Compressor Chopped?

your mentally chopped.

IMO the best way to deal with armchair critics is just to go out and do it ...

i find it ironic that people would rather care about bolts than the first free ascent ... with 60 foot runnouts ... and goes at 5.13b ...

more at link ...

rockandice.com/news/1793-tn…

That first expedition ended in a clusterfuck when the Red Bull film team added bolts to the Compressor Route, the line that Cesare Maestri forced through blank rock in an unsuccessful attempt to climb Cerro Torre. Ironically, that crappy route—probably the biggest botch job in the history of the sport—doubles as the climbing world’s heartstring and Lama was savaged online in climbing forums and even physically threatened—despite the fact that he hadn’t drilled a single bolt.

Here’s the remarkable part: After being rode roughshod over a pile of lovesick avatars, most of whom had never even been to Patagonia, Lama didn’t give up. In 2010 he was back in Patagonia and summited Cerro Torre in full conditions. That winter he concentrated on ski mountaineering and in the summer of 2011 he amassed an almost unbelievable alpine free climbing tick list. Dig this: in six months, Lama freed 13 alpine big walls, all of them rated at least 5.13b, with four checking in at 5.14a or b. Wedged into the middle of that season, Lama traveled to the Kashmir Himalaya and made the second ascent of Cerro Kishtwar (6,155 meters), climbed the North Face of the Grandes Jorasses and soloed the North Pillar of Sagzahn in December just before leaving for Patagonia, his sights still firmly set on free climbing the Compressor Route.

The rest of the story reads like fiction [for the full analysis see Rock and Ice No. 201]. Just a few days before Lama and his partner Peter Ortner embarked on their attempt, the North American team of Hayden Kennedy and Jason Kruk succeeded on the first “fair means” (avoiding Maestri’s bolts) ascent of the southeast ridge and then chopped the headwall bolt ladders on the way down. Lama and Ortner had banked on clipping these relics for pro.

There must have been at least a brief moment of trepidation for the long-suffering Lama. He had been beaten back by weather and upbraided by Internet haters. Now the protection had been erased.

Lama and Ortner simply packed a fatter rack and met the challenges of the route in the best possible style. The crux arête checked in at 5.13b and involved a 30-foot runout. Lama climbed the headwall onsight, facing 60-foot runouts above 5.12 climbing. He writes on his blog (david-lama.com), “It’s a weird feeling. Over three years the goal of free climbing Cerro Torre has been a part of me. Now I was finally able to pull it off. I have reached my goal. But with doing so, the goal is no more; only the memories remain … Already on our way from Nipo Nino to El Chalten we’re discussing new projects.”

Why are bolts eyesores and but big frozen compressors not?*

Coming soon to a Vimeo site near you...

* maybe they left it for Lama?

-sp wrote:Why are bolts eyesores and but big frozen compressors not?* * maybe they left it for Lama?

Dude, obviously that is a historical remanent of atrocity. Leave it as a museume piece that proves K&K are ego driven douches.

Trad Ninja wrote: They did the proper route using natural features near by instead of bolting up a blank face.

I'm going to make sure to consult with you before I try to do an FA to make sure I am doing the proper route.

In fact why don't you come down to CO and I'll show you what I've done so far and see if I can have your approval.

Nathan Scherneck wrote:Any chance we can get a 'Hide "Compressor Chopped" Thread' button to the Recent Forum Posts box on the main page?

Word.

"No! I'll come show YOU how to do a FA!"
"That's 'an' FA to you, pal!"
"Bolts make pinkpoint!"
"Alpine style says no diapers"
"nuh-uh"
"nuh-uh!"
"nuh-uh!"
"Nuh-uhstop itttttt"
"OW! OWOWOWOWOW!!!! I'm Telling mo-oooooooom!"

Johny Q wrote: Dude, obviously that is a historical remanent of atrocity. Leave it as a museume piece that proves K&K are ego driven douches.

When we take archeologists out to do trail surveys they don't care about anything less then 50 years old. That thing is getting close to being an artifact that's for sure.

This thread is fairly entertaining I'll give it that.

I guess I am just jealous that I wasn't born with a silver piton in my mouth.

As for the impact on locals making a living off of mountaineers seems like a little controversy will bring in more people not less.

Just my .025

"No! I'll come show YOU how to do a FA!"
"That's 'an' FA to you, pal!"

Haha best MP comment ever.

Phil Lauffen wrote: I'm going to make sure to consult with you before I try to do an FA to make sure I am doing the proper route. In fact why don't you come down to CO and I'll show you what I've done so far and see if I can have your approval.

Phil, is that your cute little way of claiming a higher moral authority because you have FA'd so many routes in CO? I'm so proud of you and I promise to get you a cookie for your efforts! I bow to your superior skills.

However, in the mountains a route is usually defined by the general location "SE Ridge", etc and from what I can gather from the description of what K and K climbed it simply did what Maestri should have did in the first place and avoided his contrived route where necessary. The "proper route" is the one that follows the most natural line and most certainly doesn't blast up a blank headwall with a bunch of bolts.

Ok, now I'm leaning back to that K and K should have chopped the route thus allowing us this wonderful thread!

I think someone has a hard-on for Lama.

