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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jun 25, 2008 - 06:38am PT
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rebolting Elegant Inclinations (Chiquito Dome) 6/07/08
Having read Tom Higgins' article "Commuters on Chiquito Dome" back in the
1984 AAJ (same issue as the mesmerizing "Path of the Master"),
I was intrigued, but the climbing sounded tough, so in 24 years
of living in California, I had yet to visit the place. This changed when
I heard from Tom, asking what shape his two routes on Chiquito might be in.
With a freshly reprinted copy of the Spencers' Southern Yosemite
guidebook in hand, I researched what had been added in the past 20 years
and got further beta on what needed rebolting from Nate Durrant.
After work restoring Space Babble with Kevin Willoh, I was awaiting Roger Brown's
arrival in Yosemite for another summer of rebolting, but Roger was delayed
slightly by an injury and I had a window of opportunity to hit Chiquito.
There wasn't much time to plan, but I got very lucky when I asked my longtime
partner Joel Ager if he was free - he was! Since Chiquito is in the National
Forest, he charged up his Bosch and we drove in on Friday night, arriving
at the Soda Springs campground at midnight.
http://s139.photobucket.com/albums/q317/clintcummins/soyos/sierravistaloop.gif
Road map found on the web
Gear selection on the picnic table. Shortly after this, the campground host
walked over and collected $16 for the night - so much for the free camping beta from the 1988 guidebook....
The campground was deserted except for us and the hosts,
and there was very little traffic on the road over the weekend.
On Sunday night we camped for free at a nice quiet spot even closer to the crag.
View from near the campground. Photo lifted from rockclimbing.com and line added.
View from the base.
We saw no climbers during the weekend.
Conditions were already a little hot during most of the day, but it was nice in the afternoon shade.
Maybe the best season is in October?
Before starting work, we walked further up left along the base to check out Sahib (Higgins' second route).
Several new routes have been established there recently, as described by Louie Anderson on rockclimbing.com.
Some of the new routes cross Sahib, so there are apparently many bolts to clip on it now, if you can figure out where it goes.
I believe the gold streak above Joel (just right of the roof) is The Sickness, while Harmonic Roof goes over the left end of the roof.
Detail. Note the two lines of bolts 6' apart, with bolts every 6'.
We hiked to the top, which went smoothly for Joel, while I lurched along slowly behind.
Joel at the top.
We fixed one of our 60m ropes to a cam anchor, and I went down to look for the bolts.
Found the first/only protection bolt on p5, at the top of the steep wall.
The belay anchor atop p4 was another 12' below the end of our 60m rope.
The rock is featured and very beautiful on this face.
After more searching, I located the other bolt shown on the p5 topo in Spencer's guidebook.
It was at a flake off to the right, so I concluded it had been a belay bolt.
Heading down to work on the anchor at end of p5.
Joel replaced the original bolt (right) with ASCA gear, and added one of my bolts/hangers (left) so the belay now has 2 bolts.
Extracting the p5 protection bolt with my tuning fork.
Standard 1/4" x 1".
Joel replacing the p5 protection bolt; view from the belay atop p4.
Our sequence was for me to pull the old bolts, then insert them by hand back into the hole.
Then Joel would come down, pluck out the old bolt, enlarge/deepen the hole with the Bosch, and install a new ASCA bolt/hanger.
We used the 4mm thick Fixe hangers for the protection bolts on this climb, to make them a little easier to see.
belay anchor atop p4
Extracting the right anchor bolt. I'm backed up to the knotted rappel rope.
Joel replaces the right anchor bolt.
p4 anchor replaced
We fixed both ropes separately to the p4 anchor; I was on one; Joel got the other.
finding and extracting the bolts
Extracting more bolts.
After pulling some of the bolts, the air smelt strangely of cigarettes.
Then I remembered from Higgins' article that Chris Vandiver smoked!
So probably when he blew the dust from those bolt holes, and hammered
in the bolts, some of the smoky air from his lungs got trapped in the hole!
Very strange to smell it, 24 years later.
Joel replacing one of the two bolts on the left side of the streak,
where the Spencer topo (probably adapted from Higgins' topo)
suggests belaying atop p3 from two separate protection bolts
(probably connected with the rope). This would help avoid rope drag
from the 5.11 traverse.
belay anchor atop p2
Joel replacing the p2 anchor bolts.
The Bosch ran out of juice at this point, after partly redrilling these anchor bolts.
