Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
gonamok
climber
dont make me come over there
|
|
|
Apr 12, 2011 - 03:40am PT
|
I just love to explore. People seem to be hungry for new routes, but most are trying to squeeze something out of rocks that have already been thoroughly examined. Why try to squeeze contrivances out of trampeled areas when a universe of untouched rock is sitting just outside the boundaries of development, in every direction?
Drivin south, robbins crack, digits delight, uncertainty principle, starface et al are not anomalies, they are typical. Lets throw out a number and say 10% of woodsons climbing potential has currently been tapped. That means for every climb now existing on the hill, another 9 like it are out there awaiting discovery. And I think thats a very conservative estimate.
But it doesnt come easy. If it did, everybody would have tons of FAs. You arent going to find classics while wandering around in your climbing shoes looking for things to pull down on. If you want to find new routes, you have to decide to spend the day exploring, not climbing. Pick out an objective, plot a likely line through the brush, then put on long pants, long sleeve shirt, gloves and boots and stomp, cut and fight your way out to it. 100 feet of bushwhacking and your looking at virgin rock. When you find that unclimbed plum, the fight will have been worth it. If youre looking for something new, give it a shot.
These people that are breaking flakes to make holds on climbed out boulders are totally lost, completely clueless.
|
|
p-owed
Trad climber
Ramona ca
|
|
|
Apr 18, 2011 - 12:42am PT
|
where was everyone sat night? Full moon we headed up around 6:30. The rest the group showed up by 7:30. First we pulled on corn flak then a bouldering problem by Shawn,s knobs next we moved up Elsa,s crack and The cave. We then hiked to the peak and back do the cars. and home by 1am. Why is it know one climbs on a full moon?
|
|
eliot carlsen
Social climber
San Diego
|
|
|
Apr 18, 2011 - 02:06am PT
|
Good stuff p-owed. I know some buddies were up there last month during the full moon. Don't know anyone that was up there last night though.
Ron, those pics look good. We've been speculating as to the location of those gems. Only lately have we really been embracing the trail building and boulder uncovering that will reveal some nice additions to the hill.
Speaking of uncovering boulders, anyone know the history behind the 25 foot overhanging dihedral below Elsa's Crack? We built a trail to it from Airplane Crack. It's got one old 3/8th in. bolt on top but it's missing its hanger. Everyone's probably seen it from the road as you're walking by the water tower. Looking up at it, it looks like a big Pac-Man boulder with a beautiful white dike running up it.
There is also a lead climb on the boulder below it and it'd be interesting to know the story with that one too. That boulder looks to be one of the biggest on the hill. The lead climb is a whopping 3-4 bolts. Need to get over and check that one out more closely though.
Maybe I'll get some pics to add so this thread will never die.
|
|
gonamok
climber
dont make me come over there
|
|
|
Apr 18, 2011 - 02:33am PT
|
If you want to know where to find those rocks on my previous posts, ask Greg, I gave him the tour Friday afternoon. I didnt really get a chance to look around when I cut the trail, and was pleasantly surprised to find so much good climbing when I went back with Greg. We saw cool looking problems everywhere (he sent the cracks).
Greg worked on this overhang problem and dam near sent it, but had to quit when he tore a tip. I wasnt going to post it till he got the send, but he gave me the ok, so heres pics of a potential hard new problem.Greg Horvath on his project
|
|
eliot carlsen
Social climber
San Diego
|
|
|
Apr 18, 2011 - 02:54am PT
|
Awesome! No doubt Greg's a beast and will send sooner rather than later. Plus if he couldn't do it in one session most will need a solid month of work on it. Cool pics of the problem.
I heard the crew was up there today too.
