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Location: CA : Central Coast : Santa Barbara : Fire Crags : Black Crack (5.9+)
By: Joe Stern When: 2 days ago | view comment >> |
Comments: It looks like a finger-sized cam (yellow or orange metolius) would adequately protect the start.
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Location: UT : Zion National Park : Desert Shield Buttress : Desert Shield (5.11a C3)
By: Joe Stern When: Oct 18, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Did all but the last pitch last weekend (Oct 09)...really fun free and aid as everyone says. Lots to add, though.
Approach: Maybe 5 minutes with a daypack, or on the way down, but schlepping huge pigs up that sandy trail took at least 20 minutes I think. Maybe I just really don't like hiking. Okay, I just really don't like hiking.
Rack (idealized): 3-4 sets offset stoppers (mostly #3-7); 2 sets offset cams (mostly the smaller sizes); 2-3 sets normal cams up to BD .... more >>
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Location: CA : Central Coast : Hwy 33/Ojai : Sespe Gorge (Black Wall) : Tree Root (5.5)
By: Joe Stern When: Sep 5, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Anchor/rappel clarification. Just climbed the first pitch yesterday, which is approx. 110 feet long, up to the first big (first period?) tree. Immediately to the right of the tree there are 2 bolts, equipped to rappel. We rapped from these bolts all the way to the ground with a single 70m rope. Ours must have been a bit longer than Matthew's, as we had several feet piled on the ground on both ends. A fun pitch with emphasis on finger to tight hands gear.
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Location: CA : Central Coast : Santa Barbara : Gibraltar Area : Lower Gibraltar : The Rapture (5.7)
By: Joe Stern When: Aug 23, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Awesome little climb. Wonderful features, well protected, and fun movement. 8 protection bolts. Convenient to rap in off Lieback Annie anchors, lead The Rapture (8 bolts, could also clip one of the anchor bolts as a 9th protection bolt), then clip your anchor at Lieback Annie. 5.8 is fun!!!
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Location: CA : Central Coast : Santa Barbara : Gibraltar Area : Lower Gibraltar : Lieback Annie (5.7)
By: Joe Stern When: Aug 23, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Quality line. The crux protects well if you bring the small cams along (maybe blue TCU-ish?) Rack for sewing the thing up would probably be about a single set from blue tcu to #4 new style camalot. Could skip about every other size easily. Fun climb, easy access, why not?
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Location: CA : Central Coast : Santa Barbara : Gibraltar Area : Gibraltar Rock : Self Reflection (5.11b/c)
By: Joe Stern When: Aug 23, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Whoa! Full value thinness on this thing - not a single move under 10+. We rapped in from the top, avoiding the adventure start. Almost the same anchor as the Nose: there are 2 sets of bolts currently, pretty close to each other. Closer to the edge and with chains are the bolts used for the Nose. Maybe 10 feet away, without chains, and on a slab are the bolts used for Self Reflection.
The bush mentioned above has been torched by the fires, so it might be a little less schwacky to approach ... more >>
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Location: CA : Central Coast : Santa Barbara : Gibraltar Area : Gibraltar Rock : The Nose (5.11)
By: Joe Stern When: Aug 12, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Super fun little boulder problem with exposure. Rack: 1 #1, 1 #3 camalot. After a few runs on each, I still think the Nose is easier than T-Crack.
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Location: CA : Central Coast : Santa Barbara : Gibraltar Area : Cold Springs Dome : Makunaima (5.11c)
By: Joe Stern When: Aug 11, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Amazing route! Well worth the modest but strenuous hike (if you're spoiled by the likes of the Nose approach). Thought I'd clarify the gear beta. Smallest cam: .4 BD or yellow TCU. Biggest cam: you can place a new #4 BD, or could get by with #3. Probably want doubles of most of these sizes unless you have it wired. 3 bolts at the top, so take one or two long cords for the TR.
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Location: CA : Yosemite National Park : Tuolumne Meadows : Matthes Crest : Matthes Crest Traverse - So... (5.7)
By: Joe Stern When: Jun 29, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Really fun, unique climb on quality rock in a pleasant setting. Strongly recommend continuing past the north summit and finishing the ridge. If you're soloing or moving quickly otherwise, an obvious addition to the day is Cathedral Peak, right on the way back to the trailhead.
