up early and see how far we can get in a day @@michaeltillman77

    • @mjh42777
      @mjh42777 Год назад

      no big wall experience, but we arent gonna bring a pig. any advice??@@michaeltillman77

  • @seb5
    @seb5 9 месяцев назад +1

    honest question here
    why do you have an alfifi if both of your aiders already have the petzl connect to pull yourself to the wall

    • @michaeltillman77
      @michaeltillman77  9 месяцев назад +1

      Good question! I got the petzl evolve thinking that it would replace the need for an alfifi. However the adjust on the petzl evolve isn't as seamless as the alfifi. So I prefer to use the alfifi to pull myself in to the wall, and I treat my petzl evolve as if it were just a daisy chain. The nice thing about the petzl evolve in my opinion is that it's less bulky than a daisy chain and I can adjust quick to get the perfect distance for my ladders.

    • @seb5
      @seb5 9 месяцев назад +1

      @@michaeltillman77 I see! I thought that might be your answer. Make sense I guess.
      Although is one more thing you add that can get tangled. But if it makes you go faster, great! Thanks man
      great video.

    • @michaeltillman77
      @michaeltillman77  9 месяцев назад +1

      @@seb5 Thank you! Definitely pros and cons to a lot of different setups. At the end of the day it comes down to personal preference and what works best for you!

  • @cea6538
    @cea6538 Год назад

    Why not tighten down the loose bolts? Granted most looked like buttonheads, but that spinner near the end...😮

    • @michaeltillman77
      @michaeltillman77  Год назад

      Good question, we didn't have the equipment to tighten it down. All we had was a nut tool and that didn't work, besides I trusted them enough to hold 🤣

  • @rossgoldie
    @rossgoldie Год назад +1

    Ditch the screw gates on your aiders. Slow and unnecessary. Either run auto lockers or just ovalgates. Much faster.

    • @michaeltillman77
      @michaeltillman77  Год назад +1

      I completely agree with you! Definitely one of the many things I learned on this climb.

  • @victorthomas4897
    @victorthomas4897 11 месяцев назад +1

    You need to practice getting your system to work better you are using toomuch energy it's just practice did in 1978 was a bit learning experience as we not aid climb in the uk at that time

    • @michaeltillman77
      @michaeltillman77  11 месяцев назад

      Yes! Could not agree more with you! Definitely, is something I have been practicing more and will continue to practice more. Eventually you do something enough, and it just becomes second nature

  • @mark_handle
    @mark_handle Год назад +3

    Major film error: you did not include an “establishing shot” that allows your audience to see what you’re going to climb beforehand. The shot at the opening, where the line reveals the route and wall in
    profile, isn’t good enough. You really should have approached from a position that would allow you to film the face that you’re going to climb so that you can say “there it is, that’s where we’re going” so people can look up at the face and go “wow.” Go-pro lenses provide such a lousy sea-sick-inducing view on all the action shots, which is such a pity. Regularly stopping to look up the route and holding the shot for a few seconds would really allow the audience some breathing room and the ability to see what you’re climbing on, versus the claustrophobic rock-in-your-face shots.
    Yikes, bet you thought to yourself “why did i take the quick draw out?” right under the Kor roof when you then struggled to get the aider biner in! Lost track of what pitch you were on… i guess you just did the first three? You stopped mentioning it so… pretty cool, but now i have a headache!

    • @michaeltillman77
      @michaeltillman77  Год назад +2

      Hey man, I appreciate all the advice! Ya I need to get more equipment to record my adventures better. It's also always hard to do it all yourself. We bailed after pitch 4 because we were aid climbing too slow

    • @mark_handle
      @mark_handle Год назад +2

      @@michaeltillman77 Same day I watched the gravity labs guys do the same climb. I didn't realize the route was only 5.8, but it's hard to get an appreciation for that watching through a go pro. I climbed in Yosemite in the 80s and early 90s and my first few trips I had no cams. They were still sort of new and they were so expensive! I remember taking it easy and starting on some 5.6 1-3 pitch route, can't remember the name, and it was my first real attempt at trad gear placement. I only made it into the 1st pitch. It was fall or spring and the rock was wet here and there and putting big hexes into cracks and hoping they didn't fall out wasn't inspiring. Soon after I got a rack of original Friends and that helped. But honestly, I can't really imagine trying to climb with a camera strapped to my head. It's cool to document things, and filmmaking is also a creative endeavor that I'm sure can be rewarding, but doing it alone, as you mention, must make you think "Am I a climber or a filmmaker?" It looks like a cool route, anyway. Great exposure. I wouldn't be into the Kor roof because I don't like the idea of aid climbing "please don't just break!" but I guess you can't avoid a bit of it now and then. Good luck!

    • @michaeltillman77
      @michaeltillman77  Год назад +3

      @@mark_handle thanks man, ya the route is 5.8 c1 but free it goes at 5.12c I believe. We were free climbing all pitches up to 11a. If I learned anything from my aid climbing experience it's that i just want to get better at free climbing so I never have to aid climb again 😂

    • @chadcrumpton5310
      @chadcrumpton5310 Год назад +3

      I don't agree with your criticism's. this is youtube my dude, not some big budget nat geo doco.
      I also have no problem following the first person footage.
      Really enjoyed the video and got the stoke going!

    • @mark_handle
      @mark_handle Год назад +1

      @@chadcrumpton5310 Imagine watching Alex Honnold's film Fee Solo without having a single clear shot of El Cap and the face he planned to climb? And just because the climber is posting this on youtube doesn't mean he isn't interested in doing a nice job of the filming and presentation of his climb and his experience.
      As for the helmet-cam footage, I'm glad it's fine for you, but it's way too seasick for me.