Supposedly they all almost did Piggot's "Fade to Black" tips seam problem!
|
|
Doug Tomczik
climber
Bishop
|
|
|
Apr 18, 2011 - 11:57am PT
|
Yea, we climbed Sunday. I got Fade to Black. It's surprisingly better than it looks. Fun climbing and the rock behind the crack isn't really an issue. Then myself, Greg, Nicole, Mark, and Paisley sent this boulder problem up by Airstream (15 seconds from the road, but hidden behind a boulder). Pretty sure it hadn't been done as I removed some loose stuff when I first found it. V3 or so overhanging jugs on bullet rock...a little short though. Lastly, we tried our luck on the corner Eliot mentioned. Inspiring line, but very hard. Greg has the photos so hopefully he will chime in.
|
|
gonamok
climber
dont make me come over there
|
|
|
Apr 18, 2011 - 08:35pm PT
|
eliot, doug...i dont know how much greg told you about the boulders surrounding that project, but there are cool looking problems everywhere. Need many hands stomping down the brush so these things are accessible. Its a 5 minute walk in from slant crack, and theres always a chance you can snake his problem too, whats not to love?
good job on fade to black doug
|
|
Horvath
Trad climber
CA
|
|
|
Apr 18, 2011 - 10:13pm PT
|
They just might!
I'll be taking them there soon, its too much fun out there to keep it quiet.
as for photos of this past weekend, they are actually on someone else's camera and may take a few days to surface.
|
|
Truthdweller
Trad climber
San Diego, CA
|
|
|
Apr 18, 2011 - 10:33pm PT
|
Darn it...I'm slowly falling out of the loop! Getting fat and still healing from this crazy tendonitis in my right arm...*sigh*.
Can't wait till I get back on Woodson rock! Wish I could have seen someone do Fade to Black, it'll definitely be cool to see pics! It looks like I need to be hangin' with Eliot, Greg, Doug, et al, if I'm lookin to get strong again. Did you guys ever find anything on that big cap-rock above 5.10a on the Outside?
|
|
Doug Tomczik
climber
Bishop
|
|
|
Apr 18, 2011 - 11:30pm PT
|
Got the photos..There are more photos, but we can't give away too much...otherwise Eliot will flash a day's worth of problem solving
|
|
Doug Tomczik
climber
Bishop
|
|
|
Apr 18, 2011 - 11:48pm PT
|
Gary, so far we've been on the project above 10a on the Outside once since Darrell helped us install an anchor (Thanks Darrell). Greg has done all the upper moves, but the five foot blank section isn't going to go very easily.
edit: Thanks Ron
|
|
Horvath
Trad climber
CA
|
|
|
Apr 19, 2011 - 12:34am PT
|
but the five foot blank section isn't going to go very easily.
It will go : )
but yes it will be difficult
|
|
bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
|
|
|
Apr 19, 2011 - 01:10am PT
|
gotta chime in here. the best, hardest unclimbed crack problem at woodson is this thing piggot and lydia took me to in '87. you go down to starface and head directly west. no trail. maybe ten minutes from starface. it's a 15' left-leaning dihedral tips crack in the back of an alcove formed by two boulders. it's INSANE. the best jams let you get maybe 1/3 of the first knuckle into the crack. bullet rock. mostly thumbs up pinkie jams with the right hand and absurd thumbs down with the left. i got SO close but no dice. piggot actually complimented me. how often does that happen?! wish i had a better description of how to get there but it was 25 years ago and i was only there three times, with piggot showing the way.
you guys should go find it. it'll blow your minds. the best woodson has to offer...
|
|
Doug Tomczik
climber
Bishop
|
|
|
Apr 19, 2011 - 01:25am PT
|
yo BVB..so psyched!!!! Sounds absolutely beautiful!
Do you know anything about THE corner that you can see when walking up between the fire station and the water tower? (The perfect gray stone dihedral you always say to yourself how one day you'll go climb it). Well Eliot did one day go out to it and came back with horrific tales of tunneling under manzanita and through hives of ants. But he also said it was one of the coolest features at Woodson so we spent three days building a trail to it. I can not comprehend the difficulty, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was at least solid 5.14. It's super badass and the line inspires me to climb it, but it's just not a finger crack. Thanks for sharing!
|
|
henny
Social climber
The Past
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 19, 2011 - 11:20am PT
|
Yo bvb.
