Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
ablegabel
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
|
|
|
Aug 21, 2016 - 07:21pm PT
|
Bad Climber,
the start of the first pitch on Trad Dad is the only run-out that I remember. The crux is about 50' up. there is a piece here and there down low, then a small bush that you tie off, then you head up to a short 5.9 section. This is twenty feet above the bush. You get pro for the crux kind after your half committed to the move. Walter led it and he's pretty solid. I am pretty sure you can get some small stuff in before the crux like small nuts or RP's and Black or Blue Aliens. There are some small hidden seams around the corner, right before you have to commit. He didn't bother with pro and just fired it. The rest of the route is quite good and pro's well.
The climbing is fun and well featured up there. Have fun and report back if you do it. Federal Holiday is to the left, and a good route that pro's well if Trad Dad isn't to your liking.
 Eric Gabel
|
|
Bruce Morris
Trad climber
Belmont, California
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 22, 2016 - 12:03pm PT
|
Thanks for posting the shots from (and back toward) the farthest east of the Ellery Ridges. I have added them to my entry on Mountain Project for the Far East Ellery Ridge. Three more, including the "Back Bone" Arete, to go!
Time moves like a glacier while you're amassing all the details for a guide. When you're actually at work on the manuscript, time moves like a sloth.
Just think how long the Tioga Cliff, the Inspiron Wall and the Tioga Road Cliff, plus the bouldering along the Poole Power Plant Road are going to take. And of course then there's the index and TOC.
Oh boy! We're just starting to have fun now.
|
|
Bruce Morris
Trad climber
Belmont, California
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 22, 2016 - 01:03pm PT
|
New route done by "The Alpine" near Mt. Dana on the East side of one of the Ellery Ridges. Photo credit "The Alpine"
Yes, Eric, people have been looking at that cliff to the n. of Third Pillar for ages. Think there's another 5.6 route on it (although people may be confusing it with your Far East Ellery Ridge route).
Just clearing out the historical cobwebs around Ellery Bowl is quite a chore.
|
|
Bruce Morris
Trad climber
Belmont, California
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 23, 2016 - 12:09am PT
|
Here's a telephoto I snapped of the East Ridge of The Sphinx formation:
You can really see the high angle of the south face and the "Great Googley Boogley" (III 5.10).
|
|
ablegabel
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
|
|
|
Aug 23, 2016 - 01:06pm PT
|
The Great Googley Boogley is indeed steep up there, but it is predominately hand jams and big holds, so not that bad.
Your photo shows the East Ridge from the saddle, which is easily accessed from the backside. But just for clarity, the whole East Ridge can be done from the unofficial campground at the Warren Curve, and is good but a bit loose in spots. Still only 5.7 though.
Here's the link to the route on the East Face of East Ellery Ridge done by "The Alpine"
http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/1228924/Possible-New-Route-on-Dana-Plateau
I understand how long guide book projects take Bruce, but you probably should just bite the bullet and do that whole side of the pass, since nobody else is going too. It would be a worthy project that would be appreciated by many. Recruit a couple of young guys to climb some of the routes, do a little of the leg work for you, and snap some pictures. It's a good excuse to hang out in the meadows anyways. As long as you stick to the overlay method only, it should keep things manageable. I can draw in some belays and grades on my overlays at some point, if it helps you.
Besides, it could always be worse, you could be trying to do the Yosemite Valley Guide Book...
Eric Gabel
|
|
Bruce Morris
Trad climber
Belmont, California
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 23, 2016 - 03:24pm PT
|
So Alpine's route is in fact "Peewee's Next Adventure"? Seems I recall the Bircheff brothers doing something up there pre-1975. Seems like a lot of people have done routes on that block north of Third Pillar that have faded into obscurity.
Think I have a pretty good overview of what needs to be documented in Lee Vining Canyon now. It's just so time consuming. My last trip up there lasted 5 days and 6 nights and all I got were 3 acceptable pics of your Ellery Ridges. Have you seen all the individual route photos of the climbs out that Mining Road that I posted on Mountain Project. Last summer I trudged all over the hillside with my D90. Had to really simplify the final output too.
