Visible to the west of the Sand Gulch Campground is the Gallery consisting of three walls (1) Far Side the southern (left) side of the canyon facing NE (2) Menses Prow the central south facing buttress (3) Mural Wall on the right side facing west. Menses Prow includes the prow proper as well as Bulge Wall around the corner. Both this area and Mural wall have high concentrations of quality routes on good rock. Ratings run from 5.7 to 5.13, most routes in the 10-12 range. There are scattered routes on the Far Side including sections further to the North called the Pitts and the Dungeon. Just downhill from here are a couple of short steep routes on the Incredible Hulk Boulder. You can find morning shade on Mural Wall and Bulge Wall and afternoon shade at the Far Side.
Getting There
Hike the trail that starts between sites #9 and #10 in Sand Gulch Campground. Look for a fork in the trail as you approach the walls. Take the right uphill fork for Menses Wall and the Mural wall and head left down into the gully and back up for the Far Side. Heading right at the first branch, head right at the second branch uphill to Mural Wall or left down and then up to Menses Prow. 20-30 Minute Approach.
From Mark Anderson: Getting There: There are two options. The first and best option is to park at the Sand Gulch campground, and follow an excellent trail that begins between campsites #9 and #10. Follow this trail for 2 minutes downhill to a wash, cross the wash and arrive at the old Gallery parking area. The other alternative is to drive to this parking area. From Shelf Road, turn left on the road to the Sand Gulch campground. After 30 yds the road makes a sharp bend right, and a less-defined dirt road heads off straight/left. Follow this 4WD road for several hundred yards to the unmarked P-Lot. Super not recommended.
From the Parking Lot, a well-maintained trail heads NW toward the cliffs. The Trail parallels a barbed-wire fence for the first bit. Well-signed trails diverge towards the Far Side, Mural Wall, and finally the Menses Prow.
Located on the Mural Wall, this route takes the line directly right of the small tree up the blank near-vertical wall. A definite testpiece for the grade, the sustained climbing is cracterized by sharp thin pockets. A full-on crux awaits near the top where a major crank off a finger-tip mono is necessary. ...[more]
Mense's Prow/Bluge wall has what is probably the highest concentration of moderate routes in Shelf Road. Where as the other walls in the area might have one or 2 routes under 5.10, this wall has at least half a dozen. Probably the best bet for intermediate leaders in the area.
In 1995 I soloed up the west side, of the South East Arete, of the California Pinnacle (it was Just like soloing the last pitch of the Flame)...When I got the the top, I wrapped a rope -10 ft. down and drilled two climbs: *The one on the East side (of the South East Arete) is called Red Dog *The one one the North West side of the California Pinnacle is called Tucker's Faith. Then I hiked to the top of Bat Crack and tryed to clean it but: there were to many bats, and the sun was going down. So I lowered the anchors, left the BOSCH, and returned the next day to finish it with Jasson. This was two weeks before I fell off -above sky line- of DoRDi, and stopped that dirty shi.....
What is the name of the route on the California Pinnacle facing the trail? I don't see it listed here or in any of the guide books. It's a bolted line, approx 75-80', felt like it was about 10a ish, give or take.
Tracy - I've never heard a name for it. I think Knapp's book lists it as "Unknown - 5.9+" but I'm not sure. For lack of a better name, my parties have always referred to it as "Plumber's Crack." Who knows, maybe we should post it that way and then it'll stick...
Anyone know the name of the route two lines to the right of B.O.S.S. Method? I believe that Dumb Waiter ascends the inside arete (dark, with a bulge near the top riddled with four-finger pockets) just right and across the chimney from Method. The one I'm asking about is the outside, blunt arete a yard or so right of this, where the trail bends at a gnarled tree. About six bolts, a brief, thin crack half way up, small black roof just before the anchors...
A reminder to watch for loose rock, even with as much traffic as this area gets. This weekend on Menses Prow, a loose block was pulled off and broke a belayer's leg, requiring a stretcher and helicopter flight out of the canyon. Be careful!
It might be beneficial to split this area into 3 or 4 smaller areas, such as the Mural Wall, The Far Side and the Menses Prow. This could make describing locations a bit easier.
The Gallery
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