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1997
Mugs Stump Award Winners:
Isaac/Taylor—Cirque of the Unclimbables
Sean
Isaac & Andreas Taylor
Dear
Mugs Stump Award Committee,
 Andreas
Taylor and I (Sean Isaac) spent the entire month of July
in the Cirque of the Unclimbables. Our original goal was
to make the first ascent of the east face of Mt Flattop,
but upon arriving at the base we discovered it was more broken
than our photos made it out to be plus it was soaking wet
from its summit snowfield. We quickly shifted out attention
to the next formation down valley, the shapely Bustle Tower.
This Washington Column look-alike only had two established
routes on its 1800-foot golden southeast face.
We
fixed the first three pitches during unsettled weather,
then committed to the face for three days of splitter cracks,
featured face and huge roofs. The route went free at 5.10
except for 200 feet of easy, albeit wet, aid. Most of the
cracks were choked full of moss and mud, making the nut
tool the most important piece of equipment on the rack.
Now that the cracks are cleaned, the route would go free
at 5.11 in drier conditions. We named our new 12-pitch
creation, Club International (V 5.10+ A2) after the multi-cultural
basecamp and, more so, after our quality reading material.
(note: In 2001, Timmy O’Neil and Jonny Copp made
the 2nd ascent of Club International, freeing it at 5.11b)
 Our final two weeks were spent gluttonizing and hibernating
in the shelter of our cave as typical northern weather hammered
the walls. Numerous false starts ended in soaked failure
as we attempted the classic Lotus Flower Tower during brief
lulls in the deluge.
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