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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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Alex called me today and gave me the lowdown. I talked with Stanhope and told him to start from the top and they had a shot on the Giraffe. Sounds like a great adventure, and Alex was impressed by the remoteness and wildness of the area.
JL
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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A Throne route appears in the new Becky book, and then Honnold and posse do a first "fair means" free ascent of the Pan-Am and a free ascent of The Giraffe, of all things. That's more Trono action/publicity than Canon Tajo has seen in, like, forever. The internet is strangely devoid of much reference to any of this. Seems the lid is still on tight.
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rich sims
Social climber
co
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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
Thanks JL
Dibbs and I did your TT from the maw I snagged a #2 Friend hammered the goldline knot into the crack to do the TT. Two pitches later pushing the cams back and forth in the decomposing sand crack was exciting.
At the bottom of the Brown dihedral Dibbs wanted to jug a old line hanging about fifteen feet to the right.
When I got to the top of the pitch I saw it was loosely tangled in some loose rocks on a sloping ledge. I remember hearing something about a line being tossed from higher up.
John Mc Mannis (SP) I still have your nut with blue tape hanging on the office wall.
That two- three month trip to Colorado is still lingering on 1990 to present. Finally sold the SD Casa in 03 as I figured I would not be back for another decade or so.
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bmacd
Mountain climber
100% Canadian
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Crongrats again boys ! Inspirational ...
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Ah, John McManus. There's a name I haven't heard in awhile. We did a lot of climbing together in the 70's. Good guy. His younger brother was a character. Can't remember his name but I recall his face...
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John Vawter
Social climber
San Diego
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Wow! Leave it to Alex to find a way to free the Giraffe by fair means. Hats off to him and Stanhope. Pan Am looks great too. As we predicted many years ago, the time would come when someone would come along and do it properly. The Brown Dihedral done free with one bolt!
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Ghoulwe
Trad climber
Spokane, WA
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An awesome piece of stone in an awesome position. Nice work guys!
Eric Barrett
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Juan Maderita
Trad climber
"OBcean" San Diego, CA
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May 10, 2012 - 04:56am PT
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News update: "Construction Expected Soon at Sempra’s Baja Wind Farm"
Currently there are only 5 wind turbines, which are near the highway. I was hoping the project was abandoned. No such luck. Many more will encroach into the wilderness.
http://www.sdbj.com/news/2012/may/10/construction-expected-soon-sempras-baja-wind-farm/
Text from the article:
By Julie Gallant
Thursday, May 10, 2012
San Diego-based Sempra Energy expects to begin construction of the 156-megawatt Energia Sierra Juarez wind project in Baja California, Mexico, as early as this year.
Located 70 miles east of San Diego and just south of the U.S.-Mexico border, the 52-turbine wind facility will produce enough clean electricity to power about 65,000 average homes when fully completed in 2014.
Sempra subsidiary San Diego Gas & Electric Co. plans to purchase renewable power supplied from the first phase of the project under a 20-year contract recently approved by the California Public Utilities Commission, said Sempra spokesman Scott Crider. Expanding Energia Sierra Juarez depends on the ability to get additional power contracts, he said. At full build-out, the complex could produce up to 1,200 megawatts of wind power, according to Sempra.
“This project will provide a significant amount of renewable wind power to SDG&E customers in the San Diego area and is an example of the types of renewable resources that have been identified in the region,” Matt Burkhart, vice president of electric and fuel procurement for SDG&E, said in a statement.
Sempra subsidiary Sempra Generation is developing the project and is finalizing a joint venture with BP Wind Energy. Both are already co-owners of the 200-megawatt Fowler Ridge II wind farm in Indiana and the 250-megawatt Cedar Creek II wind farm in Colorado as well as wind farms in Kansas and Pennsylvania that are under construction.
Energia Sierra Juarez permits still pending from Mexican agencies, the county of San Diego and the U.S. Department of Energy are expected by mid-2012, Crider said.
