What ever became of Christmas Tree Pass?

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Messages 21 - 40 of total 73 in this topic << First  |  < Previous  |  Show All  |  Next >  |  Last >>
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Feb 12, 2009 - 10:10am PT
Thanks for the update...
Toker Villain

Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
Feb 12, 2009 - 11:46am PT
That's where I went Gary.
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 31, 2009 - 10:57am PT
You have to use your acting skills to get by the guards... Feign interest in runout granular granite face climbing, at least for the assessment! Right place, wrong climber! LOL
Toker Villain

Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
Aug 31, 2009 - 11:22am PT
I said they were nice, just not very big.
Been through there several times now.
I'm not damning with faint praise, but more like honoring with discretion.
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
Aug 31, 2009 - 11:36am PT
Looks like granite slab climbing. It seems to have fallen into well deserved oblivion.
Urmas

Social climber
Sierra Eastside
Aug 31, 2009 - 12:27pm PT
FYI Andy Solow lives in San Francisco. I talk to him from time to time. Dick Richardson died a while back of a heart attack in his sleep. Now there was a face climber of the old school! I learned the art of stance drilling on slabs from him. I'll never forget some of the times we had in Domelands in the late 70's. At the start of my lead he would give me 3 bolts - "That's all you get to use on this pitch, Urmas"! I can still hear him yelling up at me, "No don't drill yet. Climb higher"! Today that pitch is missing from the guidebook because you can't see the first bolt from the belay, and it's assumed that it hasn't been done.

Manny Rangel from Phoenix told me he did some routes at CTP a while ago. One of these days I hope to make it there. Just one more thing; The solitude can be misleading. Dick and Andy had their truck broken into out there and lost all their camping gear!
Mungeclimber

Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
Aug 31, 2009 - 01:21pm PT
been there to climb once and just loved it. long live the sword!

Toker Villain

Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
Aug 31, 2009 - 01:22pm PT
There is a dirt road about a mile east of where the XTP road comes out onto 163 that heads NE to a beach with free camping.
I would extend the same warning to this area as it appears to attract some dubious players despite seeing more frequent patrols than the segment of the NRA just east of the pass.
Outside of the NRA you can't even expect even that much.

Climbers rarely stop to consider that if they are visible, but a long time removed from their vehicles, that these are tempting targets to thieves.
There is something to be said for low key climbing.
Manny

Social climber
tempe
Aug 31, 2009 - 02:06pm PT
CTP...haven't been in a few years but it is well worth a stop if you like isolation and big domes. I haven't camped, Laughlin is way close. There are lots of routes, even a sport area just north of the main area. Tons of FAs for the intrepid still await. I searched out a few, found signs of climbers and in some cases, saw why they weren't finished. We did a big dome, first on top, that has a couple bolted routes down low. Found a long OW! The best is a two pitch dike that Andy and Dick started and abandoned.

In some cases, the rock was so grainy, it could easily be scraped by hand. Still, with a good effort and some walking, you can find adventure and new rock.

Love it. Thanksgiving return maybe?
Wack

climber
Dazevue
Aug 31, 2009 - 03:19pm PT
In 1997 we got a 2fer at Laughlin. We flew my partners hot air balloon in the "River Flight" and explored Xmas Tree Pass. One of the perks for flying in the rally was a free room at the Pioneer Casino along with meals comped. Cruising through the area was just like being in the deep Wonderland with essentially no other foot prints. We ended up putting up a 2 bolt 5.7, Sandy Claws on the N face of the large (Christmas Dome?) dome on the west end of the main area. Certainly not a destination but well worth checking out if you are traveling through the area.
Loomis

climber
*_*
Sep 1, 2009 - 02:15am PT
Mr. Grossman, I was not able to get you a copy of this guide book, so here is the next best thing. The entire guide in 8 scans, for you and the rest of the climbing community to enjoy.


Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Sep 1, 2009 - 10:03am PT
Thanks for posting up all that info! It should help folks have fun out there.

Speedy recovery, Scott!
Loomis

climber
*_*
Sep 1, 2009 - 03:42pm PT
Bump for Steve Grossman and the rest of you who might have missed this guide book.


Edit: Oooops! Looks like the Medication is working too well : )
healyje

Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
Sep 1, 2009 - 05:12pm PT
Joanne and Jorge Urioste and their friend Jeff Johnson took me out there back in December '07. It was the first time I had ever encountered granite domes. The leads were all pretty bold I thought and Jeff and Joanne did some pretty fancy runout foot work on several. Jorge basically walked up it all. Me? All I mainly remember is having to wipe my feet on the opposite pant leg each and every move of a foot. Other than that I recall concentrating on strangling my inner monkey as attempting to stand on those friable mirco edges is definitly no time to attempt any monkey business - nothing to hold on to, nothing to stand on - what's a poor monkey boy supposed to do with that sh#t?





And Jorge had that JRat hammer holster which I so covet...
healyje

Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
Sep 1, 2009 - 05:30pm PT
You bastard! I'm envious...
steelmnkey

climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
Sep 1, 2009 - 05:31pm PT
Seems like I got one of those somewhere as well...

Those photos make it look pretty toasty out there! :-)
Mungeclimber

Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
Sep 1, 2009 - 06:41pm PT
I got two of those jrat holsters.


/posted for purely evil purposes

:)
Blitzo

Social climber
Earth
Sep 1, 2009 - 06:45pm PT
I remember Dick Richardson raving about the place!
healyje

Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
Sep 1, 2009 - 06:53pm PT
Have to admit, the walk into the domes should have been the tip off - you're walking on a deep, deep bed of the very granules that are exfoliating 24x7 off every inch of the domes. The challenge of the place was certainly obvious enough, but any notion of charm was definitely lost on me. Being a sandstone guy I couldn't and can't imagine why one would foresake canyons of RR for a drive out there.
TYeary

Social climber
Huaraz, Peru
Sep 1, 2009 - 07:58pm PT
Steve, quit talking about it.
Jeez,I was just getting used to the solitude!
Best kept non-secret!
Tony
Messages 21 - 40 of total 73 in this topic << First  |  < Previous  |  Show All  |  Next >  |  Last >>
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