Trip Report
Art Barker Memorial Route, Tollhouse Rock

by hairyapeman
Tuesday December 20, 2011 1:13am
Me (hairyapeman) and a old friend of mine went out to do some climbing at Tollhouse Rock yesterday (12/18). It has been a couple of years since we have climbed together. Anyways, we went out to climb one of the harder routes at Tollhouse rock. I was excited cause the last 4 times this year I had been up there was to take some newbies on there first multi-pitch trips, and I did not trust them to belay me on the more difficult leads.
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Art Barker memorial route.
Art Barker memorial route.
Credit: hairyapeman
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The route is rated 5.9 for the second and last pitch due to a beautiful finger/layback crack that is about 50ft long.
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Start of the second pitch of Art Barker Route.
Start of the second pitch of Art Barker Route.
Credit: hairyapeman
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Looking back on the first pitch that includes a fun 5.8 layback along with mostly 5.7-5.8 face and crack.
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Looking back on pitch one.
Looking back on pitch one.
Credit: hairyapeman
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From the second pitch if you go left you'll do Fat Andy 5.10a or so. Maybe I can top rope it after christmas...that is if I get the rope I asked for. I would have many more pictures to show you but alas my partner dropped his camera from the second pitch while he was fussing getting out a cam. So if you come across a silver smashed up camera on your next outing to Tollhouse please contact me.


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hairyapeman 		About the Author
hairyapeman is a trad climber from Fres-yes.

Comments
Clint Cummins

Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
  Dec 20, 2011 - 06:27am PT
Looks like fun.
Do you know if the route is called "Art Barker Memorial" or "Art Baker Memorial"?
In all the guidebooks I've seen, it is listed as "Art Baker Memorial".
[edit:] Thanks for explaining.
hairyapeman

Trad climber
Fres-yes
Author's Reply  Dec 20, 2011 - 02:58am PT
It is Baker. My Fault. For some reason I always call it that. Thanks
bhilden

Trad climber
Mountain View, CA/Boulder, CO
  Dec 20, 2011 - 03:07am PT
BITD before cams it was really hard to try and protect the 5.9 pitch with nuts so rather than pump out trying to get in bad gear we just ran out the pitch.
Paul Martzen

Trad climber
Fresno
  Dec 20, 2011 - 03:47am PT
I recall that stoppers were never very good in that crack, but that small hexes were quite solid. Not that anyone has small hexes anymore.
JEleazarian

Trad climber
Fresno CA
  Dec 20, 2011 - 07:02am PT
Thanks for the TR, Mark.

The difficulty in protecting the second pitch in the early days led to a couple of long falls. For that reason, early editions of the Tollhouse guidebook included a "belaying knife" as part of the suggested rack for the second.

I'll look for that camera when I'm there. For what it's worth, I've dropped, had dropped, or watched fall more than my share of cameras over the course of my climbing career.

John
Mike Bolte

Trad climber
Planet Earth
  Dec 20, 2011 - 11:58am PT
this just in

climber
Justin Ross from North Fork
  Dec 20, 2011 - 12:29pm PT
Such a fun route, thanks for the TR Hairyapeman.
hairyapeman

Trad climber
Fres-yes
Author's Reply  Dec 20, 2011 - 02:22pm PT
LIke I said I wish I had the lost camera. I was able to use about two 0.5 purple and one 0.4 grey BD cams. But after a while I got tired of trying to make things fit and just either single lobe placed the cams or ran it out to.
P.Rob

Social climber
Pacomia, Ca - Y Que?
  Dec 20, 2011 - 02:37pm PT
“From the second pitch if you go left you'll do Fat Andy 5.10a or so”.

Unless there has been a substantial change, I remember Fat Andy being more on the or so side – more like 10+ or harder depending on height & if you address the crux from the left or right.. There is also the choice of doing Attitudes of the People, which is definitely rated Or So+....... thanks for the TR
Paul Martzen

Trad climber
Fresno
  Dec 20, 2011 - 03:06pm PT
Nice and dry now. No rain all month. But yes, it does seem to channel water down it. Not a big problem where the finger locks are good, but the crux holds can sure get slimy.
Ezra Ellis

Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
  Dec 20, 2011 - 03:27pm PT
Beautiful crack, say YES to crack....:)
hairyapeman

Trad climber
Fres-yes
Author's Reply  Dec 20, 2011 - 03:28pm PT
Now that I think of it the last time I did climb it (2006?) there was slime in the crack which led to a little (5ft or so) slide off. Fun none the less.
rhyang

climber
SJC
  Dec 21, 2011 - 01:07am PT
Nice work ! We did it on Saturday -



We continued up and over Cap Rock via Cuticle Corner, but I guess if you rap from the second pitch belay you need two ropes ?

Beautiful weather that weekend.
SafetyFirst!

Trad climber
Fresno, CA
  May 17, 2012 - 01:17am PT
Paul: You look like a veritable James Bond of the Art Baker Memorial climbing world. It is a keeper, especially for my personal collection!
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