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Favorite Obscure Rock Formation to Climb?

Spencer Pitman · · Boulder, CO · Joined Oct 2009 · Points: 5

Underground Karst limestone and gypsum aid climbing in caves in the Southeast (TAG area).

Jay Knower · · Plymouth, NH; Lander, WY · Joined Jul 2001 · Points: 6,036
Spider Savage wrote: Schist. Now there's a rock that is interesting to climb. Flaky. Melts in your hands.
Really? Evidently you've never experienced good schist. That can be some of the most rewarding rock on which to climb.
Monomaniac · · Morrison, CO · Joined Oct 2006 · Points: 17,295

Volcanic Tuff is the most interesting rock ever! Lots of variety, though its sadly scarce. Here are two polar examples,

Enchanted Tower New Mexico, steep & juggy

Photo of the Tower itself.

and Smith Rock Oregon, thin & technical

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Tim Stich · · Colorado Springs, Colorado · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 1,520

Boulder Canyon's Fin of Krappe:

It awaits!









It's on the Eastern side of Blob Rock in the burn area. Come put your own line up this classic face.
rpc · · Portland, OR · Joined Dec 2005 · Points: 775

think the technical term is conglomerate basalt held together by moss:



Jon B · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2007 · Points: 105
Panorama of Eagletails and Courthouse Rock.

Great desert mountaineering. Stnd route is 5.fun.

One giant heap of choss, with good fun in between.
Schiffhauer · · Bakersfield · Joined May 2004 · Points: 90
Spider Savage wrote:Porphyry is cool. Some of that in the South Tyrol region of Italy. Red with white spots. Also like granite.
Porphry is actually a term given to any igneous rock with obvious large crystals within a matrix of fine-grained groundmass.

Spider Savage wrote:Tuft is nice an hard with solution pockets but very abrasive. Some of that at Enchanted Tower in New Mexico and up near Bishop in the Owens Gorge.
It's tuff, not tuft. And, those aren't solution pockets, they are gas pockets.
Lee Smith · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2003 · Points: 1,545

I found a big boulder almost completely made of Milky Quartz with a bunch of mica thrown in to make it loose. We did some top roping because the landing was atrocious. It was like climbing on slippery, sharp and loose glass.

Milky Quartz
This isn't a very good picture, but the right side of the quartz boulder is about 15 feet tall, overhanging, and sharper than a Menses meeting.

Lee Smith · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2003 · Points: 1,545

Then there is this obscure type of formation:

Handy boulder

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

General Climbing
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