We got 13 full holes and 2 partial holes with it, though - much more than we could have done by hand.
Joel replacing the p1 anchor. We only had one hand drill up on the
climb Saturday, so we shared it for the remainder of the day.
We were pleased that our 60m rope reached from the p4 anchor down
here to the top of p1, so we were able to fix ropes to the ground
for more work on Sunday.
p1 anchor replaced
Joel heading down p1
Sunday - extracting in the morning sun.
Joel works on p1 while I do p2; we have one hand drill each now.
old and new
Joel replaces the first protection bolt on p2
more old + new
Done with the work, Joel enjoys his birthday by toproping p1
Joel toproping the combined p2-p3-p4.
Beautiful rock on this face.
Unfortunately the sun angle was rather blinding at this time of the day
Scoping the 5.11 traverse
Across the traverse, on some friendlier terrain
A steep bulge, adorned with some nice knobs and holds
A final tricky section, trying to reach a black knob
Got the knob
Last moves to the belay
I rapped down to toprope the combined pitches, in the nice afternoon shade.
Unfortunately, while belaying Joel I noticed that I had missed replacing the last bolt on p4!
Last bolt replaced.
We finished our day by toproping p1 and then heading down before dark.
Elegant Inclinations is a very nice line of weakness up a good sized face.
To lead it would require being in a bit better shape than we were in,
and being able to handle the usual 20 foot spacing between bolts.
There are plenty of stances for resting. It was quite a find by Higgins
and Vandiver, allowing them to drill on lead from free stances on fairly
steep terrain.
After returning home, I reread "Commuters on Chiquito Dome".
http://www.tomhiggins.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6&Itemid=20
The article is mostly about the first ascent of Sahib, and I cringed as
they described the bolting gear they used - the old Rawl drill bits which
dulled quickly and had to be replaced after every hole.
(The modern carbide-tipped drill bits are so durable and thus fast).
No wonder they chose to go for some of those runouts instead of stopping
to drill on moderate ground!
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tiki-jer
climber
fresno/clovis
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Jun 25, 2008 - 09:50am PT
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Nice TR Clint and thank you. That Nate guy sure is a pleasant fellow. We've been there and looked up at Tom's line. That is before the new lines went in. We did not have sack enough to get on a "Tom Higgins" route. Are the Spencer books in the stores?
I've got my old one so I'm covered. I also have some info/routes about Fresno Dome I mailed to Spencer years ago.
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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Jun 25, 2008 - 11:05am PT
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Nice job, Clint, thanks for doing these kind of re-bolts. Looks like some awesome rock there too!
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Jun 25, 2008 - 11:41am PT
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Nice work there Cling and Joel!
BTW, you say the Southern guide has been republished. It is a 2nd edition (with more info) or just reprinted?
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Levy
Big Wall climber
So Cal
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Jun 25, 2008 - 12:23pm PT
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Chiquito Dome is one of the best crags in the Sierra IMHO. The rock is great & very featured. It faces South so it gets hot in mid-summer but fall is terrific.
Here are some pics:
Graham Doe dwarfed by Chiquito's South Face
Mike Matheson on El Grande ~ 5.10b This recent route is 160' long and climbs more like limestone, pockets & tufas that are so unusual for granite
Louie Anderson on the FA of The Sickness ~ 5.13a
Another view of Chiquito's South side
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dolomite_said
climber
the real
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Jun 25, 2008 - 01:44pm PT
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that grid-bolting (detail photo) looks stupid . thanks for the report .
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 25, 2008 - 04:14pm PT
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Kelly,
> BTW, you say the Southern guide has been republished. It is a 2nd edition (with more info) or just reprinted?
Just reprinted. Exact same contents as the original 1988 printing, except behind the title page is added "Second Printing 2007". The cover has the same color/design, but is on thinner stock, and there is an ISBN bar coded on the back.
I don't know what stores have it. It is available for $20 new at amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/Southern-Yosemite-Rock-Climbs-Spencer/dp/0962015806/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1214424815&sr=1-1
Levy,
Nice photos! Featured granite is something special.
