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Location: CA : Sierra Eastside : Bishop Area : Owens River Gorge : Central Gorge : ... : Feudal Beerlords (5.10b)
By: Greg Barnes When: Oct 27, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: This went back and forth between 10d and 10c in previous Gorge guides. I go with 10d - only a few moves, but off balance and powerful. Easier for big fingers.
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Location: CA : Yosemite National Park : Yosemite Valley : The Cookie Cliff : Meat Grinder (5.10b) : Photo
By: Greg Barnes When: Oct 25, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Yeah Rob, we're horrible about it. We took all sorts of great photos on Matthes Crest, and my brother's wearing something like what he did in this shot, and I'm wearing a light grey/green shirt that blends in to the rock perfectly. We're so well camouflaged that we have trouble spotting ourselves in our own pictures!
I don't even have photoshop though...
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Location: CA : Yosemite National Park : Tuolumne Meadows : Medlicott Dome : Medlicott Dome East End : Super Chicken (5.9)
By: Greg Barnes When: Aug 15, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: John is right, take the left-most line at the start and it's good quality and fun.
The 3rd pitch is awesome - for about 80 or 100 feet. Then it gets sucky, thin slab with crumbly edges, and the belay is still a ways above you (40' or so). No pro, you can't even tie off a single knob, and since you've gone a bit right, you're looking at falling over the edge of the main blunt arete. Yikes!
Above that are another few pitches, with short bits of steep crack, runout knobs, face, etc. All a bit cru... more >>
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Location: CA : Yosemite National Park : Tuolumne Meadows : Dark Side Dome : Death Star Rides Again (5.8 R)
By: Greg Barnes When: Jun 17, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: This route is called Death Star Rides Again and was done around 2005 or 2006 by Bryan Law & George Ridgley, and rated 5.6 R (I thought 5.7).
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Location: CA : Yosemite National Park : Tuolumne Meadows : Dark Side Dome : Dark Side of the Force (5.6)
By: Greg Barnes When: Jun 17, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: This route description is for a newer route called Megacrystic, Dark Side of the Force is to the right with a higher first bolt (about the level of the second bolt on Megacrystic) and requires some gear. You can traverse from Dark Side of the Force to this route for the anchor.
I don't have my notes, but the FA was around 2005 or 2006 by Bryan Law & George Ridgley.
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Location: CA : Yosemite National Park : Yosemite Valley : Middle Cathedral Rock : Central Pillar of Frenzy (5.9) : Photo
By: Greg Barnes When: May 22, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Pitch 4 actually.
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Location: CA : Yosemite National Park : Yosemite Valley : Middle Cathedral Rock : Central Pillar of Frenzy (5.9) : Photo
By: Greg Barnes When: May 22, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Pitch 2 actually.
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Location: UT : Moab Area : Indian Creek : Technicolor Wall : Whale's Back (5.11-)
By: Greg Barnes When: Apr 22, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: A 70m doesn't reach, we tried. The route is probably 130' tall.
We replaced the anchor in Sept. '07. One of the original bolts pulled out with not much effort (even still had the price tag on the bolt!), but the other huge weird bolt with homemade aluminum hanger is still there since I didn't have the right gear to try removing it and it's cool to see some original homemade funky stuff now and then (particularly when you don't have to rap from it!).
Be careful about placing cam(s) near the top... more >>
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Location: UT : Moab Area : Indian Creek : Scarface : Your Mama (5.10+)
By: Greg Barnes When: Apr 22, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Fun route, not just a walk-the-cams splitter. My friends and I replaced one of the bolts and replaced webbing with chains in Sept. '07. There was a previously chopped anchor about 30' up on the right wall, super lame to have such a low anchor which avoids the interesting climbing. I placed a large stopper or two on this route, there are some funky double-cracks-meeting-can't-place-cams spots.
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Location: CA : Yosemite National Park : Tuolumne Meadows : DAFF Dome : Bombs over Tokyo (1st pitch... (5.10c)
By: Greg Barnes When: Feb 13, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: When you're at the anchor check out the 5.11d R pitch. This slab-up-a-seam pitch is one of the real psychological/technical testpieces of the era - Vern Clevenger whipped off this pitch over the roof/dihedral edge onto an RP - which held! The fixed pin is a #1 knifeblade, which we replaced (the old #1 knifeblade was very rusty).
