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Smoke
Trad climber
Pasadena, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Apr 17, 2008 - 02:37pm PT
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Does anyone have any general beta on this route? I'm curious to how long/hard the run outs are. Also are most of the anchors bolted? Does the route see much traffic? Thanks!
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Smoke
Trad climber
Pasadena, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 17, 2008 - 04:25pm PT
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Bump! Anyone?
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Apr 17, 2008 - 04:42pm PT
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Doesn't see much traffic. Anchors are drilled.
The run-out on one of the pitches is forever. It's thin, continuous 5.7 after a few harder moves down lower when you're only 20 feet out. You have to choose the subtle right path of least resistance or you could be screwed hard and tumble.
Losing you cool, penalty of 200 footer!
There is a two pitch variation via new Galactic Hitchhiker that goes around this but there would still be a run-out and the second would face a swing too. Still, might be less heady
Peace
Karl
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Joe
Social climber
Santa Cruz Mountains/Los Gatos
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Apr 17, 2008 - 04:58pm PT
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did it about 2-3 years ago. while I don't remember a lot of details, I do remember it being stellar, with killer views. I thought it was chill, but I tend to like that kind of stuff. check out the supertopo for specifics.
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couchmaster
climber
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Apr 17, 2008 - 05:19pm PT
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Great route, don't do it if you don't like runouts. Karl should know it, but I thought that the straight up variation was 5.9, not 5.7.
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Joe
Social climber
Santa Cruz Mountains/Los Gatos
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Apr 17, 2008 - 06:00pm PT
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I'm actually surprised Karl wrote that it sees little traffic. I've seen parties on it a number of times when I've been over there.
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Apr 17, 2008 - 06:08pm PT
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Say Karl, I'm not so sure that the Galactic folks put in the "out right" variation. I seem to remember that in the topo long before the GH folks got their hands on it.
Great route. There's a hidden 5.8 crack down low, I went up straight once and was stymied, until I figured out I was off route.
Rapping off the left side was one of the more exciting raps I'd done. Cutting old slings out of the leeper anchor bolts while holding on to the tail of my rap lines--Fun!
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Apr 17, 2008 - 07:24pm PT
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Both the right side and the left side are very interesting routes. They are not tedious Apron microhold climbs. The right side is kind of crack-climbing-ish but still very Apronlike too. Really really beautiful rock by the way, some polish even. Never scary if you are up to this level. I did this side in 1971. The left side used to have a giant flake (about 70 ft below the big prominent roof) that you would handtraverse on to get down to the main apron surface from books that you had been climbing in above it. This flake is gone and you apparently follow books on the apron in a more straightforward and less flamboyant fashion, to get to the big improbable-looking roof. That roof is really really cool!! It has a couple of good holds and a thankgod bucket at its lip and is well protected. Really fun, 5.9. Higher up the books are slightly dirty but fun too. Watch out for old pins and anchors, they can be poor.... I did this route back in 1966 (when 18 yrs old) and had absolutely the best adventure on it. Really cool route still I have to think, even with the big flake gone, as the roof, the apron below it, are so fun.
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james Colborn
Trad climber
Truckee, Ca
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Apr 17, 2008 - 07:32pm PT
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It was one of the last routes in the valley I did last year. The climbing is stellar w/ a little bit of everything. I'm not sure why I didn't climb it in years past, somehow I just past it by. Don't make that mistake, do it. Stay focused and calm and you'll float the run out pitch. After the fixed pin I wandered out right towards the bolt out in the distance, either way you go it is a long way to the anchors, breath and keep moving following the path of least resistance. Before you know it youre belaying the second. The topo says something about a cam placement out right...there is none.
On our descent we watched someone lead the pitch and nearly peel a few times. A fall would not be prudent. The party behind him bailed after watching the scene.
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Jay Wood
Trad climber
Fairfax, CA
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Apr 17, 2008 - 07:40pm PT
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The first 3 pitches are fun and very moderate.
Tiny cam or two P4
The jog right variation is runout, but not intense.
Have fun.