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LongAgo
Trad climber
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Jun 25, 2008 - 04:40pm PT
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Clint and Joel,
Sorry to be late seeing this post and expressing my thanks for replacing old bolts on one of my favorite FAs. Thanks too to Peter Haan for alerting me to the post. Also appreciate the update on status of nearby Sahib. Sorry several new routes confuse the issue of where old Sahib goes, but generally tends right of the routes you describe to a little faint "buttress" (which it isn’t when you get there, but that’s how we fooled ourselves sometimes to try the next section), then trends gradually back left from that point. I think the Spencer topo is pretty close on that one. Oh, I think maybe we did sling a knob or two on the first pitch trying to minimize bolting, well not just because our drills were so poor as to break periodically, but because minimizing the number of bolts (within reasonable risk range), and using any natural pro possible was the mentality we carried around. And, more pragmatically, it was tedious and scary drilling on lead no matter what kind of drill we used!
I love the story of smelling a little cigarette smoke maybe somehow trapped in a bolt hole from Vandiver's puffs of 24 years ago. Or maybe he was floating nearby checking you out, though last I heard he quit smoking.
Also good to hear you saw few if any others - that's the experience we had and which we treasured as we worked away, alone on the rippling rock, mostly happy and jaunty, but scared here and there not sure we could stop to drill, exhausted and mad too around broken bits, aching arms and some pretty hot hours. Maybe Chiquito will keep its remote and quiet feel given it remains away from the big climbing centers. But now thanks to you two, some of the old days and ways can live again more safely, for those wanting the feel of how it was.
Thanks again!
Tom Higgins
LongAgo
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 25, 2008 - 04:54pm PT
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tiki-jer,
> I also have some info/routes about Fresno Dome I mailed to Spencer years ago.
Mark Spencer published a couple of supplement route lists including Fresno Dome in Climbing magazine in 1988-89.
Here is a merged list of Fresno Dome FA info - if your stuff is not in here, or if you can suggest corrections, let me know.
90. Necromancy FA: Dick Erb, Max Gammon, Barney Neilson, 8/73
91. Gypsy FA: Dick Erb, Sam, Fred, 8/73
92. Raptor FA: Max Gammon, Barney Neilson, Royal Robbins, 8/73
93. Harlot FA: Dick Erb, Sam, Fred, 8/73
106. Eraserhead - West Side FA: Brian Zane, 8/83
107. Rocky Road FA: Mark Spencer, 7/83
108. Orange Peel FA: Mark Spencer, 7/83
109. Shakey Flakes FA: Mark Spencer, 7/83
110. The Prow FA: Mark Spencer, 8/87
111. Cookie Slam FA: Mark Spencer, 8/87
112. Tin Roof FA: Mark Spencer, Floyd Hayes, 7/82
113. Big Dogs FA: Mark Spencer, Jim Cunningham, 5/87
114. Woodchuck FA: Mark Spencer, Jim Cunningham, 5/87
115. Split Decision FA: Jim Cunningham, Mark Spencer, 5/87
116. The Woods FA: Max Gammon, Barney Neilson, Royal Robbins, 8/73
117. Safe To Surf FA: Mark Spencer, 6/87
118. Narley Waves FA: Jim Cunningham, Mark Spencer, 5/87
119. Tragic Shoes FA: Mark Spencer, Bob Van Tassel, 5/89
120. Pipeline FA: Mark Spencer, 6/87
122. Water Music FA: Ruprecht Kammerlander, Tom Higgins, 8/78
124. Golden Showers FA: Jessurun, Edmund, 6/92
125. Kammerlander FA: Ruprecht Kammerlander, Tom Higgins, 8/78
126. The Predator FA: Rockcraft Climbing School guides, mid 70s
127. Onyx FA: Rockcraft Climbing School guides, mid 70s
128. Buzzard Book FA: Fred Beckey, Jim Stuart, 11/71
129. South Pillar FA: Blaine Neeley, Randy Miller, 7/85
130. Plan B FA: Lawrence Garcia, et al
134. Buggery on the High Seas FA: Roger Hayashi, Dave Daly, 7/2000
135. Easy Wind FA: Mark Tuttle, Paul Loughton, 76
136. Everybody wants a piece FA: Matt Schutz, Zulim, Linder
137. Mule Train FA: Jim Cunningham, Tom Foll, 7/87
138. Mule Train Extension FA: Lawrence Garcia
139. Second Honeymoon FA: Lavon Weighall, Chuck Davis, 6/89
141. Ghastly Gulch FA: Randy Miller, Blaine Neeley, Dick Haskey, Carol LeMaster, 7/85
142. Friction Dandy FA: Blaine Neeley, Randy Miller, 8/85
144. Looking Glass FA: unknown
