Holthouse to Hell
5.11- YDS 6c French 22 Ewbanks VIII- UIAA 22 ZA E3 5c British
Avg: 3.8 from 9 votes
Type: | Trad, 220 ft (67 m), 2 pitches |
FA: | FA: Bruce Holthouse (ground-up rope solo aid), FFA: Dave Jones |
Page Views: | 3,479 total · 20/month |
Shared By: | George Perkins on Aug 16, 2009 |
Admins: | Mike Howard, Jason Halladay, Mike Hoskins, Anna Brown |
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Access Issue: Some rocks in this area are on private property. Seasonal Raptor Nesting.
Details
The remainder are on US Forest Service land. A map detailing the public areas can be obtained from the ranger station en route to the rocks from the village of Tres Piedras.
According to Jan Studebaker: "The property line mountainproject.com/v/new_m… runs from approximately the current east corner by the access gate in a straight line over the top of South Rock to the top middle of the Chicken Heads/Mosaic Wall mount, and from there west down the mount slope to the meadow just south of the Alley climbs. Some of the most popular routes are completely on private property. There are survey markers on the top of South rock (the mysterious aluminum stake stuck in the rock) and on top of the Mosaic rock (most of the time buried in water in a pot hole.)"
An online Tres Piedras Route Guide lamountaineers.org/Tres_Pie… from LA Mountaineers has been updated with the latest access information, and should be read by all Tres Piedras climbers. Group climb leaders, and Climbing Directors (future or past) should take particular note.
The landowner requests NO fires, no trash, no chalk and "please close any gates". Basically, be a good steward of the land.
In order to nurture greater landowner acceptance of climbers, participants of group climbs are requested to organize quick clean up activities before leaving the area; this should include the climbing area as well as the access roads (trip leaders could supply plastic grocery bags). Small parties should practice "leave no trace" principles.
Seasonal Raptor Nesting:
This climbing area is shared with raptors that nest on the cliffs. Help us maintain access and please avoid climbing near active nests/ledges that raptors are using. If a raptor is disturbed during nesting season it may exhibit aggressive defensive behaviors like vocalizing or dive-bombing. If you witness this behavior, retreat from your climb immediately and find a location on a different formation or a different part of the wall far enough away from the raptors that they are no longer noticeably agitated. If they remain agitated, then please leave the area immediately.
Raptor awareness is especially important during nesting season from mid-February to late May but needs to be considered through the end of August. Please report disturbed and/or nesting raptors to the Carson National Forest the appropriate district office (see below) and share relevant information here on MP. Human-raptor encounters can have negative impacts for the birds and climbers in the area. The Cason NF wants to maintain climbing access while protecting raptor reproduction and relies on climbers to recreate responsibly and share information in order to avoid the need for formal raptor closures.
Questa Ranger District
(575) 586-0520
Camino Real (Comales Canyon) Ranger District
(575) 587-2255
Tres Piedras Ranger District
(575) 758-8678
El Rito Ranger District
(575) 581-4554
According to Jan Studebaker: "The property line mountainproject.com/v/new_m… runs from approximately the current east corner by the access gate in a straight line over the top of South Rock to the top middle of the Chicken Heads/Mosaic Wall mount, and from there west down the mount slope to the meadow just south of the Alley climbs. Some of the most popular routes are completely on private property. There are survey markers on the top of South rock (the mysterious aluminum stake stuck in the rock) and on top of the Mosaic rock (most of the time buried in water in a pot hole.)"
An online Tres Piedras Route Guide lamountaineers.org/Tres_Pie… from LA Mountaineers has been updated with the latest access information, and should be read by all Tres Piedras climbers. Group climb leaders, and Climbing Directors (future or past) should take particular note.
The landowner requests NO fires, no trash, no chalk and "please close any gates". Basically, be a good steward of the land.
In order to nurture greater landowner acceptance of climbers, participants of group climbs are requested to organize quick clean up activities before leaving the area; this should include the climbing area as well as the access roads (trip leaders could supply plastic grocery bags). Small parties should practice "leave no trace" principles.
