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Routes in Gemstone East
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Emerald City T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a |
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Opal T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b PG13 |
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Revenge of the Elderly T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b |
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Sapphire T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a |
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Surf Naked T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b |
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| Type: | Trad, Alpine, 300 ft, 3 pitches |
| FA: | Mark Leonard, Mike Darrah '87 |
| Page Views: | 3,386 total · 24/month |
| Shared By: | Bill Lawry on May 7, 2007 |
| Admins: | Jason Halladay, Anthony Stout, LeeAB Brinckerhoff, Marta Reece, Drew Chojnowski |
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Access Issue: Seasonal raptor closure for some areas in the Sandias
Details
The Sandias are subject to a yearly, seasonal raptor closure, March 1 - August 15
For details and up to date info visit: fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DO…
fs.usda.gov/alerts/cibola/a…
For details and up to date info visit: fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DO…
fs.usda.gov/alerts/cibola/a…
Description
The old Louck's guide shows Surf Naked as a 3 pitch climb. Monomaniac posted pitch 1 in May 2007, including some nice annotated photos. And in June 2011, pitches 2 & 3 were also posted. And there are a variety of ways to fill out the rest of the day after climbing this route.
P1, 5.6 or 5.7: Start at a black water streak on a vertical face that is about 7 feet tall - part of a kind of right-facing dihedral. There is an alternate start up and to the right. Trend left to where the black water streak comes down the huge slab just to climber's right of Revenge. Head up, passing a bolt and eventually climbing into a large left-facing dihedral.
Pitch can end at a ledge-y break in the dihedral - my preferred though comms may be difficult. Or stop higher at the tunnel which is the end of Revenge's P2, making this about a 150 feet.
P2, 5.5 or 5.6: If not done, continue up past the tunnel and then trend left on easier climbing through dirt, vegetation, and hollow-sounding blocks of rock. Set the belay above a small deciduous tree - the last of the vegetation for now. This is about 60 feet past Revenge's tunnel.
P3, 5.7: Excellent rock with possible dirt footholds near the end. Continue up and left following a small left-angling crack that later opens to hand sized. When the crack effectively ends, head straight up near a more-vertical and shorter crack and wander up on increasingly runout terrain; this last section has vegetation running on your right and felt spice-y to me. The pitch ends at a very ample belay ledge in a kind of large slot; 100+ feet? Sometimes there are rap slings on a huge block on the right, which makes me nervous; no slings as of Feb 2018.
WHAT TO DO NEXT?
OPTION 1: Louck's guide shows a 165 foot rap followed by 3rd class downclimb to the tree at the top of Revenge of the Elderly's P1. From there, Loucks shows a second 100 foot rap to the ground. I have never tried this.
OPTION 2: Down climb to climber's right about 15 feet over jumbled blocks and vegetation. Then traverse climbers right on a slab to a small intermittent crack the trends up and right; good medium-small nut at top of crack just before a crux-y move. Continue over and join P4 of Revenge of the Elderly just before the now obvious rap-anchors for that route; 5.7 moves gets one to the anchors.
OPTION 3: Climb Surfs Up, 5.8R: "From the belay at the end of P3 (nice nut is slot) attack the arete. There are 2 or 3 bolts on this arete. Then move left to the face to climb up to a ledge. At one time the belay was a set of slings around a root and a piton; this may have been improved. Then a rap can get you to the R.of E. top belay (with effort). Or, Alam also points out, "... we have also climbed an additional 2 pitches ... but never found anything worth writing home about, but if you are into Sandia adventure...."
P1, 5.6 or 5.7: Start at a black water streak on a vertical face that is about 7 feet tall - part of a kind of right-facing dihedral. There is an alternate start up and to the right. Trend left to where the black water streak comes down the huge slab just to climber's right of Revenge. Head up, passing a bolt and eventually climbing into a large left-facing dihedral.
Pitch can end at a ledge-y break in the dihedral - my preferred though comms may be difficult. Or stop higher at the tunnel which is the end of Revenge's P2, making this about a 150 feet.