Luckily I had all that stuff out the Ellery Dam Mining Roads on file since 1993. Even have topos.
Yeah, then there's the Big Ditch guidebook! That's like the 8th labor of Hercules . . .
Thanks for the added info on the East Ridge of The Sphinx. That will change my description of that route on Mountain Project. Hopefully clarify the approach a bit.
|
|
ablegabel
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
|
|
|
Aug 23, 2016 - 04:27pm PT
|
This is from the High Sierra Guide - Peaks, Passes and Trails. By R.J. Secor.
It has "The One That Got Away" 5.10c A2 and "Lenticular Limbo" 5.10c(which also has a drawn topo in one of the Tuolumne Guides). It also mentions the 5.7 route at the bottom that you were referring to as 5.6. I'm sure it's the same route. The 5.7 is also mentioned in Roper's High Sierra Guide.
Eric Gabel
|
|
Bruce Morris
Trad climber
Belmont, California
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 24, 2016 - 12:40pm PT
|
Sounds like "The One That Got Away" (5.10c A2) is on the blank wall immediately right of The Third Pillar of Dana and crosses "Lenticular Limbo" (5.10c) somewhere at mid-point. Of course, there's "Minotaur" (5.8) on the Dog's Head formation on the west edge of Glacier Canyon too (think Reid & Falk renamed that route to honor the late Ranger Ferdinand up at the TM Entrance Station).
Sure that Bircheff 5.7 in Secor is the same as the one I'm calling a 5.6. So there must be at least two routes (probably more) on that formation to the north of the Third Pillar? The Bircheff 5.7 and Alpine's route, "Peewee's Next Adventure". Seems to be references to a couple more routes on the same formation too: 2 by Kurt Stolzenberg and 2 more by Jim and Bill Lundeen. One of the Lundeen brothers' routes seems to be "Peewee's Next Adventure" and is rated 5.10a.
You have to wonder with that obvious right facing dihedral how many of them share pitches or are actually the same route done by different parties at different times?
Quite a bit of route ambiguity to unsnarl up there on that obvious buttress that everyone must of have looked at who's ever done the Third Pillar! Think David Lunn and I did Third Pillar back in September 1975 with a rope, hexes and stoppers. Remember using Bircheff's pencil-drawn topo which indicated the "5.6" route to the north rated 5.7 by Secor.
You're right, I had better sell my house and move to the Meadows next summer to sort all this out before dementia takes its inevitable toll on the gray matter! Still can remember that Lunn and I hiked up to the descent for the Third Pill in 45 minutes. Couldn't even imagine our time when I hiked up there last September to take pics as I do each September. Retrieved a Nikon 18-200 super-zoom that I'd left the year before on a high ridge and it still worked perfectly. Not my brain though.
Here's Alpine's description of his route:
"Approach: down the 3rd pillar descent then a bit lower then across talus. Scramble up about 50 feet to a stance in a stembox below a 3 foot chockstone roof.
Pitch 1 goes over the chockstone roof and then 3rd class to the base of a wall with a fingers and hands splitter just right of a prominent right facing corner. 5.9ish
Pitches 2 and 3 can be done as 1 megaclassic pitch to a ridge. 5.9ish
Pitch 4 ride the awesome golden ridge to a ledge at a tree. 5.6ish
Pitch 5 is really just a belay move right across the top of a gully to another tree and ledge.
Pitch 6 step right off the belay to some butt cracks up these to a bush then face climb left to a belay on a small butress. 5.10ish
Pitch 7 up the corner to a small stance on the left. 5.9ish
Pitch 8 this is what you came for. Step right to more buttcracks, through a short stembox then up splitters to the top. 5.10+ish
Ride the ridge towards the 3rd pillar until it eventually joins into the 3rd pillars descent about halfway up."
Gee whiz, wouldn't be amazing to have an accurate topo showing all the routes on that little formation? Easier said than done.
|
|
ablegabel
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
|
|
|
Aug 24, 2016 - 04:23pm PT
|
Bruce,
I don't know about selling your house, but it sure is a good excuse to hang out in a beautiful place, and I think the Guide Book is a worthy cause.
