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gonamok
climber
dont make me come over there
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holy cow, twice!? You are president of the "reclimb south gully" club
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dee ee
Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
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Been up that S. gulley a couple of times ferrying. My dog Washoe as well, although he was badass. He did make a miraculous save in a fall on a rainy day going down. It didn't phase him.
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Truthdweller
Trad climber
San Diego, CA
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105 fever for 12 hours....awesome!
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R.B.
Trad climber
47N 122W
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I went with Stan Mish, a totally reliable partner, hoping to climb with him.
Being a former Flagstaffarian, I know Stan too.
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Juan Maderita
Trad climber
"OBcean" San Diego, CA
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R.B.,
Are you sure that you are discussing the "south gully?" That is the approach directly from basecamp to the south face routes. Executive and Pan Am are both on the east face. The only sane way to approach the east face is from the north. The south gully gets really difficult below the south face routes. Some climbers might do it unroped, but I'd say there's a 4th class section. Dropping further in elevation and around the toe of the SE buttress and back up to the base of the east face is long and difficult. It can be done, but the approach from the north is less than half the effort.
There are so many adventurous stories about how badazz Canyon Tajo is. Any good trip report makes mention of rattlesnakes, cacti, extreme weather, death defying runouts, bandidos, getting lost, stuck/broken vehicles, or other dangers. But the approach from basecamp to the south face routes is almost trivial. Class 2, 1-1/4 hrs. if you have it dialed in. From "the notch" and descending the gully toward the desert, go about 400 yards to a place where the gully steepens. Then stay to the right (south) side of the gully. Cross back left, at a steep sloping bedrock dry waterfall, just before reaching the South Face Route. Sticky rubber approach shoes definitely recommended; much boulder hopping involved.
I've made the climb back up the south gully a dozen times, after working on the lower pitches of La Joya, El Paseo Blanco, and El Milenio. Dan Curley and I were drilling with a Bosch Bulldog and two factory NiCad battery packs back in 1988. On Saturday, we put up a couple new pitches, rapped off, and hiked back up the gully at the end of the day. Then drove to restaurante El Emporio in La Rumorosa, and ate tacos while the batteries were charging. After a few hours of sleep at basecamp, the process was repeated on Sunday.
A year or two later, we got smart and brought a big SLA (aka: "gel cell") battery pack for bolting El Paseo Blanco.
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jack herer
Big Wall climber
Veneta, Oregon
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Any google earth style images of Canyon Tajo? I'd love to get a better idea of the layout of the place. It would be awesome to make it there someday if I could find someone else whos willing and able!
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R.B.
Trad climber
47N 122W
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Juan ... yes it was the south gulley. I've actually had three attempts on the white throne. One of them was trying to do the southeast buttress?? It started at the bottom of the gulley before you traverse the girdle north along the base to Pan Am. Got about a full rope length up on 5.8ish rattly unpro armbar dirty offwidth. Got scared and bailed on that one too!! So actually, I have "3rd classed" back up gulley with full big wall gear three times. BITD I was such a dum a$$ but it was before there was a guidebook (mid '80's)
I still love Trono though, and the "south gulley" was way rad. Nothing like bushwacking under house sized boulders, through mouse holes, squirm and wiggle with a full big wall pack.
The story above about the cactus grab ... it had two possible outcomes:
Grab the cactus and live or fall over backwards down the "wide" gulley with a full pack about 50 feet. Wasn't too hard to make the grab and bear through it. All in good fun, but the toxins on the agave is what whipped me into the fever later after bailing.
EDIT: Rumor of a guidebook??? BITD it was "the San Diego Climbers have a pending guidebook" Not sure if anything ever was published. Edit edit: See above for Beckey's book?
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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it was before there was a guidebook (mid '80's)
Guidebook?
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Juan Maderita
Trad climber
"OBcean" San Diego, CA
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RB,
You had some gnarly experiences. Yes, the lower part of the south gulley has a couple frightening moves if you are unroped with a heavy pack (been there, done that)! If it's any consolation, you're not the only person to have been skewered by an agave in the south gully. Dale McCauley had one go all the way through his hand. Also heard of another climber with an identical mishap.
