Palisade Head

I climbed Palisade Head on 6/22/19. Got there at about 8:30 AM and was the only car in the lot, and walked down to the detached north tower to climb the corner and excellent finger crack, which I did a couple burns on and then broke down my TR anchor and headed back to the amphitheater. As I emerged from the trees, every single moderate climb  had a rope on it??? Superior, Quetico, Bluebells, Phantom, Rapprochement, Ex Nihilo, Feathery Tong and Danger High Voltage.

The ONLY climb that was actually being climbed was Superior Crack. DHV the guys were just finishing up. I went and set up and did Pussyfoot and Xmas tree crack instead. 

Is this the norm for Palisade Head?  I haven't climbed there in a while on the weekend, and I am not used to seeing hoards of climbers there.

I didn't ask to climb anyone's set, which I am sure it would have been fine, but was rope soloing and I didn't want to alter anyone else's TR for my use. Would have been nice to do a couple laps on Rapprochement though.

Ciao

Not sure when it became cool to block climbs with unused TRs for hours but it’s become the norm at palisade, shovel pt and Taylor’s. Really lame and frustrating. Always makes me laugh when people in CO or other states with thousands of routes complain about overcrowding 

Does anyone remember the name of the climb(s) that go up the detached pillars face? There is a corner crack and then a finger crack that splits the main face.  I would say the corner is 5.8 and the finger crack is a solid 5.10b  look for black lines on pic.

MP doesn't list either climb.

Buck
my interpretation of the Falcon Guide book, Mike Farris author...
Northern Escape Chimney 5.8
South Face of the North Tower 5.10d

Rob

Robert Townley wrote: Buck
my interpretation of the Falcon Guide book, Mike Farris author...
Northern Escape Chimney 5.8
South Face of the North Tower 5.10d

Rob

Neither is a chimney though.  The south face route sounds about right (Maybe .10b/c) but the other corner route is not a chimney, not even close. It is a had fist crack in a corner, and a face hand crack. 

I think the escape chimney is around the corner by Gun Fight.

Buck Rio wrote: As I emerged from the trees, every single moderate climb  had a rope on it???

The ONLY climb that was actually being climbed was Superior Crack. DHV the guys were just finishing up.

I am not used to seeing hoards of climbers there.

I'm a little confused, were there people with multiple ropes set up, only using one at a time? Or were there a bunch of people there with ropes set up (but not climbing)?

I don't climb there often, but generally, in MN, on a saturday morning with good weather, yeah, any good crag is going to be swamped. We only have a few after all.

I see your black lines now... the one on the rt. is the "10d". No climb described for the one on the left. The chimney looks like it goes up from the small pine in your photo.

Leo S wrote:

I'm a little confused, were there people with multiple ropes set up, only using one at a time? Or were there a bunch of people there with ropes set up (but not climbing)?

I don't climb there often, but generally, in MN, on a saturday morning with good weather, yeah, any good crag is going to be swamped. We only have a few after all.

I counted about 30 climbers, with only two (climber/belayer) actually climbing on Superior Crack. Bluebells had a couple of guys either setting it up or getting ready to climb, they were in the vicinity anyway. 

My thought is that there was a VE "Guided Adventure" going on, since all of the sets were practically identical: Three cams, a cordalette to a master point and a static rope, doubled up, to the edge, with a rope tarp as padding. They all looked good.

There were a number of the yellow tags on peoples harnesses that indicate "Belay/Lead Qualified" from Vertical Endeavors. That may just be coincidence though.

Palisade Head used to be kind of immune to the hoards of n00bs just because there isn't really any easy climbs. Danger High Voltage is 5.7+, but there is some mandatory wide climbing to keep that rating. Else it is probably 5.9.  Quetico and Superior are the same.

Now, Shovel Point always has hoards of beginners due to the concentration of 5.6 climbs.

Robert Townley wrote: I see your black lines now... the one on the rt. is the "10d". No climb described for the one on the left. The chimney looks like it goes up from the small pine in your photo.

OK Thanks, I cannot find my guide book.  The corner is nice and clean after I did some "gardening" with my nut tool. It is a very enjoyable warm up in the 5.8 range. The .10d is a super sweet finger crack up a steep smooth wall. Wear something thin in the toe.

It’s probably the most popular climbing area in the state. When I climbed there from 2004 to 2014 you would always find people there.

From your description it sounds like a VE group was out there that day. 

I'm going to reload and try again the week of the 4th during the week, if it is dry enough to climb. Looks like some unsettled weather blowing in due to the heat, but it is so far off it could change.

Still have yet to tick Rapprochement. It is busy every time I am there. If I wasn't so GD old and stiff I would hop right on it first thing in the AM, but I need a warmup first, especially since it looks like a lot of stemming.

I’ve only been once, kinda late season lost year on a weekday, but I was the only one there. It was kinda chilly but perfect t shirt weather in the sun.

So grateful my climbing days at PH were in the 80's and 90's. My friends and I pretty much had the place to our self's. The road up was so bad there wasn't many tourist either. Camping on top. FA to be had (there still are if anybody wants to put in the work) It was a great time of freedom in climbing. But there was that silly chalk debate.

Peter L Scott wrote: So grateful my climbing days at PH were in the 80's and 90's. My friends and I pretty much had the place to our self's. The road up was so bad there wasn't many tourist either. Camping on top. FA to be had (there still are if anybody wants to put in the work) It was a great time of freedom in climbing. But there was that silly chalk debate.

I'm with you, I mostly climbed there in the late 90's very early 2000's, and there were not that many climbers. On a typical weekend you may see a dozen or so climbers, and recognized all of them. Now, it seems there are many more and they skew very young, beginner.

Oh well, changing of the guard I suppose. I'll still climb there, just arrive earlier, and throw three or four ropes down to "save my spot".