Trip Report
The Elegant Arch at Tahquitz (FA)
Wednesday November 26, 2014 11:57am
For those of you that have never wandered down south to Tahquitz, here is a little taste.

Since I've been less motivated to climb, I actually have time to sit around and upload some of the footage we've taken over the years. The video is the super fun easy crack on El Whampo that we used to carve out a "new" route on Tahquitz a couple years ago. We had a rain delay at one point, but the good vibes carried us through. The route links up many pitches of popular routes, with a few previously unclimbed and scary pitches that sew it together. Leading "The Elegant Arch" pitch was a dirty, wet mess. There was a loose block in the beginning that will get you thinking about the possibility or a rope sever. Then you are traversing an uncling/arch/roof deal. Protecting often is good because a long pendulum will possibly cut your rope as you swing under what looked to be a sharp arch below. After Josh Reinig followed this crux pitch, we decided it might be 5.10d free. I had to French Free like a bitch because it was wet, dirty, and I was scared. I am really hoping someone will go climb this so we can be told we're full of sh#t.


[youtube=http://youtu.be/mWGaI-vEPpk]

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Elegant Arch - Pitch 5
Elegant Arch - Pitch 5
Credit: spondiferous
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Elegant Arch - Pitch 6
Elegant Arch - Pitch 6
Credit: spondiferous
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Elegant Arch - Pitch 7
Elegant Arch - Pitch 7
Credit: spondiferous
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Elegant Arch - Pitch 8
Elegant Arch - Pitch 8
Credit: spondiferous
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Tahquitz topo - The lengths are just guesses and are definitely inflat...
Tahquitz topo - The lengths are just guesses and are definitely inflated.
Credit: spondiferous
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spondiferous
About the Author
spondiferous is a trad climber from Oceanside.

Comments
rmuir

Social climber
From the Time Before the Rocks Cooled.
  Nov 26, 2014 - 02:41pm PT
Here's some details of the 1975 Tahquitz girdle, a.k.a., New Directions:

http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=73010

Robs.
TGT

Social climber
So Cal
  Nov 26, 2014 - 03:41pm PT
Looks real familiar.

Last year Ryuichi and I went straight up and slightly right above the Larks and traversed under a really "elegant" arch system joining the Sahara Terror chimney at what looks to be about the same spot.

Hard to tell from the photos, but it sure looks to be the same arch system.

The variation started at a pair of old pitons that was probably a bail anchor (looks like maybe you crossed above these) and there was a really old buried fixed wired nut just before it joined Sahara Terror. Ryuichi didn't even see it when leading.

The climbing was really interesting, particularly where the arch gets really sketch and some thank God chicken heads for the left hand appear just at the right moment.

We both thought that if this pitch or two was in a more accessible location it would be quite popular. Thought it to be hard .9 or 10-, but then it wasn't wet.


Lots of adventure climbing left there for sure.
Splater

climber
Grey Matter
  Nov 26, 2014 - 04:38pm PT
I have looked up at that "Elegant Arch" several times from the ledges below (your 10d 8th pitch) and wondered what it was like. but it also looked like a lotta lichen.
TGT

Social climber
So Cal
  Nov 26, 2014 - 04:48pm PT
Yes,

But if you think about it, every popular climb there started out with plenty of lichen.

Holds true for pretty much anywhere, and if it isn't lichen it's graininess.

Ezra Ellis

Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
  Nov 26, 2014 - 05:33pm PT
Magnificent and spontaneous Spondiferous!!!
Gnome Ofthe Diabase

climber
Out Of Bed
  Nov 27, 2014 - 07:39am PT
That was cool for cats thanx
happy Thanks Giving and
remember Supertopians twice
Redundancy saves lives
life is a bivouac

Trad climber
Bishop
  Nov 27, 2014 - 02:42pm PT
Hey, I really enjoyed watching you go up that hand crack on El Wampo... I was on the first ascent of that fun route, your vid really brought back some good memories... Thanks, Russ
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