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Bruce Morris
Social climber
Belmont, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 3, 2016 - 10:05am PT
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Yeah! Thanks a million for the info Eric! I've been snooping around looking at those aretes for a long, long time. Heard about a hair-raising ascent of one of them from blonde Linda at PG Belmont. I'll be sure to include them in the next edition of the Ellery guide, which I've already been updating. Here's a pic of one of your aretes I took years ago from around the Chicken foot cracks:
This looks like your 5.7 arete?
Heard from Falk that Steve Schneider soloed those aretes years ago. But it sounds like you've made them your own. Bet they would be popular if people knew they were there.
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Bruce Morris
Social climber
Belmont, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 3, 2016 - 10:14am PT
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By the way, here's a big boulder I "stumbled on" while taking telephotos of "Speed of Life":
I know that Don Reid, Grant Hiskes and Scott Cole worked on it in the late 70s. Chris Falkenstein says there's been some recent activity on it too. The back side sure look V10 (i.e. too hard for me). But that little crack up the center looks doable as does the white arete.
Any current info? From what I see there's a lot of bouldering potential up in Ellery Bowl.
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ablegabel
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Hey Bruce,
the routes are all good solos (except the right one) and thats how we did them. All were climbed back in the early 2000 ish era. I have no doubt they could have been climbed before, and would be kind of surprised if they hadn't. But here's who I climbed them with. Each one was a great climb with great friends and memories. The climbing is like menu bouldering the whole way, pick a problem, step up and do it, pick another, repeat...
From left to right:
-5.6 ridge, E.G. & Ian Fergenson
-5.6 ridge, E.G., Ian Fergenson, Linda Jarit & Rob Sharpe
-5.7 ridge, Walter Hawkins(RIP) & E.G.
-5.6 buttress, E.G. & Ed Hartouni
 Eric Gabel
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Bruce Morris
Social climber
Belmont, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 3, 2016 - 12:33pm PT
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So, the far right 5.6 arete probably needs a rope? Linda described hanging in space until you pulled her up by the arm. Sort of like a scene out of a Marvel comic book. Oh well, you all lived to tell about it!
I like that, "menu bouldering". Solve a boulder problem, wander on, solve another problem and so on to the top.
Dunno when Shipoopi did his solos. Just heard about it from Falk second-hand.
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ablegabel
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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It was the second arete/ridge from the left that we did with Linda, and no, you don't need a rope if your comfortable soloing 5.6. If you feel fine on the West Ridge of Conness or Cathedral Peak, you'll be fine on this ridge.It's a notch down from both those.
Linda was just an inch short on courage that day, and two inches short on reach. An outstretched arm was all that was needed to bypass the issue. (There might have been some hanging in space now that I think about it). There were other options in the vicinity, but that was the way we had chosen.
Buy the way, there are a lot of Linda dangling in space stories, and there all true. Somehow she seems to find herself in that situation more often than most. No doubt from the missions she has unwittingly signed up for and the questionable nature of the people she has signed up with. Always a good time with lots of laughs, and happy to share a rope with her any time.
Eric Gabel
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Each one was a great climb with great friends and memories.
yes, that day was special, and I even lived! which was a real bonus...
but it is a good day when you walk up to something and just climb it, it doesn't matter if it had been climbed before.
being a part of all of Gabel's projects was an extraordinary period in my climbing life that I will always remember
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Bruce Morris
Social climber
Belmont, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 4, 2016 - 01:18am PT
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I can see how those aretes might become popular destinations if they were better known since they're so accessible from the Tioga Road. Walking back around down Ellery Bowl from the Dana Plateau sounds like a neat way to end the day too. I'll take some pics of those aretes soon with my big, heavy Nikon D7100 in preparation for drawing the topos. Chance to take out the tripod and remote and look like a frick'n touron on the side of the road.
Those aretes do look adventuresome.
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Bruce Morris
Social climber
Belmont, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 4, 2016 - 01:44am PT
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Is there dispersed camping allowed on Power Plant road? Looking at G-maps it looks like there are numerous opportunities.
Grumpy: I think it says you're only allowed to stay in the NFS campgrounds: Aspen, Morain, Big Bend etc. etc. But two weeks ago I saw people brazenly camping along Pool Power Plant road. No one seemed to be bothering them. I'd say be cautious and low-key and get up and leave early. There are a number of 'secret' spots too, but again caution is advised. Scouting along the Lee Vining Creek during daylight would be a good strategy if you wanted to find places to keep your vehicle out of sight from the Pool Power Plant Road at night.
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ablegabel
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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When we were climbing on the Ellery Buttress, I almost took Ed out on the rightmost climb when a block I was standing on cut loose. Thankfully, he's pretty quick for an old guy...
Bruce, you mentioned up thread that you may include the Sphinx on some future version of your guide.
So...here is another adventure Ed joined me on just across the way on The Sphinx. It's been posted before and there may be a trip report on it somewhere. It was a pretty incredible and fun day that holds fond memories for me.
Here is a rough topo The rock is really good for the most part, with lots of hand cracks.
There are a few established 5.9 & 5.10 routes to the left too. The whole ridge from the Warren Campsite is 5.7
Eric Gabel
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splitclimber
climber
Sonoma County
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Looks like a hell of a traverse approach to the ridge east of Powerhouse bowl/chutes.
gumby- I've camped at a nice pullout on the right next to a large shaded rock outcrop a bit before the end of powerplant rd in the winter.
