Contributed Comments |
| |
|---|
Location: CO : Independence Pass : Grotto Walls Area : Lower Grotto Wall : Pea Brain (5.12c R)
By: John Long When: Apr 5, 2013 | view comment >> |
Comments: Lynn and I were walking past this area of the wall and saw the bolts. We were bouldering a lot back then and were strong as God but this route looked rather dangerous, for sure 5.12 and you'd probably have to on-sight it or deck. Lynn said I'd have to be a Pea-Brain to even try it. I thought the 2nd and 3rd bolts were closer then they were and that the climbing would ease after 15 feet. Not so. It was basically a solo. I have no idea how Lynn followed because there were some huge reaches on crak... more >>
|
Location: CA : Tahquitz & Suicide Rocks : Suicide Rock : Le Dent Pinnacle : Sugar Magnolia (5.11d)
By: John Long When: Apr 17, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: One of my favorite climbs at Suicide. Great moves. Even a little spice up top.
|
Location: CA : Joshua Tree National Park : Hidden Valley Campground : The Blob : The Blob - West Face : Hobbit Roof (5.10d)
By: John Long When: Feb 25, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: This was first climbed free before 1975. Maybe as early as 1972 because I remember still being in High School. Did it on-sight free solo and never thought anyone would ever bother repeating it.
Go figure.
JL
|
Location: CA : Joshua Tree National Park : Hidden Valley Campground : Intersection Rock : Mike's Books (5.6)
By: John Long When: Aug 6, 2011 | view comment >> |
Comments: From the start of the 2nd pitch, you can either go up the crack, or do a harder step up move on the face and carry on up the steep slab and cut into the crack higher up. Another variation, put up around 1975, starts further around on the steep face to the left. There's a big dyno off the ledge to a rounded hold, a difficult step up and some dicy moves to easier ground - a short sequence to the easier (5.8) face above (it cuts over into Mike's Books) but there's no pro, we always bouldered this... more >>
|
Location: CA : Joshua Tree National Park : Indian Cove : Indian Cove Campground : Campfire Crag : ... : Datura (5.12a/b R)
By: John Long When: Aug 6, 2011 | view comment >> |
Comments: I remember tossing a top rope on this BITD and being amazed that it went at 12b - it looked impossible. The rock at the crux is some of the best at Josh. Always meant to go back and throw a lead on this one but never got round to it. Mike did. Has to be one of the best routes at The Cove.
|
Location: CA : Joshua Tree National Park : Indian Cove : Indian Cove Campground : Campfire Crag : ... : Campfire Girl (5.11d)
By: John Long When: Aug 6, 2011 | view comment >> |
Comments: Is the top of this route really only 5.11d? Seemed like 5.12 when we first did it back in the around 1975. But it was super grainy and the old EBs were pretty shitty.
|
Location: CA : Joshua Tree National Park : The Outback : Rock Hudson : Hot Rocks (5.11b)
By: John Long When: Jul 21, 2011 | view comment >> |
Comments: We first did this route on aid to learn how to place copperheads. A few years later, Bachar and I did the first free ascent on a TR, and despite it being quite grainy at the time, the moves were so suave we lapped it several times. Later that day, Bachar went over and soloed it. It's just the one body length down low but at that time climbing this cordless was a revolution.
|
Location: CA : Tahquitz & Suicide Rocks : Tahquitz Rock : West Face : West Face - Left Side : Jonah (5.10c)
By: John Long When: Jul 21, 2011 | view comment >> |
Comments: This baby was the site of some truly spectacular skidder falls when I was a kid and we were all climbing in shit shoes.
|
Location: CA : Tahquitz & Suicide Rocks : Tahquitz Rock : West Face : West Face - Left Side : Piton Pooper (5.7)
By: John Long When: Jul 21, 2011 | view comment >> |
Comments: I tried this after climbing for a week or so and backed off.
|
Location: CA : Tahquitz & Suicide Rocks : Tahquitz Rock : West Face : West Face - Right Side : The Edge (5.11a R)
By: John Long When: Jul 21, 2011 | view comment >> |
Comments: There's no reason to do the old Edge. It was done before sticky boots and avoids the entire lower part of the true edge. The Turbo Flange takes the whole enchilada from the ground and should become standard as opposed to traversing in from another route. A little 5.11- down low but once you get past the first run out - to where the Flange connects with Tobin's original edge route, the climbing in never above low 5.10 but there's almost no protection. Don't rip, amigos.
|
Location: CA : Tahquitz & Suicide Rocks : Tahquitz Rock : West Face : West Face - Right Side : The Hangover (5.13a)
By: John Long When: Jul 21, 2011 | view comment >> |
Comments: Does anyone ever climb this thing? Would be interesting to see how it fares up to modern sport climbers, who are very experienced at this kind of movement.