145. Nuthanger FA: Roger Breedlove, J. Copeland, J. Day, R. Knehr, 6/75
147. Rowsby Wood FA: Dick Erb, R. Fox, 6/75
148. Watership Down FA: M. Sorensen, R. Baum, Royal Robbins, 6/75
149. Upper Offwidth FA: M. Sorensen, R. Baum, Royal Robbins, 6/75
150. Fresno Flats FA: unknown
151. Fox Trot FA: Chris Vandiver, M. Knehr, M. Potter, 6/75
152. Bay Bridge FA: Royal Robbins, et al, 73
153. Golden Gate FA: Royal Robbins, et al, 73
154. Trough FA: Royal Robbins, et al, 73
155. Busy Bee FA: Mark Spencer, 10/87
156. Thin Spread FA: Royal Robbins, et al, 73
158. Bypass FA: Royal Robbins, et al, 73
160. Lay Away Flake FA: Royal Robbins, et al, 73
161. Lost and Found FA: Blaine Harmon, Jim Savage, 9/88
162. Aurora FA: Mark Spencer, 10/87
164. Beat Farmer FA: Lavon Weighall, Mark Spencer, 10/87
165. Hole in the Wall FA: Blaine Neeley, 9/87
166. Snowball FA: Mark Spencer, 10/87
169. Electrified Primitives FA: Jessurun, Edmund, 7/92
170. The Stripper FA: Jessurun, Edmund, 6/91
171. Sink Me FA: Mark Spencer, 7/87
172. Bachelor Party FA: Mark Spencer, Kevin Wilcox, Dwight Simpson, 6/89
173. Panorama FA: Mark Spencer, 5/87
175. Water Wheel FA: Mark Spencer, 5/87
176. Huckleberry Finn FA: Mark Spencer, Shirley Spencer, 5/88
177. Waiting for Delta FA: Mark Spencer, Shirley Spencer, 5/88
178. Wa-Diddy FA: Edmund, Jessurun, 6/91
179. Fire and Ice FA: Mark Spencer, 5/87
180. Morning Thunder FA: Mark Spencer, 5/87
181. Made in the Shade FA: Mark Spencer, Shirley Spencer, 4/87
182. Arch Direct FA: Blaine Neeley, 81
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 25, 2008 - 05:04pm PT
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Tom,
You weren't late at all in seeing this report - it has only been up here for 10 hours! I was late in putting it together - a couple of weeks after we did the rebolting. (Too many reports to make; more fun to go climbing. One more report to make, and I'm caught up on rebolting reports, though).
Good point on slinging knobs - I oversimplified my explanation of the apparent runouts. Of course when there is a good knob to sling, placing a bolt is even less desirable. The Spencer topo of Sahib shows several knobs explicitly on p1 of Sahib between the second and third bolts.
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Tork
climber
Yosemite
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Jun 25, 2008 - 08:18pm PT
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Clint, thanks for all the hard work. FYI you can drive to the top of the dome on an old logging road. Awesome campsite.
If you head back out there, I would love to join/help you.
Tom, beautiful line. Looked up at that one many times. Even with the new bolts I'm not sure if I will give it a go.
Loui, tell us all what the holds look like at the top of the routes that cross Sahib???
Jeff
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Lynne Leichtfuss
Social climber
valley center, ca
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Jun 25, 2008 - 08:25pm PT
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Really enjoyed your thread and pics today...learned alot also. Thanks, Lynne
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 25, 2008 - 09:21pm PT
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Jeff,
> Clint, thanks for all the hard work. FYI you can drive to the top of the dome on an old logging road. Awesome campsite.
We were wondering about that after all the staggering up the hot slope with big packs! Doh!
> If you head back out there, I would love to join/help you.
Cool. There is definitely more rebolting to be done at Chiquito, but probably it would be best to wait until the temps cool off in the fall.
Not to mention some actual climbing there! I will give you a shout if plans are started for a return trip - thanks.
Lynne,
Thanks, I'm glad there was something to learn, somewhere in the midst of the repetitive photos of old bolts! :-)
I do like to show that it's not hard to pull the old bolts and replace them with new ones; it does not require hauling and wielding a crowbar.
"New lamps for old, new lamps for old!"
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tiki-jer
climber
fresno/clovis
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Jun 25, 2008 - 09:59pm PT
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Clint, Wow!! all there except one, tho'.
