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LongAgo
Trad climber
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May 21, 2007 - 06:40pm PT
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On some mentioned, and some not:
Apron thoughts: Perhaps - pretty hard and run. Be careful. Punch Bowl - also on the apron, 5.10 and not so run. Fun because it's off the beaten path and requires a bit of figuring to get started. Also in the shade on warm days. Maybe check around before going as rockfall may have nipped some of the route. Don't know.
Crest Jewel on North Dome - probably is more popular nowadays, but since it's a bit of a hump to get there, maybe not done that much. A really fine face climb.
Inverted Staircase on Fairview - yes, a good climb. Again, not so popular. One traversing pitch was protected by an old bolt through a knifeblade blade piton and should be replaced, or backed up and left as a monument to Kamps who was low on hangers that day. For real obscurity, there is Always Arches left of Staircase. Reid & Falkenstein, 1983 mentions it in the index, but there is no topo. Old Kamps Higgins special. Go up slabs below big arches. Keep going. When you're in the mood for a real "beta-minimum."
Others on Fairview: Piece de Resistance - face, off width, roof on beautiful rock. Pretty sustained mid 11 on crux pitch, but well protected. Not sure why it's not done more or why R in old Meadows guidebook, except for maybe the 5.9 off width which is quite solid. I don't recommend Mr. Kamps - quite run 11. But do recommend Unh-Huh, 10a and not done much. Goes over a massive 5.3 roof! Start is a little run, but can be avoided by doing first pitch of Lucky Streaks instead. I like Roseanne and Peter Peter 5.9 and 10a. Neither gets done much maybe because they are both somewhat run out. When You're Strange near Pumpkin is another one not getting done much. Hard to recommend - has a hard move above a sharp little ledge before you can clip a bolt on first pitch, and some long knob runs in other areas.
Cloud's Rest - quite a long adventure, but worth it. Half way between mountaineering and rock climbing on a long, sweeping face. As Roper said in his old guidebook, "Little is known about this route ... Thank heaven. That's the fun part.
Tom Higgins
LongAgo
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Ken Zemach
Trad climber
Redwood City, CA
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May 21, 2007 - 07:55pm PT
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Notes on prior comment:
*The Inverted Staircase traverse bolt has been replaced. Thankfully...
*Crest Jewel is pretty well traveled now. I've done it twice from Royal Arches, once with the Direct added on and once without. Both times we were not the only ones on the route. The first time, some couple had, get this, brought a haul bag from Tioga Road to practice hauling! I kid you not. Bless them for trying to do something that they thought no one else would be on though; that was definitely considerate. And they let us pass.
"For real obscurity, there is Always Arches left of Staircase. Reid & Falkenstein, 1983 mentions it in the index, but there is no topo. Old Kamps Higgins special. Go up slabs below big arches. Keep going. When you're in the mood for a real "beta-minimum.""
Holy crap, I've was eyeing those arches last year. Wanted to start on the right hand side, arch up, then across, then back down (meaning some downclimb-ish leading for the follower!) back down to the ground on the left side. Would be hilarious to start AND end on the ground; kind of a pointless "Girdle Traverse-y" climb yet would be at least 6+ full pitches. But you say it's been done perhaps? Sweet! Totally want to try that.
Unfortunately, I'm not that good of a climber, so the adventure stuff gets a little wiggy. But I've still made a personal pact with myself that when I'm not leading my GF up something this summer, I want to be on something that's not in SuperTopo. No offense to STopo of course, but I've found the adventure is well worth the risk of a bad route every now and then. Speaking of which, how are the routes on the Cathedral Spires?
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coiler
Trad climber
yosemite
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May 21, 2007 - 08:15pm PT
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Alley Cat- Middle Cathedral rock. the topo says grassy Cracks, they're not that grassy. There are lot's of nice fist cracks up there!
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a.s.
Big Wall climber
SF, CA
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May 21, 2007 - 08:31pm PT
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This doesn't exactly fit into the genre of mostly longer routes mentioned, but I really liked Vanishing Point.
It's a lesser known classic.
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WBraun
climber
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May 21, 2007 - 08:33pm PT
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The "Lizard King" at the base of the Lost Brother.
A real test piece. Who has done? I did 2nd.
Others
=
Tunnel Vision
Gait of Power
Atomic finger crack
Soul sacrifice
Duncan Imperial
Wild Turkey
Overdrive
And the list can go on and on and on .....