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Location: CA : Yosemite National Park : Yosemite Valley : Half Dome : Regular Northwest Face of H... (5.12a/b)
By: Joe Stern When: Jun 25, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: A few other thoughts on this incredible route:
1. Bring a bivy sack or tent body for camping at the base - if being excited about the upcoming 24 pitches doesn't keep you awake at night, the mosquitoes sure will!
2. Get a wilderness permit for the bivy at the base (from the Wilderness Center near the Ansel Adams Gallery) and take a bear canister with you. It's a little bulky to pack up the slabs, but it's the right thing to do.
3. Climb the thing in a day, sleeping at the base the nights bef... more >>
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Location: CA : Yosemite National Park : Yosemite Valley : El Capitan : Salathe Wall (5.9 C2 R)
By: Joe Stern When: Jun 2, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Spent 4 nights on the route last week or so. A few additions:
Rack: 1 set offset nuts (#3-11), 1 set regular nuts (#3-11), pink and red tricams, double set of the smallest cams, triple set of blue TCU to #3 camalot, double new #4 camalot, single new #5 and #6 camalot. Didn't use any cam hooks or hooks. Mostly aid climbed with moderate backcleaning.
Bivies: Hollow Flake Ledge is a nice bivy with a portaledge. Alcove is plush (one 2 bolt anchor and one p... more >>
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Location: UT : Zion National Park : Angel's Landing : Northeast Buttress (5.11a R)
By: Joe Stern When: Apr 29, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Can't say we did much of the actual route, but we climbed the NE Buttress feature yesterday. Here's our route, in hopes that no one ever climbs it again (well, mostly).
P1: didn't see any obvious 5.9 OW, so we took a short face pitch close to directly under the main part of the route. one bolt about 20' up to tree belay, 5.9.
P2: standard flake pitch, fun 5.10 to 2 old bolts with american death triangle.
P3: also fun. loose traverse right to old bolt to big flake, then runout face (past on... more >>
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Location: NV : Red Rock : Oak Creek Canyon : Eagle Wall : Levitation 29 (5.11)
By: Joe Stern When: Apr 26, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Did the route yesterday (4/25/09)...as fantastic as advertised. I agree with vegastradguy's rack: single set of nuts (being about 4 med-large size) and up to #1 cam (with nuts, probably just a .75 and 1 would be fine). Rapped with single 70m no problem. The last 2 pitches are worth doing once - fun movement on hollow flakes, certainly not mega classic but entertaining enough. Highly recommend the crux pitch extension if you still have a few draws left at the top of the 11c...not only a ... more >>
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Location: CO : Caņon City : Shelf Road : Spiney Ridge : Purple Toe Nails (5.11c)
By: Joe Stern When: Feb 17, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Got your post a few hours too late David! Did the route again today and realized the (I think) now obvious spot you're talking about. In the vicinity of the 7th bolt (not 4th as the description says), the 11c path certainly seems to be a traverse right then back left to stay on big chalked holds. Haven't tried the straight up path, but it sure looks harder and less traveled.
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Location: CO : Caņon City : Shelf Road : Spiney Ridge : Purple Toe Nails (5.11c)
By: Joe Stern When: Feb 16, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: David: definitely off route...didn't you see the blue taped holds? Just kidding, sort of. Are you talking about the very last bolt or two? I seem to find myself left of the penultimate bolt, then clipping the final bolt from a position to the left of it, then using some hand holds out right along with the crack/flake to the left of the bolts (body basically right above the last bolt) to finish.
Fantastic climb: huge holds all over, the occasional hand jam, easy start to a 50 foot endurance c... more >>
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Location: CO : Caņon City : Shelf Road : Spiney Ridge : The New Philanthropists (5.11b/c)
By: Joe Stern When: Feb 16, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Really fun. My first time I did the opening moves via the apparently standard "layback move under a small roof." Today I started on the face just down and left of the first bolt. Seemed like a good approach for those of us with more technical than powerful inclinations - about the same difficulty, too. Agree that the first 3 bolts are the crux - some balancey moves on good holds that keep your attention. Once on the arete, the climbing is engaging - big holds, some big moves, and picturesqu... more >>
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Location: CO : Caņon City : Shelf Road : Spiney Ridge : Down n' Dirty (5.10c)
By: Joe Stern When: Feb 16, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: I thought the lower face and corner through the bulge were reasonably entertaining. After pulling the bulge, however, the rock quality seriously diminishes (even for Shelf). Use caution while climbing and choose an out of the way location to the left for belaying. Deceptive: it's a good looking line from the ground.