On the West Face: Golden Showers 5.11a FA. Jessurun, Edmund 6/21/92
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 25, 2008 - 10:05pm PT
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tiki-jer,
> Clint, Wow!! all there except one, tho'.
> On the West Face: Golden Showers 5.11a FA. Jessurun, Edmund 6/21/92
It's there as #124. Probably hard to find in a list with no topos, etc., sorry!
Here's a topo I got second hand, probably drawn by Mike Arechiga:
Is Golden Showers route #2?
Also, can you give me the full names for the FA party?
Water Music probably goes on this topo somewhere, but it wasn't included on Spencer's topo; I'm not sure why.
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tiki-jer
climber
fresno/clovis
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Jun 25, 2008 - 10:32pm PT
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Sorry I missed that. My bad.
Golden Showers is next to #4 and indicated by Mike's question mark.
It is a shorty sporty and will see an extension to the top this summer after all these years. Yea!
I can't remember though what we used as anchor bolts....either Rawls or the "slam-in" button head bolts. I may be in need for a tuning fork.
Back to Chiquito: I was with Matt Schutz and the SSCA when they replaced the bolts on Jigsaw Puzzle....I was fortunate enough to climb the second pitch on the ancient 1/4"hangers as Matt came up behind and replaced them with shiny new metal. Fun stuff!
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 25, 2008 - 11:00pm PT
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tiki-jer,
> Golden Showers is next to #4 and indicated by Mike's question mark.
Thanks. A picture makes all the difference....
My previous info was from summitpost.org:
http://www.summitpost.org/route/163834/golden-showers.html
which said it was 40 yards left of Onyx, so I was guessing without knowing the scale.
> It is a shorty sporty and will see an extension to the top this summer after all these years. Yea!
Cool.
> I can't remember though what we used as anchor bolts....either Rawls or the "slam-in" button head bolts. I may be in need for a tuning fork.
I made mine with a Lost Arrow, hacksaw and vise - took me about an hour.
> Back to Chiquito: I was with Matt Schutz and the SSCA when they replaced the bolts on Jigsaw Puzzle....I was fortunate enough to climb the second pitch on the ancient 1/4"hangers as Matt came up behind and replaced them with shiny new metal. Fun stuff!
I hope to be doing about the same on Glacier Point Apron later this summer; always good when you can help by leading something fairly moderate; hopefully the old bolts are good enough for a slab fall if it comes to that....
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LongAgo
Trad climber
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Jun 26, 2008 - 07:26pm PT
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Re: Water Music, Fresno Dome
As to where Water Music is, as it's not on the topo pictured for Fresno Dome, one can go to the "Cliff Notes" section of my website for info, where a picture also can be found of me leading (wow - looks like Ruprecht tilted the camera - it's not that steep!)
http://www.tomhiggins.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18&Itemid=20&limit=1&limitstart=3
Here is the text given there, taken by permission from '79 AAJ:
"Ruprecht Kammerlander and I made two new routes on Fresno Dome on August 14 and 15, neither of which represents the culmination of Ruprecht's climbing, yet they were his last first ascents before his recent death in a motorcycle accident. I have named the better after him and the other after the music we talked about on the climb. Kammerlander begins just right of a dead tree which has fallen against the west face. It is F10 on the second pitch if the most direct line is taken up the headwalls protected by bolts. NCCS II, F10. Water Music starts a little left of the dead tree. One bolt protects the first pitch. NCCS II, F8. Both climbs range over colorful, undulating rock. American Alpine Journal, 1979."
Hmm, wonder if dead tree is still there or, uh, burned up!
Tom Higgins
LongAgo
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 26, 2008 - 08:51pm PT
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Tom,
Yeah, with that photo of you on Water Music in the AAJ, it should not be too hard to go up on the cliff and find it!
(Whether the dead tree is still there or not)
Below is a portion of the topo from the Spencer guide, showing more detail for Kammerlander
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tiki-jer
climber
fresno/clovis
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Jun 26, 2008 - 09:11pm PT
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Tom, does Kammerlander have a hole up the face..say halfway up??
Reason I ask, I was up at Hawk Dome a few weekends back when the Peregrines were nesting. They have a site on the wall and the year before there were a nesting pair in The Predator as well.
We had heard from some Guide friends then, that some disgruntled climbers that were thwarted from climbing in the Valley(the day before due to Peregrine activity)were "gonna kill these frikkin'birds"...however due to coercion they did climb elsewhere.
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SuperTopo on the Web
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