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ablegabel
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Splitclimber,
it's probably 45 minutes to get to the far ridge. The first 1/3 is on an old road. Not much elevation gain.
-Eric Gabel
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Bruce Morris
Social climber
Belmont, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 4, 2016 - 01:21pm PT
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Bruce, you mentioned up thread that you may include the Sphinx on some future version of your guide.
Eric, I already have taken pics, drawn a new topo, and placed the Sphinx in the upgraded manuscript of the Ellery guide. I also took the liberty of placing the Sphinx and your and Ed's route on Mountain Project. Kind of like pre-writing the entry for my guidebook if you don't mind!
Everybody who's ever driven down the Tioga Road wonders about the Sphinx and now there's some solid info available. But do you have topos for the other routes on the Sphinx? 4 or 5? Lots of mysteries in Lee Vining Canyon!
Falk says its other locals-only name is "Mt Crumblepies".
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aldude
climber
Monument Manor
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I thought it was called Cerro Gnarly*
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ablegabel
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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No,I don't mind you putting it on Mountain Project Bruce.
I'll tell you what I know, and what I think I know about the Sphinx routes.
-the East Ridge was done on August 19th 1938 by W.G. Yongue (Gerald Yongue)
unsure weather he did the upper ridge only, or the whole ridge.
-There is a relatively easy route up the canyon on the back side, which you can gain the saddle via a short section of 5th class. Then one more short boulder problem from the saddle to the upper 3rd class part of the ridge and to the summit.
-The entire East ridge was done as early as 1959. There is a high point halfway out that had an old 1959 peanut butter jar register. Unfortunately the contents were ruined. So no information on who.
-The summit register has a record of the whole East Ridge being done again in 1977 by Rod Kennec, Jerry Rupert, & James Clay Pearson.
-It is possible to continue on past the summit down to the saddle, and on up the orange rock ridge to the West - Northwest. My friend Ian Fegenson has bone this to the high point of that ridge.
-The obvious Orange Chimney has been done on the left side of the cliff.
-Just right of it is the "South Face Route" 5.10a FA Wayne Wallace & Fletcher Wilson 1984
-"Cerro K'narle' " 5.9 was also done in the same area, and may be the same route, or share parts of it FA Todd Worsfold & Paul Teare on June 26th 1987
-"Bighorn" 5.10 was done on the East Face, via "cracks and corners, finishing w/ crack splitting upper head wall" FA Paul Linaweaver & Mike Strassman. They had climbed the South face route via a last pitch variation in October 1987, so there FA of "Bighorn" was probably sometime just after that?
-There is a single pitch line with a few bolts and pro just to the left of "The Great Googley Boogley". It goes to a two bolt anchor.
-"The Great Googley Boogley" FA Eric Gabel & Ed Hartouni on July 9th 2011
Here is a guess at where some of the routes go??? (Probably a bad guess on a few of them.)
1. Orange Chimney
2. South Face ?
3. Cerro K'narle' ?
4. Bighorn w/ possible finish options?
5. Short bolt and pro route
6. Great Googley Boogley
7. East Ridge
Hopefully that helps a little???
Eric Gabel
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Footloose
Trad climber
Lake Tahoe
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I'm sorry to read about Walt's passing. I
liked him a lot and always enjoyed his company.
I didn't know he was into high country ridges like
that. Of that distance and all, etc..
Good memories, Walt! Always admired your
super adventurous spirit!!
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ablegabel
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Hey Footloose,
Walt was one of my very best friends for over twenty years, and I miss him a lot. But he lived a wild life and wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
He didn't necessarily go for big ridge routes, but for some reason, I could talk him into just about any adventure, and we always had a great time. We put up many routes together and had a lot of back country adventures.
Here are a few pictures of that day.
Here's a shot of the last time I went climbing with him.
RIP Walt
Eric Gabel
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Bruce Morris
Social climber
Belmont, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 4, 2016 - 11:58pm PT
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Sorry to hear about Walt. Sounds like he was an adventuresome soul.
But thanks a million for all that detailed information about the routes on The Sphinx. Had no idea there were so many! Wonder who put up that one-pitch bolted route leading up to anchors?
Bet there are a thousand stories about that crag. So obvious, but shrouded in mystery.
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Bruce Morris
Social climber
Belmont, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 5, 2016 - 12:11am PT
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-The obvious Orange Chimney has been done on the left side of the cliff.
Rating?
Boy, that Sphinx formation has more routes than I imagined.
Looks to me as if there's another route to be done to the right of "The Great Googley Boogley" up some smooth slabs. Or is that whole area too low angle?
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ablegabel
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Bruce,
I believe the Orange route was mentioned in one of the notes in the summit register, maybe Ed has some more photos of the pages in it that could help? Some how 5.9 comes to mind???
Keep in mind that the lines I drew are just guesses, Bighorn is probably close, as that is an obvious line.
The short sport/trad route is right where I drew it.
Were the South face goes, I'm not exactly sure, but the area is correct. Possibly Sibylle Hechtel could chime in, as she posts here, and has done the route. Several people appear to have done it over the years.
Cerro K'narle' could be any one of those natural recesses, or the same as the South Face???
The recesses just right of Great Googley Boogley had a stopper in it about two pitches up. It looked like a bail piece, but who knows.
The only way to know for sure is to climb them, or find the people who put them up, and some of them are not around anymore.
I'll post up some more routes we did in the area when I get a chance. I have to get back to working on my own guide book project right now.
-Eric Gabel
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