What was your first 5.12?

4th of July Crack in Veedauwoo, which I think has been downgraded to 11d since

cant remember exactly my "first"....

sport: would have been Eiger Direct (Mark rated it 12a in his 1995 guidebook) but is really 11d. so my first was either Balkan Dirt Diving (CCC), Too! (CCC) or Temptation Arete (SSV)

trad: Liquid Acrobat (Turkey), or .30-06 (CCC)

I can't remember my first 5.12 either. Oh, wait... that's because I haven't cleanly climbed a 5.12 yet. Damn. Hopefully soon.

The blue route with black dots at the BRC, then Redneck Hero in Button Rock, I think it is soft so if you want a first ego boosting 12 then I recommend a run up this

Energizer 12a at The Pit (Flagstaff, AZ), then later that day the Broncos won their first Super Bowl. Good day.

Ian F. wrote:Energizer 12a at The Pit (Flagstaff, AZ), then later that day the Broncos won their first Super Bowl. Good day.

JPVallone wrote: Redneck Hero in Button Rock, I think it is soft so if you want a first ego boosting 12 then I recommend a run up this

The Throne in the Trapps at the Gunks, though it was only a pink point. I had no intention of trying it, let alone leading it, but while rapping off Bonnie's roof, I was looking at its beautiful face and noticed a boat load of gear placements, so I started placing some on the way down. By the time I had reached the base of the route, I had placed enough truck gear to make me feel comfortable enough to attempt it. After my 3rd attempt, I sent it. Great route, with some impeccable stone

Knapping with the Alien on Wall Street. Had no idea what it was, no guide book. Decided to try it because it looked good. Just as I reached the chains a guy yelled up "Nice job! That's a .12!" And I went, No wonder that was so damn hard!
Jon

My first twelve was Road Rash Roof in Clear Creek. It's a one move for sure, but feels like .12b with the damn rope drag you can get when the rope works it's way in to the crack. It's like doing 100lb squats on 5.8!

Not sure... maybe the Hindu in Onion Creek?

I was able to work out a sequence that kept it at about C2 though.

Uhhhh.... yeah, been workin' on that for....ohhhh about 15 years now... Let me get back to you on that one. I still like to believe that if I trained hard enough it could happen (god training sucks)...
Even got an 11d once, although it could be said that it doesn't count because it was at 'sport park' which is notoriously soft.

DAMN YOU 5.12!!!!! You can't even say you climb well in Boulder without ticking some 12... everyone's mom, dad, and little sister climbs that hard here!

Tevis Blom wrote:You can't even say you climb well in Boulder without ticking some 12... everyone's mom, dad, and little sister climbs that hard here!

Aiwass on the south butt of whitehorse ledge in NH. Jimmy Dunn had done a start to the right at 11d and after flashing that, I thought the original line may go.
Back in 83 5.12 was a big number in NH and few people would give this grade, especially to a boulder problem section. We also did the ffa of the rest of the route , about 400' at 10+.
I had done a LOT of climbing at the Quincy Quarries and found Aiwass to be a good solid 5.10+ Quarries.
We caught some shit for rating this 5.12 but so what. only Steve Larsen gave any support to us and a congat.
I'll still call it V3/4 and the upper climbing 10++

john

Latin Lover - smith rocks, oregon, but that was a long time ago. Actually a long, long time ago and at this point it really doesn't seem to matter that much. it certainly did at the time though.

personally my most memorable climbs are not by number grade but from the experience. there is a lot to be said for grade lV 5.8

climb on.

john strand wrote:Aiwass on the south butt of whitehorse ledge in NH. Jimmy Dunn had done a start to the right at 11d and after flashing that, I thought the original line may go. Back in 83 5.12 was a big number in NH and few people would give this grade, especially to a boulder problem section. We also did the ffa of the rest of the route , about 400' at 10+. I had done a LOT of climbing at the Quincy Quarries and found Aiwass to be a good solid 5.10+ Quarries. We caught some shit for rating this 5.12 but so what. only Steve Larsen gave any support to us and a congat. I'll still call it V3/4 and the upper climbing 10++ john

Not sure I can recall the 1st one since, back in '88 or so I was doing some 1st ascents on overhanging limestone down around Austin and didn't really know what number to put on many climbs. But during a road trip to Boulder that year I thought I was climbing well and there had been a photo of The Big Picture on Overhang Rock in Bear Canyon in the Flatirons that looked so impressive. So I decided I was going to do that. Well we got there and I was able to pull through the crux at the 3rd? bolt, but I didn't like how far the 4th bolt looked to be so I lowered off and abandoned the attempt. I was so upset at myself for not going for it that we hiked down to Shoot to Thrill on another ridge in Bear Canyon and I got that, fueled by my disappointment from the previous failure.
In later years I have not been able to get the crux of that climb clean again. There are some overlooked classic 12's in the Flatirons for those that are willing to walk a ways.

Can't remember...maybe the Ticket on Blob, or Rhinestone Cowboy at Wild Iris(might be a gimme, but it was quite hectic as I recall). Mile High Comic Crack is a good trad line to break into the grade. A route I put in on the little Blob called Take Five; I rated it 11C, has since been upgraded to 12a; not sure what that means-but I recommend it not just cause my name is on it.

Hank Caylor wrote:Downpressor Man in Eldo my Sophmore year of High School.