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Tripod? Swellguy? Halfwit? Smegma?
Trad climber
Wanker Stately Mansion, Placerville
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Topic Author's Original Post - Sep 23, 2012 - 11:26am PT
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early on the second traverse pitch of East Wall, one can look up and see a series of big flakes heading up and a little right for 100+ feet. Is this a route? Horn Blower, Flying Circus and Pigs on the Wing don't seem to fit these features? where do the upper pitches of these routes go?
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Tripod? Swellguy? Halfwit? Smegma?
Trad climber
Wanker Stately Mansion, Placerville
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 23, 2012 - 12:31pm PT
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Pigs heads up the Large R facing corner that is immed above E Wall 1st pitch and then pulls out as that corner continues arcing off right?
Ham Sandwich looks like it's a bit further Left along the traverse and in the larger R facing blocky corners sytem that also diagonals up and right
Maybe Horn Blower? or what about Flying Circus? It might be that the series of flakes cuts across more than one route and ties into Pigs?
detailed photos of the East wall would help....
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Salamanizer
Trad climber
The land of Fruits & Nuts!
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Sep 23, 2012 - 12:34pm PT
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Ham Sandwich runs smack into that short little OW with a pin in the center of the traverse of East Wall and goes strait up from there at like 5.5ish. It's bolts are missing which I've found. Havnen't replaced them yet, not sure if I will. Looks like a route better served by fading away.
Horn Blower climbs that horrible bushy crack to the face where East Wall comes around the corner and starts the traverse pitch. HB's second pitch follows that alluring short low angle hand/fist splitter everyone climbs for a bit on the East Wall traverse, then continues up trending right just a bit following a series of flakes and crusty dikes. You'll run smack into the "Horn" on Horn Blower. A very obvious horn shaped horn jetting out above a small bulge, it's rather unique. Anyway, climb past the horn and belay in a shallow corner with bomber gear. I think it takes something like .5"-1". Next pitch is a short low angle walk off.
Pigs on the Wing takes the left facing corner system directly above the first pitch ledge of East Wall. Climb the short corner to a good ledge just below a scooping slab. Climb the slab trending right to the edge of the abyss. Now eak around the corner looking for a good piece of psychological pro. Fiddle with said psycho pro (my #1 peanut may still be there. Belayer didn't want to lean around the corner to clean it:/ ) and make a one move wonder to good holds. Run it out a bit to good gear and a small roof, then follow weird flaring flakes up a series of corners to much easier ground. The first, second and last pitch are pretty benign. Third pitch has one hard move where you'll surely die then manageable runnouts on easy ground.
The corner systems you refer to I'd think are surely Horn Blower, or some near by variation there of.
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Salamanizer
Trad climber
The land of Fruits & Nuts!
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Sep 23, 2012 - 12:44pm PT
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The last pitch is more or less the same. You could wander around pretty much anywhere up there.
Heres a quick sketch of about where the routes go.
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Tripod? Swellguy? Halfwit? Smegma?
Trad climber
Wanker Stately Mansion, Placerville
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 23, 2012 - 04:32pm PT
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Thanks Chad. Very helpful. BTW did you mean to say Right facing corner above E Wall for Pigs? You said Left?
the photo is in flat lighting which is a bit hard to see. It's interesting; I think some of the routes in that area go fairly straight while the natural features arc up and across to the right. Consequently the obvious way to follow the natural features can cross routes. For example the best way to do Fireworks is to follow the natural R facing corner above East wall until the roof is easily breached which I think combines part of Pigs and part of Fireworks.
The flakes I was looking at looks like Horn Blower and then crosses Pigs and keeps working up and right and probably runs into Fireworks. I think it is sometimes more enjoyable to simply follow the most aesthetic line regardless of the route it crosses or joins. I shall head up there and see where I end up
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rick sumner
Trad climber
reno, nevada/ wasilla alaska
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Sep 23, 2012 - 09:13pm PT
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Sal, there is at least 3 or 4 moves palming the corner for rounded liebacks and scumming with the feet before your onto easier ground above the death zone on pigs. The origonal knifeblade i put in embedded no more than an eighth inch was tied off for physchological support only. I remember the upper part of the pitch having good liebacking in the 5.8 range a small roof then finishing with a short section of unprotected 5.9 friction. Between the lines is another good obscure route in that area. There's also the deviate if anyone can figure out its true course.Aiden the second pitch of Pigs does go above east wall first belay, awkward 5.9 but reasonable pro.Oh yeah, Rednecks is another obscure quality route on east wall. It takes the tiny corners to the left of Haystack 2nd pitch and finishes underclinging left towards East Corner, lots of good tips liebacks and face.
