Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
| Messages 1 - 9 of total 9 in this topic |
Josh Beddingfield
Mountain climber
Big Sur, Ca
|
|
|
Topic Author's Original Post - Jul 13, 2012 - 06:53pm PT
|
After umpteen recon trips, I have decided to give the Mono Divide Traverse, circling Rock Creek drainage, a go. Talked to a fair number of knowledgable climbers about it, but beta ranges from "Yeah, it goes except for that one big slab somewhere." to "You're gonna die." Fiddler and Moynier mention the likes of Clevenger and Croft improving upon Wheeler's original route to keep it on the crest but warn of unspecified hairy 5.9 down climbing, probably in the vicinity of le petit grifon. Just curious if anyone out there has some actual experience with the crux sections? Thanks.
|
|
Adamame
climber
Santa Cruz
|
|
|
Jul 13, 2012 - 07:43pm PT
|
I would inquire with marty(r) who posts on this forum. I seem to remember him saying that it was ridiculously loose somewhere between Mills and Abbott. He had some YGD! moments
edit: I do recall marty saying there was some bad downclimbing.
|
|
Josh Beddingfield
Mountain climber
Big Sur, Ca
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jul 13, 2012 - 08:42pm PT
|
Hey Adam. Is that Marty Hornick? I didn't remember if he had done it, but it seems like he would have.
|
|
marty(r)
climber
beneath the valley of ultravegans
|
|
|
Jul 13, 2012 - 10:01pm PT
|
Neither Hornick nor Lewis, I'm the unsung Marty. Those other guys are way rad.
About ten years ago I traversed Mills-Abbot-Dade and stayed as close to the ridge as I could. If you start all the way at Mono Pass, the going is REALLY loose getting over Ruby Ridge (above and behind the Ruby Wall). Think dessicated kitty litter, blind corners leading to tearaway slabs of dirt, and pliable longboards of granite.
I'm pretty sure Vern down-climbed the steep part where Mills drops into a notch before Abbot, right around the Petit Grepon (sp?) I lacked the will and skill to do that so I rapped. Abbot is fun and solid, and Dade has some really strange rock. Wish I'd have continued on to BCS, but a wedge of pie and a king sized Coke were waiting for me. It was a heat of the night type thing.
Anyhow, get after it and let us know how it goes!
|
|
nutjob
Gym climber
Berkeley, CA
|
|
|
Jul 14, 2012 - 12:03am PT
|
And bring a camera!
|
|
Josh Beddingfield
Mountain climber
Big Sur, Ca
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jul 14, 2012 - 01:07am PT
|
Aha! Thanks for the reply marty(r). Indeed the eastside is brimming with quality Martys.
So lessee, you rapped down into the notch past Mills which is what I have been expecting to do. Do you remember anything about climbing up out of there toward Abbot? Any difficulties getting around the grifon? Also, Fiddler and Moynier mention the section between Abbot and Dade being another "crux" but I have looked at that section from Dade and must be missing something...doesn't look as formidable as the more northerly sections.....
|
|
marty(r)
climber
beneath the valley of ultravegans
|
|
|
Jul 14, 2012 - 03:51pm PT
|
Josh,
I don't remember anything that hard from the Mills-Abbot notch onward. Tying in the Grefon would be cool, but probably slow. Around the Hourglass feature (southish end of Dade) the rock gets scaly and kind of sandy. If I were to do any of those kinds of traverses again I'd do them South to North to keep the sun at my back, but I'm light and get zonked easily. Have at it and let us know how it goes.
Marty
|
|
Josh Beddingfield
Mountain climber
Big Sur, Ca
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jul 14, 2012 - 04:21pm PT
|
Thanks Marty. I am leaning south to north so I can get an early/middle of night start on the familiar ground out of Morgan Pass and have the option of bailing out of the sketchiness around Ruby Peak. Only thing is that puts me climbing up the notch toward Mills instead of having the option of rapping down it. Griffon would be cool but as a solo probably out of my league though if I have to bring a rope solo rig anyway to get up Mills I might just try it.
Should happen around full moon in late August or early September. WIll post an update at that point. Thanks for the input; just to get full-quality double Marty beta I'll try and run it past Hornick as well.....
|
|
ruppell
climber
|
|
|
Jul 14, 2012 - 04:54pm PT
|
Do it from Morgan to Mono. Mono is the higher of the two passes and in my mind traverses should start at the low point and continue to the higher. Has the added benefit of letting you climb up the 5.9 crux as opposed to rapping or down-climbing it.
|
|
| Messages 1 - 9 of total 9 in this topic |
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!