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PellucidWombat
Mountain climber
Berkeley, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jan 30, 2012 - 04:29pm PT
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Saturday I led a thin finger crack at the Camp 4 Wall Area that is on the descent from topping out on routes such as Tweedle Dee, Doggie Diversions, and The Buttocks. It is just below the second downclimb in the descent gulley. The Reid Guide shows it on the topo and lists it just as "5.10a Thin" with no name.
I'm curious if any of the old time climbers know what the crack is called?
Based on the amount of dirt and grass I pulled out of the crack and the amount of lichen & moss on the wall, I doubt it as been climbed in a long time, but if it were cleaned out it would make for a very nice & sustained 50' or so finger crack climb in the 5.10a/b range.
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Elcapinyoazz
Social climber
Joshua Tree
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Jan 30, 2012 - 04:37pm PT
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but if it were cleaned out
Get to it. They don't clean themselves.
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PellucidWombat
Mountain climber
Berkeley, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 30, 2012 - 04:43pm PT
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I cleaned as much as I could on my lead. If I make it back to Camp 4 Wall this weekend I think I might bring a good brush & nut tool and lower down on TR to finish the job. I'd like to play more on it :-)
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Jan 30, 2012 - 07:10pm PT
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you're game planning for offwidth,
don't get distracted by the next game...
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PellucidWombat
Mountain climber
Berkeley, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 30, 2012 - 09:29pm PT
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I was climbing wide all day and my fingers and forearms where the only parts not worked, so this made a nice warmdown. A 5:1 wide:thin pitch ratio isn't too shabby, plus I need more thin climbs than just Doggie Deviations to lure potential partners up there ;-)
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Jan 30, 2012 - 09:39pm PT
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I think it's the second pitch to the hair ball "10d" below, but my memory is super foggy. Crappy anchor too? I was gifted a TR on it about 7 years ago, and as I recall the moss around it made it spooky.
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James
climber
My twin brother's laundry room
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Jan 30, 2012 - 09:41pm PT
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Are you sure you're not talking about Nutcracker? Because that sounds just like Nutcracker...
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PellucidWombat
Mountain climber
Berkeley, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 31, 2012 - 03:02am PT
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Based on how Reid drew the topo, it look like it continues above The Cheek (5.10d R), however the topo doesn't indicate the Cheek continuing higher and in actuality there is about a 30-40' ledge separating the two.
The crack ends long before any anchor. Perhaps 1/3 of the route is continuing up unprotectable 4th class slab into very mossy terrain, either up some blocks to some trees on the right (the descent looked like something I wouldn't do unless the moss were gone) or traversing left about 20' and slightly down on a mossy ramp to an awkward tree and better descent. I think the route's finish and descent would in actuality be much better if the moss were cleared away.
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ß Î Ø T Ç H
Boulder climber
bouldering
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Jan 31, 2012 - 03:13am PT
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Add taking photos to your list of cleaning etc chores for next time.
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Jan 31, 2012 - 11:48am PT
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Yes...that's the name I couldn't think of. I think it's p2 of the Cheek...or so said historians Ben and J who were putting the rope up thar that day. As my memory stirs, I'm thinking we may have ended up on like 1 red alien near the top and a twiggy tree post-moss? Not sure...I just remember being on TR with dual terror of a moss peel out and anchor failure. But sometimes I get worked up about stuff that's actually not that bad.
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PellucidWombat
Mountain climber
Berkeley, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 31, 2012 - 03:54pm PT
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Add taking photos to your list of cleaning etc chores for next time.
I took two photos. They'll be online tonight.
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PellucidWombat
Mountain climber
Berkeley, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 1, 2012 - 02:19am PT
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Here it is.
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ß Î Ø T Ç H
Boulder climber
bouldering
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I see divots, like it's been (pin) pounded upon. Looks fun.
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M. Volland
Trad climber
Grand Canyon
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About eight years ago I ran a mini traxion on Cheek and I remember thinking the same thing you thought about regarding that finger crack. My problem is, Wombat, that its been eight years and I never returned.
At the time, my plan was to fix a line and inspect the face between the end of the crack and the top out. Are there old bolts hidden in the moss? Did it look like it had seen an ascent other than via top-rope? Remember that this crack is right next to the walk off for Tweedle Dee which was put up in 1963. So historically, it has seen a large number of walk byes when the route was en vogue. I realize that pre-inspection itself is viewed as unfashionable, however, hundreds of climbers who are much stronger and more devoted than I have scaled the cliffs of Yosemite for decades before I was even born. So I feel it is owed the the valley itself to make absolutely sure you are not altering an existing route before you start up with a bolt kit expecting to put in an anchor at the top of the crack. If it appears that nobody has established this line in the past then have fun with it. If it can be topped out via the face with natural pro or minimal bolts put in on lead, my thought is that it would be a good addition to a historic cliff.
Please post up your acheivement if you finally go back to seek out answers to your questions about this crack. I am interested to hear about them.
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PellucidWombat
Mountain climber
Berkeley, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 1, 2012 - 03:58pm PT
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I see divots, like it's been (pin) pounded upon. Looks fun.
For the most part, those divots were the only parts of the crack large enough for me to fit in fingers. Jams were mostly up to my first or second knuckle. The rock is solid and takes pro well.
The crack does peter out and you have to do about the same amount of climbing again on easy but unprotectable face/slab climbing. The climbing can be kept more secure by stepping right at some point. I did an awkward traverse down & left to get off, which set up my follower for a big pendulum potential, but this seemed better than the alternatives for getting off with the moss.
There were some trees & blocks higher, but require maybe 4th class scrambling to reach and the approach was much dirtier than I was willing to attempt to downclimb!
As far as I could see, there were no slings higher up, and there were no signs of prior bolting.
I think if I go back I'll clean the approach from ground up and see if a decent anchor could be made/was made in the trees for belaying & rapping. Although the easy slab climbing at the end is enough of a letdown that the route would be better with anchor bolts at a nice stance just after the crack ends - unless locals would have a problem with that?
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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unless locals would have a problem with that?
ST locals?
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PellucidWombat
Mountain climber
Berkeley, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 1, 2012 - 04:13pm PT
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I'm thinking more of the resident bolt choppers or old-time & active Valley climbers. No need to step on too many toes, or put up bolts that will be chopped. In those cases I might as well make a good sling anchor at the trees with a rap ring and let the route be a little less obvious & nice.
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Bump for locals/choppers opinions.
IMO it is quite hilarious one needs to worry about adding bolt anchor to the top of a dirty crack no one ever climbs (most likely it is not climbed because there is no good anchor above). With an anchor and cleaning seems like a good quality crack climb. But without a convenient anchor seems like too much trouble just to do a short but decent crack...
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Doing a well-advertised big scrub and retrobolting a convenience TR anchor on top of a short, established crack route with a walk off that could still be done with the moss in situ seems like courting more trouble than is justified by a tiny climb that's unlikely to draw many suitors even with a new anchor.
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Elcapinyoazz
Social climber
Joshua Tree
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Two stoppers and a booty leaver biner cost you less than bolts+hangers, goes in in seconds, and doesn't equate to retrobolting. Just a thought.
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