Mace Stories - Third Times A Charm
-- First Charm --
For years, driving through Sedona Arizona I would stare at the Mace formation as friends and I were off to climb at the Overlook in Oak Creek Canyon. How could you not! The formation is every climbers inspiration, every artists inspiration, besides a Vortex. My friend Rich and I decided to take a four day vacation to Paradise Forks. The Forks is a paradise of tall basalt cracks located between Williams AZ and Flagstaff AZ. Rich didn't lead much so I cranked out everything I could. We were somewhat new climbers at the time just barely cranking through the 5.9 routes. The 5.8 and 5.9 cracks at the Pillow Wall were kicking my ass. The hand jams were for large hands, not for Marty hands. Other climbers were there climbing Pillow fight 5.10 and suggested, while chuckling, that I try this thin finger corner/face crack instead. I was dumb, not knowing what I was doing and nobody told me what the rating was. Somehow I cranked through the route and then found out it was the Davidson Dihedral 5.11+. Wow was I jazzed that I sent it! On our third day of the trip my muscles were spent! Paradise Forks has a way of doing that quickly, especially if you are leading all of the routes.
Rich and I went over to TL Bush 5.10 where I struggled through the layback corner which was awesome, but spent a long time leading the route. I was really getting tired. We rappelled back into the canyon for our final climb of the day, but still had one more day of our vacation. I decided to climb a route named Standard Forks 5.9, which is rated 5.8. As I was 1/3 of the way up the route, I noticed people were cheering me on and then were screaming as they jumped 50' off of the cliff into the pond below Waterslip Down. This screaming and big splashing noise was kinda getting to me. On my route, the cracks turned into flakes and the pro was getting desperate. I pulled out every Royal Robbins trick to pro the section I was stuck in. Yipe! I was thinking to myself, "Now I am going to die!" Jimmy Symans and Deidre Burton showed up across the canyon and started yelling at me, "Good Job Marty Good Job." I went from being a hero to totally mentally defeated. Jimmy was climbing (leading) Aqualung with Deidre, where Jimmy had a broken ankle fresh from doing the jump across on the Mace route the week before. I mean big wrapped ankle in a brace doing the jams and leading. I finished my route with a huge gasp of relief as I topped out, and then watched Jimmy floating up a few other routes.
Rich and I went over to TL Bush 5.10 where I struggled through the layback corner which was awesome, but spent a long time leading the route. I was really getting tired. We rappelled back into the canyon for our final climb of the day, but still had one more day of our vacation. I decided to climb a route named Standard Forks 5.9, which is rated 5.8. As I was 1/3 of the way up the route, I noticed people were cheering me on and then were screaming as they jumped 50' off of the cliff into the pond below Waterslip Down. This screaming and big splashing noise was kinda getting to me. On my route, the cracks turned into flakes and the pro was getting desperate. I pulled out every Royal Robbins trick to pro the section I was stuck in. Yipe! I was thinking to myself, "Now I am going to die!" Jimmy Symans and Deidre Burton showed up across the canyon and started yelling at me, "Good Job Marty Good Job." I went from being a hero to totally mentally defeated. Jimmy was climbing (leading) Aqualung with Deidre, where Jimmy had a broken ankle fresh from doing the jump across on the Mace route the week before. I mean big wrapped ankle in a brace doing the jams and leading. I finished my route with a huge gasp of relief as I topped out, and then watched Jimmy floating up a few other routes.
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Later we met up with Jimmy and told him that we were too tired for a third day at the Forks, so were were heading home. Jimmy suggested that we stop and climb the Original Route on the Mace on our way home. Why not! I was totally spent but Rich had this sudden burst of energy and agreed that he would lead the crux pitches on the Mace. The plan was set and it sounded like a great adventure. Before we left Jimmy warned us not to pro the limestone band at the top of pitch one. "A bird otherwise will hit you in the face." That seemed like a funny comment to me. We arrived early at the Mace and I got the first lead. At the pitch one limestone band there is a nice crack so I stuck a nut in it and suddenly, no kidding, got hit in the forehead by a swift. Damn near knocked me off of the ledge! Rich died laughing as I regained my senses. Unbelievable!!! I lead pitch 1, 3, 5 and Rich lead pitch 2 and 4. The 5.9+ crux pitch 4 was awesome! Pillars surround you which slowly disappear leaving you with an angled crack leading to a distant loose bolt. The old bolt can be pushed in and out 3/4" or so, but could not be removed. Scary but we clipped it! The jump across was totally awesome, what a great route!!!
