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scuffy b
climber
just below the San Andreas
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Has anyone here repeated TM's Jewel?
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72hw
Trad climber
Pasadena, CA
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As a relatively new climber, I have just begun to discover the wonders of the Idyllwild area, but already it has become a part of my being and I simply cannot wait to get back up there this season.
On my list of hits for this summer are Whodunit, Open Book, El Camino Real and Traitor Horn. All look like awesome routes!
Here are a few pics, nothing spectacular like the ones posted earlier, but fun none the less...
My boss David leading up the first pitch of Fingertrip.
Me casting off onto P3 of the same.
David and Victor chillaxing on Lunch Ledge, watching an unknown soloist cruise the upper pitches above. This was Victors second time climbing, first multi pitch and first real climb. He is now hooked and is as anxious to get back to Idyllwild as I am!
Me clowning around atop the exit slab.
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klk
Trad climber
cali
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Great pix of Fingertrip. And for the whining or semi-whining I've done in this thread about folks not climbing the testpieces at Tahquitz and Suicide, when I think about what I'd like to do if I get back for a trip, I'm always thinking about running a ton of mileage on easy classics.
The last time I was there, in 2001, it was an easy solo loop: Up North Rib, down the gully, up White Maiden's, down Friction, up Fingertip and back over the top and down North Rib.
I don't know anywhere else I can do that sort of quick easy high-granite fix w/o epic approaches or fighting the gumby clusters on Tenaya Buttress or Cathedral.
If I were a local again, doubtless I'd start wanting to get more ambitious.
But I have a sneaking suspicion that each gym in SoCal must harbor at least a few young talented groms who'd actually really love to have one of the old guys drag them up some of the harder classics to help them get started. If having some continuity matters a lot, those of you still in residence should consider just picking out a few new gen types to mentor.
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72hw
Trad climber
Pasadena, CA
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But I have a sneaking suspicion that each gym in SoCal must harbor at least a few young talented groms who'd actually really love to have one of the old guys drag them up some of the harder classics to help them get started. If having some continuity matters a lot, those of you still in residence should consider just picking out a few new gen types to mentor.
I totally agree - though I am not an old timer, I do spend a lot of time in the gym (I happen to work right across the street from one) and have taken more than a few gym rats out for their first real rock experiences. Right now I am helping a very strong and talented boulderer with his interest in placing gear on crack climbs and he is no doubt gonna be a fantastic ropegun once the process is done... Hooray for me!!
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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klk,
I totally agree. The place is just so much fun that I used to drive up there just to solo Fingertrip Traverse, etc. Lots of mileage, lots of quality granite, lots of fun.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
Monrovia, CA
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dee ee
Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
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These have appeared previously on the Taco but.......I need to do some more scanning.
Clark Jacobs on the Pirate, mid 70's.
Rubideaux Jim Wilson on Valhalla P.1, 1975. We may have still been in high school.
Ricky and Tobin during the FFA of Green Arch, sorry about the blurriness.
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dee ee
Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
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Ricky on some splitter up there. Waaaaay before friends were invented.
DE on Suicide S. Face. Waaay before it was freed.
DE and Jim Angione on Ski Tracks, high school years. Well, all these shots are from the high school years.
Gordo, what is that arete up thread with Tucker ?
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Todd Gordon
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
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Dee ee.....it's over at Owl Rock, across from the N. Face of Tahquitz up on the hillside.....we did 3 routes on it.....one 5.10+ and two 5.10 - routes.....they were cool.....Troll and Beebop Frankie Lee routes.....
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Rudder
Trad climber
Santa Rosa, CA
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Todd Gordon wrote: ""Whoever says there is not much unclimbed rock in Idyllwild, is mistaken;...there are hundreds of new lines to be climbed....sure, Bob Gaines has snagged most of the unclimbed rock left on the established rock on Tahquitz and Suicide....but go to 1 hour rock, beyond the N. Face of Tahquitz, or South of the South face of Tahquitz....or up on the high ridges N. of San Jacinto, or hell...all over the place;...there is rock up the butt all over the mountains...""
