Derry High Rocks, '80's
"It's like playin' golf... if you wanna' play a good golf game play with a good golfer...
you don't wanna' play with somebody that is not as good as you are."
- (Sculptor) John Henry
On exhibiting his work
with other artists.
Goodman's home crag was the now long closed Derry High Rocks. That was a great place. Ya' always ran into good climbers up there. Guys like Cal Swoager, Stu Kuperstock, Fred Gunther, John Govi. Eric Janoscrat. Goodman included. Guys that had been around the block. The harder routes was pretty much all that got climbed. There was a short learning curve unless ya' wanted to stick to climbing the easier stuff. The place was pretty motivating.
Mysticism
The Sloth
Goodman had been climbin' there since '77. Had the place wired. Could have probably climbed all the main routes there blindfolded. Used to like to show off for the uninitiated. Loved it on the occasional weekends that the National Guard would show up for high angle rope training. He'd crank up Mysticism or Ten Crack, most often placing one piece of gear for protection about half way up the route. Mysticism he'd then down climb and clean the piece himself. He'd always attract an audience of guardsmen at the base of the route. He wouldn't pass up the opportunity to ham it up.
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The Sloth
Swoager had just finished a short "smoke" break. He was boulderin' around at the base of a main face. He's explaining his philosophy regarding unroped soloing. "Never solo anything that ya' can't down climb!" was his mantra. He climbs up ten feet, down ten feet, traverses over five feet, climbs up ten feet, traverses back five feet, down climbs ten feet. Never once a break in his homily. He then traverses over to the base of the Sloth, a pumpy off width horizontal roof crack, maybe 12ft length, maybe 12ft off the deck. Rated 5.7 at the time - don't know what it would be now days. He proceeds to solo up the lower face, out the crack, pulls the lip, then up the upper face. He's standin' out of site, atop the route. Never once a break in his litany, bottom to top. All the time casual as spoutin' from the church pulpit. Was wonderin' how he was gonna' reverse the lip on the down climb, but he opted to walk off. Good decision. Probably 5.12+ down climbing that thing and reversing that roof crack.
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Hendrix
SWPA's first 5.12 and 5.13 ratings were established at High Rocks. Der Kommissar, 5.13, established by Swoager. We've seen it rated 5.12 in an old omnibus-style, "roadtrip" guidebook. We're stickin' with Swoagers original rating. Jimi Hendrix, 5.12, is an interesting story, particularly to us, It was a long established 5.10 rated classic route. Very thin, insecure smearing moves up a short, steep slab. Goodman and I had recently each picked up a pair of the new Boreal Fire rock shoes. Got 'em at the Gendarme climbing shop down at Seneca the recent weekend. Souped-up with "revolutionary sticky Spanish rubber soles" per the propoganda. Noticed a bit of a difference on Seneca's steep faces and always bit slippery-feelin' quartz sandstone, compared to the older, reliable EB's. Couldn't wait to try 'em out on some steep friction. We're both thinkin' Jimi Hendrix back in PA.
The first couple moves to start Hendrix were always a short, right facing traverse onto the direct line. Maybe the first five feet as recalled. Been a long time. Then ya' pretty much smear your way straight up the slab. Is pretty thin. We tried it straight on several times, as probably had most everyone else, I assume. No one ever did it direct far as we knew. I went first with the new Fires (pronounced fee-ray) - hurried up and laced mine on ahead of Rob. I went for the direct start. "That's not the way it goes" declares stickler Rob. "No sh*t - I'm tryin' it my way." I was always pretty good on steep friction climbs that were mostly delicacy over technique. Think I popped once. Second try made some very insecure moves, then waltzed up the face to the top. I lower back down. Rob's turn. He's just lookin'. Scrutinizing the holds I used. He tries balancing his way up. Again and again he pops. "What holds did you use again?" I point 'em out. None really - "There's where I stuck my foot". He still pops off. Now he's startin' to not believe what he's just seen. "Let me see you try that again!" I tie onto the toprope. Make those initial starting moves and again waltz up the slab. Lower back down. Untie and hand the rope to Rob. He ties in. He's just lookin'. Occasionally clearin' his throat. Chalkin' up over and over. Dustin' his shoes. Wipin' 'em off on the carpet square. Then repeating the process. Back on the rock, he still keeps repeatedly popping off. "That second time felt a bit easier." I comment. I could tell he's gettin' pretty pissed. I offer some beta for fun. He's really pissed now. He finally made the moves, just barely, then cruised up the remainder of the route, which he had wired (he used to occasionally boulder up the route unroped). Lowers back down. "That was pretty good - I'll give ya' credit on that one" he says.
