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Nefarius
Big Wall climber
Fresno
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I have an idea of where you're talking about, horse. I went up there a number of years ago with Carlos Daniels and this wanker dude, Alex, and someone from the group that owns it. They were considering opening it for climbing. Looked to be some pretty decent rock up there Particularly in a caveish area, and a lot of bad rock too. I remember pulling down plenty of microwave-sized blocks while putting up a couple of routes... Not sure what ever happened with the whole thing, as I just went on a couple of days to check it out and do some climbing. The hike in was actually pretty pleasant.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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May I've got sumpin brewing with a bit of time off planned, June would be groovy.
Tiki Jer? you out there? Tor? Matt? Brutus? everyone? hoards?
Ding, I remember now about the bbq spot. It has a bar and used to house 'Cafe 108' for a time. Duly noted.
edit - may have to go stealth, werd is I'm in arrears for my SSCA membership dues.
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crazy horse
Trad climber
seattle, wa
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They were considering opening it for climbing...
well there's like 10 routes in right now. A few up a serious 40-50' roof called the Matrix Roof all 12's and 13's very similar to an area I climbed at in Utah (in the Uintas range.) and a few moderates.
Skeleton Crew .10d ~25M
Circumstantial Evidence .10c ~25M
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Nate D
climber
San Francisco
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DMT, Munge,
Snake Crack on Squaw Dome is a moderate gem, IMHO. It's done in 3 long pitches, not the 5 or so as shown on the topo. Prepare to bushwhack if you don't find the right approach road from the south.
Speaking of Squaw, if anyone knows the author of the 5.10 slab pitch just to the right of Snake Crack, I'd love to know.
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kev
climber
CA
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Last year I was heading to sqaw and discovered that the forest disservice had done stealth road closures. While a road closure plan it was up for public review they bulldozed up berms and dropped trees so you can't drive up to that gravel parking/camping area anymore.
That 5.5/5.6 thing is fun fun fun.
kev
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spyork
Social climber
A prison of my own creation
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Hey Munge, can I get in on this shindig? I can try and make the time to get down there.
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crazy horse
Trad climber
seattle, wa
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Speaking of Squaw, if anyone knows the author of the 5.10 slab pitch just to the right of Snake Crack, I'd love to know.
i've been told by a few people that it was put in back in the day by mark maciaczek.
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Nefarius
Big Wall climber
Fresno
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The route I'm curious about is the big, wide crack that splits jackass rock... Not in the book, but so obvious.
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kev
climber
CA
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Very obvious and eyed by many. Someone has had to do it. I can't believe it hasn't been climbed...
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Nefarius
Big Wall climber
Fresno
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Oh. Well then, that's easy. I have a project for the upcoming season. It's simply a sin that it hasn't been done. I'd have thought it would have been one of the first in the area.
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crazy horse
Trad climber
seattle, wa
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it's been done, and it's really not as good as it looks from the road. I haven't actually done it, but when i went up there it looked very uninteresting. It's more like a tube, there's not much trad gear up there because the 'crack' is bolted.
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micronut
Trad climber
fresno, ca
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Hey fellas, have any of you done the South Pillar on Fresno Dome? I've had a woody for that route for a long time but wasn't sure of how sustained or runout it is for 5.8. Ive heard the belays are just slung chickenheads. I'm not super bold but would love to do this route. Is it really about 5-6 pitches? We're thinking of gittin in there early on motorcycles as soon as some of the snow melts, which should be soon sadly.
Scott
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Doug Robinson
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Yes, Micronut -- you gotta do the South Pillar! It is SO good.
I have done it 8-10 times, mostly guiding. It's more like 7 pitches thanks to terrain and rope drag. Longest route on the Dome, and a real favorite. I first climbed it while guiding for Rockcraft, a decade before the "FA" according to Spencer.
The 5.8 is right off the ground. Toe of the buttress, two bolts protect a few moves of delicate face (we initially avoided this little headwall by a minor variation to the right, but I recommend the "direct"), then one more bolt before you romp up onto cracks and chickenheads for several pitches that rarely get above 5.5.
Yes, there are chickenhead belays, but what chickenheads! We're talking a foot across with big chicken lips to hold your tieoff. You could anchor to two or three of them within arms reach some places.
