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P.Rob
Social climber
Pacomia, Ca - Y Que?
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Oct 18, 2011 - 03:38pm PT
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Sounds like it was a good time by all.... Saw a visitor here at work with a FaceOff Shirt ....interesting color – might help if you need a rescue. Glad to see some $ going to ASCA…… So I ask Again WHAT ROUTES HAVE BEEEN THROUGH THE ASCA TREATMENT?
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Paul Martzen
Trad climber
Fresno
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Oct 18, 2011 - 04:31pm PT
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Well, I missed the big crowd on Saturday as a brother was in town singing barbershop and I wanted to visit and listen. My son wanted to go but ended up working late and showing up even later, too tired to go. I left the house around 9 pm, arriving at the parking area at 10 pm. 5 cars there.
Fun and challenging to get up the steep and sandy firebreak road with a heavy pack in the moonlight. Left the house depressed, but was a happy man by the time I got to the cap rocks at 10:30 or so. Heard voices on the rim and joined Flydude, Holly and Craig for good conversation and the wonderful view. No one seemed up for a midnight/moonlight climb and Flydude fell asleep anyway. We got him to bed and all retired, while the moon rose to zenith.
At 5 AM I felt obligated and motivated to carry out the moonlight climbing tradition and headed down to the base. It was a lovely descent in the moonlight, but alas tradition was thwarted. By the time I got to the base of Tollhouse Traverse, the moonlight was far overpowered by the bright dawn sky. Having low standards, a dawn ascent seemed just fine. I was happy to be moving on rock and happy that it was only 5.5 difficulty. Happy that is till I got to the little crux head wall and could not remember the exact sequence. Backed off it 3 times till I figured it out enough to feel solid.
Back at the top, I was surprised to see the others up and about, fixing breakfast. Sausages, sauteed vegies and scrambled egg burritos. Lovely.
Other climbers started showing up and over the course of the day we saw about 5 or 6 other parties. My friends and I headed down to climb Tollhouse Traverse as 2 teams of 2. The descent goes through a cool little cave and can go through a deep chimney, which we enjoyed. It was already hot at the base.
Over the years various people have gone to great effort to create and maintain good trails near the base of Tollhouse. It is interesting to me how nice they are and how they have evolved over the years.
Flydude and Holly went up first, with Glen and I close on their heels. At the first belay, photos were called for, but in looking for Holly's camera, I dropped it. Tink! Tink! Tink! Down the cliff it went. I rapped down to look. Kenny Rose and partner wandered by and found the remains, while I found the memory card. No gear was sacrificed on the rest of the climb. I thought I would get a chance to do better on the final headwall, but Dwight had veered right onto a bolted friction variation. After a few moves I could tell the rock had a lot of friction and I started seeing little bumps and rugosities to step on or palm, but the initial steps above the traverse cracks were unnerving. Glen got to hear my whining. After a short distance, I was totally immersed in the delicate, slow dance that is friction climbing.
At the top, a cool wind had picked up, so they day turned from hot to very pleasant. While Flydude and Glen retrieved rap ropes from the Desperado area, I gave Holly rap lessons on a 10,000 foot overhanging piece of choss. Or maybe it was a 20 degree slab just downhill from camp. I forget which makes the better story.
Then we carried loads up to Flydudes ATV. We got the place totally cleaned up, including all the gear of the girl who told me she was staying another night, as she passed me carrying her gear back to the campsite. Couldn't blame her. It is a sweet place to camp.
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Paul Martzen
Trad climber
Fresno
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Oct 18, 2011 - 09:21pm PT
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Hey Rob,
My impression is that most routes have been rebolted, but that some remain. Dwight mentioned Desperado needed new bolts, for instance. I have not been up there lately to really look around, but I feel a bit motivated to do a little work this year.
Just chatted with Barry. He thinks "Don't Laugh" probably needs bolts. It seems like there are various routes scattered around that still need replacing.
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Slater
Trad climber
Central Coast
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Oct 19, 2011 - 01:35am PT
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great to meet everyone and hang and climb
Well done Dwight, that was a ton of work, thanks!
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P.Rob
Social climber
Pacomia, Ca - Y Que?
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Oct 19, 2011 - 01:37pm PT
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Thanks Paul ... do you know if Cool Running’s has been replaced, because if not they should. I do believe we used silicone on the Don't Laugh belay (immersed them actually) as the there was some literature at the time that suggested that this would help sustain and protect … sounds like that might be up for reconsideration. BTW Don’t Laugh was put up in 1984, so me thinks they be old regardless
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P.Rob
Social climber
Pacomia, Ca - Y Que?
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Oct 24, 2011 - 06:20pm PT
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"Mineral Magic was done by Barry Chambers and Jeff Harris. Newell must be thinking of some other route"..... Leni you are correct! Gary put up "Scary Ball". Barry asked Gary later if he could place a bolt retro, of which Gary gave his okay.
I appreciate this thread - it has allowed me to reconnect with a number of you good folks .....Now if we only could get Table Tops access – I remember there use to be some good slab climbing at that place
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Flydude
Trad climber
Prather, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 15, 2011 - 11:18pm PT
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Okay...let's start planning Tollhouse Faceoff 2012!
I'll check with the County about closing the Old Tollhouse Rd. for the 1st annual Barry Chambers Classic wheelchair race...anyone with me?
Let's Rock!..d.
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