July 9, 2011
Great Googley Boogley
The Sphinx, Tioga Pass
ablegabel
Ed Hartouni

ablegabel called me up early in the week and asks if I’m up for an adventure on the weekend,
“sure” I reply…

“what are you up for?” he asks again

“I’m up for anything” I reply

”anything?” he asks again, checking my resolve

“anything!” I resolve and so we are committed to a weekend trip to Tuolumne Meadows to attempt to tick another project off a long list of projects. Friday evening the Blue Van arrives and I load my stuff in and we’re off.

“Where are we going?” I ask, but there is no answer, “you are up for anything, aren’t you?” ablegabel asks/reminds me, and I confirm that yes, it is true, I’m up for anything.


Saturday morning arrives early for me, sunrise above Ellery Lake, it’s wonderful and I’m sitting watching the ducks. The door swings open, a cup of hot coffee is handed off and after a few moments we’re driving down the road.

Turns out you’ve all been by The Sphinx, those who have driven from Tioga Pass down to Lee Vining. It’s a huge out crop of block granite. Here’s a map to orient you. Lots of activity on the down hill side of the road, but I haven’t heard a lot about the uphill side.


So we get organized, have breakfast and get ready to hike up to the start of our day’s work.


The start in an alcove is interesting, wildly steep, and the surface of the rock is friable. Lots of care. Someplace a voice above me says “gee, I’m not sure I’m up for this today” the sound accompanying a shower of peebles rubbed off the surface of the rock. Eric finds the resolve to push through the uncertainty. The rock is good. He ends up doing a series of moves up to a traversing roof and then under it with just enough feet to keep it sane.


[Click to View YouTube Video]

At the end of the first pitch we were indeed, Spellbound.

(even if you don’t watch the whole video, jump to 8:20 to get a perspective of the route from the first belay).

The next pitch was even wilder… up and around some stacked blocks, then to a traversing horizontal crack, with no feet really, but once again just enough to get you by the exposed piece, then more jamming up steep corners to the next belay ledge, which wasn’t much more than the top of a block just big enough for your feet.


Not too much loose rock on this climb, most of it has fallen off. The loose stuff that hasn’t is stacked neatly in vertical piles, so careful movement seems to be a very good thing to strive for.

The third pitch starts out steep again, finds a roof, traverses out and left, once again with enough for the feet to make it possible. Getting to the belay was a tremendous relief. At some point ablegabel is warning me about a loose block. I get most of the way through the pitch thinking “that wasn’t so bad” and reach over to a blocky hold with chalk on it and it moves, very easily. I totally freak out, but somehow avoid tipping the block onto my lap and finish the stout moves to the belay.


The last pitch is a lowish angle and probably 5.7 to get to the summit. Sort of a let down considering the first three pitches had absolutely wonderful 5.10 moves.


On top, the summit register put there in 1938 with the report of 12 ascents the last one before our’s being 2007. Of those 12 parties there are many who have returned multiple times. There are a few routes on The Sphinx, and now one more. Descending is 4th class with some rappells to make it go faster.

What a great day.