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mcreel
climber
Barcelona, Spain
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jul 9, 2007 - 10:11am PT
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I'd like to hear some stories, route recommendations, etc, about the Gallatin Canyon. The only climb I've done is the Sparerib, but on the way up there I saw a lot of other nice looking routes. How's the rockfall situation, any areas to be especially concerned about? Nesting raptors? Rattlesnakes? What are the definitely don't miss 'em routes? Thanks!
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TKingsbury
Trad climber
MT
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I've never seen any rattlesnakes or nesting raptors out in the Gallatin Canyon.
Rockfall seems to occur on the more obscure/less traveled routes...sometimes there are less than quality sections on a route, usually on easier terrain that can be a bit loose. Think twice or knock before you yank on a big flake or pull on a block.
These are generally considered classic...
The 'must do' list:
Skyline (5.6)
Great cruise, super fun. I think the chimney pitch could be one of my favorites in the Gallatins...
pitch 1
the chimney pitch
Gallatin Tower Standard or Direct (5.8/9)
great route, usually done in three pitches. You can also link the first two with a 70m...
Guy in red shirt belaying from the top of the 2nd pitch
Tigger (5.10)
One of the first 10s in the canyon. IMHO the best thin crack for its grade....
Some shots of yours truely taken by my brother Pat a few years back....
Diesel Driver (5.9)
Truck up a wider crack, then pull the roof. Sooo good
Billy Weaver took these shots....
Pineapple Thunderpussy (5.9)
Beautiful corner to upper face/arete.
Looking across from the Watchtower
Pat took this one while we were cleaning Penney's Pineapple...
some on the harder ones on the list:
Densepack (5.11)
Stigmata (5.11)
The Fugitive (5.12)
Songline (5.12b/c)
Pat took this one too...
Analytic Cubism (5.12a)
These should get you started, and there are more good routes near these. I kept the list on the shorter end, others in the know could probably chime in with others I missed/skipped...These ones just stand out in my mind I guess.
Cheers,
Tom
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mojede
Trad climber
Butte, America
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Where are the shots of "The Waltz" ? Certainly on the short list of must-dos--don't stray on the third pitch beginning, though.
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TKingsbury
Trad climber
MT
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I knew I was missing a more obvious one....
The Waltz
Most people seem to do the fisrt two pitches and skip the third...
pitch 1
pitch 2
EDIT: I forgot to add Brian Hayes took this shot...
Mojede- tell your 3rd pitch of the Waltz story
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Indianclimber
climber
Las Vegas
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Now that's the way to get beta ,Nice TK
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Brian in SLC
Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
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Never seen any snakes there either, but, haven't got near the time in the saddle as these other fellers, and, not for a number of years. Now, Neat Rock area on the Madison is loaded with rattlers.
Waltz is pretty fun.
Callas' Warts and Corns was good.
Tigger? First Best? Thing in Between. Orange Crack. My hazy memory sorta recalls those as good.
Standard route up the Tower is fun.
Ashes of Stone.
-Brian in SLC
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jackass
climber
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mojede is infamous, even I know the third pitch story...
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mojede
Trad climber
Butte, America
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Okay--but only as a reminder to always wear a helmet.
As described in the Dockins guide, "The more serious Pitch 3 starts on the right side then works up and left onto the face." The topo is only slightly more vague. My first trip up this pitch, I was young and stupid, but strong, and pulled directly up the nose to the face. I thought it was easy and that was the right way to go.
A few weeks later, John Wayne, Graham and I sauntered our way up the first two pitches. JW forgot his helmet at the car, but we had two and it was "only 5.8". I trollepped (sp?) up the slab to a ledge where the business starts and looked to find the "real" start of the route. The traverse onto the face looked awkward to protect, so I wnet the way that yielded the previous success. The day was hot and the climbing felt more difficult, but I did it last time--remember.
I had placed a Purple Smiley TCU and a WC back-up in a horizontal placement below the small bulge that lay above like last time and proceeded up. I began to "grease out" on the large hand holds and popped for a short fall onto the gear--still stopping before the ledge at my feet. A quick shake-out and I headed up to finish my work, NEGLECTING to re-check my pro after the fall--always check your system when possible.
Did I mention earlier the helmet situation ? Graham was across the small chasm with his on, leaving me and JW with just the one--him having a wife and kids was a no-brainer for me as to who should wear it, even though I was leading the pitch.
