BETA PHOTO: Fire Hydrant on the left, Donald Duck on the right...
Description
This is the subsidiary summit off of the northwest side of the Donald Duck formation. The two crags are separated by a deep couloir. The Fire Hydrant, along with Donald Duck, is featured on the cover of Kline's old guidebook.
Getting There
From the Crest, hike down the La Luz Trail. After the tight switchbacks in the Estrellita/Hole-in-the-Wall vicinity, you pass by the Fin on the right (north), as illustrated in this Photo. Continue west a couple dozen yards and the Donald Duck/Fire Hydrant crag lies just above the trail to the left (south), although the off-trail approach is obscured through the trees.
The Fire Hydrant is a plug of a pillar that sits just off the La Luz trail. Beware its siren charms. It’s rated 5.6, only 5.6 (but old school 5.6…). As you flake your rope at the base you can admire the clean looking rock with abundant holds. Yes solid rock, with plenty of holds. But it’s a sucker’s game, this climb; as ChrisW found out recently. I’d tethered myself to the tree and was listening to him climb. All of the sudden he falls silent and the steady upward progress of the rope slowed down. Finally he put me on belay and I started climbing.
Please -- for the sake of hikers on the trail, when you’re done with a handhold, put it back where you find it. The second half gets rather loose, rather quickly. The small summit platform is strewn with plenty of babyheads, fist-sized and larger (but all loose!) rock. The old bolt in the largest block (small steamer trunk sized) is quaint and of historical interest, but in no circumstances would it be part of a sane rappel anchor. Unlike the neighboring pillar (Donald Duck) the Fire Hydrant is all washed up.
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Fire Hydrant
