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alina
Trad climber
CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - May 16, 2013 - 02:39pm PT
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Has anyone been to Calaveras Dome recently? I'm planning on going this weekend and I have a few questions.
What's wet? What's dry? What should I get on? Am I right that weather looks ok -- not too hot just yet?
I should be getting some topos from Will Cottrell, as mentioned on Clint's website. In the mean time, I'd love some recommendations for 5.9-mid10 climbs. Also: I used to be pretty good at running it out on slab -- it was all I was good at when I started climbing at the Valley. But I haven't climbed slab for about a year, until last weekend, when my partner and I did the right side of Goodrich Pinnacle. That went okay so I'm wondering -- how does the top of War of Walls compare? What are some other good slab climbs in the area so I can get my old slab self back? Thanks!
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snowhazed
Trad climber
Oaksterdam, CA
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May 16, 2013 - 03:12pm PT
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Last Friday a lot was wet, but it had been raining afternoon thunderstorms for the previous several days. We climbed through it, but depends on your tolerance for seeping cracks.
That day I climbed my first route there Silk Road- so can't help you with your other queries.
Oh yeah- Ellis Rd. is washed out, you have to take Panther Creek
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mrtropy
Trad climber
Nor Cal
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May 16, 2013 - 03:14pm PT
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Lots of good tens on Hammer Dome.
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kennyt
climber
Woodfords,California
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May 16, 2013 - 03:16pm PT
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jeff, do you climb there much?
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KP Ariza
climber
SCC
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May 16, 2013 - 03:23pm PT
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I was up there a month ago and Ellis road wasn't passable, good to know its washed out. Save you some drive time for sure. Conditions are probably great right now. Especially in the shade.
I did a number of routes there almost thirty years ago that have probably only seen a handful of ascents. One is called Tijuana Brass. Semi spicy 5.10+ slab route on the Silver Streak wall just to the right of Silver Streak itself. Its in Cotrell's topo's but unnamed. Really quality, easy approach, a touch scary but not too bad.
Another is Windwalker 5.11c, it is located on the far east sector of Hammer Dome on a slab up and to the right of the Sea of Hole wall. The rock on this route is superb and while the 5.11 cruxes are well protected, there is 5.10+R climbing up high to reach the belay. Again, it's in the Cotrell topo's unnamed. He's got it as Route#1 on the Hammer Dome Far East page. Both of these one pitch routes have potential for a more moderate second pitch if somebody is motivated to do the work.
Now that I got that shameless plug out there, here's a few other classics-
Gemini Cracks 5.10-
Wall of the Worlds 5.10+
Beacons from Mars 5.10+
Tits on a Ritz 5.10c
Solar Panal 510.b
Soul Sacrafice 5.10+
Travelin' Man 5.10+
Sea of Holes 5.10
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mrtropy
Trad climber
Nor Cal
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May 16, 2013 - 04:01pm PT
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Not much but I did some over the years, I really need to get back there more often. Kenny I might hop over the pass to Woodfest if I get a chance.
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kennyt
climber
Woodfords,California
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May 16, 2013 - 04:07pm PT
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there's some good routes a few min. away check out the picture of laines I just put on the woofords thread
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alina
Trad climber
CA
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Topic Author's Reply - May 16, 2013 - 04:44pm PT
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Bad news about Ellis. I called the ranger station and they told me that Ellis road was open and that I didn't need a high clearance vehicle. What gives?
Is the wash-out a permanent feature or is this something that will be fixed?
I heard that the alternative to Ellis is not great.
Also: thanks for the suggestions so far! It sounds like I should spend a day cragging on Hammer dome.
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ladyscarlett
Trad climber
SF Bay Area, California
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May 16, 2013 - 04:51pm PT
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Gemini Cracks 5.10- ??!!!!
dayum, my partner swore it was 5.8 with maybe a + added if your stove broke that morning and you hit the climb sans coffee...
have fun!
cheers
LS
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KP Ariza
climber
SCC
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May 16, 2013 - 05:14pm PT
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You're right, the crack pitches are easier. When I did the route we approached the crack pitch via Smokes Screen. I just looked over the topos. Its been decades since I climbed on Hammer Dome. Love that place though.
