Slab Happy Pinnacle T.R.

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Levy

Big Wall climber

So Cal

Topic Author's Original Post - Oct 14, 2009 - 11:58am PT

I had often wondered about the Slab Happy Pinnacle area but had never been up there. It looked like an arduous hike but the rock looked really good so Dan Hershman & I went up there to have a look.

After negotiating a tricky cliff band to access the ledge we traversed back left to the pinnacle along the base of the wall. The way we approached up the gully, we ended up directly below "Golden Years", a superb looking 8 pitch route with several pitches weighing in at 5.11+ to 5.12a. Moving left along the ledge system, we arrived at the golden pillar that is the Slab Happy pinnacle formation. Tremendous rock up here!
A radical looking route put up by Jonny Woodward & Darryl Hensel is found here called "The Big Juan". It goes up to the layback flake 60' off the ground via a 4 bolt face rated 5.12b. Above, the route has several pitches of sparsely protected 5.11 face that the Reid/Meyers guide calls "bold & beautiful", & it seems fitting.

The Dihardral looked weird. Two fixed pins in a corner leads to 2 more corners to gain the main corner but it looks improbable. Frank Sacherer free climbed this route in 1964! Yowza! That guy was studly!

We ended up getting on the easiest rated route there, Slab Happy Center, rated 5.10b. A short lieback corner leads to an arete to gain the first bolt, which was a modern one. The moves seemed hard for 5.10b. Above a tricky sequence gained a dike/knob band that leads left to more features & more bolts.

I whimped out at the step up to gain the second bolt. You are looking at a 15 to 18 foot fall, 25 feet off the ground. I managed to downclimb back to the bolt & retreated thoroughly humbled. *(Edit)* This route was done free in 1974 by Vern Clevenger, George Meyers & Tom Carter. Doing some quick math means the 4th & 5th bolts are 35 years old.

Dan went up & hiked the step up move & soon was at the 4th bolt which was a 1/4" screw top piece of crap. He couldn't see the 5th and final bolt & it was some 60' to the belay, so he came down, lowering off the 1/4" bolt. Damn, this is a stout route for the grade!

I went back up & soon found myself figuring out the moves above & soon saw the last bolt some 35' above. I tied off some horns that were pretty poor but it was something to slow me down if I fell. I gained the last bolt & had to do some trick moves above to gain the belay. I even tried to "rodeo clip" the belay slings but to no avail. I just had to do the final thin face moves looking at a scary fall onto a bolt I was sure would break if I fell onto it. Thank god the rock quality was good. *(edit)* The rock here is much steeper than these photos make it look. See the pic below of Dan on the 5.9 2nd pitch to get a sense of the steepness. ***

Success! Dan followed & was soon off on the next pitch, a 5.9 face traverse to cracks that led to the top of the formation.

Good stuff. The belay/rappel anchors need modernizing but I left a new sling on top & several others at the other stations we rappeled from.

We also did "The Silent Freeway", a 5.10c lieback that is superb. Really gool liebacking & stemming lead to some face moves out left to gain a stance. One of the best routes of its grade in Yosemite!Edit) You get a good look into the Left Side route which looks great. I'm gonna go back there soon to do it. Steep & wild cracks on flawless orange stone.**

This is a gem that deserves more traffic. Perfect rock. perfect protection, what more could you ask for? What a great destination, I highly recommend it.

Ihateplastic

Trad climber

Lake Oswego, Oregon

Oct 14, 2009 - 12:03pm PT

Fantastic! A TR with good pics and an area that is so effin cool. Nice Job!

EDIT: I gotta say more! The center route is a beauty. The rock quality is superb with knobs, horns, flakes... you name it. It can be intimidating but it is all there. Just clear your head and let it flow. Those bolts do need replacing...

Dihardral spit me out twice before I figured it out. Another classic that would be high-trafficked if closer to the bar.

Get out there boys and girls! This area is great!

Jaybro

Social climber

Wolf City, Wyoming

Oct 14, 2009 - 12:16pm PT

Really nice! is that chimney on the right slab happy left? that looks interesting...

bluering

Trad climber

Santa Clara, Ca.

Oct 14, 2009 - 12:19pm PT

Yes!!!!

Good job. The rock does look pretty sweet up there.

Thanks for posting it up!

Clint Cummins

Trad climber

SF Bay area, CA

Oct 14, 2009 - 12:29pm PT

Nice, Bill.

In 2004 I checked out the area with Lin Murphy, and we tried the Center Route. Made full use of a cheater sling on the first bolt and aided on a #0 TCU. I went out left and replaced that first bolt. I backed off of the moves above it, too!