Maybe RedBull can sponsor the wedding?

the "proper" route is the one that goes free ...

nothing wrong with fellow MP members having a hardon for someone who free climbs something like that for the FFA ...

rather than having hardons for bolts or bolt chopping or other such drama ...

i wonder when or even if mr lamas route will see a repeat ... 30 foot runnout at 5.13 and 60 foot runnouts at 5.12 ... in the alpine

i dont particular like mr lamas personality myself ... but the fact is he freed the route after so many others tried, or are still arguing over bolts ...

David Sahalie wrote: you contradict yourself. how could Lama have clipped the bolts when he is following the 'natural line' that takes gear? btw, Lama has done multiple 14s in alpine conditions. I seriously doubt he would have clipped bolts because he wouldn't have been able to do it otherwise.

Try reading the TNB article again David. Lama had planned on freeing the compressor route using the bolts. "Lama and Ortner had banked on clipping these relics for pro." That line isn't the "natural line" because it required those bolts to protect it. K and K forced Lama to climb that line (or very close to it) in better style than he originally intended. He should be thanking them for stopping him from the lamest "alpine" ascent of all time, besides Maestri's of course ;)

Once again you know what is right. No room for error on your watch. You should tell lama how stupid he is for his shallow feelings on the subject. He is the one who freed it? Not hanging on gear like a ninny? Explain to me why aiding on cams and hooks is free but bolts are not? Neither is climbing....

I would also love to know how many of those bolts they used on the ascent they chose to chop? Should have at least pulled em first. Not really free soloing if your tied into a rope carrying gear but just choose not to place any....I bet they felt compfy knowing they could always clip in if things got too scary. Weak. Puts their validity into question like messner hangin with folks packin oxy.

So originally I was against the chopping, let the route stay as it had for the past 40 years, instead of erasing it so nobody could climb that route. However after reading the well written piece by Colin Haley I can now understand why the bolts are looked down upon so much and why chopping them may have been a good idea.

Here are a few things I don't get:
1. From K & K Statement
In the end, we removed the bolts on the entire headwall and on one of the pitches below. Our best guess would count around 125. We would have continued chopping below, if not for our friends Victor and Ricardo, dependent on the bolts of the 90-meter bolt traverse to descend themselves."

So if their friends are dependent on the bolts, then what about others that our dependent on the bolts. If you're going to chop something chop it. From this it sounds like they left the bolts needed to descend it thru the traverses. So you can now descend the route same as before, you just can't climb it the same.

2. The not so well written article by Kelly Cordes mentions over and over again about how awful pitches 10 and 11 are. From the K&K statement it doesn't sound like they touched these pitches. They only chopped the headwall pitches ~22-25 where the bolts were actually required. Why wouldn't you chop all or the worst of this pitches if you want to restore the mountain.

3. There are several other routes that climbed the SE ridge and East face that had been established thru the years that shared the final headwall with the compressor route. What happens to these routes (Devils Directissma, Quinque Anni ad Paradisum) now that the headwall is chopped? These already difficult routes can no longer be repeated the same as the FA party. If someone wants to repeat these are they justified in adding bolts to climb the headwall as they see fit?

I would have been much more impressed with K&K if they had only chopped the unecessary bolts, amd left the headwall climbable. Using gear where possible and bolts where needed keeping it at C2 or C3 in line with the final pitch..

Now I view K&K similiar to Dean Potter as talented climbers who may even advance the sport but unfortunatly do so along with controversy and eventual access issues.

thomas ellis wrote:Once again you know what is right. No room for error on your watch. You should tell lama how stupid he is for his shallow feelings on the subject. He is the one who freed it? Not hanging on gear like a ninny? Explain to me why aiding on cams and hooks is free but bolts are not? Neither is climbing....

Never said anything about freeing it, they climbed it clean.

thomas ellis wrote:I would also love to know how many of those bolts they used on the ascent they chose to chop? Should have at least pulled em first. Not really free soloing if your tied into a rope carrying gear but just choose not to place any....I bet they felt compfy knowing they could always clip in if things got too scary. Weak. Puts their validity into question like messner hangin with folks packin oxy.

For god sakes read the K & K statement.

Re: DisturbingThePeace Yes, I agree there's some real gray area about what the should/not have chopped. I think we need a third party to go up there take pics and asses the situation. Again, someone should go chop the rest of 'em and start over.

It was rhetorical ding dong. I am in doubt of their word sir. And free seams cleaner no?

here's another opinion:

I saw this article on MP

Bennett writes a thank-you to Hayden Kennedy and Jason Kruk “for doing the right thing!”

have at it boys

thought it was somewhat relevant here

Someone bumped the following old thread on SuperTopo, which is actually instructive to read to get an idea of what a mess David Lama and his team made up there the first time, and the lies they told about it, which makes him getting high-and-mighty now look all the more hypocritical:

Bolts chopped on Cerro Torre

Here's an interesting quote from Rolo Garibotti a few pages in:

"I exchanged a few emails with the park service here in Chalten, and with the park superintendent in Calafate even before Red Bull showed up last year and in short they dont feel that climbing ethics is any of their business."

That makes it seem pretty bizzarre if they are actually considering regulations now because some bolts got chopped.