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Climbing magazine cover, Nov/Dec 1973 |
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The rappel off of the formation is from the lower pillar and not the top of the Mace, that's why you have to jump back. There were two chains for the rappel so we fed the chains with the rope and both rappelled into the notch. There still is one more 100' rappel to go to get back to the ground. We tried to pull the rope but the rope was totally jammed! We tried the flick and pull tactics, both pulling on one line, and nothing was working. It was beginning to really suck, besides it was getting dark and cold.
We were stumped and did not know many tricks to climb ropes. We decided to jug the line via figure 8 belay and one arm lock offs. I created a prussic out of my shoe string and anchored one end of the rope to the ledge. We came up with the idea where I would pull up on my prussic, which was looped around my wrist, hang tightly like in a one arm pull up position, and then pull the slack out of my figure 8 device with the other arm, and yell to Rich "Lock Off." Rich would pull the rope into a fireman's belay, where I could rest. Repeat this process for 120' in an overhanging chimney. My muscles were beyond spent from four days of climbing, but I went into total survival mode and it had to be |
done! Let's just say, I was bleeding pretty good around the wrist by the time I reached the top. The rope appeared to run freely through the chains, but since the chains were small ovals, and the chains did not lay completely over the edge, the rope was getting trapped more and more as you pulled down onto it. That sucked! I will say again, THAT SUCKED! I added two 4' gold slings to the chain links then Rich and I were back at the car before you knew it.
A few days later, another team of climbers (I can't remember their names but mom and dad) did the Mace and saw the two gold slings and laughingly removed them, fed their ropes in the chains and fell into the same trap as Rich and I. They tugged, and tried everything but nothing was working, their ropes were jammed. So they decided to
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chew through the rope tails on each end, tying the remaining rope segments together to get down the remaining rappel. It took them 1 1/2 hours to tear WITH THEIR TEETH through a 10.2 diameter rope, and they both finished at the same time. They left the rope hanging and abandoned it.
A few days later my friend Doug climbed the Mace with a few Boy Scouts and came across the chewed ropes. He decided when seeing this that it may be time to rebolt the route. A few years later I went to Jacks Canyon for a one night camp climb and dash home trip. I just started the campfire and suddenly my friend Doug appeared. He was up there to meet the Scouts for a one day adventure the next day. Soon afterwards a mom and dad and two really cute young kids came to our fire and we decided to share the one fire. Somehow we got into a conversation about the Mace, and without even knowing each others story, we all shared the same adventure that single week on the Mace. They still had my gold slings, and Doug still had their chewed ropes, and we were all sitting at the same camp fire out of total coincidence!!! |
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Mace Stories - Third Times A Charm
-- Second Charm --
A year or so later, Doug called me and said that he wanted to create a Boy Scout adventure on the Mace. I told him that he was crazy as I explained on what he was up against. He decided to teach the Scouts how to jug up a rope, so some of the Scouts would climb the route, and some of the Scouts would jug up the two rappel pitches to all reach the summit. Doug always amazed me on when something needs to be done with the Scouts, it's gonna happen no matter the cost. I love Doug and his kid teaching abilities. Doug rented a scissor lift, and everybody met in his driveway at his Phoenix home. One by one the kids jugged their way up to the platform, and we raised and lowered the scissor lift I am sure over 100 times. It was a long but fun day!
I contacted many of my friends to help with this two day trip for the Scouts, and three day trip for me and my friends since we had to rig it. Doug wanted each pitch of the route to have two ropes. A jugging line for the climber and a safety belay rope in case they fell, ON EVERY PITCH! Did I mention that I thought Doug was crazy. I accepted my mission and Rich and I headed for Sedona to prep the Mace with many ropes. My friends were to arrive just a short while after us. Rich and I hauled 10 ropes up to the Mace and started rigging it but began to notice that my friends had not shown up. They actually did not show up until the next day, CRAP! I knew that Rich and I were in trouble on rigging the Mace being short handed. Two other climbers arrived from Canada while on a road trip in the Western USA. The Mace was on their list where I let them pass us on the pitch one ledge. I had with me my trusty John Fowler huge Magnus cam for the top of pitch two for the "wide crack move." The Canadian climber leader got to the wide crack move and began to notice the 20' runout he was encountering, and yelled down to me if he could borrow the large cam monster I was carrying.