Now you've done it. My guess is the psychos will be thrashing through the manzanita this very afternoon in search of the elusive mother of all holy grail Woodson tips seams. I'd believe your story, but one thing makes me suspicious - a compliment from Rick? (joking) You must have been pulling down like a madman to get that. Actually, I also got one from Rick once. Swelled my head for like, oh, say a month or two? Those didn't come easy did they?
Maybe you oughta whip yourself into shape, jet out here, and send that thing yourself. Never too late bro. Even if you are getting older (pot calls kettle black.) Think young and hope the body parts hold up long enough to pull something off.
Speaking of the Starface area, I seem to recall some worthwhile looking new things down there. Probably need a bolt or two for anchors because some of the stuff was pretty big. Looked good though if I remember correctly.
"THE" Corner. Must be pretty good Doug - to have a working name like that.
Too bad Woodson is climbed out, eh?
Keep the pictures coming...
|
|
bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
|
|
|
Apr 19, 2011 - 11:50am PT
|
eliot, i don't think your link is the same thing i'm talking about because this thing is nowhere near fall semester, and it's not highball -- it's about as tall as california night -- maybe 15 - 18 feet with a perfect, flat landing.
yeah henny, getting any kind of compliment from rick was enough to fatten my head for months and motivate me to double my daily pull-up quota!
next time i'm in 'dago (memorial day weekend?) i'm gonna go looking for that thing, just to get a photo of it. it was beautiful on the very best rock woodson has to offer.
|
|
Truthdweller
Trad climber
San Diego, CA
|
|
|
Apr 19, 2011 - 07:31pm PT
|
"Thanks for giving up the goods!"...
Now that's what I'm talkin' about, it ain't about "old guys" anymore (nor is it about the "punk" kids either, actually)!
I'd go out on a limb and say that these young guys would be in awe, with a gleam in their eyes, to meet Mr. Rick Piggot. Heck, even you Mr. Van Belle, and all the other Woodson "back-in-the-day" notables! This was, actually, something that I was shooting for at the 2010 Shindig but that really didn't materalize like I provisioned it.
Guys, please tell me you didn't forsake "Atom Ant" after cranking so hard on "Fade to Black"! Did you really forget that?! Have you even put your hands in it?
|
|
Truthdweller
Trad climber
San Diego, CA
|
|
|
Apr 19, 2011 - 07:44pm PT
|
Shoot, speaking of a "gleam in your eyes"...I got to experience that once, when Rick recruited me to go with him down to "Firefly" (my first time). It was a conversation-less experience with him throughout until he asked, "Are you through yet?" when I attempted to hangdog the problem on TR and get a second attempt! He had none of that and quickly gave me slack, lowering me to the ground.
|
|
gonamok
climber
dont make me come over there
|
|
|
Apr 20, 2011 - 02:39am PT
|
Dave Robinson wanted to put up a testpiece in some high traffic area so bad that he resorted to gluing a 4"x 8" flake in place to create "obsession" which he called 5.12c. I heard about his antics on a sunday, and monday after work me and Peter Campos stormed up the hill armed with a hammer and chisel, a pair of jumars and a piece of rope.
The cover story was that this flake was a natural feature of that rock, which Dave thoughtfully reinforced with glue "so some fat guy wouldnt pull it off". What we found was a piece of flake that in no way matched the rock, oozing with dried glue from all 4 sides, the top of which had been manicured into a perfect handrail. The worst glue job you can imagine.
I popped the thing off with one whack. A couple days later I was on the hill with Epps and we ran into Dave. I told him what I did and why, and that it was in everybodys interest that nothing like this should happen again because next time I would chisel his pinhead off as well.
He didnt take it well, but there was little he could do except whine, which he wisely did not. After I had my say I turned and continued up the hill, but not Greg. I was several switchbacks above and could still hear him telling Dave "You F*ed with the rock! NEVER f with the rock!!"
The next weekend I was standing by painted when Rick Piggot came around the corner headed down. He broke into a huge grin when he saw me, and he didnt even break stride when he passed me, just stuck out his hand and gave me a resounding high five, grin still plastered on his face.
Thats the best atta boy Ive ever gotten from Rick, and I must say, I felt good for a week.
|
|
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!