New Kings Canyon Guidebook

Jeremy R wrote: Thanks, Cory! I see the words "5.11", "moderate runout", and "Vaino Kodas" and think oh this'll be full value!

Hahahah! Same, when I saw  Kodas+ Laeger, and "moderate runout" -- I immediately assumed wearing a diaper might be part of the standard rack

@Cory Brooks Approach and route pictures are incoming along with a picture I took of the first bolt on the route. It's an old Leeper 1/4 inch buttonhead. It looked like it may have some "sphincter clenching" potential without prospective run-outs. The only thing I would clarify about the approach is that the parking lot at Road's End by the permit station is where you want to park (not Zumwalt Meadow parking). Take the trail that heads Southwest from the permit station parking lot and crosses the footbridge. Make a left going East (upstream). The route was an obvious dark streak when in the shade. Maybe it's reddish in the direct sunlight. Third bolt was crushed downward, but intact and I couldn't definitively verify the condition of the bolts higher up. Stellar looking line!

Just talked to a friend who tried Scarlet Slipstream years ago and even back then he said many of the hangers and bolts were smashed or missing.  Unless it's been repaired there's probably not much of a route left.  

Like Tyler said, it's not hard to find the general vicinity with the big streaks near the route and the rock looks great.  In the mood to repair that route, Tyler?  I've got some ASCA bolts for anyone that wants to!

I'm down to help or if someone gets me started I can take off with it. I've never bolted/rebolted, although it seems simple enough.

If Scarlet Slipstream gets fixed then Chernobyl Wall is definitely next!

Is there an easy way up to the top of the route?
I think to rebolt it you would want to go top down, doing it on lead would be terrifying given the condition of the existing hardwear.

Did you spy the new route limpingcrab was talking about? Maybe that would be a way to climb up, and then rap down and start pulling out the old buttonheads and replacing them with modern hardwear. Its a pretty big job, as it all has to be done with a hand drill. I also image the NPS is not keen on people leaving fixed ropes dangling up there....

I glanced for the other route in the area, but I didn’t look to hard as I wasn’t sure if the whole route was bolted or if it may follow some crack lines. If I get a little more information I can hunt it down. I didn’t get a wide enough photo of the area to determine if the top can be approached another way. I will check it out again soon.

I believe NPS takes a while to approve bolt permits which they may require for re-bolting. I’ll check into their regulations here.

Rebolting regulations = don't ask don't tell :)

Bumpity bump bump bump.

@Tyler S, you still thinking about making this guidebook?

Inquiring SEKI climbers want to know.

Hey guys, jumping in this thread...

Just did the Rae Lakes loop via roads end over Memorial Weekend (got the permits to climb Farquhar, but my partner ended up being out of state)
There are some epic untapped crags and faces for sure along the whole loop... but there was this super-nice looking left-facing corner/dihedral thing on one of the roadside cliffs, just a bit west of the parking. It seems super clean and looks like it might be good fun & quality. One of the more obvious looking lines- so anyone care to note if they know a route-name for this? or know of it going? 

seemed like 4-5 pitches, although the rollover pitch to the top might require bolts. 

I believe that "4-5 pitch roadside cliff" is the proud 1000'+ North Dome in Kings Canyon. The obvious dihedral is the Tom Frost South Face route (IV 5.11+ free). 

Wow, incredible Richard ! that's about as good as it gets !!

Thanks for your contributions through the years as well, I love seeing your beta/comments on many of the more obscure sierra routes !

Ugh. The real beauty of seki and the high Sierra is there is no new guidebook.  Leave it.

I have a super rough pile of info on the climbing in Cedar. If there is anything in particular you’re looking for I can try and point you in the right direction or if you’re in Cedar I can leave the info down here for you to check out sometime. But the info isn’t super detailed or complete by any stretch. 

I was on the FA of Scarlet Slipstream. Just a few years after doing the FA I went back and repeated it. Many of the Leeper hangers had been bent over we thought from ice sliding down the face. We couldn't use a standard carabiner into some of the hangers. Kind of a shame as it was a cool line and easy to get too.

Tyler Swrote:

@Tyler S bumping this awesome thread once again!  Is anyone still thinking of a guidebook for Kings Canyon?  I spend a lot of time here and would love to see one some day.   Also always down to meet people to climb with in SEKI.