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kennyt
climber
Woodfords,California
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May 16, 2013 - 05:19pm PT
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Good pics Ken.
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snowhazed
Trad climber
Oaksterdam, CA
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May 16, 2013 - 05:41pm PT
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Ellis is open.... until it is washed out maybe 4-5 miles in. With ATV's or maybe big ass tires and a lift kit you could make it. Panther Creek isn't that bad, no clearance needed, but it takes a lot longer. Took me about 50 minutes from Ham's Station.
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KP Ariza
climber
SCC
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May 16, 2013 - 05:54pm PT
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Thanks Kenny. Iv'e got some old slides somewhere I should scan and post up. Used to camp down there a lot. Fishing and climbing during the day, drinking and burning fat ones next to a bonfire at night.
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Salamanizer
Trad climber
The land of Fruits & Nuts!
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May 16, 2013 - 10:21pm PT
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Panther Creek is almost exactly 15 minutes longer. Been that way many times. Tiger Creek is about 40 minutes longer. Had a friend drive up Ellis the other day, said it wasn't that bad. There's a washout (been there for a couple years) but it's not that bad says he. I personally don't know, haven't tried it yet this year. Cal Domes is almost always about 10 degrees cooler than Sacramento weather. So use Sacto as your guide.
Beacons to Mars is a classic and has had it's lead bolts all the way to the top replaced via an epic effort by a friend and I last year. We replaced the bolts on Sole Sacrifice as well, eliminating the 2x bolt anchor in Cottrels topo and extending it past one more already existing bolt to the next existing anchor above (pitch 3 of Beacons), so you can climb that as a slightly better protected variation to Beacons upper pitches. Wouldn't recommend it though as those first few of Beacons are classic. Sole Sacrifice is classic as well too though.
The single pitch routes Lightning Bold and Thunderbolt are good to go as well and not to be missed if climbing over in that area. The thing to the left of Lightning Bolt (unknown) in the guide is mega runnout and scary as sh#t. The climbings good but the bolts are total crap.
If you're just looking for .9's and easy .10's there are plenty but be careful not to just rush into just any. The upper pitches on War of the Walls are death if you blow it. There are a few 5.7+ish mega runnouts where a fall will result in traumatic injury.
Old Smokey is crap, don't bother.
First pitch of the Rainbow wall is a great low .10. Upper pitches are a fair bit burlier. Gonna go in the shade around 10:30AM.
A couple good routes on the Blockhead (left of Silk Road) are good too. In the shade by 10:30AM.
Sands of Time seems to be a local favorite. I thought it had 1 good pitch followed by lots of OK stuff.
Green sponge is pretty dirty in spots but an otherwise excellent route. Link the last two in the easy 5th dihedral to the ramp leading west (climbers right). You can follow this over to the rappel line for War Of the Walls instead of climbing that BS people usually do to get off Sands of Time via Silk Road. Likewise, I use this exit for Sands as well.
Medicine Man is an easy one for .11 which is why I mention it. It's a few one move wonders followed by some excellent easier stuff except for the French connection which is hard as petrified sh#t, unless your aiding it. It's not runnout at all save for the retarded typical Will Contrived first pitch which has a total WTF section scantly protected (on rappel no less) which avoids a 5.9 section in exchange for a hard .11 section graded .10d where you will take a whipper onto some ledgy stuff. Skip it and run up the nice .9 corner a few feet to the right.
Sergent rock and the Silver Streak dome are all going to be cooking. Hammer dome gets a breeze so you should be ok. Still shorts weather for sure.
Solar Panel is a good one. Its run like an SOB and hard to get too but worth it if you wanna TR some harder stuff to the right.
Gully Cats a turd.
Corn Cobs a turd.
Pressure Wave I thought was a totally contrived pile of sh#t, but I'm just being nice. Not .10b maybe 5.9
Smoke Screen is pretty good and extremely well protected. Sport route like.
Wings N Stings (really slings n stings) is a back killer, good though. Very sustained!!! Yes, there are bees occasionally, wasps really but they seem friendly. You can TR two classic slab routes (squeaks of gold and shrieks of bold) from the anchors if you like. Never done it but have seen it done many times.
Razor Face is a great .10 if it holds. Kinda like Wheat Thin except thinner. It's more like a sun chip really.
