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Inner Gorge

Submitted By: Tom Helvie on Jul 21, 2006
Administrators: Aron Quiter, Euan Cameron, Adam Winters
Views: 11,215 page views

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Scoping the steeps at the Eldorado Roof


Description 

The northern part of the inner gorge is the most remote part of the gorge and usually least crowded. The gorge is narrower here and there are several old mines and buildings. Towards the southern inner gorge the Dilithium Crystal and the Eldorado Roof provide steeper climbing and higher grades. The Mothership is home to excellent rock and some of the best difficult, technical routes. The southern end also has an old power plant and one of the two toilets in the Gorge.


Getting There 

The inner gorge can be approached by either the central or the upper approach depending on where you want to climb. The upper approach is best for the Narrows and areas North, while the Central is best for Dilithium, Eldorado, and Mothership.


The Classics

Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Inner Gorge:
Extreme Caffeine   5.10b     Sport, 1 pitch, 90 feet   The Dilithium Crystal
Blood Sugar Sex Magik   5.10d     Sport, 1 pitch, 150 feet   Staying Power Towers
Photon Torpedo   5.11b     Sport, 1 pitch, 85 feet   The Dilithium Crystal
Towering Inferno   5.11b     Sport, 5 pitches, 480 feet   Eldorado Roof
Thieves in the Temple   5.12a     Sport, 1 pitch, 80 feet   Staying Power Towers
Klingon   5.12a     Sport, 1 pitch, 90 feet   The Dilithium Crystal
Enterprise   5.12a/b     Sport, 1 pitch, 60 feet   The Dilithium Crystal
Mind Meld   5.12b     Sport, 1 pitch, 65 feet   The Dilithium Crystal
Gape Index   5.12b/c     Sport, 1 pitch   Eldorado Roof
Looney Binge   5.12c     Sport, 1 pitch, 150 feet   Eldorado Roof
Phasers on Stun   5.12c     Sport, 1 pitch, 75 feet   The Dilithium Crystal
Excelsior   5.12d     Sport, 1 pitch, 85 feet   Mothership Cliff
Fight Club   5.13b     Sport, 1 pitch, 70 feet   Mothership Cliff
Browse More Classics in Inner Gorge

Featured Route For Inner Gorge
Starting 'Gape Index' 5.12b/c

Gape Index 5.12b/c  CA : Sierra Eastside : ... : Eldorado Roof
Make a few steep, bouldery moves off the ground past the first and second bolts up to the pockets in the right-facing corner. Punch it straight out the roof crack past a couple of valuable rests, then fight the pump to pull the lip. Make a couple more sequences up to the chains....[more]   Browse More Classics in CA


Photos of Inner Gorge Slideshow Add Photo
Kevin Friedrich near the El Dorado; autumn, 2007.

Kevin Friedrich near the El Dorado; autu...