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Baggins
Boulder climber
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Topic Author's Original Post - Apr 7, 2011 - 08:57pm PT
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A climbing topic for once!! hopefully this on doesnt get drowned like most the others...
So the google map folk have updated the el dorado and tahoe aerial imagery and now it has some seriously useful resolution
Anyway so this impressive feature stood out east of union valley resevoir - funny cos I have never seen it on the drive on ice house
I realise that placerville climbers have really gone out of their way to find gems out in the crystal basin, so presumably someones climbed this one a few times? anyone know anything?
looks like some nice rock from google earth...
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Looks like clean granite but awfully slabby.
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Charlie D.
Trad climber
Western Slope, Tahoe Sierra
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Bob B. would know about it along with other obscure crags in CB, heard there's a 5.8 right up front and center......may even be his route.
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Gene
climber
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Looks like clean granite but awfully slabby.
Isn't that what us elder climbers look for?
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Nope- I still, as always, do better on the steep.
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dfinnecy
Social climber
'stralia
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This angle gives it a little more relief:
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Banquo
Trad climber
Morgan Hill, CA (Mo' Hill)
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Based on coords, Slick Rock?
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Salamanizer
Trad climber
The land of Fruits & Nuts!
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That there's "Slick Rock".
Several routes exist from 5.5 to 5.9.
Not a destination crag and requires some leg work to get there.
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Kalimon
Trad climber
Ridgway, CO
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Looks like some sweet apron style climbing on quality rock . . . slabs are sweet and so is the steep! A well rounded rock climber should be proficient in all disciplines.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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elevation?
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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groovy, thx.
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Salamanizer
Trad climber
The land of Fruits & Nuts!
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It's not that steep and the climbings not that hard...
But it is obscure.
I got some pictures around here somewhere.
I think I even got the keys to the gate.
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Baggins
Boulder climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 8, 2011 - 12:42pm PT
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Slick rock eh, good to know! Would def. be interested in seeing some photos. I do enjoy a good bit of slab climbing, not so much of it around tahoe. But the mile long bushwhack approach doesnt sound too much fun...
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RonV
Trad climber
Placerville
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That is Slick Rock.
Bob Branscomb,Don Garrett, Kim Treadaway, and myself put up several routes there in the late 70's.
The Bolts are quite rusty and old by now.
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squishy
Mountain climber
sacramento
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I have climbed it several times...there's nothing there, the crag sucks...it's all choosy and ghey...plus the approach sucks, it's like an hour drive on a muddy dirt road and there's hunters out there shooting at beer cans...be careful...
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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But the mile long bushwhack approach doesnt sound too much fun...
A mile? Ho mahn, yer sounding a bit light with that comment, and I'm 50!
I have climbed it several times...there's nothing there, the crag sucks...it's all choosy and ghey...plus the approach sucks, it's like an hour drive on a muddy dirt road and there's hunters out there shooting at beer cans...be careful...
Hmmmm, trying to throw somebody off the scent? If it sucks so bad why'd you climb it "several" times? Gotta be more careful what you write bro.
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Branscomb
Trad climber
Lander, WY
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That's Slick Rock up at the end of Picket Pen Road off the paved road going up to Loon Lake.
The suspicious characters of Ron Vardanega, Don Garrett, Kim Treadaway, and myself put up some routes there in the late 70s and then Paul Brown, Kristi Stouffer and I put up another route in the 1980s there.
Mostly low angle friction, usually the first pitch is the stuff and then it goes ridiculously low angle. Most of the routes are in the center of the face, ranging from 5.7 to 5.9 and old 1/4" bolts. Three pitches if you go all the way up.
Descriptions are in the old Crystal Basin Guide I used to publish. Salamanizer has a copy and I still have the proof if anyone is interested.
There are several other (smaller) formations in the Crystal Basin, mainly located around Loon Lake. They are nicer, steeper, offer some nice routes. Again, in the old guide.
Approach is to drive up to the end of Picket Pen Road, turn off the Loon Lake Road by Union Valley Res. Park at the end and bushwhack for a mile west to the base of the face. Hotter and hell on that thing in the summer. Take some bolts and replace all those awful 1/4". Please.
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Baggins
Boulder climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 8, 2011 - 02:35pm PT
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But the mile long bushwhack approach doesnt sound too much fun...
A mile? Ho mahn, yer sounding a bit light with that comment, and I'm 50!
Yeah thanks for calling me out on that one :) What I mean is, how dense is that bush? Are we talking senior or dubya? (haw haw)
Chest high manzanita not so fun
Take some bolts and replace all those awful 1/4". Please.
Sounds like a retro bolting adventure then? could be fun
I have climbed it several times...there's nothing there, the crag sucks...it's all choosy and ghey...plus the approach sucks, it's like an hour drive on a muddy dirt road and there's hunters out there shooting at beer cans...be careful...
heh man no ones gonna beleive you google earth sees all (esp. when they update their photo resolution...)
that dome looks smoooth... you guys sure there arent any harder (steeper/blanker) slab lines to be had?
any photos?
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Branscomb
Trad climber
Lander, WY
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Sounds like Squishy has something going on out there (?) :).
Senior bushwhack, though, It's like chest deep, though with breaks. Sorry.
There are one pitch slab options around Loon Lake we did that are more approachable and harder. There's an interesting 10c on the buttress seen to the east as you get to the top of the long open grade just before Loon. Two pitches, start at the toe of the buttress, up and left past a bolt into a thin crack. Leads to a ledge, then up the bolt line left of the dihedral.
There are also some options on the cliffs above the intake for Loon at the east end of the lake. The lower cliff, just above the road above the intake has a couple of 10s on it, mixed bolts and gear, put up by Kristi Stouffer and myself in the 80s. The obvious slab above has a two pitch 5.8 route up it that she and I did then. Mainly 1/4" bolts.
Minimal bushwhacking for these places. Bon appetit!
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