I contacted many of my friends to help with this two day trip for the Scouts, and three day trip for me and my friends since we had to rig it. Doug wanted each pitch of the route to have two ropes. A jugging line for the climber and a safety belay rope in case they fell, ON EVERY PITCH! Did I mention that I thought Doug was crazy. I accepted my mission and Rich and I headed for Sedona to prep the Mace with many ropes. My friends were to arrive just a short while after us. Rich and I hauled 10 ropes up to the Mace and started rigging it but began to notice that my friends had not shown up. They actually did not show up until the next day, CRAP! I knew that Rich and I were in trouble on rigging the Mace being short handed. Two other climbers arrived from Canada while on a road trip in the Western USA. The Mace was on their list where I let them pass us on the pitch one ledge. I had with me my trusty John Fowler huge Magnus cam for the top of pitch two for the "wide crack move." The Canadian climber leader got to the wide crack move and began to notice the 20' runout he was encountering, and yelled down to me if he could borrow the large cam monster I was carrying.
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I made a deal with him that he could borrow the cam if he dragged a line or two of mine to save me some time, over me leading the route and hauling. Thank God that these two guys showed up! Thank God! Their names were Yan Milot and Max Bertrand from St-Faustin Quebec. I later mailed them a bunch of my MK Guides as a thanks. Rich and I rigged as much of the Mace we could as we noticed that already Scouts were showing up for the adventure. Doug actually had the entire troop camp in the wash under the Mace. I thought that was a ballsy campsite since there are many million dollar houses all around us, and here we are having a huge camping outing with campfires in the middle of them. It is National Forrest land but still. The ranger even
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showed up that night exclaiming WTF, but there were no signs posted and the ranger seeing Doug insisting that he was not leaving, eventually backed down. The week following this event "No Camping" signs were posted in the wash area.
It was a cold evening which dropped down to 38 degrees or so. I was totally tired and had to get up early for this huge "Horse and Pony Show." I then noticed that while I was out rigging the route, my sleeping bag was sitting on my spare Camelbak where it drained half of the water into my bag. I still found a somewhat dry corner of the sleeping bag to curl into in my tent, and I was instantly sound asleep. I woke up to find that I was really not feeling well. I woke with a somewhat frozen bag and was hitting hyperthermia. I became quite scared of the situation since the entire outing was on my shoulders. As Doug and the Scouts were making me tea and anything they could to break my sickness, all of my other friends suddenly showed up. I am sure I fell into in tears of great joy seeing their faces. We came up with a game plan to use some of the experienced Scouts as belayers on the lower Mace pitches, my friends were on the upper pitches, summit, and rap notch, and I was ground control. I was really sick the whole day but made the best of it.
It was a cold evening which dropped down to 38 degrees or so. I was totally tired and had to get up early for this huge "Horse and Pony Show." I then noticed that while I was out rigging the route, my sleeping bag was sitting on my spare Camelbak where it drained half of the water into my bag. I still found a somewhat dry corner of the sleeping bag to curl into in my tent, and I was instantly sound asleep. I woke up to find that I was really not feeling well. I woke with a somewhat frozen bag and was hitting hyperthermia. I became quite scared of the situation since the entire outing was on my shoulders. As Doug and the Scouts were making me tea and anything they could to break my sickness, all of my other friends suddenly showed up. I am sure I fell into in tears of great joy seeing their faces. We came up with a game plan to use some of the experienced Scouts as belayers on the lower Mace pitches, my friends were on the upper pitches, summit, and rap notch, and I was ground control. I was really sick the whole day but made the best of it.
