Mindahoone wall info

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Messages 1 - 31 of total 31 in this topic
luquitos

Trad climber
santa cruz, ca
Topic Author's Original Post - May 8, 2011 - 05:33pm PT
Anybody have any info on Mindahoone wall near upper yosemite falls. Any good description on how to find it or other info?
Clint Cummins

Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
May 8, 2011 - 05:36pm PT
There is a topo in the 1994 Reid guidebook, p.143, and it's on the photo, p.145.
If that's not enough, here are some photos of its location:
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=748093
luquitos

Trad climber
santa cruz, ca
Topic Author's Reply - May 8, 2011 - 05:40pm PT
Clint, I've seen the topo in the guidebook. I guess I was wondering if it's easy to find the start and if anyone's done it and recommends it or not.
Clint Cummins

Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
May 8, 2011 - 05:43pm PT
My friend Brian Cox did it.
bob

climber
Apr 11, 2012 - 04:16pm PT
Went up to this rig a couple of days ago with my buddy Pat for his first and my second go. The last time I climbed this route was 15 years ago and I remembered some good climbing, beautiful positioning and moss. Lots and lots of moss in places. Well, I have to admit I was taking this route a bit lightly from my memories of it. I did it then it must be cruiser now, right? Wrong. Its strenuous as hell and way steeper than it looks. It also has been cleaned up considerably as far as the moss factor goes. The position is indeed beautiful. The climbing is good throughout. It seemed good even when it was mossy. (not like it used to be!) The hike is a butt kicker as always, but its relatively easy to get to the base from the one of the last switch-backs. Its a bit of veggie cruising from there over to a huge boulder where gearing up is optimal. Then just veg over a little more to the ledge that takes you up to the base. Easy, but you do have to go through (with) some bushes. Just go.

Great fun if you like routes that take work. It has some stout goodies.

I used to be in Valley shape and now I climb face routes in Tuolumne. This route spewed my weakness before me. Two days later and I literally feel like I got in a bar fight and lost... minus the face punches. Beat to sh#t is how I feel, but with a smile of course.

I need to climb in the Valley more.

Here's our topo:

I can't seem to get the pic to be standing upright? I've tried and tried. I give up. Tilting the screen is going to be tough for some folks! I'll edit the pic if I figure it out. Sorry. :)

Go do this route.

Bob Jensen

hoipolloi

climber
A friends backyard with the neighbors wifi
Apr 11, 2012 - 05:15pm PT
nice topo bob. Awesome shit!
Tork

climber
Yosemite
Apr 11, 2012 - 05:16pm PT
Did it about 13yrs ago with a friend, Ken Unit. Can't remember a lot. We had fun. I got the second pitch. Ken got the 11a pitch. I remember we didn't take the best approach getting to it and it took as a bit to find the start. I also remember the 2nd to last pitch goes left around the corner so the last pitch is not in view until your right there.
Clint Cummins

Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
Apr 11, 2012 - 05:43pm PT
Thanks for the topo, Bob - will update the guidebook one.
Here's your topo rotated:

Here's my attempt at an overlay - do I have it going in about the right place?
The New Age Blitzo

Social climber
Joshua Tree, CA
Apr 11, 2012 - 07:00pm PT
Ummmm, It's The Menehune Wall and the route that Walt freed is a different variation.
The route in the photo is so far off!
The New Age Blitzo

Social climber
Joshua Tree, CA
Apr 11, 2012 - 07:16pm PT
Steve Bosque on the first pitch on the first ascent.

Warren Harding on the approach to "The Menehune Wall".
Clint Cummins

Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
Apr 11, 2012 - 07:53pm PT
Blitzo,

Thanks for the corrections.
Sometimes a "first guess" is pretty ugly! :-)
The New Age Blitzo

Social climber
Joshua Tree, CA
Apr 11, 2012 - 07:58pm PT
Reid misspelled it in the guide. He also went by Walt's topo. The route we did went up the right side of the tower. It was 1976, I have a hard time remembering exactly where we went, but we had a blast!
Clint Cummins

Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
Apr 11, 2012 - 08:07pm PT
Blitzo,

Thanks for the info on spelling and where the original route went.
I am thinking the free route goes left of center on the tower (that is how it looks like Walt's topo lines up with leaning corners in the xRez photo, and right of the big left-facing corner on Bob's topo).