Guidebook (quoting myself from page 2):
"In the mid 70s, the developers recognized that publishing would harm this wilderness and the unique opportunity for adventure which is so accessible to a large metropolitan area. We made a pact to keep it out of the mags and have a "no guidebook" policy. Dan C. and I kept notes for historical archives. Every year, I receive several requests for beta. I'm happy to share just enough so that others will have a safe, yet adventurous, trip."
Jack Herer,
It's best to keep Google Maps out of this. Those who really want to find the place will make the effort. E-mail or PM if you need more info when you get around to planning a trip. I can provide the current info on logistics.
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R.B.
Trad climber
47N 122W
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Juan,
I completely understand the "no publish" thing.
FYI - I drew a map of El Cap, Yosemite, back in the late '80's - mid '90's. Called "El Cap Map" -- It was a full wall-sized poster. 36"x72". At one time I had several distributors and I gave away and sold many copies.
I came to the same epithany. I did not want to feel responsible for the exploitation of the resource ... and SO ... I took it off the market and no longer publish it (since '95), and even though it sits in my closet, it is history, I am proud of it; but I feel no need to profit off of it.
So, I do appreciate keeping the "cards close to the vest."
I will keep you in mind for future trips; a little concerned with the wind farm exploitation.
PS. I have a few FA's near the main south camp if your interested in knowing where.
RB
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Juan Maderita
Trad climber
"OBcean" San Diego, CA
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RB,
Yes, I'd like to know where your routes are and archive your FA's. e-mail: ClimbBaja{at}aol[dot]com
Did you use homemade mild steel hangers, cut from angle stock, painted with gray primer on 3/8" carbon steel wedge anchors? Power drilled. There are perhaps 6 routes so equipped, circa early 1990s. Does anyone have info on these routes?
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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Alex Honnold and friends have been asking me about free climbing potential for The Giraffe, and I told them to go for the gold. It's all there. Maybe. But you'd have to retro bolt a bunch of it because the pros sh#t unless holes have been added since the FA 1,500 years ago.
That hammock bivy, looking down on Laguna Salada at night is impressive. That's a magical place to be at sundown. Feels like the end of the earth.
JL
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gonamok
climber
dont make me come over there
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I could see the south gully being manageable once you find the right line and stick to it. There are many options (pick your poison) as to which way to go back up, its basically a maze, and unless you know the right path you are in for a rough, dangerous hike, especially laden with gear.
I think we chose whatever way kept us farthest from the edge, which meant tunnels, chimneys and those godawful flares that occur when two rounded rocks abut. Even then we were forced to traverse the grainy faces of rounded boulders way too many times, where a slip meant going over the edge(which looked to be a 10,000 foot fall to us at the time).
My overriding memory of our hike out is of fear, abrasions and a powerful thirst. But I love that place, cosmic doesnt begin to describe it.
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John Vawter
Social climber
San Diego
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Jan 27, 2012 - 02:31am PT
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Last time someone added bolts to a route on the East Face to accommodate free climbing, they were summarily removed. Pan Am is essentially as it was when Baxter and Karlstrom climbed it.
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Jan 27, 2012 - 03:20am PT
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Piana's Folly.
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Burr
climber
UT
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*** El Giraffe Libre 5.13 (Honnold + Stanhope - Jan.2012). 4 rusty aid bolts replaced, 3 anchor bolts replaced, and 4 lead bolts added for the free variations. NO additional bolts added to the historic aid line. Also, lots of fixed aid funk, otherwise expect tricky placements.
*** Pan American 5.12+ (Honnold, Stanhope, & McSorely - Jan.2012) (not sure if this has been freed since the brown corner was chopped? anyone? looked like maybe 10-12 bolt holes?) i personally added 2 anchor bolts for 'the better finish' left variation (its probably been aided before, but we didn't know and had no information about the wall expect for this thread, so chop away)...
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Wow! That's really cool, to see those routes get freed in an honorable style. I'm smiling right now.
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James
climber
My twin brother's laundry room
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Honnold should learn how to bolt so that people can repeat these routes.
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The Alpine
Big Wall climber
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Wow, can't wait to see the photos Andrew.
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