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The Mace climb went as good as it could where 12 of the 28 kids actually reached the summit! The other kids were scared off, but all still climbed at least the first pitch of the Mace. Imagine you as a 13 year old kid showing up for your first climbing trip, and it is the Mace! Kinda like William "Dolt" Feuerer's first day being the Totem Pole, but he was older. At the end of the day, my friends and I pulled all of the ropes and gear and headed back to camp where we found a large pig on a spit that was cooking over a fire the whole day. There were so many parents helping with this outing all bringing home-cooked food which filled the tables like a Kings feast. It was amazing!!! When I was in Boy Scouts, the Scouts had to provide for themselves. This was incredible! Now imagine how big our camp was with over 50 campers, tents etc. That Sedona ranger was surly pissed off! I drew this map of the Mace the following day when I arrived home. |
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Mace Stories - Third Times A Charm
-- Third Charm --
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Doug eventually returned to the Mace and rebolted it, but he never told me. I ran into him shortly after at a convenience store, and he told me he had just threw out those junk hangers that morning in the trash. I was like "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Doug is more engineer than pro-climber so a mangled bolt to him is trash. I hastily rushed him to his house and the large city trash can was still sitting on the curb. I tipped it over, crawled into it, and shuffled through the trash finding two hangers. I kept searching for the third original hanger then he mentioned he didn't get the last one (step across). On this day the trash never smelled so good my friends! I looked at him and said "This is history my friend, HISTORY!!! I tipped the trash can back upright and just then the garbage truck turned the corner, and he is the first house on the street. One minute more and these historic bolts would have been lost forever. The pitch 4 crux piton bolt was even more exciting when I noticed it had TM stamped on the side, TM standing for TM Herbert! Amazingly the Star Dryvin nail bolt holding the piton was only 1 1/2" long, and it moved to the point that you could pull it out with your fingers, but it just would not come off of the rock. Doug said it came out with one small tug. Scary! The other hanger was homemade angled aluminum (airy crossover pitch two).
That just meant that there was one more original hanger on the route, the step across on pitch five. The following weekend I dragged my Bosch Bulldog drill and Bill Dacier up the mace to retrieve the major historical item. Bill was kinda intimidated of the route so I led all of the pitches. As I was climbing, I was totally filled with excitement to have the whole set of original bolts from the Mace. First ascent of the Original Route was by TM |
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Herbert, Bob Kamps and Dave Rearick in December 1957, at Christmas time. Yvon Chouinard would have been climbing the route also, but chose to go to church instead. When I topped out on pitch four I instantly fell into shock. The step across hanger was replaced, and the original homemade aluminum hanger was gone! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I mean I was almost in tears!
Bill and I did the step across move and on to the main summit where I got to see Doug's new summit register. Doug installed on the Mace, 3/4" glue-in lifting eye bolts for the main belays and rappels, and the main summit register. He mentioned he spent a big coin to have it created out of stainless steel, but it should last forever. He inscribed all of his kids names onto it which are written at the base of the register. I noticed written in the summit ledger that one of the last people up on the Mace was Jeff Achey, an editor for Climbing Magazine. Climbing Magazine was shooting photos for their next Mag #186 June 1999 Flagstaff AZ issue, and Jeff and crew had just climbed the Mace. I called Jeff, who bumped me back to John Burcham, which led to Albert Newman, who had the Historical relic in his tool box. The set was once again back together!
A year later I visited the legendary Tom Taber, and looked at his great collection of climbing gear. Tom Taber has many first ascents in Arizona, which some are routes at the Overlook. I was able to borrow only a few pieces of his gear even though I gave him my best begging performance. Tom suddenly whipped out two pitons, which were the original pitons used on the second rappel out of the notch on the Mace. This was an amazing find! Now all 5 original climbing anchors which were used to climb the Mace in 1957, are all back together and preserved.
Bill and I did the step across move and on to the main summit where I got to see Doug's new summit register. Doug installed on the Mace, 3/4" glue-in lifting eye bolts for the main belays and rappels, and the main summit register. He mentioned he spent a big coin to have it created out of stainless steel, but it should last forever. He inscribed all of his kids names onto it which are written at the base of the register. I noticed written in the summit ledger that one of the last people up on the Mace was Jeff Achey, an editor for Climbing Magazine. Climbing Magazine was shooting photos for their next Mag #186 June 1999 Flagstaff AZ issue, and Jeff and crew had just climbed the Mace. I called Jeff, who bumped me back to John Burcham, which led to Albert Newman, who had the Historical relic in his tool box. The set was once again back together!
A year later I visited the legendary Tom Taber, and looked at his great collection of climbing gear. Tom Taber has many first ascents in Arizona, which some are routes at the Overlook. I was able to borrow only a few pieces of his gear even though I gave him my best begging performance. Tom suddenly whipped out two pitons, which were the original pitons used on the second rappel out of the notch on the Mace. This was an amazing find! Now all 5 original climbing anchors which were used to climb the Mace in 1957, are all back together and preserved.
Bob Kamps climbing log, 12/26/1957
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