A few weeks later we were out somewhere and the subject of steep slabs came up. We were comparing hard routes we knew of. I mentioned Hendrix as being 5.10. "That's been upgraded to 5.12 - someone put a direct start to it recently." I never asked who that was. Was only two or three moves anyway.
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Bouldering
High Rocks Boulder
It was always fun matchin' Goodman move for move. Sometimes bouldering new stuff he'd first do a route that he might initially consider 5.9. I'd then do it. He'd down rate it to 5.8. He'd jump back on and use some eliminate holds. "Might be 5.10 usin' those holds". I'd then repeat that. He jumps back on. If the holds were there this would go on until he had it up to 5.12 or 5.13 if need be, or until I couldn't get it. Pretty competitive. But good training.
He'd go into the woods alone and find a new boulder problem. If really difficult, he'd work it for days until he had it wired. Keeping it secret throughout. He'd then phone ya, "Boy did I just find a hard boulder problem - probably the hardest one I ever did - I gotta' take ya' up to try it!" You'd first watch 'em repeat it. You'd later be thrashin' on the thing. After about your 20th attempt, and your fingers are fried, you'd ask, "F*k - how long did it take ya' to do this thing!?" "About two or three tries."
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'Feed Me Jack', 80's
A one-off crack climb located at an abandoned quarry. There was a bolt ladder located not far away that was a fun climb clipping aid slings bottom to top. Intentional for practicing aid climbing. I couldn't tell ya' now as to the exact location of either. Think the quarry was the old Hillside Quarry near Derry, PA. There were a few small limestone caverns in the area as well. A few ok ice climbs formed at the nearby old Darlington Quarry, located a bit further south at Long Bridge, just off Rt. 30 near Ligonier.
Rob on Feed Me Jack. We're up there one day. Did one lead ascent then set up a top rope to run a few alternating laps apiece. Messing around trying some variation of holds. Taking a few falls. Lowering off the anchor after each lap. Never pulled the top after each lap. Just lowered from the top of the face. When retrieving the top rope anchor at the end of the session, we discovered that the 1" tubular webbing anchor had slid from the cushion we placed and was abraded almost completely thru. Over 1/2 way. One of us was pretty lucky. Could have been a stupid, serious mishap on our part.
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Locust Grove, Md, 80's
Also known as Lovers Leap, the Narrows - whatever. One of the favorite areas. Then no guidebook, internet or such information. Ya' just jumped on something not knowing exactly what to expect. Was great.
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Dunbar Mountains, Casparis, Yough River Gorge, PA
A few images from the back yard:
Fish Rocks
Stewarton Bluffs
Foleys Wall
Stairway To Heaven
Druid Stones
YRT Bluffs
An uncompleted route from '82. A thin crack that runs the height of the wall. Face climbing. Our high point was maybe 30ft up the route. Got a bit stymied at that point by some difficult moves. We're both taking turns tryin' to work thru 'em. Robs weighin' in at around 175lb. I'm around 230lb - in the process of transitioning from weight lifting to bein' a rock climber (eventually got down to wafting between 195 - 205 climbing weight). Finally got to be too nerve-wracking taking repeated falls on a small wire stopper we'd placed protecting those moves. Also dislodged a large block which clobbered me. Gave up for the time being to regroup. The following day Goodman wakes up with a horrible case of poison ivy, oak, sumac - one of 'em. Covered his inner thighs and stomach. Got it from rapping the route the day before to clean it of that stuff. Never went back.
Rob's Knobs
An excellent jumble of boulders situated on a high knob of ground in the forest. We had put up maybe fifteen routes. All of the few short trad leads then progressing to toproping others - the rocks were just a bit too high for unroped bouldering. No pads back in those days. Rob then took another guy up there, who in-turn took a guy, who in-turn took a group. The place was soon festooned with expansion bolts. Rob was appalled. Would never visit or even discuss the place again. Mentioning it was like uttering Niagara Falls to Moe Howard. Was considered desecrated ground. The knob and rocks soon became eponymic with Rob.
The Secret Map
An old USGS South Connellsville Quad. We got it all marked up with local climbing areas - small cliffs, boulders, one-offs, ice. A little over forty sites. Not bad for one quad. Added MTB trails as well. Throw in outlying areas and we can count close to sixty locations within a 45 minute drive of the sanctum. Shortly before we follow Goodman to the happy hunting ground we're gonna' bury this thing in the woods nearby. Leave a few esoteric clues to its whereabouts.
End of Part II. Think we'll do a final Part III. Pulled a few more photos from the archives than expected.
