Yabba Dabba Dudes

Excellent route! I haven't climbed it in about 12 years and it didn't have a bolt at the top then. Beautiful area to climb and a really fun lead. It would be fun to see Rock of Ages and The Pagoda rocks on this web site. I used to climb in this area when I was in high school and I put up the bolt route on Pagoda that the Bay Area Rock Climbing guide called 5.10a. We named it Blue Zenith. Someone told me that the bolt hangers had been removed; I haven't been back to verify that now that I live in Golden, CO. Pine Canyon is a really special place and I recommend that people go out and explore it!! Feb 25, 2004

Yabba Dabba Dudes is a great route but I didn't give it the highest rating just because I've done much better, safer climbs. It is fun and challenging though! The first bolt is way up there but getting there is not the crux. Let me say this another way. It COULD be the crux if you head up in a straighter line for the bolt. Thin and dicey and slopey for sure. If you stay right a bit longer you get to good hand holds about bolt high which then you can traverse left from. Still, you have to keep your head! Falling off here would be pretty messy. The climb has a couple cruxes I would say. Getting up to the 3rd bolt is the first thin crux and then the final moves up past the last bolt and small cave is also thin for feet. You could escape right at the end for easier climbing. There is no bolt on the top unless I am going blind. I searched and searched but ended up putting in three cams (medium to large) and tied off the large rounded block. The bolts look ok but they aren't the larger 3/8" bolts I think which I would prefer in this rock. How good they are is in question as this rock is very soft and vulnerable to wear. Certainly a very good climb but it was scary for me as I contantly questioned the bolts' ability to catch a fall all the way up! Oct 10, 2005

Great climb, it made the hike in (which really wasn't that bad) worth it. It is very similar to Amazing Face in style of climb. Not quite as classic, but fun in the same way. Very footwork intensive. Sure would be nice if there were some bolts on top though! Oct 13, 2005

Did Yabba Dabba on 22nd April 2006.... a scary climb till the first bolt

A few things:
1. The first bolt as already stated is 20 feet off the ground. A fall before that could be bad.
Would be nice to have a bolt at 10 ft level too , hence making the route safe and enjoyable. Getting to the first bolt is bit dicey , be careful. Stay to the right initially.

2. The rock is sandy and so footholds tend to slip.

3. There is a thin crux just before the 3rd bolt , but now you have 2 bolts below you so not to worry. The bolts seemed to be in good shape. The first bolt hanger was shaky though.

4. I too could not find any bolt on the top. Had to sling the huge boulder on the top for top anchor.

A scary lead on the whole ..... Apr 25, 2006

^^^
Safe and enjoyable? Sense when is climbing safe? And what does "safe" have to do with enjoyable? That route was probably put up on lead. If not it was certainly put up in a more traditional style. That's the unique nature of Pine Canyon. Love it or leave it. Just don't retro bolt it. Jun 22, 2006

John Gatti and I put this climb up in true old dad style, ground up, with no TR or rapping down to preview. That's a hard style to stick to at Diablo, new climbs are always sandy and lose and burn a big hole in the brain. On the plus side, good adventure can be found close to home. Normaly I don't go for adding bolts to a climb but this one could use a lower bolt. As it is, the start is tricky high ball and after that its bolted to death. The top is crap rock, I woudnt trust any bolt anchor up there.

norman Jun 21, 2007

I'd say most of the routes in Pine Canyon went in ground up on lead. I know all mine have. Pine Canyon is one of the only and last frontiers for adventure climbing anywhere near the Bay Area. It's a special place indeed. Hope it stays that way. Jul 5, 2007

I really respect you guys who bolted this climb in ground up style.

My intention was never to put any bolt , i know its always a contreversial topic ... but I just felt that the first 20 feet was the most unprotected part of the climb hence that was just a suggestion from a beginner climber (ie me :-) )

And ya , now that I have shifted to the east coast (Atlanta) , i truely realize the imprtance of having such a wonderful area (Pine canyon) so near to our home.

Enjoy climbing ... Dec 25, 2007

This was a fun climb though the first bolt is a little high for me. The first three bolts are spinners and the forth bolt was a little rusty. A large sling is need for the top. Apr 26, 2010

this is a route, that we put up on top rope to the left of yabba dabba dudes. TR only as there are no bolts. the route goes up the right side of the huge cave to the left of yabba dabba...i have no idea if this section has been done before. i would rate it a 10a. you sling the rock to the left of the bush at the top of DUDES and rap down for the TR. follow the right side of the cave up to an obvious 3ft. diameter BUCKET from there there are several variations of how to proceed upward. please let me know if there is a route already here as it is well worth it! Aug 13, 2010

^^^^^

It's been TR'd. About 5 or 6 years ago there was some effort to work out a route that went directly out the big cave. The rock was deemed too soft for anything practical, but several different lines were TR'd on the upper headwall for fun. Aug 20, 2010

New chain anchors at the top as a result of wheelymcneely and some other fine folk that use diablo rock gym as their home base.... Aug 27, 2011

Ah thank god! That route definitely could use em.

Do you know what kind of bolts they used. Exact dimensions would be great. Nothing less than 6" glue ins or Powers 1/2" X 3 3/4 sleeve bolts should be acceptable. If you would find out what these guys put in the rock that would do wonders for my piece of mind.

I've sunk a lot of bolts in that stone and I'm well aware of what will work and what absolutely will not through some bit of trial and error. If you could ask what kind of hardware they used, that would be great. I have 1/2 X 4 3/4 powers bolts if they used something sketch. I'd be willing to donate to the cause. Sep 4, 2011

There are now anchors on top of Yabba Dabba Dudes. And regarding the route in the picture above, I bolted it in February of this year. There are 10 bolts plus anchors at the top, all the bolts are placed in solid rock. The line that the bolts follow is about 5.10d. If you wanna climb it on lead I'd bring some slings and read what I've posted. I posted info on the route here on Mountain Project. I did the FLA, first lead ascent, and am calling it The Quarry.

mountainproject.com/v/the-q… May 31, 2012

it's a ways to the first bolt, go get em! Aug 24, 2012

such a great route. bolts are totally bomber, good holds (unless rains were recent, i suggest climbing this when its super dry out and you dont mind cooking on this face because pine canyon gets HOT.) If you're going to lead this and this is a project route, i'd bring a stick clip if i were you, that first bolt was pretty scary for me. Jan 3, 2013

This is a nice slab climb. It felt pretty hard for a 5.10a. I thought the crux was near the 3rd bolt, where the hands just aren't great and it becomes very delicate and balance-y. I definitely appreciated the stick clip on the first bolt, which allowed me to relax through that difficult first section. The bolts and anchor at the top looked very good. Would definitely bring a sling to extend some quickdraws next time. Oct 16, 2017

I counted 8 bolts before the 2-chain anchor. That's not counting the first bolt of Oona Kuma, which starts to the left of Yabba Dabba and crosses Yabba Dabba to the right. If you choose to use that bolt to protect the start of Yabba Dabba, it's 9 bolts before the anchor. Oct 18, 2017

The hanger on bolt 2 is loose now, and most of the lower bolts have some discoloration. Combined with the thin holds around bolt 3 and the general sandiness of the rock, this felt sketchy as a lead - the anchors still look fine, though, so our group put up a TR and mock-led it. Oct 3, 2018