To wit; what are these guys? (pics taken from the Palm Springs tram area a couple weeks back):
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72hw
Trad climber
Pasadena, CA
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Nice pics from the tram, indeed when I go up to boulder I am struck by the tons of quality looking rock disappearing beneath the car as we ride up the wires.
I always wonder if access might be an issue, it being so close to the tram pathway. Any thoughts on that?
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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Your first pic is Kaufman crag. It is south of the tram up at the top?
The south face, away from the tram is nice. I did a great route with Guy keesee there I called “It’s Always Something” ( my heroine Gilda Radner had just died) in about 1991. Descend the gully to where the face turns and really faces south. Begin at a bouldery overhang to a little ledge, go up right on a weird dicey ramp past a bolt and then climb up left over a bulging nose onto a thin face with a couple bolts. 1 pitch, 11c. Bridwell did another route sharing the start and going up left on a thin face with a couple of bolts at about the same grade. There is another one uphill a bit I did with Brent Ingram (in Desperate Hot Springs back then) we called Corners Report – the obvious clean corner – 10d. Take a few ball nuts, there is one perfect ball nut placement, a dream placement for that piece.
Another Palm Springs local, Steve Simpson, and I mentioned Bridwell, were up there then too. Guy Keesee did the Radner thing with me. Brent and I had seasons passes to the tram for two summers and did a few other things up there too.
The State Park rangers got word we were putting in bolts and turned us back as we got off the tram with our huge climbing packs. It was stupid, we were climbing in a very traditional style and only put in a few bolts. I heard later from Steve that they had removed bolts up there, but I cannot imagine how they could get to the ones on my “It’s Always Something,” which is one of the best new routes I have done. Seeing your picture has motivated me to go back up there and see if it is still in place. As I recall there is not one easy move on the entire pitch, and you need to be good at everything but wide to do it.
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mazamarick
Trad climber
WA
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What was supposed to be my 1st trip to YV for spring break-1974 ended up at Idyllwild. I never regretted it. Two more trips in the late 70's and one more trip a few years back made me appreciate how good climbing is there. Everything I've ever done at either Suicide or Tahquitz seems to be a classic!
During my last visit, a comment was made on how few cars there were in Humber Park, and a local remarked that "everyone goes to JT where the sport climbs are, no one's doing trad anymore." So is this still the case or is Idyllwild making a comeback?
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rmuir
Social climber
the Time Before the Rocks Cooled.
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Damn. What a great thread this has become! Great photos, all.
Somewhere way up-thread, Bart said, "I would also like to request that someone compliment Henny again so I can post-up the Super Chicken cartoon intro to slag him a bit."
Darrell deserves every compliment, and then some. Kevin's post really says a lot, and I know that it's heartfelt. Over the years, I've been kept continually in awe of the commitment, motivation, tenacity, and skill that The Chicken has shown. To my mind, he's pushed to the absolute limit what a sharp edge and steel claws can do on the thinnest of faces. And Henny's exploits and accomplishments always seem to come second-hand—it's left to someone else to brag about Darrell's latest horror-fest.
While some may disagree (perhaps because of a reputation to maintain), Darrell Hensel OWNs Rubidoux, Suicide, and Tahquitz. We've already alluded to some of his test-pieces there... More recently, take a look at some of the work that he and Woodward have established in the Whitney Portal! Just wow.
There, Bart Fay. I've done my bit. Carry on...
And while we're waiting, here's one I know Darrell likes:
(Sorry, Darrell, Bolton made me do it.)
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mooch
Big Wall climber
The Immaculate Conception
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Doesn't get any better in Iddy!
(l to r): Jack McBroom (dear climbing partner and the preacher that day), "Mrs. Mooch" (Deb Castro...life and climbing partner) and yours truly.
