stevecurtis's Logbook (379 ascents)

A few notes. The moves at the start of the first pitch are not bold or difficult compared to later pitches. After the bolt on the first pitch there is some harder bolder climbing. the rest of the first pitch is tamer. The second pitch has 6 bolts over about 45 meters. There is a 40+ ft run out second to third bolt over easier terrain. The next dihedral pitch has hard climbing at the end, with very small pro under the roof. Grey c-3 and master cam are essential. Save a green alien or blue totem for after the roof. The last hard pitch has a bold hard balance move above gear. Your partner needs to move out of the fall zone. The fixed gear to protect the leader is marginal. Decent gear can be had to protect the follower. There is startlingly loose flakes on this pitch and the last easy pitch. Get a picture of the one on the last pitch. Last pitch--traverse right about 200 ft. to trees. This route needs a few bolts

Don't get on this one unless you are solid at 5.10. There is probably a 5.9 passage through the maze, but you need 5.12 endurance to find it.
You can definitely hurt yourself if you fall at the crux.

I did the left side crack first thinking this was Jardines Hand. Anyway, top roped this after noticing my mistake. A nice route.

A nice route but I'd call it 10 C or D. Anyway, a bit run out, not too bad. Nothing to hit on a fall except the last pitch. One can hit a ledge from about 10a and 10 ft. I would be inclined to give it a R for this reason.

I miss read the first move. After the start, easier but engaging

The rock on this is considerably worse than western hardman. Also, most pitches should have an R rating. In particular--the end of pitch 6. Pitch 8 had unbelievably loose rock in the correct line. My partner took about 100lbs off here. Also, the 10b pitch high (before the 10aR pitch) had a hard spot above a ledge.
The 11th pitch, where everyone gets lost? We found the correct line between the two major nasty looking features.

Summary. A fun 17 hour day car to car. My partner cleaned about a ton of rock. Our combined age--127
Single set of cams probably enough. We used one nut.
At the head of the approach gully, the last 40 ft is loose and steep. We rapped and left a sling on a bush on the way out. Also, once above the gully, be sure to traverse 15 minutes right on slabs and scree slope before heading up the cliff band--the spot is pretty obvious when you get there. Heading back left on the upper terrace (the same one Fin de Monde starts from), the start of the route is several hundred yards. If you go too far you'll find the rap anchors for the lower cliff band. The climb's start is about 100 yards right of these.
Finally, we rappelled in high winds with a 6 mm tag line and our lead line. Throwing ropes down was not an option.

Thin Crux at about bolt 4, A few bolts later a ledge with a #2 camalot--questionable. Then somewhat hard climbing to the next bolt. At the top where there are no more bolts on line, one can reach left and clip a bolt on the arete--about 15 feet out on large holds, overhanging.

except at crux. Thin and sequential.

I could see the rubber pealing off my shoes as I slid. Made a bone head move on the second pitch crux. About 15 ft above the bolt.
First and second pitches sport some really huge fall potential. Probably safe falls too--at least the one I took. There isn't a knob higher than about 1/4 inch to hit. Pitch 3 has a few tough sections where you would not walk away from a fall. Beyond pitch 4, the climbing eases SLIGHTLY, but is still engaging to the very, very end. Really fun climbing. Bring a single rack to 2 inches, we used one nut on pitch 8.

OH YEA, alert. There is loose rock on the 4th pitch, and Chad says a crack holding about 100 TONS OF STONE HAS WIDENED!!

Start in any of about 10 places. The best is probably the clean 5.9 crack that starts off a pillar with thin fingers (10B). At the anchor, follow bolts straight up a slab. The 11 A rating is a Calaveras rating. Above the slab, a good ledge with a marginal anchor. Head left and through tiered roof. Follow the corner to a bad anchor and tree, and then up the steep anchor past gear and two bolts. The next anchor is just OK. After this, AO or 5.13 up the face. Beyond is another 5.11 face with OK anchor and OK bolts. The bolted variation on pitch 3 has bad bolts.