Apparently some hardmen on a "30 10's in a day binge ripped off an enormous block from Try Again by placing a cam next to the loose black. The block almost killed the belayer below and forever altered the climb.

What are things coming to?

What block? Something just below the crux?

Do you mean the block that formed the horizontal to the right of the corner just below the crux where a blue camalot would go?

How am I going to aid through it now??

Piton still there?

i believe that it was in the area of the piton

Prolly is that block that is just below and to the right of the crux that gives you that horizontal to use.

What Smike said...

Its a shame if that is true, since now there is just the pin and probably something tucked back in the corner. It probably climbs quite a bit different/harder since you would no longer have that nice bucket to get going into the crux.

That gear that was there was never any good since that block has been loose for a long time. There is still good gear to be had in the corner as always. I would think that the only thing that you loose is a good rest, although you can still stem there.

I'm curious how he peeled off the block. Did it just come off while placing gear? Did he fall on that gear without having the pin clipped? Did he just pull off the block while holding onto it?

There is that funky stemming rest you get just below the crux, I can’t remember if it involved the block or not. I don't think so, but I'm getting old...um.. older...

BrownDog and I walked up to the base Try Again on Monday, and after a moment of silence for the fallen block, I got to do the honors by taking the lead. The route is no different in terms of grade. It does make it a bit harder to clip the pin before pulling the roof, but there are good crimps and there is a good stemming stance to clip/rest from. In my opinion the missing block doesnt have an effect on the route once you pull the roof and get into the crux, still a great route.

~Kevin

When did a block come off? Like, in the past few weeks?

Yes!

I'm glad to hear they didn't mess up my baby. When we did it in the Iron Age back in '67, we would never have thought to put a piton behind that loose flake, but cams don't start prying until you fall on 'em, so it is much easier to mindlessly stick one behind a loose block. Not that I'm saying that's what happened; as with everyone else I have no idea how that thing got liberated.

RG... Saw the block this weekend! It was sitting there at the base, perhaps it should be sitting on your mantle!

we know how much he likes mantle problems ...

Here is said block

Rather than my mantel, I think the talus, the inevitable destination for all things cliffbound, is the appropriate final resting place for this divot from Try Again.

I won't be out there trying to haul that trinket back to my car, and I sure am glad it didn't hit anyone on the way down.