This past Saturday a severely abbreviated McLaughlin group headed up to the Diamond on the East Face of Longs Peak. The main issue was to climb D7. Later, in 1977, the issue was cleared up by John Bachar and Billy Westbay when they free climbed the route. Our two panelists were Mr. M. Blaster of the AAC and Mr. B. Boinger representing Billy and the Boingers. The group met at M. Blaster's house at 3 a.m. for the preliminary drive up to the trailhead.
Alpine climbing is a curious undertaking.
I don't understand it myself and it doesn't surprise me that not many climbers practice it. What surprises me is that any climbers do it. The night before our planned climb, I drove home in a violent thunderstorm and hoped there would be a message on my answering machine from Blaster saying that the climb was off due to bad weather. No such luck. I pulled up to his house the next morning at 3 a.m.