Trip Report Airstream 5.13, The Incredible Hulk

by

by mishik Monday July 8, 2013 11:39pm

The Hulk Bites

The Hulk Bites Credit: mishik

It's 4:30am, the alarm goes off, we race to make coffee and drive from Lee Vining to Bridgeport. The drive is a blur. Forty minutes into the 2.5 hour approach, my stomach is upset. The antibiotics I have been taking for the past few days aren't doing me any favors, leaving me somewhat weak. Nevertheless, we keep hiking.



We are at the base, and the wind is howling. The only other party on the wall is a duo of German's dressed in warm Alpine down suits. They are bailing off. "Positive Vibrations, too windy!" one utters.



The first pitch is 5.10, the next 4 5.11. I blast off on lead, trying to climb fast and stay warm. It's cold, but I still manage to weld pieces. I feel like I am drowning: is it the strong winds, the fast pace, the elevation, the drugs? My partner pulls a huge block off one of the pitches.



P3 of Airstream

P3 of Airstream Credit: mishik

We are finally at first crux. 12c Mystery Stemming according to Croft, a brilliant, bolted pure stem box with no crack in the back. I start off, the pitch feels easy. I am a sport climber at heart. Next pitch is 5.13, more stemming. The start feels easy, I break a crimp 15 feet up, take a big fall, gash my index finger, I am bleeding everywhere. We never bring tape, but for some unknown reason, this time we have it. A roll later, I am climbing again and get through the pitch. The final crux is 12c stem to world class finger splitter. I forget half the gear at the belay, maybe that's why I feel so light on the pitch.



5.13 crux

5.13 crux Credit: mishik

We don't do the final 5.10 pitch as gaining the ridge is a chancy proposition due to the hurricane around us. We rappel, get to the ground.





The way back.

The way back. Credit: mishik

Next morning, we run into Peter Croft, the FFA of the route in Lee Vining. I don't know what to say to him: "Great route!", "What a choss pile!", "Look at my finger!" So I don't say anything, and we drive to climb 5.9 in Tuolumne. It's 4:30am, the alarm goes off, we race to make coffee and drive from Lee Vining to Bridgeport. The drive is a blur. Forty minutes into the 2.5 hour approach, my stomach is upset. The antibiotics I have been taking for the past few days aren't doing me any favors, leaving me somewhat weak. Nevertheless, we keep hiking.We are at the base, and the wind is howling. The only other party on the wall is a duo of German's dressed in warm Alpine down suits. They are bailing off. "Positive Vibrations, too windy!" one utters.The first pitch is 5.10, the next 4 5.11. I blast off on lead, trying to climb fast and stay warm. It's cold, but I still manage to weld pieces. I feel like I am drowning: is it the strong winds, the fast pace, the elevation, the drugs? My partner pulls a huge block off one of the pitches.We are finally at first crux. 12c Mystery Stemming according to Croft, a brilliant, bolted pure stem box with no crack in the back. I start off, the pitch feels easy. I am a sport climber at heart. Next pitch is 5.13, more stemming. The start feels easy, I break a crimp 15 feet up, take a big fall, gash my index finger, I am bleeding everywhere. We never bring tape, but for some unknown reason, this time we have it. A roll later, I am climbing again and get through the pitch. The final crux is 12c stem to world class finger splitter. I forget half the gear at the belay, maybe that's why I feel so light on the pitch.We don't do the final 5.10 pitch as gaining the ridge is a chancy proposition due to the hurricane around us. We rappel, get to the ground.Next morning, we run into Peter Croft, the FFA of the route in Lee Vining. I don't know what to say to him: "Great route!", "What a choss pile!", "Look at my finger!" So I don't say anything, and we drive to climb 5.9 in Tuolumne.

Trip Report Views: 5,881 mishik About the Author

mishik is a gym climber from San Francisco.

Comments Clint Cummins



Trad climber SF Bay area, CA Jul 9, 2013 - 12:04am PT Nice, Mike!

Actually pretty awesome to go from no partner 3 days earlier to running up that!

Must be all those day trips up the Grade VIs could get you into shape if you're not careful? :-) What a spring/summer.

It seems that cold hands can bleed so quickly, and that red stuff is slippery! Pretty cool to have the tape, slap it on and jump back on.... limpingcrab



Gym climber Minkler, CA Jul 9, 2013 - 12:18am PT 12c feels easy?!? You're a robot at heart.



Thanks for sharing, that thing looks beautiful S.Leeper



Social climber somewhere that doesnt have anything over 90' Jul 9, 2013 - 12:28am PT Great job! I love how you opened with the bloody finger picture. Mark Hudon



Trad climber On the road. Jul 9, 2013 - 12:28am PT Nice! I wish I could climb 5.13 like that! johntp



Trad climber Punter, Little Rock Jul 9, 2013 - 12:38am PT Sport climber my ass! goatboy smellz



climber Gulf Breeze Jul 9, 2013 - 12:39am PT KEWL! katiebird



climber yosemite Jul 9, 2013 - 12:56am PT Bawse! Joe



Social climber Santa Cruz Jul 9, 2013 - 01:02am PT very impressive... mdanek



Trad climber California Jul 9, 2013 - 01:38am PT Mike, impressive lead. Whenever I climb Positive Vibrations I look at Airstream I wonder what a person can climb the 5.13 pitch... Just a correction  the German duo was me and my Czech friend and we wished we had alpine dawn jackets. We were freezing cold in the high wind on P5 in our light windbreakers. Even the bailing was hard - got tangled into our double rope on the rappel from P5. What an remarkable lead under these conditions! snowhazed



Trad climber Oaksterdam, CA Jul 9, 2013 - 02:31am PT love hulk FRUMY



Trad climber Bishop,CA Jul 9, 2013 - 02:33am PT TFPU eliot carlsen



Social climber Seattle Jul 9, 2013 - 03:17am PT Awesome! adikted



Boulder climber Tahooooeeeee Jul 9, 2013 - 03:30am PT Short but sweet....awesome report!! Impaler



Social climber San Francisco Jul 9, 2013 - 12:04pm PT Nice pictures, Mike! Thanks for the report. Sport climber - ha, ha! You are definitely a robot. I hope your finger heals up. Gunkie



Trad climber Valles Marineris Jul 9, 2013 - 12:13pm PT At least someone is climbing on this forum. Well done. pvalchev



Social climber Truckee, CA Jul 9, 2013 - 02:22pm PT Hulk Smash!!! Marshall



climber bay area Jul 9, 2013 - 02:27pm PT

How was the 5.9? Ezra Ellis



Trad climber North wet, and Da souf Jul 9, 2013 - 08:15pm PT Awesome!!!! donini



Trad climber Ouray, Colorado Jul 9, 2013 - 08:42pm PT Well done! cultureshock



Trad climber Mountain View Jul 11, 2013 - 06:08pm PT Sweet to see you posting Mike. You should write up a TR from freeing Watkins and doing Freerider!! RyanD



climber Jul 11, 2013 - 06:15pm PT Wow, inspiring TR. looks like a beautiful route. le_bruce



climber Oakland, CA Jul 11, 2013 - 07:19pm PT Bump. Wonder how many ascents a season this line sees? Can't be many. ag.Fox



Trad climber Clovis, CA Jul 12, 2013 - 02:03pm PT Siqueness! Bump for the Hulk Hardman...way to bleed for it! Johnny K.



climber Jul 16, 2013 - 07:08pm PT Watkins and Freerider?Please share...



Amazing climbing,thanks for sharing!