The best way to sort out the information up there is to start fishing. Cast a line and see what fish rise? Or to be clearer, start sending out emails and make phone calls to anybody who was active out there. One lead will lead to another, and eventually to a description, overlay or topo.
It's the climbing community and everybody knows someone who knows something or can get a hold of somebody who remembers some detail.
To start with, email "The Alpine". He still posts here and his profile says he posted just last week. If he doesn't respond(sometimes friend requests don't go through on Supertopo) just respond to the last page he posted to and see if he'll draw up a topo. Anyways, just a suggestion...
I usually get 10 to 30 topos a month doing just that for my book project. It does help to be relentless though.
Eric Gabel
|
|
Bruce Morris
Trad climber
Belmont, California
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 25, 2016 - 12:42am PT
|
That whole Third Pillar area is obviously very much in need of an accurate and complete set of topos. If any thing, it'll disperse the hordes. Wonder if there's anything been done to the left of the Third Pillar?
|
|
Bruce Morris
Trad climber
Belmont, California
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 25, 2016 - 12:33pm PT
|
Pajamarama 5.10a/b must join the regular 3rd Pillar route for its upper pitches?
See where someone does wonder about possible routes to the right of the 3rd Pillar too. Mist & Fog. That whole bowl is so immense there just have to be more lines, done and undone up there.
|
|
Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
|
|
|
Aug 25, 2016 - 12:55pm PT
|
Yes, I think that Pajamarama joins the right variations of the regular route.
I've heard that guides have a rap route left of the regular route on Third Pillar. Not sure if there are climbs on that side.
|
|
Bruce Morris
Trad climber
Belmont, California
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 25, 2016 - 01:13pm PT
|
Clint, thinks that when David Lunn and I did the 3rd Pillar in September 1975 we did a variation to the left of the last pitch that was 5.10 solid or thereabout. Seems like there was another line that could have been taken up to our variation finish.
Never know till you actually put boots on the ground around the corner to the left. Bet Peter Croft knows what's over there!
|
|
Bruce Morris
Trad climber
Belmont, California
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 25, 2016 - 01:47pm PT
|
Look about right, EG? Don't know about that final twist of the vertebrae up at the end:
Lonni Kauk walking the 'back bone' on his solo ascent:
Back Bone, 2 words or 1?
|
|
ablegabel
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
|
|
|
Aug 25, 2016 - 03:09pm PT
|
Nope, wrong arete. Ed and I did go up that buttress on the right edge (not the left edge where you have it drawn). Then straight up at the end, not dog legging left like you have it. The Backbone is way over to the left, but your photo doesn't show it well. Take a look again at the first photo that I posted with the ink pen overlay (post 44 I think).
Eric Gabel
|
|
ablegabel
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
|
|
|
Aug 25, 2016 - 03:21pm PT
|
The picture of Lonnie is cool. That's the Backbone feature the route is named after. At the end of the ridge , where the sun spot is in the photo, there is a big block. That's where the 5.7 is, you lie back up the side of it, the rest of the route is 5.6 or easier.
I think Backbone is one word? Now that you mention it.
Eric Gabel
|
|
Stewart Johnson
Mountain climber
lake forest
|
|
|
Aug 25, 2016 - 09:31pm PT
|
Climbed the powerhouse couloir a few years back
More snowed up than the pic.
Done a lot of great climbing there in
Lee Vining Canyon !
Winter is better...
|
|
Bruce Morris
Trad climber
Belmont, California
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 26, 2016 - 12:44am PT
|
So the Powerhouse Couloir is in the long gully to the left of the Backbone Arete? Is it in any guidebook or is it only known to Lee Vining Canyon regulars? Mixed ice and rock I'd say.
|
|
Bruce Morris
Trad climber
Belmont, California
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 26, 2016 - 01:01am PT
|
So is this topo of the Backbone Arete more correct, Eric:
The line is obvious in Lonnie's pic, but at a distance there's a lot of rock on that headwall.
|
|
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!