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east side underground
Trad climber
Hilton crk,ca
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I love being on top of mammoth and overhearing tourists saying " check out half dome". never climbed in soyo, so close but yet so far. ps if you want real salsa- lots of peppers on the barbie,grilled tommatillos, onions,cilantro, lime juice, all in a blender!!! oh mon!!!
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sunshinedaydream
Trad climber
the big granite bubble
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Why do people love El Cid's so much? I've lived here 10 years and really don't get it? Its gotta be the Margaritas... best thing on the menu.
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Levy
Big Wall climber
So Cal
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The SoYo area is a terrific place to visit, hike & climb in. There has been a devoted contingient of climbers developing new routes in the area recently.
The rock in areas like Shuteye Ridge & Chiquito Dome is amazing!
I met a guy last year that is doing a new guidebook but I never got his name. Graham Doe is in touch with him I believe & Graham knows as much, if not more than anybody, about the routes found there.
Better than Yosemite Valley? I couldn't agree with that by any stretch of the imagination but is a superb area for sure.
Here are a few pics:
The Eyrie - Shuteye Ridge Many difficult routes here. Most are 5.12 to 5.13+ range
Upper East face of High Eagle Dome, 400' tall! just great rock here!
Detail of Upper East face of High Eagle Dome
Just look at the rock quality! Does it get any better than this?
Chiquito Dome's S.E. face ~ Note the climber in red at the treeline/skyline. That gives the pic some scale. Great features here, huecos, pockets & tufa-like ribs unlike anything I've ever seen on granite before.
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Mr_T
Trad climber
Somewhere, CA
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I think the original poster may be found themselves in a pleasant state of zen happyness without all the nonsense of the ditch. No farty smelling camp 4 bathrooms to wake up to sure does make the rock better.
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tom Slater
Trad climber
CA
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In my opinion this area is fantastic, as good as any I've ever been to. Vast. It could really use a guidebook. Shuteye is nothing short of amazing. The rock blows my mind. I'd say the Valley has the cracks, but the face climbing here is world class.
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BBWolf
climber
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SoYo sucks. Everything worth climbing has already been climbed. Not to mention the ticks and gnats - unbearable. The pictures you see are from somewhere else...trust me. Someone here is playing a joke on you. Horrendous approaches, loose rock, dangerous snakes, falling debris, huge crowds, long runouts, overbolting, and various other dangers are all too common in this region. I have not even touched on the rangers. They stole my weed! and my cold brews! and my girlfriend.
Do yourself a favor...keep driving to the valley.
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scooter
climber
fist clamp
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Karl, if you know where to look there is definitely Fairveiw size domes and a few Washington Colum size pieces as well. I climbed a V 5.8 A2+ 'Walking With Walt' on East Fuller Butte Really fun with some good cracks. So much potential. Not mention Ballon Dome is Half Dome size. I want to go check that guy out.
I guide people on a nice 2 pitch route up Squaw Dome pretty frequently, while up there I noticed some old holes and bolts. They appear to be some sort of guy wire set up. MAybe for an antenna or a flag??? Does anyone know what they were used for??? I am very curious about it. Did R.R. set up the stars and stripes up there?
Pat
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Doug Robinson
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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BBWolf: Thanks for being such a Dick to your brother and sister climbers.
Clearly you flunked Kindergarden -- go back and learn how to share.
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crazy horse
Trad climber
seattle, wa
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Scooter wrote "They appear to be some sort of guy wire set up. MAybe for an antenna or a flag??? Does anyone know what they were used for??? I am very curious about it. Did R.R. set up the stars and stripes up there?"
i've wondered about this for years, and still have no idea why there is all that crap on top of the dome. Anyone????
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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BB Wolf,
Nice try, but too late. All the other comments will give away the satirical nature of your post. I've been climbing there since 1970, when Tim Schiller and I intended to climb the main face of Fresno Dome, and ended up doing a very circuitous line up its little brother (Hawk Dome? I can't remember its name) instead. The place is enormous, beautiful, and varied. There are plenty of climbs with short approaches, and plenty more with enough of an approach to assure the sort of solitude I used to feel even in the Valley, when we would usually have any wall (not just climb) we were on to ourselves. There are also, Karl, plenty of faces just as big as Fairview, but merely farther from the beaten path.
