Sunshine 

FA on TR: Bob Clark June 1980
FA on lead: Chad Hussey, Sam Slater, Ken Nichols, June 1982

Brian - How was the lead protected? Pins, bolts, hooks, gear? is it R or X or neither?

I can not attest to this particular FA because I wasn't there. Knowing that south face I suspect that the gear was marginal at best. I have been present at some CT FAs and many I saw were not really trad climbs at all. They were free-solos where the climber placed some gear but he was in ground-fall range for the majority of the route. He did it to claim a first ascent and stroke an ego. So the old-timers (I’m an old-timer) can brag about how big their cojones are and that theirs are bigger than the new bread of climbers who climb harder than they do but “lack self-confidence” or aren’t foolish enough to put their life in jeopardy or spend the rest of their life disabled (as one first ascender from Mystic is after falling on a climb that was unprotect able.) I don’t believe that one person who led/free-soled a route once should be able to dictate that everyone that follows must be as fool hardy as they were. My thought at seeing these FAs was not “isn’t he brave.” It was “isn’t he stupid.” Sorry for the rant. I know that is way more info than you asked for. :-)

I have been present at some CT FAs and many I saw were not really trad climbs at all. They were free-solos where the climber placed some gear but he was in ground-fall range for the majority of the route. He did it to claim a first ascent and stroke an ego. So the old-timers (I’m an old-timer) can brag about how big their cojones are and that theirs are bigger than the new bread of climbers who climb harder than they do but “lack self-confidence” or aren’t foolish enough to put their life in jeopardy or spend the rest of their life disabled (as one first ascender from Mystic is after falling on a climb that was unprotect able.) I don’t believe that one person who led/free-soled a route once should be able to dictate that everyone that follows must be as fool hardy as they were. My thought at seeing these FAs was not “isn’t he brave.” It was “isn’t he stupid.”




I like it Brian, no argument here. nice comment.

Rant welcomed... Some very important points which I wish was more openly acknowledged within our community regarding CT FA's.

The start of this route really isn't 5.9. A more consistent (and fun) variant is to start a few feet to the right of the smallish corner and climb straight up the face (the beginning of Funshine) and rejoin the route in the "hole".

The top rope set-up requires some gear for one of the anchors.