Wedding performed at Jeff Salz home (beauty view of Tahquitz)
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drljefe
climber
Old Pueblo, AZ
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My first trip to Tahquitz found me guiding for a college climbing class. The trip was the finale for the students who had learned basic rockcraft over the course of a few months.
What made the class so cool was the female to male ratio- dead even, 7-7! Hello!
My first route was Angels Fright. What a great route it was, and even more memorable because I was paired up with this hottie from Denmark. From below, that roof seemed pretty improbable at 5.4! My stoke level was so high guiding on sight- it was contagious and the student(s) couldn't help but to have a blast. I formed a bond with the Denmark hottie on that route, on Lunch Ledge, that would blossom... in the County Park Campground...in the moonlight...atop a boulder...
For the next few days it was classic after classic with different cuties. Fingertrip, Jensens, Traitor Horn, Left Ski Track- all so good and loaded with history.
I celebrated my birhtday there on that trip, too. The class surprised me with a cake adorned with a rendition of Tahquitz!
All the while the West Face Bulge loomed in my periferal vision.
The class ended a week later and without hesitation my partner and I hopped right back in the truck, drove the six hours to Idyllwild, bivvied in Humber, did the grunt, and roped up on Vampire Ledge.
The Vampire had a magnetic pull on me from the first time I saw it with the class a week earlier.
It exceeded all expectations. One of my all time favorite routes ever, anywhere!!! The Vampire Rules!!!
Two things happened at the bologne slicer belay- I almost dropped a shoe(can't look at Anasazis the same since)
and a glider came over the top of the cliff- WOW! Very cool.
After doing the friction descent for the umpteenth time that week,
we got right back in the truck and drove back to Arizona.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Mar 10, 2009 - 02:44am PT
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bump, because I know others have some trip reports they should link to or post pics from.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
Monrovia, CA
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Mar 10, 2009 - 02:48am PT
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Since we're celebrating Idy I don't think I've seen a mention of the annual jazz festival. I've been almost every year for the past 7 or 8. It is a seriously good time.
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mooser
Trad climber
seattle
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Mar 10, 2009 - 10:09am PT
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Though I've posted it elsewhere and earlier, Mike Graham, Rick A (and maybe Richard Harrison?) saved our butts during a wild and sudden snowstorm on Tahquitz back in '75. We'd had an accident bailing off of Left Ski Track (leaving one in our party with an ankle literally snapped sideways after a pretty hideous cartwheeling fall), and the aforementioned compadres--who'd also just gotten stormed off of their attempts at doing the FFA of Green Arch--did an awesome job of rigging the rap with the litter. Top notch!
Another time, I'd taken my wife to be on a route somewhere over on the NE face, and got a bit off route. She, being a little afraid of heights, became even more so after she began following my runout meander across a blank face. She ended up falling, swinging about 40 feet, and slamming into a dead tree snag. I couldn't see a thing, but from my "sitting hip belay" sure felt it. There was tension there for a long time, and I think I might have even perceived a little shaking. Another climber nearby coaxed her into some doable moves, and she eventually made it up to my belay--shaken and cured of large rocks. But hey...she still married me! 29 years, this April! I love Tahquitz!!
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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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May 11, 2009 - 02:45pm PT
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Ksolem wrote: "Largo,
On a fine day about 12 years ago Mark Wagner was on a tear and led both pitches of the Flange. Ian Katz and I tagged along for the ride. It was a hot day, less than optimal for that route (which was my excuse for not doing some of the leading) and Mark was fully desperate at the bulge getting to Sorensons famous bolt way up there. I was belaying, watching his feet sketching as he fought for it. I was genuinely concerned but he did it. "
Sorry I missed this one. Gives me the creeps just thinking about ripping below Tobin's "famous" bolt on the Edge - that would be about a 70 footer at least.
JL
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