As for El Cid . . . It's OK, but there are too many better places in The Big Raisin 40 miles down the road, so we seldom stop there.
Places like the Balls, Tollhouse, and Courtright are why I moved back to Fresno 27 years ago. I'll admit the town itself has lots of faults, but its proximity to better things can't be beat.
John
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Gene
climber
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I took BBWolf's comment to be tongue in cheek.
gm
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BBWolf
climber
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DR
I though everyone from the SCruz had a sense of humor. Actually, a prerequisite to live there. Apparently not brother.
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Doug Robinson
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Pat,
I never saw the Stars and Stripes broken out when I was guiding for Royal.
In fact I'm not at all sure where we were within the Hinterlands. Where Royal led the caravan, I followed.
I know we were on Wamello, and I know I guided the South Buttress (great climb, tho maybe not "worthy" at a Fairview level) before the FA Spencer listed.
When I came to live on the Westside again in Santa Cruz, I immediately went back to the Hinterlands. But I got to Wamello and essentially got stuck there for 15 years.
2-3 years ago I finally got further back, onto the big plateau. I could tell right away that we'd climbed at the Balls. (and I found a cool Coyote skull..) But I know we went other places, and I look forward to piecing together more of that.
So much there...
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Doug Robinson
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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OK, BB -- sorry about that.
Guess I've lost my sense of humor a little on this hoarding and secretive game so many seem to like playing.
I mean, even at the base of Manure Pile Buttress on a Sunday afternoon I manage to find something to climb and fall into conversation with whoever is there -- even (Gasp!) nOObs -- and enjoy myself.
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BBWolf
climber
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I recall climbing Coronet (I think that was the name, a Robbins route) in 93 or 94. A group of guys were bolting away up there. If I remember right I think they had a bolt on the Coronet route. Has anyone done that route? Is my memory off?
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kev
climber
CA
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Soyo is great. But in my humble opinion not better than the Valley. Partially depends on what type of climbing you want. S.Y. offers great adventure, plenty of face climbs, both short and long routes in an great setting. It's ranger free, free camping, pretty devoid of people, etc. However many people lack the desire to deal with the length of the drive, lack of services (no Delaware North, so sad), high clearance vehicle, primitive camping (in some spots), Lack of current book and Spencer's book (which is good for some stuff and a book of lies for other things), etc. More over it ain't the place you should go if you need a supertopo for your route.
That said, I can't wait to get back up there. There are a few of you out there I need to email about SoYo, sorry I haven't - been busy, but I will.
kev
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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There are pluses and minus about the area for sure.
Free camping in many places is a huge plus.
and your chances of waiting in line for a route approach zero, which is pretty sweet too.
For folks looking for first ascents, sure beats the valley.
Short approaches, it's a mixed bag there.
Peace
Karl
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kev
climber
CA
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Karl,
I'm not sure about the FA comparison. Seems like there is so much stuff in SoYo that's been done but either kept secret or undocumented that it would be easy to bolt over or across some ones line. Or put in convince anchors where they weren't.
Consider Captain Obvious (GREAT route)for example. Apparently it was done before without the one protection bolt and without the bolted anchors. I suspect there a lot more out there like that we don't know about. At least in the Valley you can research who's done what if you're willing to put in the time and energy (which sadly isn't always the case). Seems much harder to do with SoYo. Maybe this is a qn of ethics though.
kev
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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You're right, Kev. Tim Schiller and I did several moderate fifth class routes in the areas around Fresno in the early to mid 1970's, many of which pre-dated the first recorded ascents of technical routes on Fresno Dome, Dinkey Dome, Dogtooth Peak, and Little Baldy, to name a few -- and I doubt we were the first, at least on some. In all, we placed one bolt for a belay anchor on one route on Squaw Dome, and another for protection on a route on Little Baldy. Otherwise, I doubt you could tell whether what we climbed had been done before.
That's part of the fun, though. Detailed guides and topos take the uncertainty out of a climbing area. Adventure may or may not be a sign of my incompetence, but I find it essential to fulfillment. I don't get much adventure when I know everything in advance.
John
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