After several pitches -- maybe 4 -- you come out onto the top of a tower on the buttress. Nice lunch spot. Above is a left-facing corner with slab climbing leaving it to the left. Good climbing but sparce pro. Diagonal right instead, up a steeper wall. The chickenheads have downsized here to beautiful plates. The next pitch goes up a short vertical spot -- feels a little like a roof -- then it slabs off toward the summit.
Just when you're ready to unrope there is one more spot to belay downclimbing into a notch. Bolt to protect the second here.
I'm going to go look for a photo now.
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crazy horse
Trad climber
seattle, wa
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Yeah,
i agree with DR's description. It's a great route. i've climbed it probably 6 times. It's fun!!
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Nate D
climber
San Francisco
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"i've been told by a few people that it was put in back in the day by mark maciaczek."
As I suspected. Can you ask him, Matt? Is there an independent second pitch?
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Mtnmun
Trad climber
Top of the Mountain Mun
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Approaching squaw Dome on a hot summer morning, the bushwack through manzanita has us looking like we had been raked by an evil clawed mountain badger. Sweat dripped down my face. Lars Johansen knew the way. LOL!
I led the first pitch and upon setting up the belay, I spotted the nice open climbers trail leading to the base of the climb. It is farther up the road than you expect and it avoids the manzanita garden.
Don't miss the secret swimming hole.
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Doug Robinson
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Werner busted us all, suggested we rename this thread Salsa!
But I detect a strong theme of manzanita.
Munge threw down a clear gauntlet, Southern Yosemite's own ethical conundrum of Clean Approaching:
Does lopping ever feel like chipping to anyone?
And what does this lot do? Sweep it under the table. Twenty posts back he said it, a veritable voice crying in the wilderness. And nary a word (though I have learned a lot about the food along the Sonora Pass corridor...)
Well I'm here to tell you that I've never lopped. That's right, not once.
Oh, I've clipped the lopping of others. But hey...it was there.
I have even faced down Extreme Manzanita(tm) in shorts. I have a secret technique. It's called Sloth. I have noticed that the secret to Extreme Manzanita(tm) is to go slow. Pick my way through the thicket.
Some may call this mincing. But they cannot impugn my manhood. I may not be fast. I may not even be half-fast. But I rarely draw blood.
I am a follower of the Kauk way. In the venerable text, Ron of the headband admonished us to "get inside the move." This text has been variously interpreted by different sects of the brotherhood of the manzanita, I am well aware. Some even crawl. But I say unto them, "Stand up brothers! Were you not born into the sunlight of uprightness?"
There are those who say they have seen me, standing on a rock surrounded by a sea of manzanita and not moving. Stroking my beard and staring, as if completely flummoxed by the red-barked foe. Clearly they fail to see that in those moments I have transcended even getting inside the move, and have reached the ultimate state of fully "contemplating the move(tm)."
I pity those whose vision is so limited they think me stymied, when actually I have entered into the Zen of the Thicket.
Yours in the Eternal Brotherhood of Scratched Thighs.
PEace
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tiki-jer
Trad climber
fresno/clovis
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Hey come on down Mungie. We'll get back on Chiquito too.
Nate, Dave and I would love to show you some areas.
You too Brutus and DMT and Nef.
Matt when your back in the area lets rope up!!
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Wack
climber
Dazevue
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"crazy horse
Speaking of Squaw, if anyone knows the author of the 5.10 slab pitch just to the right of Snake Crack, I'd love to know.
i've been told by a few people that it was put in back in the day by mark maciaczek."
Medusa was put up on lead by Pat Howes, Scott Furusho and Bob Nungester a couple of decades ago. We bailed on putting in the second pitch as things were getting a bit toasty. An ice cold beer while wallowing in Granite Creek sounded like more fun. We were fortunate that 5/16" Rawls were available then, sorry about massacring the first bolt. Prior to that with Jim Wellman we added Voyeur, named for the window at the top located R of West Face.
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crazy horse
Trad climber
seattle, wa
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Thanks for the beta Wack
for all interested, i found a weather station above north fork a month or two ago when i was up there checking out the extent of the snow. I'm not sure how well it's maintained and therefore the data might not be accurate, but here it is anyways
http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/queryF?s=PCK
Cheers
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