I regained my high-point and began to pull the move over the bulge--just then, it seemed as if I was plucked from the climb and all four points were off at once. I felt relaxed on the short fall, because I had just taken the same one before. Both non-checked pieces popped and I headed for the ledge--since I fell butt-first, my feet barley impacted the ledge, but in doing so flipped me backwads falling head-first for 20 feet onto the less-than vertical slab. After I smacked the rock and came to a halt, my glasses (i'm quite myopic) disappeared into the elevator-shaft like chasm below.
The tale could go on in detail, but here's the summation. I lowered off the Yellow WC that held the fall into the hole and luckily found my glasses. Climbed out and retrieved the friend. Wrapped my bloody (but intact) skull and started the process to go home.
Luckily my non-helmetted head injury was not serious and I learned many lessons that day.
In the ensuing weeks thereafter, horror stories about the third pitch began to circulate. The subsequent party on the climb reported a patch of blood the size of a basketball on the slab starting the last pitch--they opted out of climbing Pitch 3.
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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TK, a nice photo catalog! Reminds me of how much fun it was, on my one trip out there.
And (having a probably less interesting version of my own) I'm keen to hear whatever story mojede has regarding P3 of the Waltz.
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Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
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Cool pix and the rock looks great, and no snakes.
Neat Rock area on the Madison is loaded with rattlers.
Where is that area? (I'll make sure not to go there.)
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Brian in SLC
Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
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Near Norris. Right on the Madison River. Pretty fun climbing out there, usually best in the spring or fall when the weather is cooler, and not as snakey. Its in the Dockin's guidebook.
They still do nude night at Norris? Crazy place...
-Brian in SLC
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Nice coverage there TKings!
That's a keeper.
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quietpartner
Trad climber
Moantannah
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Sorry to disappoint you Brian, but the old halcyon days at Norris are gone the way of *civilization*.....new owners....
After they found a dead guy under a bench (he'd been there awhile) at the hotspring years ago, the stories have gotten stodgy.
But the water's still all good!
BTW, I've climbed the rock by Norris and saw a small rattler at the base, but my GF was as jumpy as a grasshopper in heat about snakes, so I never told her about it and the climb went fine.
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TKingsbury
Trad climber
MT
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Last time I climbed at Neat Rock and did the regular route, I made the mistake of jamming in too deep and managed to grab a dead crow in the back of the crack...I about hurled mid-pitch...and then realized that a big pack rat was pissed at me for stealing his lunch, screeching at me....
nice story Moj, I think that's the most complete version I've ever gotten outta you...good thing you didn't take the tumble into the hole.
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TKingsbury
Trad climber
MT
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Back to the topic...and speaking of the Waltz...
Here's a new route (as of this June) to go get on...
We'd been scoping this thing for a few years now. I must have scrambled to the base three or four times over the years, looking at the possibilities.
It turned out to be pretty fun, and didn't take too much cleaning, except a block or two, and a little gardening on p1...
A topo from Pat
The following shots were taking by our buddy Brian Hayes...
Yours truly on the top of pitch 1. You can't see the corner from this angle, as the first pitch faces more riverside. Pat takes over lead for pitch 2....
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mojede
Trad climber
Butte, America
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I don't see that route mentioned in my NEW Bozeman Rock Guide--nope, not anywhere.
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montanaclimber
Trad climber
Marysville, MT
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Makes me want to get down to Gallatin Canyon again real soon. Nice pics!
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mcreel
climber
Barcelona, Spain
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 10, 2007 - 03:52am PT
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Thanks for all the info and the great shots, when I get there I'll just search for this thread before jumping in the car. Skyline looks like the first thing on my list. Are there any extended sections of toe-jamming on that? My wife has tender piggies - she hated the Sparerib.
Out of curiosity, how long does it take to hand drill a bolt hole in the Gallatin Canyon rock? Or is hand drilling a thing of the past and no one remembers? I'm not going to do any new routes, I'm just curious about the rock.
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Mark
climber
bend, oregon
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Jul 10, 2007 - 04:57am PT
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nice pics. the rock looks really good.
what's up with black leaf? has anyone climbed there or have good pics? it looks really good and i'd like to make it there this year.
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AWhit
Trad climber
Bozeman, MT
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Jul 10, 2007 - 12:47pm PT
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MarK D. is that you.
Since we're slingin' Gallatin Pics here are a few newer lines...
I am a Wicked Child (.10d), N. side of the Waltz 3rd tier:
The Pagan (.11c), 5 minutes up S. side of gully above Watercolor Wall:
Blackleaf Canyon is really good, a bit out there...but when its burning hot elsewhere a must:
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