Sea of holds/holes whatever, is good for the first two. Then it deteriorates into a monotonous pile of poo poo that is hard to get down from.
Stone Heart is good but really short and not too runnout.
Jungle Boogie, I actually climbed this once... DONT!
All that other stuff on the Sea of holds slab I believe has shitty bolts.
That's all the easier stuff I know about out there except for on Hidden Dome, but that stuff is too hard to describe and there isn't any topos that I'm aware of.
Except this one.
Whoops! edited to include the "Correct topo".
These routes take the Northwest facing buttress on hidden dome you stare at every morning from the campground. There is a killer 170+ft finger crack on a head wall hidden by a boulder to the right of these routes. Never been climbed and is up for grabs. Probably hard .10 to mid .11. It has a massive Poison Oak bush guarding it so I ain't going there. Have at it.
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pvalchev
Social climber
Mountain View, CA / Calgary, AB
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May 16, 2013 - 11:06pm PT
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Ellis Road washout is not bad, we took a 3-series BMW through there last weekend. Maybe right after a rain it will be muddy and more of an issue (it was muddy for us on the way down, but dry on the way up).
The first face pitch of WoW is scary between the 1st and 2nd bolts (as in, you'll get very mangled if you blow it). I think it's steeper than Goodrich, and you are using more face holds than friction. The rest wasn't bad. (the topo has the first as 5.9 and the second as 5.9+R, I think they are reversed)
Last weekend was way too hot for me, but Jackson was 94 F. This weekend looks 20 degrees cooler...
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, CA
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May 16, 2013 - 11:11pm PT
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Good beta in this thread there is...
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mongrel
Trad climber
Truckee, CA
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May 16, 2013 - 11:41pm PT
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Recommendation to head for Hammer Dome is good, as that's where you'll find the easiest stuff. Ask for 5.9 to mid 10 and sure enough you'll get sent to 5.11b R/X (not all that bad for the rating, but certainly not 5.9). Salamanizer's tips are spot on. Several people have commented about upper Wall of the Worlds or War of the Walls or whatever is actually the name: they have some long runouts and the rock is peppered with these great frictiony (some not so grippy) black knobs of various sizes. They're great climbing but falling would be seriously bad because you'd hit many of them, hard. The Cal Dome area was initially developed by some very very stout climbers and lead-bolters and it's only later that a few more modest climbs appeared. Fabulous place, but not easy.
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alina
Trad climber
CA
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Topic Author's Reply - May 17, 2013 - 12:33am PT
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they have some long runouts and the rock is peppered with these great frictiony (some not so grippy) black knobs of various sizes. They're great climbing but falling would be seriously bad because you'd hit many of them, hard.
Sounds like I'm going to die....
Thanks, Salamanizer, for a very solid block of beta.
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Salamanizer
Trad climber
The land of Fruits & Nuts!
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May 17, 2013 - 03:26am PT
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Climb War of the walls to pitch 7 (the last one before the face stuff starts) and walk down the ramp to the first set of bolts leading up the wall. This is the upper pitches of Vaya Con Pollos. Follow this route for a couple more pitches of better protected climbing up that headwall. Even better, if you're feeling up to it (.10c) walk down a bit further and climb that totally bitchin dike of Shaking All Over. It'll be the really really obvious bolted left leaning dike that begs to be climbed. You can lower back to the ledge from the anchors.
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Salamanizer
Trad climber
The land of Fruits & Nuts!
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May 17, 2013 - 11:23am PT
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It's not that runnout Ron. There's never more than 15/20ft between bolts. That first mantle is about 20ft off the level deck, but you climb an increasingly steep ramp to get there with just a single reachey move to the mantle. Blow the mantle and you will become a bowling ball though.
This photo shows the bolt spacing really well. About to clip the 6th bolt, you can see 4 bolts in the photo. The only that is out of the frame is the first which is just below the cut off line of the photo.
Here's a photo of the mantle. You can't see the ground but you can get a good idea of where it is. No more than 20ish ft. The climbing to just below the mantle is easy 5th. You make one reachy 5.10 move and do the mantle which is not that hard.
I'm not belittling it, it's still a fairly serious route, especially that first mantle, but not and X route.
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