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Norwegian
Trad climber
Placerville, California
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Sep 23, 2012 - 10:35pm PT
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rick
i was just yesterday eyeing your
rednecks pitch with high ambitions.
from the ledge i didn't see any decent
gear in the first 60'.
all of those corners close to nothing,
no fixed pins, shitty nuts maybe
so i wussed out.
i come back and rap in and maybe
scrub some of the moss outta the crack
to see if any gear options open up.
nice looking route though.
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Norwegian
Trad climber
Placerville, California
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Sep 23, 2012 - 10:36pm PT
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hey chad tell us
about your ground-up
new route over
by april fools..
that's obscure,
but it sounds like it could become
a destination route.
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rick sumner
Trad climber
reno, nevada/ wasilla alaska
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Sep 23, 2012 - 10:47pm PT
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norwegian, yes it felt rather sketchy with the thin wires of the time, i believe the hardest section was the top of the sketchy section moving right (if i remember correctly) from one corner into another. Was always a bit licheny.Expect the climbing to be a little undergraded compared to the modern scale.You might want to bring a knifeblade and hammer.
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Salamanizer
Trad climber
The land of Fruits & Nuts!
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Aidan, yes a right facing corner, sorry. I do that more often than I'd like to admit.
Climbing Fireworks like you describe actually combines Pigs on the Wing, Flying Circus and Fireworks but skips out on the majority of Fireworks itself. If you don't go out there and clip that old manky bolt, you didn't climb Fireworks ;) Acutally IMO, Fireworks is really kind of a so so squeeze job that would probably not last a week these days. It's just a variation to the otherwise stellar cross thatchwork of routes that meander all over East Wall. Just something to do on a sunny day, not ground breaking, not terribly runnout or visionary but fun to visit at least once.
Rick, yep!!! That's about perfectly described as I remember Piggies too. That route was always like the "test piece" for me and I almost idolised it for a long time. I was actually so intimidated by it that I put off even attempting it for years until when I finally tried it, I blew up the thing without a hitch. Actually, I did stop for a bit at the crux to fiddle with pro and contemplate the moves and the consequences should you blow it. If you blow those few moves, you will fly over a roof, bounce down about 60 to 80ft and factor two onto your belayer. You have to be 100%. A fine route indeed built to test ones confidence in the finer points of climbing.
The Deviate is a lost route. I've been in contact several times with Higgins over the route and am left with more questions than answers. Higgins believes that the route A Few Dollars More is the original Deviate route. Having climbed both routes (Deviate & A FDM) I have found too many discrepancies in the descriptions given by Higgins to confirm this to be true. One of the major factors is that A FDM is graded as 5.9 or maybe 5.10 but in fact is solid 5.10+. Not out of the question. Anyone having climbed 5.9+ put up in the 60's knows that can mean anything up to about 5.11ish. Given the gear options at the time however(1969) A FDM would have been 5.10+ X. Still, not out of the question reguarding Higgins, but questionable. On the other hand, I've climbed the Deviate to the Psychedelic tree ledge (not as described in the book) and found the upper pitches to be even worse. There were 60 to 80ft runnouts on gigantic expanding flakes I would never dare placing gear behind, no options for pitons or nuts any sane person would take and a 5.10+ mantle followed by 5.10 dirty friction over a 40ft runnout to the ledge. Not cool, not worth doing and no way he was stupid enough to keep going up that way.
That's in tie with the other scariest route I've done at the leap which is the "rumored" Ed Drummond direct finish to A Few Dollars More. That was a stellar route though quite puckering to say the least. 5.11 mantle protected by a LA pin hand placed in a mud seam to some crispy climbing in a quite runnout 5.11 corner. Pull the roof (easy) to a ledge about 30ft above pro. Meander around and exit to the right pulling a hard 5.11 unprotected mantle to the top. 5.11 X for sure. Either way, the few bolts that were placed on A FDM on the supposed second accent would bring this classic route down to a severe R rating which would put in in reach of those with more sense than I.
Rednecks has some pretty shitty pro. About 25ft up you get some bomber stuff, but you don't want to skidd before that.
Here's some pics of the upper pitch of Deviate and A Few Dollars More as discribed in the Falcon Guide.
