From: Dave Andersen
Newsgroups: rec.climbing
Date: Tue, Sep 28, 1999 8:19 PM
Ben Craft wrote:
> I watched Karl guide in the Meadows and was impressed by his style. He seemed more like the more experienced friend than a "guide" that tells you what to do.
> If you need a guide, I'd recommend him based upon what I saw.
And since I still haven't written up a TR from early August when I went climbing with Karl (this "I just moved across the country" thing is really cramping my writing time), I'll throw in my own 2c:
I flew out to Fresno in early August of this year for my first trip to Yosemite. I drove up through Yosemite valley to the Meadows, after experiencing what's probably a fairly typical "oh-my-god, El Cap. is amazing" reaction upon first emerging from the tunnel into Yosemite valley itself. (wow!).
We spent two days climbing in the Meadows, hitting the Dike Route, Needle Spoon, Crescent Arch, and some other climbs the names of which escape me for the moment. All of them were truly beautiful climbs - Karl knows the area very well. On the second day, I begged the sharp end of the rope, and managed to scrounge up my first 10a on-sight. After climbing several routes with Karl above the level I typically do, it started to click into my head that it was primarily for mental reasons that I'd been whimpering, "take" on some of my climbs, and once my head cleared on it, things fell into place.
After the Meadows, we headed for Yosemite Valley, where the weather turned unseasonably perfect. We hit some of the classic single-pitch crack climbs (a weakness of mine), and after getting sufficiently punished, wandered back to Karl's house to discuss the next day's plans.
Regrettably, this was before the installation of the hot tub.
Karl posted a TR which covered our outing the next day - the Galactic Hitchhiker. This was an amazing climb, and with the exception of two or three pitches where I had to yard on gear, was pretty much perfectly suited to my climbing (following. :-) ability.
I think this latter point is probably the best thing Karl has going for him as a guide. There are many people in the world who climb well, but few people I've met have Karl's ability to judge so accurately the climbs which you'll enjoy or which will teach you what you want to learn.
(So, if you're curious about it, please feel free to drop me a note. I had the time of my life on my trip out to Yosemite).
-Dave
Subject: Guided climbs
From: Dave Andersen
Newsgroups: rec.climbing
Date: Mon, Aug 9, 1999 12:24 PM
Having just had my first guided climbing experience, I have to agree with you. (I just spent four days climbing with Karl Baba in Tuoloumne Meadows and Yosemite Valley).
I climb regularly in and around my "home turf" (Utah), but decided that I could really use the extra clue that came from someone with twenty years in the valley. The experience was amazing - no bungled approaches, gobs of information about the climbs, geography, and history of the area, and some stellar climbing, but I also got the chance to go up a lot of climbs - including the Galactic Hitchhiker, a grade V / VI - which I ordinarily would have passed on because they were around the limit of my climbing ability, and I would have been uncomfortable leaping on in unfamiliar surroundings.
(In short, I learned a great deal, and had an absolutely terriffic time, and had nothing remotely resembling an epic. Two thumbs up, if you've got the right guide).
There can be differences with alpine guiding, of course - some "guided climbs" seem to turn into little more than jugging up a bunch of fixed lines - but if you choose wisely, I think guided climbing can be an excellent experience, and a good tool.
-Dave
Back to Rec.climber's Photos
Back to Trip Report Index
Back Home