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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May 21, 2007 - 08:54pm PT
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Werner, Dru Marquardt y yo did the third of lizard king shortly (weeks? days? a week?) after you and Coz did the second (replacing the pin that was dangling on the sling on top as I recall(?))
other cool obscure ones,
Midget chimney
Sky
I climbed Soul sacrifce twice when I was 27, once with a 17 yr old and once with a 37 yr old (gimmee time and I'll remeber the names) on at least one of those ascents I utilised 'sliders™
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WBraun
climber
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May 21, 2007 - 09:04pm PT
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Wow, pin that was dangling on the sling on top?
And still I live?
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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May 21, 2007 - 09:28pm PT
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's what I heard, is all ...
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K. Fosburg
Sport climber
park city, ut
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May 21, 2007 - 09:32pm PT
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How about Powerpoint? That route is amazing! Has it become a classic must-do for the grade?
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nick d
Trad climber
nm
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May 21, 2007 - 09:34pm PT
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Werner, "still I live?". Not sure about that one. Can you prove that statment? What is this sentience? Is it quantifiable? Just wanna know your criteria baby!
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WBraun
climber
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May 21, 2007 - 09:34pm PT
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Yes so true Kevin.
PowerPoint first ascent by some guy named Bill Gates.
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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May 21, 2007 - 09:37pm PT
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"Punch Bowl - also on the apron, 5.10 and not so run. Fun because it's off the beaten path and requires a bit of figuring to get started. Also in the shade on warm days. Maybe check around before going as rockfall may have nipped some of the route. Don't know. "
Punch Bowl had missing crushed bolts when I tried to do it 25 years ago, THEN a huge rockfall poured down over it more recently.
I still climb at the Apron but I think the Punch Bowl is history
Peace
karl
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bob
climber
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May 21, 2007 - 10:05pm PT
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Silent Line. If you don't mind pulling on the first pitch(or 13) it has some of the best crack climbing I have done in the Valley. No sh#t. What do you think Werner? Three raps Werner? How far did you go left on the ledge for the descent?
Did Min Ne Ah recently with a buddy. THe rock is not good for the upper part and we used a 6 friend on all but two pitches. OK so the route isn't super classic in rock quality but hanging out on that face, heck, even staring up that face right of YPB is soooooo cooool.
LongAgo, Piece de Resistance seemed like the crux was 12 and on sheeeeeite rock. Constant changing kind of thing. Hearing that you don't think Mr. Kamps is a classic almost hurts me. I think that route sports some of the best climbing on Fairview Dome. Great rock for the most part, quality pro, ok well maybe not so quality at times but fug that route is good.
Retrospective on Fairview is a really great route in my opinion. It has one of the best face pitches on that rock. Make sure you are solid on 5.10. Crux is a sport pitch. Hats off to Mike Schaffer(sp?) for that awsome route.
Bob J.
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TYeary
Mountain climber
Calif.
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May 21, 2007 - 11:54pm PT
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Classics can be a function of your state of mind at the time. The very first route I ever did in the Valley was Positivly Fourth Street. A route hardly worth mentioning except it was my first. A bit of a roof and a lot of bat sh#t. I'm sure Werner has skipped this route(maybe not) It will always be a classic to me.
Tony
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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May 22, 2007 - 12:21am PT
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Dru, @ the top of Powerpoint-one of the best[despite the branding]-(a few days before or after our climb of Realm of the Lizaed King)
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WBraun
climber
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May 22, 2007 - 12:25am PT
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K-man
Stay Free is a winner. The Walt Shipley classic high above Columbia point off the falls trail.
bob
I don't know what people do for the descent on the left side of ribbon falls but I always just kept going west until it got easy.
There are a couple of low angle raps off some twigs. Not too bad.
I don't know, ya just do what you have too. Like you know ....
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WBraun
climber
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May 22, 2007 - 01:05am PT
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Kevin
manana is trade route now.
Cro Magnon Capers was some climb Warbler took me to, to try and kill me.
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Nefarius
Big Wall climber
Fresno, CA
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May 22, 2007 - 01:30am PT
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While maybe not "classic" by most standards, the Leaning Tower Traverse, which I Posted a TR for recently,is pretty obscure. It's an obvious "line" that most see and wonder about, but it is seldom done. I thought it was a fun day, adventurous and will definitely do it again. Really moderate with some caveats.
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aldude
climber
Monument Manor
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May 22, 2007 - 03:00am PT
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Yo Kevin, Walkabout is 5.11 now? Rick told me you guys rated it 10c. Kinda figured.....did you see our bolts ?
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wayne w
Trad climber
the nw
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May 22, 2007 - 03:14am PT
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bad seed on el cap hasn't seen many ascents. there is some great climbing on that line. for sure one that deserves to be done more often.
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