Santa Barbara local Pat Shourds takes a solo-strol...
Description
This route begins at the obvious flake between Applied Magnetics and the descent gully. Climb the flake to a bolt (alternately, you can climb the 5.10a face left of the flake past a Leeper hanger). Easy friction leads to a second bolt. From this second bolt, the route continues straight up to a third bolt near the "Too Mucking Futch" trough. A traverse and a very long sling is required to gain the fourth bolt. I prefer to forego the third bolt in favor of keeping a more direct and aesthetic line to the fourth bolt. This makes it a little more runout, so use your judgment. From the fourth bolt, diagonal up and right to a triple bolt belay in a dish.
After the belay, head up and left to the gully (passing 2 bolts), or up and right to a hole and a second bolt, eventually passing two more bolts on the final headwall (my book calls this variation 5.9, but I believe it is 5.10a).
From the first belay one can also angle right to a large hole to climb "Scrub Job" or "Chavez/Mosher."
Protection
Marginal pro can be found on the route just before the first belay. Gear placements and a large oak tree can be found for an anchor at the top of the second pitch
By Matthew Fienup Administrator From: Ventura, CA Feb 25, 2006
When deciding which bolts to clip, be sure to consider the health and well-being of your second. The sequence of bolts that leaders use often makes this route more seriously runout for the second than the leader.
Remember, you can always clip a bolt, climb to the next bolt, back-track, and clean the previous bolt.
[I'm not specifically commenting on Jon's stratey of skipping the 3rd bolt. It's the 4th bolt that I'm thinking of. The line from the 3rd to the 4th bolt is dead horizontal. Jon's strategy likely aleviates my concern. I clip the 5th bolt, down climb and back-clean the 4th.]
Not sure how skipping the 3rd bolt, thereby eliminating a traverse and pendulum for the follower makes it more "runout for the second," but ok.
The route really is not desperate, especially for the follower.
By Matthew Fienup Administrator From: Ventura, CA Apr 23, 2006
The second lead bolt on Face Lift was replaced in April, 2006. The bolt that was pulled was a 5/16" wedge bolt (which would have held less than 2,000 lbs when brand new). The new bolt is a 12mm Fixe Triplex expansion bolt.
There are many more of these 5/16" bolts at San Ysidro. All should be treated with great caution.
By Matthew Fienup Administrator From: Ventura, CA Aug 15, 2006
The third lead bolt on Face Lift was replaced in August 2006. The new bolt is a 12mm Fixe Triplex Expansion bolt. The position of the bolt was moved approximately 4 feet to find harder rock in which to place the bolt and an easier stance from which to clip.
By Jeff Mahoney From: Santa Barbara, CA Aug 17, 2009
You're right Jeff. When most of these routes were put up there was no such thing as trad (or sport). I think you are pointing out that this is a bolted route with limited opportunities for pro. True, but I would not consider it a sport climb.
By Matthew Fienup Administrator From: Ventura, CA Aug 17, 2009
When I think of a "traditional" face climb, I think of routes that use a mix of removable gear and bolts, where bolts were placed on lead and used very sparingly. These types of traditional face climbs are prevalent in the Needles, Tuolumne, and elsewhere. Face Lift is very much in the style of these other traditional climbs.
By Jeff Mahoney From: Santa Barbara, CA Aug 18, 2009
I guess it's just my alpine background (and the fact that I've never placed gear on this route and do consider it a sport climb---run out a bit, but still a sport climb). Yes, Matthew I hear what you're saying, but when the ratio of bolts is so high---and the climb is usually done without placing any pro---then I don't count it as trad. In context, it would be like saying that half the climbs on Toxic were trad because people do place some gear on occasion. (But then again, I consider Snake Dike a sport climb, too, ha!)
Just the usual climbing semantics disagreement at the end of the work day. Cheers all!
RSS Feed
Slideshow