We also tried the Dihardral - I couldn't find a 5.10 way to exit left from the first corner; apparently I needed to go a bit higher (after reading the description in the Roper guide).

I've heard the Left Side route is quite stout.

Golden Years looks cool, but too hard for me. Also, Kelly said a key flake broke on the crux traverse, so that little bit doesn't go free anymore.

Peter Haan

Trad climber

San Francisco, CA

Oct 14, 2009 - 12:36pm PT

Good Levy. Very good to see photos from Slab Happy. Nice TR! Here are some notes.

It is true, the rock is absolutely incredible up there and featured to some degree. The view from the Slab Happy area is unique and stupendous.

The Center Route originally was 5.9 A4 by the way.

Note in the last two photos showing Silent Freeway, you can also see the first two pitches of the incredible left side route (now 5.11a, originally aided). I tried to push it free back in 1971. The crux is the ten feet after the chimney egress. The roof above is pretty mindblowing too but not quite as hard as the blank trough out of the chimney.

The route, Golden Years actually has NOT gone free yet, according to one of the first ascensionists Tom Davis. So there is actually an opportunity there to claim the true free ascent of it.

JEleazarian

Trad climber

Fresno CA

Oct 14, 2009 - 12:57pm PT

Great TR for a superb formation and area. I'd done the Center Route in its 5.9, A4 incarnation, several decades ago. The last placement was two rurps back-to-back and upside down. I believe the original Center Route was a bit to the right, and the traverse into the crack lower, than the pictures you show of the free version now.

Hats off for two excellent climbs and an excellent TR.

John

Roger Breedlove

climber

Cleveland Heights, Ohio

Oct 14, 2009 - 12:57pm PT

Nice pictures and report.

Tarbuster

climber

right here, right now

Oct 14, 2009 - 02:11pm PT

The Left Side of Slab Happy is stupendous and burly.

Largo called it a grunt; which it is overall... the final exit from the chimneys, on hands through the bombay section is really cool (clearly visible at the top of those photos).
I found the crux, as shown in current topos, to be the twin cracks leaning left (as Haan describes) shown just above Dan's head in your first photo.

I recall previewing The Center Route on the way down and thought it looked sketchy.
Ditto on the problematic aspects of Diehardral (visually).

The whole formation looks really neato from a distance too.

Peter Haan

Trad climber

San Francisco, CA

Oct 14, 2009 - 02:18pm PT

Basically there are six route at least up there, all perfect rock, interesting rock usually, and no one around whatsoever. I guess most of the climbs are even world-class.

Rhodo-Router

Gym climber

obsessively minitracking all winter at Knob Hill

Oct 14, 2009 - 02:20pm PT

Greg and Joe and I went up there last fall; Joe and I got to watch GB putting on a drill clinic as the daylight waned there at the 1st-pitch anchor that I believe you guys used. The rock in that area is something else.

And if the Dihardral is 5.10, I'm not sure I ever want to know about the Woodward route....12b? You know it's desperate, and you won't be toproping at the crux.

There were some fixed ropes on Golden Years, not sure what that was about but I have heard that a hold broke at the business and it's much harder now-- maybe they were looking for a way around this? Who knows.

rhyang

climber

SJC

Oct 14, 2009 - 03:15pm PT

Beautiful !!

Barcus

Social climber

San Luis Obispo, Ca.

Oct 14, 2009 - 03:19pm PT

And where is "Slab Happy"?
Marcus

Jingy

Social climber

Flatland, Ca

Oct 14, 2009 - 03:26pm PT

Great TR, guys!!!!

Looks like a wild one, for sure!

Barcus Edit: Got the book?

Peter Haan

Trad climber

San Francisco, CA

Oct 14, 2009 - 03:30pm PT

Around the corner to the east of the East Buttress of El Cap and above Shultz's Ridge and Loggerhead Buttress, accessed via the Split Pinnacle canyon.

cragnshag

Social climber

san joser

Oct 14, 2009 - 03:34pm PT

Very nice TR, Bill.

If you plan on getting up there again, let me know and I'll give you a rope to fix... I'll come by soon thereafter and replace what old bolts/ belays I can reach. This area is too nice to let a few rusty time bombs scare everyone away.

Bob

perswig

climber

Oct 14, 2009 - 08:07pm PT

Gnarly knobs and cracks.
Great perspective in those last pics.
Thanks.

