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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Apr 29, 2013 - 02:35am PT
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Overhang Route
April 27, 2013
ablegabel, Ed Hartouni
There are some interesting questions surrounding obscure routes in the Valley. One such concerns Overhang Bypass on Lower Cathedral Rock. This somewhat popular 5.7 has an associated route, Overhang Overpass which is a stellar looking route, 5.11c.
But the question is, what is the overhang being bypassed?
The answer is in Roper's guide, and one only has to look for the Overhang Route to find out.
Lower Cathedral Rock - Overhang Route
II, 5.8 Dick Leonard, Doris Leonard and Bestor Robinson, September 1935. First free ascent in 1956 by Mark Powell and Bill Feuerer. This overhang lies just a few feet to the right of the Roof. Easy class 5 climbing leads to the base of the overhang. A difficult pitch leads up and around the right side of the overhang to class 3 slopes.
Arriving at 8:30am on Saturday at the massive Bridalveil Falls pullout, ablegabel handed me his copy of Roper's guide open to page 266. That was our project for the day.
This route, and those in the vicinity, are approached by 3rd and 4th class hike up steep terrain to obtain a prominent vegetated ledge high on the Northwest face of Lower Cathedral Rock. From the bench you get a great view of the route.
This part of Lower Cathedral Rock is a wonderful place to scramble around, with lots of 5.fun climbing to be had. We explored a bit, not in much of a rush, and eventually wandered over to the base of the climb. Here is where the route is in relationship to Overhang Bypass
Roper is the muse of adventure, the "easy class 5 climbing" on the first pitch is not hard, but it is not easy either, and one has to be careful with the route finding. Best care also not to knock a rock down on your partner.
Belaying from a tree below the second pitch ascend a stellar hand crack to the roof. Then take the crack off to the right. All sorts of fixed pins adorn the crack. One makes a delicate move up into a chip where the corner has departed, then a step up on a tiny edge which is much more balance and awkward than it seems it should be gets you to a point where you're thinking the worst must be over.
But you have to ascend a flared corner to the next overhang section, and there isn't anything but friction and chimney technique getting you up. Delicate and patient work has you at the final problem. The crack also has fixed pins, a Leeper "Z" at the exit, but otherwise delightful foliage greats you. There are exactly two places for fingers, and a critical edge on the wall behind you that you have to step down to.
Then, pasting your right foot on the wall, you pull in carefully. Somehow the right foot stays put, smear the left a little higher and move the right to a hint of an edge. Reach around with your right hand and find one more hand hold.
Working your left foot around and stepping into a trough, a couple delicate moves and you're done.
Wow, Mark Powell was one amazing climber! While it might be just as hard as 5.8, modern "grade inflation" is apparent, and the reason to "bypass" this now something that I can understand. 1956 FFA seems to be remarkable as well.
The nice thing about doing obscure routes like this is participating in the ongoing history of climbing in Yosemite Valley, knowing these routes from doing them, and developing a huge respect for the climbers who went up to tackle them.
And after the climb, years to come, you can look up and see them from the ground, recognizing them…
oh, and about the "class 3 slopes?" yes, they are third class, but if you have a misstep you'll not escape gravity's pull for 1200 or so feet... every bit as heady as 5th class, without the rope.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
the crowd MUST BE MOCKED...Mocked I tell you.
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Apr 29, 2013 - 03:38am PT
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lucid, tantalizing, and historical
I gave the TR a 10
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Apr 29, 2013 - 06:10am PT
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You manage to obscure the fact that it's not much of a hike. As approaches go, there are shorter ones, not too many. I'll grant that it's almost as steep as they get.
You have an acute case of sound memory, dude! You should edit a guidebook.
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Kalimon
Social climber
Ridgway, CO
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Apr 29, 2013 - 10:08am PT
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Sweet TR as usual Ed! What was the condition of the fixed pins?
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Studly
Trad climber
WA
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Apr 29, 2013 - 10:16am PT
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Cool!
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Gilroy
Social climber
Bolderado
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Apr 29, 2013 - 10:28am PT
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You have an acute case of sound memory, dude! You should edit a guidebook.
mouse, you amuse.
Hopefully any erstwhile authors will recognize Ed's experience with the obscure and avail themselves of his expertise.
This route goes on my list. My thanks to the good Dr. for posting such a tasty TR.
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SCseagoat
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Apr 29, 2013 - 10:45am PT
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Very nice Ed. Your whole project is very engaging. Looking forward to more obscurity!
Susan
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ryankelly
Trad climber
el portal
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Apr 29, 2013 - 10:50am PT
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Thanks for the unique TR.
I've looked at that corner labeled in your photo as the "overhang overpass" and wondered what it was for a while now. Thanks for solving that mystery.