P2, 5.5 or 5.6: If not done, continue up past the tunnel and then trend left on easier climbing through dirt, vegetation, and hollow-sounding blocks of rock. Set the belay above a small deciduous tree - the last of the vegetation for now. This is about 60 feet past Revenge's tunnel.
P3, 5.7: Excellent rock with possible dirt footholds near the end. Continue up and left following a small left-angling crack that later opens to hand sized. When the crack effectively ends, head straight up near a more-vertical and shorter crack and wander up on increasingly runout terrain; this last section has vegetation running on your right and felt spice-y to me. The pitch ends at a very ample belay ledge in a kind of large slot; 100+ feet? Sometimes there are rap slings on a huge block on the right, which makes me nervous; no slings as of Feb 2018.
WHAT TO DO NEXT?
OPTION 1: Louck's guide shows a 165 foot rap followed by 3rd class downclimb to the tree at the top of Revenge of the Elderly's P1. From there, Loucks shows a second 100 foot rap to the ground. I have never tried this.
OPTION 2: Down climb to climber's right about 15 feet over jumbled blocks and vegetation. Then traverse climbers right on a slab to a small intermittent crack the trends up and right; good medium-small nut at top of crack just before a crux-y move. Continue over and join P4 of Revenge of the Elderly just before the now obvious rap-anchors for that route; 5.7 moves gets one to the anchors.
OPTION 3: Climb Surfs Up, 5.8R: "From the belay at the end of P3 (nice nut is slot) attack the arete. There are 2 or 3 bolts on this arete. Then move left to the face to climb up to a ledge. At one time the belay was a set of slings around a root and a piton; this may have been improved. Then a rap can get you to the R.of E. top belay (with effort). Or, Alam also points out, "... we have also climbed an additional 2 pitches ... but never found anything worth writing home about, but if you are into Sandia adventure...."
Location
Begins just right of and about 40 feet above the start of Revenge of the Elderly. See optional starts in this photo:
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[[105878863]] originally posted about the first pitch and marked it in blue. Pitches 2 & 3, in yellow, were marked later. Also shown in yellow is a 4th run-out pitch to the top anchors of [[106136454]].
![[[105878863]] originally posted about the first pitch and marked it in blue. Pitches 2 & 3, in yellow, were marked later. <br>
<br>
Also shown in yellow is a 4th run-out pitch to the top anchors of [[106136454]].](https://cdn-files.apstatic.com/climb/107161302_smallMed_1494170327.jpg)
Albuquerque, NM
From the belay at the end of P3 (nice nut is slot) attacked the arete. There are 2 or 3 1/4 bolts on this arete, then move left to the face to climb up to a ledge. The belay was a set of slings around a root and a piton. May want to improve on this. The rappel from this point can get you to the R.of E. top belay (with effort). We always found it easier to belay par way down Revenge and climb that route.
I have included a update topo.
Note we have also climbed an additional 2 pitches above P4, but never found anything worth writing home about, but if you are into Sandia adventure....
New Mexico
I always assumed that Revenge of the Elderly was put up by an older generation and Surf Naked was then named by a younger generation as a challenge to the former. ;-) Maybe someone who really knows will post.
Bill Oct 26, 2011
The red line is SURFS UP (5.8 R). Probably should be included as a seperate climb. I have always liked the arete, and just link Revenge and Surf Naked in various variation depending on the mood. Also note that when I first climbed this in 1990 I thought the bolts (quarter inch specials) should be replaced, and now 20 years later they still need to be done. Oct 30, 2011
Guam
The terrain was definitely overgrown, covered in lichen, and had some ice. The protection although run out in places was bomber.
We rapped down from the top of RotE with a two rope (60m) all the way down to the top of RotE pitch 1. From there one more rap to the bottom ledge and walked out. The bolts at the top of RotE were a bit wiggly, but safe enough. The slings (rope enclosed in webbing) and rap rings at RotE pitch one belay, definitely still in good condition.
Overall, it was a good day to climb in NM. Cold, yes, but the views, climb, and rap were awesome!..but maybe wait until summer for another climb? Nov 11, 2011