|
Location: CA : Yosemite National Park : Yosemite Valley : Arch Rock : New Dimensions (5.11a)
By: John Long When: Jul 20, 2011 | view comment >> |
Comments: Might be my favorite short crack climb. Must have done this climb 50 times at least, probably twenty times with Bachar, mainly as a training route - up and down the last pitch endlessly.
|
Location: CA : Yosemite National Park : Yosemite Valley : Arch Rock : Midterm (5.10b)
By: John Long When: Jul 20, 2011 | view comment >> |
Comments: Possibly the best rock in the world.
|
Location: CA : San Jacinto Mountains : Black Mountain : Boulder Basin Campground : Daring Boulder : Where Boneheads Dare (V5 R)
By: John Long When: Jul 20, 2011 | view comment >> |
Comments: FA around 1975. For full value, crank the opening move as a mantle. After the stand up the top is barely 5.10.
|
Location: CA : San Jacinto Mountains : Black Mountain : Boulder Basin Campground : Big Greeny Boulder : Big Greeny (V1 R)
By: John Long When: Jul 20, 2011 | view comment >> |
Comments: The real gemstone in this immediate area is a problem on the way to the left and back a ways from Greenie, called Moroccan Roll, good cranking off dimes at the start and exciting finish up high on 5.11 face. No cheat stone to start. Don't remember ever falling on it and you really don't want to neither . . .
|
Location: CA : Tahquitz & Suicide Rocks : Suicide Rock : Smooth Sole Wall : Smooth Sole Wall - Right Si... : Ultimatum (5.10b R)
By: John Long When: Jul 20, 2011 | view comment >> |
Comments: This was one of the first new routes I ever did and all the way up Gib and I were wondering if I was doing things correctly. There's a giant knob on top I thought might break and I took forever cranking over on it. Exciting times.
|
Location: CA : Tahquitz & Suicide Rocks : Suicide Rock : South Face : Hades (5.13a)
By: John Long When: Jul 20, 2011 | view comment >> |
Comments: I still think the first pitch (1st done free by Hensil and Powell) is one of the best couple face pitches at Suicide. Perfect rock and pretty continuous. The last pitch is a wicked hard boulder sequence off dimes that I couldn't do till I went to Roubidoux for a month or so and got my dimes dialed. Very fond memories. Must have done the first pitch three times before I got the 2nd all free no hangs or weighting the rope.
JL
|
Location: CA : Tahquitz & Suicide Rocks : Tahquitz Rock : West Face Bulge Routes : Upper Bulge Routes : The Vampire (5.11a)
By: John Long When: Jul 20, 2011 | view comment >> |
Comments: For full value do the Pharoah as pitch one and get some true 5.12 in the mix because you can.
JL
|
Location: CA : Tahquitz & Suicide Rocks : Tahquitz Rock : West Face Bulge Routes : Upper Bulge Routes : Super Pooper (5.10a/b)
By: John Long When: Jul 20, 2011 | view comment >> |
Comments: This route was rated 5.9 for like fifty years. We did it in high school and thought, Damn,. 5.9 is kinder stout.
JL
|
Location: NV : Red Rock : Pine Creek Canyon : Mescalito : Heart of Darkness (5.11c PG13)
By: John Long When: Jul 20, 2011 | view comment >> |
Comments: I remember this being a pretty substantial adventure requiring some boldness to on sight. We brought no bolts or pitons on the FA and felt pretty committed up high with three of us hanging off some grim anchors at the time. Long descent. Pretty much a full day adventure - old school fun.
JL
|
Location: CA : Joshua Tree National Park : Hidden Valley Campground : Intersection Rock : Half Track (5.10a)
By: John Long When: Jul 19, 2011 | view comment >> |
Comments: When we first did this route free I kept trying to get something (including hand made nuts I hack sawed at my job at a gas station) in the crack and going higher and higher but nothing would fit so it was a 25 foot free solo to the easy stuff- scary stuff for high school in red PAs. Years later this would become part of the mid-70s free solo circuit that included all of the Ski Tracks, Waterchute, Bongledesh, and North Overhang (on this formation).
|
Location: CA : Joshua Tree National Park : Lost Horse Area : Imaginary Voyage Formation : Imaginary Voyage (5.10d)
By: John Long When: Jul 19, 2011 | view comment >> |
Comments: The exciting thing on the FA was that we hadn't top roped the thing first and didn't know it it would go or how hard the lip was going to be. So that made it tricky traversing out there with no pro wondering what if anything I might get in out there. That fact that the lower crack is the crux was not imaginable on the FA, the upper b it looked so hard. Go figure . . .
|
Location: CA : Joshua Tree National Park : Hidden Valley Campground : Intersection Rock : Water Chute (5.10b R)
By: John Long When: Jul 19, 2011 | view comment >> |
Comments: This route has always been 5.10a or so and was the first 5.10 route Rick Accomazzo, Richard Harrison and I ever did. I chimneyed the slot above the mantle, not knowing how to chicken wing. Climbed it the old red PAs. Dicey!
JL
|
RSS Feed
