Routes : North America : United States : California : Western Sierra : Calaveras Dome : Calaveras Dome : Block head and block head extension
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Block head and block head extension - 5.12d
Average Rating : 0.00 out of 5
Route sequence (left to right): 0
Route Summary | Ascent Notes (0)
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NO
Rock (Sport)
R
13
Blockhead--a few hand size pieces (red to blue camalot) plus one finger size. Extension--bolts plus a few auxiliary pieces--single cams fingers to hands, nothing small. Auxilary pieces optional.
2000
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Description:
We stumbled upon this amazing route and kept going. I did not lead the hard knob pitches, and did not expect to wind up on the "High Life Ledge". My description is spotty for this reason. Anyone with a better description, please replace mine. Climb the mostly hands right variation on block head. Climb through the tree. Where one arrives at the wall above the tree, the bolted route begins. This is short of the top of block head. This first pitch is 11+ or 12A. The next three pitches are harder, probably in the 12C to 13 A range. Where the climbing is harder than about 11+, one can climb bolt to bolt. Although the route is well bolted, there are a few areas with easy 5.10 climbing and long runouts. Hence the R rating. Furthermore, the route is very easy to follow--just follow the line of new bolts. There is even a line of bolts through a pitch of discontinuous cracks--think of them as sign posts. The route is left of silk road about 300 ft. and stays there until about pitch 7. At this point you are at the same level as the stem pitch of silk road. Here, the route follows a broken dyke/crack diagonally left for about 600 ft. It heads toward the left corner of the huge roof on karakoram highway. The climbing on this section is much easier-5.4-5.10, but there is at least one 10a runout and loose rock requiring some care. There are more "sign post" bolts. This section of the route tops out at the High life ledge. From here, traverse the ledge left about 150 ft. to a nice, bluish tinged rap anchor. The route continues above you. We didn't climb this but it is probably 2 more pitches. The section "decent options" would not take a full description. It is possible to walk off the top to a road, or down a very steep gully back to the base. The rappel from "High Life" ledge requires care. The Cotrell description is OK, but the lengths are off. At the curved ledge, your rope will fall in a thin crack. I've retrieved mine on both occasions. The rappel below the "alcove" is difficult. IT IS ABOUT 185 FT ON A VERTICAL WALL, AND DIAGONAL RIGHT ABOUT 40 FT. USE A DIRECTIONAL. FURTHERMORE, LEFT IS THE HUGE ROOF OF RAINBOWS END. PAST THIS RAPPEL IT IS JUST 100 FT TO A HUGE LEDGE WITH THE ANCHORS ON THE FAR LEFT, AND THEN ANOTHER 110 FT TO THE GROUND.Descent Options:
There are rap anchors at every belay. However, once the route traverses left, it is unclear where to rappel since rappelling back diagonally would be problematic. The High life ledge rappel goes to the ground with two ropes. The description in Cotrell'
Submitted by: stevecurtis on 2015-07-13
Last Modified: 2015-10-13
Views: 260
Route ID: 115818