Weege, the new route I did is just left of April Fools and follows a thin natural seam to the ledge. I put it up ground up placing the single bolt at the crux with a hand drill on a good stance. Take a hefty selection of RP's and a single rack to about 1". Start just below April Fools second (splitter) pitch and instead work you way left up a steepening ramp to the corner. Follow the corner through low to mid 5.10 climbing to the bolt. Just past the bolt is the crux (well protected 5.10d/.11a) then the climbing gets progressively easier with easier to place and bigger pro as you move up. You reach a good stance then continue strait up to a steep (well protected) overhanging undercling and some big moves to the top anchors. This is a completely independent route from April Fools and The Last Laugh and shares nothing with either. Have at it.
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dave goodwin
climber
carson city, nv
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Sal-
What is the "usual" first pitch of April Fool's? It is not obvious how to get to the "splitter" second pitch. We went up a faint seam, traversed left below a bulge, then up to a flake system in a bowl then up a short steep crack to the belay.
It was good, but I was wondereing if there is another variation around the buttres to the right of where we climbed.
Would like to check out your route, and just want to get my bearings straight on the first pitch!
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Salamanizer
Trad climber
The land of Fruits & Nuts!
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April Fools has several approach pitches. The left is my favorite, the center is the origional I believe and the right is a less dignified (belly crawl) approach.
My new route (The Jester) is shown in pink just left of April Fools.
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dave goodwin
climber
carson city, nv
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thanks Sal for the info and the new route!
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Salamanizer
Trad climber
The land of Fruits & Nuts!
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End of the Line is an awesome route. A little tricky footwork and gear at the beginning but supprised more people don't get on it. Easier said than Done is another one thats good quality and never sees traffic. It looks like certain death, but really isn't half as bad as it looks. Way better than that dike hike Labor of Love that seems so popular.
Showtime on the other hand...
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caughtinside
Social climber
Oakland, CA
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People like routes with lots of bolts. I've never done Labor because I never have two ropes at the East Wall.
I wandered up and right from the top of the second pitch of East Wall several years ago to jump a 8 climber line on bushy ledge. Cruised up through those right facing overlaps at the top until I could step up and over. Felt about 5.5 with gear everywhere. I remember thinking after looking at the guidebook it was the third pitch of Hornblower.
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Friedo
Trad climber
South Lake Tahoe
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Hey Salamanizer, I've only done the second pitch of April Fools and it's awesome (Traversed into to it from Anesthesia). How is the first pitche(s)? And more importantly, how is the last pitch? I've heard it's runout, but nothing too gnarly. Any beta?
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Salamanizer
Trad climber
The land of Fruits & Nuts!
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On my topo there are three alternative starts that are typically used to approach the splitter on April Fools. The left climbs a shallow corner and runs it up pretty high before the first bit of pro as you have to make some 5.7 friction moves into the obvious corner. From there it's pretty easy and steep following the corner and steep section you would have climbed through when traversing in from Anesthisa.
The middle option is funky mostly easy face climbing with thin and somewhat fiddly pro. It has a few 5.8 sections where you'll want to climb gingerly but nothing too out there. It seems to be the most popular option dispite carrying its mild R rating.
The Right option climbs easy dikes and cracks (5.6) to the far right of the big April Fools ledge where you have to make a hand traverse until you can crawl onto the ledge or belly flop and crawl along the ledge until you can stand up. Did it once and that was enough. Kind of a PITA.
The third pitch goes up and slightly (very slightly) left up a dike filled friction slab kinda thing to a low angle broken area. From there it's a pitch or two up any number of ways to the top. None are much of a bargin over the others.
Ron, I'd imagine Craven Image has hardly ever been repeated the same way twice, never really veering too far one way or the other. I've been all over that face up there several dozen times and have found the best climbing to be following up the left side of the scoop in the corner and finishing the route on what is called Easier than it Looks in the Falcon guide. That puts it in at around 4 pitches to the top.
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rick sumner
Trad climber
reno, nevada/ wasilla alaska
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Sal, you seem to have very intimate knowledge of all climbing areas and routes in the hwy. 50 corridor. I mean, your spot on with your descriptions. Have you considered putting together a guidebook to the corridor? There are a few out there but with a lot of inaccuracies, ommisions and downright misleading information.I believe an easy to use and understand guide with highly accurate information could sell well.
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RattyJ
Trad climber
Pine Grove
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I've been trying to get him to publish some sort of guide for the 50 corridor and Hwy 88 areas for years. His routes are definately some of the wildest most visionary and ballsy routes to go up around tahoe in the last 30 years, and all of them done in a pure ground up old school style.
I'd just like him to post info about eagle rock and give up some of his topos. Those routes are gnarly and I never know if I'm off route or there just isn't any protection as far as I can see. Definately this generations Jay Smith.
Come on chad, write that topo........please!!!!
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