Energia Sierra Juarez will connect to the existing California electric grid at SDG&E’s proposed ECO substation in eastern San Diego County via a cross-border transmission line.
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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May 10, 2012 - 10:33am PT
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Trono Bump. Anyone been down there for the Spring climbing season? Is it true you need a passport to get through Tecate these days?
Tell me a story, I need some vicarious adventure to go with my coffee.
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guyman
Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
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Aug 18, 2012 - 01:15pm PT
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Swelly....
Thanks for the bump.
EGTB always brings back good memories of exotic trips.
Not being born rich, and working at jobs to survive, I never had enouf $$$$ to go to the Alps or South America.
Goiing to Mexico, driving the Land Rover and crossing borders, get hassled by uniformed military police and cops, makes it a real adventue.
One time we were returning via San Diego, we were running late and missed the cut off time at Techate (SP?) so we were really late.
Anyway... we get to the window and the man asks: "Anything to declare?"
From the back of the van, Bulwinklle mumbles: " If we did, do you think we would tell you"
Go straight to INSPECTION.....
Tore the van apart, at like 1:30 am...
Good times
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hellcyon
climber
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Sep 25, 2012 - 03:11am PT
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Guangzhou
Trad climber
Asia, Indonesia, East Java
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Sep 25, 2012 - 05:42am PT
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So many places I want to climb, so little time I'll have to see them all.
I remember reading about these routes in the 80s and wanted to go there then. Now I want to see them even more.
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TomR
Trad climber
Colorado
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Jan 22, 2013 - 08:56pm PT
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I've been planning a trip down to el trono for some time. Anyone care to share a topo of a good 5.8 or 5.9? Just looking for a climb to get to know the area before we go exploring!
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Feb 28, 2013 - 01:54am PT
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Baja Bump. Coming into prime climbing season.
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Juan Maderita
Trad climber
"OBcean" San Diego, CA
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Feb 28, 2013 - 03:04am PT
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Sent TomR plenty of camping and route beta, immediately after his post in January.
bvb,
Yes, prime time is soon. Should be another 3 - 4 weeks.
Last weekend probably saw a few inches of snow.
Don't just post about it, get on down there!
For those worried about travel to Mexico, there have been zero known problems in that area during the past decade.
If anyone is looking to tick one of Beckey's "100 Favorite North American Climbs" (from his newest book), hit me up for more info. He describes The South Face Route with the "Baile del Sol" (Sundance) direct finish. Prime climbing season for the south face routes is mid-March thru mid-May.
Those steep friction routes need some action. Grade IV, 10 to 15 pitches, 5.10c to 5.11+. South Face Route + "Baile del Sol", "La Joya" (The Jewel), "El Paseo Blanco" (The White Path, named for it's steep dikes, and "El Milenio" (The Millennium).
Generally 1.5 hrs. approach time, 5-9 hrs. climbing time, 1 hr. third class descent.
The routes are on exceptional granite in an awesome setting, and they aren't getting climbed. Geez, who would think that bold climbers would be scared off by a little drug war? Seriously, the biggest problem is the border wait time when returning to the USA.
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hossjulia
Trad climber
Where the Hoback and the mighty Snake River meet
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Feb 28, 2013 - 09:24am PT
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My heart is there. Every Feb., it dreams of Baja and El Gran Trono Blanco, or the hot springs at the head of that canyon.
No lie :-
^^^go through Tecate, way better than TJ.
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Feb 28, 2013 - 10:19am PT
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Ah yes, the Canon Guadalupe hot springs? Prolly pretty civilized now, much debauchery 40 years ago.
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F10
Trad climber
Bishop
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Jul 22, 2013 - 10:45pm PT
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South Face El Gran Trono Blanco 85'
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Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Jul 23, 2013 - 01:22am PT
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F10; THANK YOU!
Those are some of the best, especially the last one with the long distance background.
I've never climbed there but have wanted to since, .... ... well around 84 after Matt told me Luke had climbed there. Before that, when I surfed way south in Baja, I wish I had paid more attention to the climbing.
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