The 3rd pitch was attempted many many times by Clevenger and friends, and a second variation was even bolted (never-redpointed low 5.13?), and they even ble... more >>
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Location: CA : Yosemite National Park : Tuolumne Meadows : DAFF Dome : Blown Away (5.9 PG13)
By: Greg Barnes When: Feb 13, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Tyler - the bolts going around the arete onto the overhung face is a very exposed 5.11 variation, which is actually the line of our FA. The 5.9 dihedral was way mungy looking and we thought that was the finish for Bombs Over Tokyo, so I went around the corner and up the face (yes, Karin & Rachel both thought I was nuts). Unfortunately, a big block that seemed to be attached actually wasn't. When I realized it was coming off, I held it in and we double-triple-quadruple checked that no one was bel... more >>
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Location: NV : Red Rock : Pine Creek Canyon : Brass Wall : Birdland (5.7+)
By: Greg Barnes When: Apr 12, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: marc rosenthal - vegastradguy and I replaced the Big Horn anchor this February (2008).
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Location: NV : Red Rock : Pine Creek Canyon : Brass Wall : The Big Horn (5.8)
By: Greg Barnes When: Apr 12, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: Really good, and not much wide crack climbing despite what it looks like. The crux (fingers past a tiny roof) is perfectly protected and very clean. But it is significantly harder than either Straight Shooter or the final pitch on Frigid Air Buttress (both called 5.9 or 5.9+), and so I'd call it a couple moves of 5.10a, which is of course standard for "old school 5.8" - especially Joe Herbst 5.8!
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Location: NV : Red Rock : Pine Creek Canyon : Brass Wall : Valore (5.8-)
By: Greg Barnes When: Apr 8, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: First pitch is like a bunch of dinner plates glued to the wall, with poor pro (mostly between plates that were suspect). Runout. Not recommended even for very experienced Red Rocks locals. The bolts were off the logical line of the route, and easy to miss. This route may well see an accident if moderate trad leaders start doing it when Birdland is crowded (Handren has a description).
However, the second pitch is pretty cool, neat position, good moves, and steep. Still quite hollow and loose tho... more >>
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Location: NV : Red Rock : Juniper Canyon : Brownstone Wall : High Anxiety (5.10 PG13)
By: Greg Barnes When: Mar 20, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: John forgot to mention that we replaced the 30-year-old bolts yesterday. There are 2 pro bolts on the 2nd, a bolted anchor top of the 2nd, and 2 pro bolts on the 3rd.
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Location: NV : Red Rock : Juniper Canyon : Jackrabbit Buttress : Juggernaut (5.10c/d)
By: Greg Barnes When: Mar 14, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: We replaced the anchor today, 3/14/08 - Josh Thompson, Greg Barnes, Joe Denicola.
One of the bolts was a poor 1/4" USE Diamond Taper with a good hanger, the other was a good 3/8" split-shaft with Leeper hanger. Unfortunately, the threads were damaged so replacing the hanger was not a good idea. We pulled the 1/4" and reused the hole, then drilled a new hole for the second bolt. Since the thread-damaged 3/8" is tucked away in the corner, pulling it without damaging the rock is next to impossibl... more >>
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Location: CA : High Sierra : Dana Plateau : Third Pillar, Regular Route (5.10a)
By: Greg Barnes When: Feb 28, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: Yep, Dennis is right on for pitch 4 - because a big chunk of rock came out a few years ago, creating the flake hold. Now it's 5.10a (and better climbing) going straight up instead of the off-balance 5.10b moves left.
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Location: CA : Sierra Eastside : Whitney/Lone Pine Area : Whitney Portal : The Whale : Bony Fingers (5.11b R)
By: Greg Barnes When: Feb 24, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: Karin Wuhrmann & I replaced the 3 pro bolts on the 11b start in 2005, and Peter Croft replaced the ones on the 10c start sometime not too long before that.
The slab at the top feels pretty easy to me, maybe 5.7, but I do it in 3 pitches so rope drag is negligible.
Nice to hear about the ball nut, I have an extra-long nut (an old Trango one I think) that I bring just to reach the nut placement (I'm 6' but I'm even on ape index and can't reach the placement with a normal stopper).