Did you guys climb any ows? I was just wondering if that bolt next to the p3 5.10d ow was placed by Walt/partner (Kevin Fosburg is reported in the book, but he wasn't on this FA/FFA) or was on the aid route?

Here's my same overlay guess (for the free route), on Walter's photo.
Sure looks different with the shading and perspective!
bob

climber
Apr 11, 2012 - 09:17pm PT
Clint, that looks like what we did more or less. Nice.

Blitzo, did Walt call the free variation Mindahoonee Wall? Maybe my brain didn't read the above info close enough. Man you must of had a blast up there. Do you have more photos from that area you'd like to share? I was sans camera. I just love watching the people from up there. They're just wandering up the trail.......... :)

Bob J.

edit: "Reid mispelled it in the guidebook..." got it! I'm a bit......... quick sometimes....too quick.
Clint Cummins

Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
Apr 11, 2012 - 09:48pm PT
Thanks, Bob. I'll try to rescale your topo a bit using the photo.
Very helpful to know there is 5.10d ow on the climb (2x); the old topo doesn't say much about crack sizes except listing a #4 camalot.

Blitzo,

If the free and aid routes are fairly separate, then the guidebook should list the free one as left side of tower and aid one as right side.
I could see how the routes could join at 2 (or stay apart), and up high the aid route could go straight up the nice headwall.
The guidebook list has Warren, Mike Corbett and you on the FA list.
So we should add Steve Bosque? Anybody else?
Rating for the aid route? The "generic" 5.9 A2?

another link - "What's the Menehune Wall?":
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=1186643
drljefe

climber
El Presidio San Augustin del Tucson
Apr 11, 2012 - 09:59pm PT
BOB!!!

no info from me, hi bump.
mucci

Trad climber
The pitch of Bagalaar above you
Apr 11, 2012 - 10:06pm PT
Yes, Steve bosque should be on the FA list. I will ask him about the climb, and relay the choice goods. I saw some badass pics of the FA at his house a while back.

Blitzo! Look for a message bro.

mucci

Trad climber
The pitch of Bagalaar above you
Apr 11, 2012 - 11:49pm PT
From Steve Bosque:

Well, as far as I can remember, Warren, Mike Corbett, Blitzo, Mike Baum and myself started the route in late winter of 1975. We fixed a couple of pitches and returned a month or two later in 1976 to complete the route, but with a different team. Warren said he wanted a "cast of thousands" for the FA and we came pretty close.

There were six of us on the final push. Harding, myself, Billy "Blitzo" Serniuk, Alison (Clough?)- not sure of her last name-, Margret Young, and Jorgen?- not sure of his last name or the correct spelling of his first name either.

There were two good ledges on the climb- What For and Why Not. We bivied on Why Not. Batso, Alison and I were the only ones to lead pitches, but a great time was had by all. Lots of friendly bickering between Margret, Jorgen and Warren. The route was predominantly aid with a few sections of moderate free climbing. It was a long time ago and I was extremely green. Blitzo may have some more detailed information. Hope this helps, Josh.

Steve

Clint Cummins

Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
Apr 12, 2012 - 01:57am PT
Cool, Josh, thanks for that info from Steve.
Could you ask Steve if this "Margret Young" was an alpinist age 43?
Margaret Young:
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=53589&msg=1138039#msg1138039

Allison Clough was a climber who was in a 1980 movie "High Ice" with other folks like Mike Hoover, Bev Johnson, Jim Bridwell, Dale Bard, ...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080869/fullcredits#cast
There's an Allison Clough who was at NAU and might be the same person?
http://sites.google.com/site/essdnau/the-team

Or maybe Blitzo remembers some of these folks?
The New Age Blitzo

Social climber
Joshua Tree, CA
Apr 12, 2012 - 04:39am PT
I have more photos, but I'm in Bishop and they are in JT at home.
Jorgen who I thought was called Jergen died on Cathedral Peak, as far as I know.
I don't know about Allison, she was the only one who wore a helmet and the only one to get hit by a rock. it was small and caused no problem.
I remember Bosque leading a wide pitch, I guess it was a chimney. Margret Young was following on Bosque's waist belay and she couldn't do the moves and ended up jumaring Bosque's waist belay! Poor Steve! She wasn't exactly "Petite"!
Smoking bong loads with Warren and eating salami and drinking Red Mountain wine, by the camp fire on What 4 ledge was to die for!
i have more info, but I'm a bit hammered and it's kinda late.
Clint Cummins

Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
Apr 13, 2012 - 12:56am PT
Bob's partner posted some cool photos of the climb, taken from Yosemite Point:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=431366033557142&set=a.164153126945102.44036.100000512480632&type=1&theater
ß Î Ø T Ç H

Boulder climber
bouldering
Apr 13, 2012 - 01:36am PT
For Yosemite, the gold/ orange colored rock is usually high quality.
scooter

climber
fist clamp
Apr 13, 2012 - 03:50pm PT
Bobs girlfriend took those shots while she was hiking. For what it is worth, I think we stayed on the climbable features that were as far left on the wall as possible.
cultureshock

Trad climber
Mountain View
May 9, 2013 - 05:14pm PT
Bump!



One of those photos from the Facebook link Clint mentioned.
mmelvin

Trad climber
san francisco
Feb 28, 2015 - 04:40pm PT
Tom McMillan and I did Mindahoonee (sounds like originally Menehune) Wall last week. It's the orange colored wall pretty much at the top of the falls trail. Serious bushwacking is required, although maybe only 20 mins. The start of the route is fairly obvious if you traverse left and up until you hit orange rock. My feeling is that the 10's are easier 10's than 10d, but that the 11a is as advertised, although short, and I have fat fingers. We screwed up the "10a" fourth pitch thinking that it couldn't possibly be the flared mungy cracks. We went right, doing a 10ish sequence with pro that was solid but might fail by pulling off the exfoliating blob that it is in, so probably the mungy cracks are better. The first half of the route is stellar, fun, and clean. The last is a little dirty, although not terrible. The short crux is okay, and very well protected. The required rack is somewhat small. It's possible one might add a #5 camelot, but I didn't find it necessary. The off-widths are not serious Yosemite off-widths. You could rap off the first pitch because there's a pinnacle to sling, but not after that without leaving gear. There are two places where a face traverse is required to switch cracks, and both are better after the bulge in the crack you're in, one the first pitch, then the last pitch. Both are easy traverses, the first maybe 5.9, the high one 5.5. All the belay ledges are huge. You can belay pretty much whenever you want to. Sorry if my topo isn't perfect when you do it as I don't tend to remember moves that well.
Mungeclimber

Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
Feb 28, 2015 - 05:59pm PT
nice update and mini TR!
Clint Cummins

Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
Feb 28, 2015 - 06:02pm PT
Thanks for the updated topo.
Jaybro

Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
Feb 28, 2015 - 07:36pm PT
I love hearing Blitzo's native voice in this!
NutAgain!

Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
Mar 1, 2015 - 07:49am PT
Nice update! Tom , glad to hear you are out there ripping it up.

Le_bruce, this has your name all over it.... Send thyself and post some stellar pics. We need a look down on Chain Reaction, the sweeping view of the amphitheater with HD in the background, etc.
bob

climber
Mar 1, 2015 - 08:12am PT
Alright!!!! Sounds like a good trip.

My mind wondered of the real nature of wide stuff up there the last time I did it. I hadn't climbed cracks in such a long time and I was out of shape. Hell, the hike probably did me in. Grand in all ways up there in that position.

The first time I was up there (late 90's) my mind recalls the munge filled 10a up higher being hard to decide upon. Nothing looked good. Last time, my partner led it and didn't think twice. Since I followed, nor did I.

This bushwhacking thing just hasn't seemed that bad to me in the past. Did you all go really high, almost above the start and then cut down and over? Maybe I just like to bushwhack.


Peace!!!

Bob Jensen
luquitos

Trad climber
Atlanta, GA
Topic Author's Reply - Jan 29, 2019 - 02:18am PT
I forgot about this post and just looking back at it after 8 years. I never did go up there, but looks like I should this coming season! Thanks for all the info and back story.
Messages 1 - 31 of total 31 in this topic
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