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Location: CO : Caņon City : Shelf Road : Spiney Ridge : 20th Century Man (5.10a/b)
By: Joe Stern When: Feb 16, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: "Well-placed bolts," Michael? I found the short flake up to the small tree to be the path of least resistance at the bottom, and the initial bolts to be awkwardly placed for this section. I required an out of the way rightward traverse to clip the second bolt, which gives decent ground fall potential. Primarily an inconvenience for those solid at the grade, but I can imagine this being a pretty puckering bit for someone closer to his/her limit. For what it's worth, I found both Toxxxic Enter... more >>
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Location: CO : Caņon City : Shelf Road : Cactus Cliff : I Claudius (5.11b)
By: Joe Stern When: Feb 16, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Super fun climb - I find it a pleasant convenience to be able to hop on such a route with the standard Shelf rack. I'm predominantly a crack climber and I agree with the folks who consider the 5.11 realm a bit high for the jamming section - probably more like Valley 5.9 handcrack. The roof part sure feels easy 11ish, though. Different styles, different cruxes - typical of a varied climb. As for the first bolt, it seemed pretty casual to me - just focus a little headspace on the slightly poli... more >>
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Location: UT : Moab Area : Indian Creek : South Sixshooter : South Face Angling Crack? (5.10b)
By: Joe Stern When: Feb 22, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: There's also a discussion of this variation on the South Face page, including a few photos of the pitch that I posted.
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Location: CA : Yosemite National Park : Yosemite Valley : Arch Rock : Midterm (5.10b)
By: Joe Stern When: Feb 10, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: Really fun climbing through a variety of techniques. Short crux at the bottom. I'm a proponent of Zach's gear recommendation: if you're comfortable on moderate chimneys, you won't need any big gear. Also, watch out for the poison oak inside the chimney. This route gets direct sun in the middle of the day, so plan accordingly and enjoy!
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Location: WY : Grand Teton National Park : Grand Teton : North Ridge (5.8)
By: Joe Stern When: Jan 14, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: George,
Thanks for posting those other options. I've updated the route's page to include these additions.
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Location: UT : Moab Area : Indian Creek : South Sixshooter : South Face (5.6)
By: Joe Stern When: Dec 22, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: Posted a photo showing some of these variations to the standard South Face route. I climbed the striking left-arching crack and agree with the easy- to mid-5.10 rating. I'd go with 5.10b if I had to choose - and a really fun one at that. There are also a few variations to the right of this crack that apparently come in around 5.9. Lots of entertaining options for climbing in a spectacular setting!
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Location: CA : Yosemite National Park : Yosemite Valley : Sentinel Rock : Steck-Salathe (5.10-)
By: Joe Stern When: Dec 20, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: A mega-classic climb that has the feel of a great adventure despite only being an hour's hike from millions of tourists. Supertopo's average time of 8-10 hours of climbing (updated since your post Scotty?) is certainly achievable by first timers comfortable on all manner of 5.9. The crux of this route will depend on your particular strengths, but expect full value 5.9 climbing on the Wilson Overhang, the pitch after the Wilson Overhang, the pitch after the rappel, the pitch before the Narrows ... more >>
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Location: CA : Yosemite National Park : Yosemite Valley : Reed's Pinnacle Area : Reed's Pinnacle-Direct Rout... (5.10a)
By: Joe Stern When: Dec 20, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: An entertaining way to finish the route is to tunnel over to the Regular Route finish from the top of the second pitch. From the top of pitch 2, enter the horizontal chimney to the left. There are one or two pitons in there, and about 20 or 30 feet of squeeze chimneying will take you to a ledge on the other side of the pinnacle. Belay here and then take the 5.9 hands to fists to offwidth corner to the top of the pinnacle. Rappel Reed's Direct.
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