You can use R... more >>
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Location: NV : Red Rock : Pine Creek Canyon : Brass Wall : Rawlpindi (5.7)
By: Greg Barnes When: Feb 23, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: If you want, the 3rd pitch chimney can be climbed further out in combination with a finger crack/lieback on the left, and thus avoiding the tight (and a bit funky) chimney behind the chockstone. This is actually really fun climbing, in the 5.8/9 range depending on how much you stem/chimney, and it has good pro.
Also, when you traverse right to belay just above the chockstone, you actually traverse about 30 feet right on a huge ledge (great small tree as a directional above the chockstone).
Th... more >>
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Location: NV : Red Rock : Oak Creek Canyon : Solar Slab - Lower Tier : Solar Flare (5.10-)
By: Greg Barnes When: Feb 12, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: The protection bolt on the 5.10 roof is super sketchy. It's a stainless stud bolt that sticks out over 2" and is only 3" long, and placed at a downward angle. This bolt, even though new, needs to be replaced immediately.
The roof is pretty dang hard if you're a tall, weak trad climber like me - it's very crunched up and powerful.
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Location: NV : Red Rock : Icebox Canyon : Refrigerator Wall : La Cierta Edad (5.10d)
By: Greg Barnes When: Dec 28, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: Well, for those who aren't strong gym or sport climbers, I'd rate this sucker at least 5.10d. No way is that crux anywhere near 5.9! Maybe it feels easy if you sport climb 5.11, but my only question was whether the crux was 5.11- or 10+, and 5.10- didn't even vaguely enter my mind. And I tried the heel hook mantle thing (couldn't press it through), liebacking, etc - ended up doing super dicey moves that I never would have tried on lead.
It's funny how the ratings are diverging - the skill sets ... more >>
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Location: NV : Red Rock : Icebox Canyon : Refrigerator Wall : La Cierta Edad (5.10d)
By: Greg Barnes When: Apr 23, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: Just to clarify - Josh is talking about rapping down the shared Unfinished Symphony raps (not rapping the route on La Cierta Edad), and the anchor out to the right is the one on top of pitch 2 of Music to My Fears. Reaching this anchor would require a somewhat aggressive penji/tension traverse out of the main corner, and it's not clear if you'd then rap back into the corner or to the first pitch anchor of Music to My Fears.
The bolt replacement: 11 bolts on first 3 pitches replaced in March 200... more >>
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Location: NV : Red Rock : Black Velvet Canyon : Black Velvet Wall : Epinephrine (5.9)
By: Greg Barnes When: Apr 23, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: John is too nice, he helped hand-drill several of the holes!
Also, the 5th (last) pro bolt on that second pitch off the Elephant's Trunk (right below the anchor) is an old 1/4" Urioste bolt which is missing its hanger. THere is a good small nut placement nearby, and we didn't have enough bolts to replace it.
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Location: NV : Red Rock : Black Velvet Canyon : Black Velvet Wall : Refried Brains (5.9)
By: Greg Barnes When: Apr 23, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: The rope drag around that arete midway up George Bell's 4th pitch was heinous, and I was cursing the guidebooks which showed a bolted belay at the arete. Cursing them until I rapped down, replacing bolts, and realized that the old 3/8" bolt on the arete (shown/described as a bolted station in the original Urioste guide, Swain, AND Brock) did indeed used to have a 1/4" companion - which must have broken on someone!!! That would be pretty nasty - belaying on the arete and having an anchor bolt sna... more >>
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Location: NV : Red Rock : Pine Creek Canyon : Magic Mountain : Small Purchase (5.10a)
By: Greg Barnes When: Apr 23, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: Julie Haas & I replaced the anchor last week. Two old 3/8" bolts up high were connected to a 1/4" bolt down low, and right of the 1/4" bolt was a 1/2" deep 3/8" hole with lichen growing in it. I removed the 1/4" bolt, redrilled the hole, then continued the old 3/8" hole, for a 2-new-bolt anchor. For the old 3/8" bolts, the right one broke easily, and I just removed the hanger on the other one, which is a relatively new 3/8" split-shaft compression bolt. These will not break and must be pulled or... more >>
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