Zander

Trad climber

Berkeley

Oct 14, 2009 - 08:54pm PT

It looks great up there!
Zander

Chiloe

Trad climber

Lee, NH

Oct 14, 2009 - 08:55pm PT

That featured granite looks delightful to climb, from my chair. Glad you brought back the pictures.

catfish

Trad climber

los angeles, ca

Oct 14, 2009 - 10:10pm PT

Soooo very nice! I'm so sorry I missed it, but champers isn't climbing 5.10 yet!

Mighty Hiker

Social climber

Vancouver, B.C.

Oct 14, 2009 - 10:15pm PT

Thanks - looks like a nice adventure.

Some new route up there could be called Dihardral With a Vengeance.

pyro

Big Wall climber

Calabasas

Oct 14, 2009 - 10:16pm PT

thanks-levy!

Studly

Trad climber

Oct 14, 2009 - 11:28pm PT

Cool! Got me stoked to climb there.

Darwin

Trad climber

Seattle, WA

Oct 15, 2009 - 12:12am PT

I want to add a little perspective to Peter Hann's comment:
"I tried to push it free back in 1971. The crux is the ten feet after the chimney egress. The roof above is pretty mindblowing too but not quite as hard as the blank trough out of the chimney."

I was belaying Peter and I was in over my head. I don't know if Peter went back again later, but for that attempt I was still doing hip belays. Now, I was a lot shorter (shy of 5'7) and somewhat lighter than Peter, and even as a belayer I was scared. I never went in for practicing catching 150 lb duffel bags getting thrown off overhangs, and I just kept thinking "can I hold him?" and "god, what's going to happen to my delicate waist if I have to catch him". Cut from Levy's photo ,

I was tucked in the back of the lower dark chimney watching Peter as he moved out around the solid block that caps off the chimney, and it looked really really hard. I sometimes imagine that if Peter had a belayer who could conceivably have caught him, he would have finished the lead. Me, I'm just glad I didn't see the upper crux even if Peter says it's easier.

mucci

Trad climber

The pitch of Bagalaar above you

Oct 15, 2009 - 02:29am PT

Way to go Guys!

That stone looks bullet proof!

Way to go obscure.

Mucci

tom Carter

Social climber

May 21, 2011 - 09:09pm PT

Beautiful rock up there.

I remember Vern and George and me up there swapping leads and getting in those bolts. A number of tries per lead too. The whippers required us (both) belayers to run down hill with a bit of a jump off that ledge to take up the slack - kept everyone off the deck. Never went to the top?!! Damn.

nutjob

Gym climber

Berkeley, CA

May 22, 2011 - 10:39pm PT

Nice bump!

And I think the very first picture gives a unique angle and clear view of the raps off of Hawkman's Escape (i.e. the junction between Lower Brother and Middle Brother).

It might also show the top part of Split Pinnacle.

Clint Cummins

Trad climber

SF Bay area, CA

Jul 11, 2012 - 05:43pm PT

Update - the scary old bolts have all been replaced by Roger Brown.
For more details, see my post on Alexey's Left Side trip report:
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=1188773&tn=0#msg1875599

le_bruce

climber

Oakland, CA

Jul 11, 2012 - 06:32pm PT

Never seen better looking stone in all my days in the Valley than this picture:

Damn!

tom Carter

Social climber

Nov 26, 2012 - 01:27am PT

Thanks for the photos and memories!

It was super hot the day the 3 of freed the center rt. I remember all of us making it through sections and then pitching off a number of times.

Vern and I teamed up belaying George with the plan to jump off that ledge if he popped and he did!

Beautiful featured rock, interesting climbing. The rock is superb.

Thanks everyone!

TCarter

martygarrison

Trad climber

Washington DC

Nov 26, 2012 - 10:35am PT

Warbler I was just wondering if anyone ever did the Dihardral anymore. It was on must do list in the 70's as I remember.

bob

climber

Nov 26, 2012 - 10:53am PT

Oooooow that center route! I hopped on that rig last spring on a fairly warm day. The start is hard, but more of a puzzle than really hard.

What seemed really hard to me was that I only brought quick draws along and felt like I could have put a lot of gear in on the way up that face, or enough to make it feel reasonable. My mind is left with a super run route from my experience. Dumb decision on my part to go without the gear.

I WAS VERY HAPPY to clip the anchors. Amazing rock.

Go climb Random Blessings for some less intense adventure on some nice face up that way!

Thanks for posting and bumping!

Bob Jensen

martygarrison

Trad climber

Washington DC

Nov 26, 2012 - 11:59am PT

Yep, Stu Polack and I did it back in the day. We were pretty stealth climbers however, coming up every weekend from Modesto. Not really too much of the Valley scene.