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Smoke
Trad climber
Pasadena, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 17, 2008 - 08:05pm PT
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Thanks for the beta guys. Is the run out pitch on 5.7 terrain? How far of a run out are we talking.. 50ft, 100ft?
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Larry
Trad climber
Bisbee
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Apr 17, 2008 - 08:29pm PT
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I guess you already searched for, and found, this?
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james Colborn
Trad climber
Truckee, Ca
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Apr 17, 2008 - 08:30pm PT
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Just as Karl said, a 5.9 move or two above the pin and then continuous moves to the anchors ledge- 50' sound about right.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Apr 17, 2008 - 09:31pm PT
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graphics to illustrate
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Smoke
Trad climber
Pasadena, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 17, 2008 - 09:40pm PT
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Cool, thanks a lot for the topo Clint.
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Trad
Trad climber
Northern California
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Apr 17, 2008 - 09:43pm PT
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I just climbed this route in 2006 and, as one who's much more comfortable in cracks than on face/slab, found it very character-building.
I led pitch #4 but even though the ST topo says "psychological crux" I guess I didn't think I was going to die or anything because I don't remember too much about it. On the 5th pitch, though, my partner led 20 or 30 feet out - not yet to the piton - and said she was too scared and coming back. (I think this is the pitch Karl referred to, where you can also go straight up on the 5.9 runout.) I thought she was joking and responded something like 'yeah, right, there's no way you're downclimbing that!' and then she glanced back and decided yes downclimbing DOES looked scarier than continuing, and continued via the rightward variation. I was happy to have seconded that pitch.
Then on the next pitch I started up the 3-bolt way and clipped the 2nd or 3rd bolt before chickening out and downclimbing a bit (albeit on top rope at that point). All that remained a traverse straight left but each time I tried my shoes would squeak and slip a few inches. Finally somehow I mentally resolved to ignore the slipping and went for it, and to my relief once I weighted each foot it would stop squeaking/slipping enough to step through onto my OTHER foot, which would temporarily slip and squeak but then stop. Since then I've felt a little more confident on slab (so far).
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HalHammer
Trad climber
CA
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Apr 17, 2008 - 09:55pm PT
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Yeah I linked those two runout slab pitches that was one of my brighter moves last summer pulling that 5.9 sh#t with way too much rope drag and nothing to hold on to and yelling at my bro to just pay out like 10 feet extra slack so the rope was as loose as possible. Fun times.
What was hot though was watching our 2 girl friends I had both taught to climb from the beginning leading up right behind us. And laughing at me for always linking pitches with my goofy 70m rope.
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rockermike
Mountain climber
Berkeley
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Apr 17, 2008 - 09:57pm PT
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I climbed it a few years back (right side). Loved it. But I led the 5.8 crux pitch (got my attention but NTB) but the next pitch (right moving variation) I followed and it felt like 10c to me. I guess I missed the Up/over/down bit as shown on topo. But I sure was glad I wasn't leading that bit.
anyway, do it. 4 1/2 out of 5 stars
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Apr 17, 2008 - 10:56pm PT
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I did the Left side years ago, and it was sort of cool at the time but it's pretty manky looking now.
As for the right, Highly recommend a screamer for the nested rusty pins that constitute the only pro for the straight up variation.
Peace
Karl
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Eddie
Trad climber
San Francisco
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Apr 18, 2008 - 12:20am PT
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I've done it twice in the last year. The first time I was sketched on the right variation on pitch 5, but I blamed it on the july heat.
I did it again in October and found that was I even more sketched.
--Both times I went right and then up at about 45 degrees straight to the bolt (the piton just didn't seem like the way to go). your choice of route here makes a big difference.
--Both times I linked the 5th and 6th pitches without a problem.
--Both times I found that the climbing after those 3 bolts was not easy, and just traversed left from the bottom of the bolts (very easy) after clipping one.
--Both times I found the 'psychological crux' (4th pitch) to be trivial.
If you don't mind the runout or can let someone else lead it, I think the climb is awesome.
Pete
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