Anyone done it?
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 29, 2013 - 11:15am PT
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there is now a single rope rap from the top of Beggar's Buttress that goes off to the climber's right of the Overhang Route... it seemed to have been not very well thought out as the top anchors are on the brink, with a dirty, leaf littered approach (someone has installed a rope "railing" to get to it safely) and the second station is a hanging belay in a sea of ledges... but two single rope raps gets you to the big ledge and a shoe filling descent to the ground...
...we went up and over the top of Lower, what a beautiful vantage point, and then down the Gunsight, ogling the face of Middle in the late sun, which is a wonderfully featured piece of stone.
a mikeyschaefer route ascends the sunlit side of the rib, bolts shining...Father Time
yes, we have wandering eyes...
The Roof would be an interesting finger crack to attempt... I'm not in the league that would send it. But there are a relatively few climbs on that face, and while vegetated, ample room for careful exploration... and I think there are still aid climbs there that would be good candidates for someone to look to free with a modern eye.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 29, 2013 - 01:38pm PT
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What was the condition of the fixed pins?
like all fixed pins in the Valley, there is no way to tell what their condition is... there are many pins that have no eyes... that's a bad sign, but of those that look good on the outside, there is no good way of telling what is happening on the inside... pinch it with your fingers and wiggle it around a bit, sound? would you trust your life on it?
so you'll clip them, no doubt, but usually you might sneak a cam up near by and have "double" protection.
as a general rule, after hanging around the campfire with Roger Brown, I don't clip the fixed pitons anymore, unless I know who placed them and when (and only recently)... yes, pins still get placed generally as an antecedent to a bolt, on lines that may or may not deserve additional development.
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Apr 29, 2013 - 02:02pm PT
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Thanks, Ed, for your TR, pictures, and historical interest. And thanks, too, Warbler, for your mention of The Roof. The pictures Henry Kendall took of Frost on the first ascent remain very compelling images to me. I suspect the FFA, when it happens, will not come cheaply. The aid was rated A3, and Frost had to place at least a couple of bolts on that lead.
John
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le_bruce
climber
Oakland, CA
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Apr 29, 2013 - 02:21pm PT
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Beautiful. There's something about LCR. It's the underdog in that ring of formations around the meadow.
Above is an alternate start to the Overhang Bypass route that tacks on a few more adventurous pitches of 5.8. You rope up over by the Return to Stone Age buttress. It'd definitely been climbed before Nutjob and I did it, but probably not much and not recently. [size edit for Nut]
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nutjob
Sport climber
Almost to Hollywood, Baby!
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Apr 29, 2013 - 03:11pm PT
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Ed, thanks for filling in some answers to lingering questions I forgot to follow up on from earlier adventures.
Le_bruce, you got a bigger version of that pic?
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Leggs
Sport climber
Is this a trick question?
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Apr 29, 2013 - 03:26pm PT
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The nice thing about doing obscure routes like this is participating in the ongoing history of climbing in Yosemite Valley, knowing these routes from doing them, and developing a huge respect for the climbers who went up to tackle them.
Awesome.
~peace
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Michelle
Social climber
1187 Hunterwasser
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Apr 29, 2013 - 03:33pm PT
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Awesome!
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Apr 29, 2013 - 04:16pm PT
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Here's [a] Henry Kendall shot of Tom Frost on the FA of The Roof.
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Apr 29, 2013 - 04:37pm PT
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How hard is the Overhang Bypass now that the death block fell off and you don't have climb on that thing?? Awesome thread!
We last did the route about a dozen years ago, after the block had fallen. My partner thought it was reachy 5.8-5.9. For me it was much harder (I'm only about 5' 5"), because I couldn't reach the mantle point easily. I had a hard enough time with that move that I've wondered ever since if the gully rising above the end of the Hog Trough would have been easier.
John
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Apr 29, 2013 - 05:03pm PT
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Cool TR which started a cool thread, thanks for posting!
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Apr 29, 2013 - 05:25pm PT
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In Moab checking e-mail and then a month in the Valley.
Overhang Overpass and been tried unsuccessfully by Charlie Porter and Mark Chapman. They gave it the name and said i could give it a go.
Great climb that had me gripped. 1974....way before cams, i got to the crux which was a parallel rattly finger crack too small for decent hands. I was 10 feet above my gear and i realized i couldn't hang around long enough to fish a nut in. Too chicken to jump off and take a twenty footer i sailed on up hoping it would get easier QUICKLY! 40 hyperventilating feet later i found a stem and got a good piece in.
Dale Bard tried it a week or so later and took a 60 or 70 footer. This is the kind of crack that cams took the excitement out of.
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