Seasonal Raptor Nesting:
This climbing area is shared with raptors that nest on the cliffs. Help us maintain access and please avoid climbing near active nests/ledges that raptors are using. If a raptor is disturbed during nesting season it may exhibit aggressive defensive behaviors like vocalizing or dive-bombing. If you witness this behavior, retreat from your climb immediately and find a location on a different formation or a different part of the wall far enough away from the raptors that they are no longer noticeably agitated. If they remain agitated, then please leave the area immediately.
Raptor awareness is especially important during nesting season from mid-February to late May but needs to be considered through the end of August. Please report disturbed and/or nesting raptors to the Carson National Forest the appropriate district office (see below) and share relevant information here on MP. Human-raptor encounters can have negative impacts for the birds and climbers in the area. The Cason NF wants to maintain climbing access while protecting raptor reproduction and relies on climbers to recreate responsibly and share information in order to avoid the need for formal raptor closures.
Questa Ranger District
(575) 586-0520
Camino Real (Comales Canyon) Ranger District
(575) 587-2255
Tres Piedras Ranger District
(575) 758-8678
El Rito Ranger District
(575) 581-4554
Description
Holthouse to Hell is probably the easiest route up the intimidating wall right of Serpentine Crack with the Holthouse climbs, and is the best climb I've done so far at Tres Piedras at this grade or easier, at least, as far as I can recall.
The Direct Start (5.11) is recommended, it adds another challenging crux to the climb but the result is the most aesthetic line. Begin just right of Serpentine Crack, face climb past 2 bolts, and reach an easy runout. Or use the original start to reach this same section by traversing over from Serpentine Crack past a black bolt.
If you look carefully, you'll see 3 bolted lines that you could follow from either of these starts. Take the middle of the 3 lines, which is the most natural and obvious way to go, going pretty much straight up clipping new bolts. Pull through a roof, a crazy mantle onto a chickenhead, and through another roof to more classic TP slabbing. Up high, there are a few options; route find the easiest way to a ledge with small oak trees and belay. An short and easy, but poorly protected, 5.2 pitch finishes the climb (you can't get all the way to the top in a single pitch with a 60m rope).
The bolts are in great places to protect the hardest moves.
This section of cliff is confusing because the routes have different starting variations and split from one another, and both guidebooks have errors/omissions. Taos Rock shows this line as "Learn to Forget", and lists Holthouse to Hell as the line to its left. RC:NM shows this line correctly, but shows "Learn to Forget" as angling farther right and incorrectly lists it as 5.11- (and it also doesn't show the left bolted line). Based on the comment from Bruce Holthouse passed on by Mike below, I'm confident the line I describe here is Holthouse to Hell at least.
The Direct Start (5.11) is recommended, it adds another challenging crux to the climb but the result is the most aesthetic line. Begin just right of Serpentine Crack, face climb past 2 bolts, and reach an easy runout. Or use the original start to reach this same section by traversing over from Serpentine Crack past a black bolt.
If you look carefully, you'll see 3 bolted lines that you could follow from either of these starts. Take the middle of the 3 lines, which is the most natural and obvious way to go, going pretty much straight up clipping new bolts. Pull through a roof, a crazy mantle onto a chickenhead, and through another roof to more classic TP slabbing. Up high, there are a few options; route find the easiest way to a ledge with small oak trees and belay. An short and easy, but poorly protected, 5.2 pitch finishes the climb (you can't get all the way to the top in a single pitch with a 60m rope).
The bolts are in great places to protect the hardest moves.
This section of cliff is confusing because the routes have different starting variations and split from one another, and both guidebooks have errors/omissions. Taos Rock shows this line as "Learn to Forget", and lists Holthouse to Hell as the line to its left. RC:NM shows this line correctly, but shows "Learn to Forget" as angling farther right and incorrectly lists it as 5.11- (and it also doesn't show the left bolted line). Based on the comment from Bruce Holthouse passed on by Mike below, I'm confident the line I describe here is Holthouse to Hell at least.
Location
For the recommended Direct Start, begin just right of Serpentine Crack below 2 bolts.
For the original start, begin as for Serpentine Crack and traverse right, passing a bolt.
Above, the climb follows the 2nd bolted line right of Serpentine Crack.
For the original start, begin as for Serpentine Crack and traverse right, passing a bolt.
Above, the climb follows the 2nd bolted line right of Serpentine Crack.
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