SUMMARY HAIKU
Post-quarantine climbs
Toproped into a cavern
Burning calves on slab!
Post-quarantine climbs
Toproped into a cavern
Burning calves on slab!
Falling Stars
Rick on Falling Stars.
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Length: 200 ft (really 290 ft because you have to do pitch 3 of Rising Moons to finish)
Pitches: 3 (We did it in two - Rick lead the whole 200 feet in 1 pitch, but this is not recommended. Rope drag got bad right when the climb got more challenging and less protectable.) Type: Trad Protection: Up to #7 (we only had a #6, which results in runout on the last pitch.) Conclusion WTF? FAIR (What the FIRST LEAD SINCE QUARANTINE!) I think I (Stef) liked this climb better than Rick did. I thought it was pretty fun. Whew were our calves burning on the slabby stuff! |
Pitch 1 - 200 ft (recommend breaking into 2 pitches)
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The first 100 or so feet of this climb is quite easy (5.5ish) and nicely protectable. Work your way up the featured face until you reach a small ledge which has an anchor made with nuts and old tat. Maybe it's just best to build your own anchor in the vicinity.
From here move over towards the pillar on the right. Protection starts getting thinner as the climbing gets more challenging and heady. Look for protection hidden on the face of the pillar. This is actually kind of cool terrain where you are using pillar features for your right hand, and sometimes your left hand, while smearing with your feet on the slabby face of the main wall. There are three bolts (two of them are rusty) around the corner at the top of the pillar for the anchor. This is where Falling Stars joins up with Rising Moons (which is a fun climb that is rated 5.5 but it is run out on both pitches 2 and 3.) |
Stef coming out from behind the pillar right before the anchors for the final pitch.
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Pitch 2 (or 3)
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This ~90 foot pitch should be included in climb totals because even though the final pitch is part of another climb, you still have to climb it to get down (I would NOT recommend trying to rappel back down Falling Stars from these anchors, they are too far behind the pillar - plus you'd have to use those manky nuts for the second rap). Also, do not rappel down Rising Moons unless you have two ropes and are familiar with the terrain of that climb. It's really best to top out and use the standard rappel route.)
This pitch follows an offwidth crack, but it is face climbing that goes back and forth across the crack. It is rated 5.5 but the climbing is not necessarily a straight forward "ladder." (The first 100 feet of Falling Stars is easier than this pitch - some might rate this more like a 5.6.) Unless you have a #7, this pitch is quite run out. I had one #6 which fit in very limited spots. I also placed some "possibly un-reliable" pieces in flakes that could break in a fall. I had one really good piece in a horizontal off to the right. In 90 feet I placed 4 pieces - only one of them I felt really good about. This is NOT a beginner lead. At the top of this pitch is a small oak tree, a single bolt, and a crack you can use in various configurations to set up an anchor. |
The final pitch. This photo was taken when I (Stef) placed my first piece of protection - a good 25+ feet up. And you can see that the rock is far less featured than one might expect for a "5.5."
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Getting Back Down
Walk back away from the climb, following a ridge and occasional cairns. You will reach a spot with shrubs and small boulders that invite you to go up - don't do that. Instead go left towards the edge where it drops off. There is some exposure here while you take a few steps across a small ledge. Continue towards some bushes and a headwall. Follow this around until you eventually reach the edge/drop off and see bolted anchors with tat on the lower left wall (as you are facing out towards the valley.) The anchors are not visible until you reach this step-down ledge.
Two single rope rappels get you back down. The second rappel is in a good sized tree with lots of tat.
Two single rope rappels get you back down. The second rappel is in a good sized tree with lots of tat.
Bad Moon Arising
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Length: 80 ft
Pitches: 1 Type: Toprope (highly recommend) Protection: Listed as R, is probably an X, so we toproped it. Large gear #4 and larger can work below, but pro stops when you enter the cavern (except for a highly questionable chockstone near the exit). Conclusion WTF? What the FUN-KY! |
This is a fun, funky and interesting climb that takes you up into a cavern. This climb can only be found on Mountain Project and is listed as rated "R" and the comments say possibly rated "X." We would agree it's a highly consequential fall. Basically the protection stops right as you enter the cavern. At the top of the cavern, right before you exit, there is a questionable chockstone (that someone seems to have desperately slung with fishing jute?). Just keep it fun, toprope this.
The climb is pretty easy, but gets a little challenging in the last 10-15 feet getting positioned to exit. The cavern is a little manky with (bat? bird?) urine and poop on the rock, but cool nonetheless. We wore headlamps because we didn't know what to expect, but they aren't really needed since light enters from above and below.
At the top of the climb there is a small tree and a crack you can use to set up a toprope. The climber can rappel down, tie in, then be belayed from above. A walkie-talkie helps with the communication.
The climb is pretty easy, but gets a little challenging in the last 10-15 feet getting positioned to exit. The cavern is a little manky with (bat? bird?) urine and poop on the rock, but cool nonetheless. We wore headlamps because we didn't know what to expect, but they aren't really needed since light enters from above and below.
At the top of the climb there is a small tree and a crack you can use to set up a toprope. The climber can rappel down, tie in, then be belayed from above. A walkie-talkie helps with the communication.
Climb Stats to Date
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DATE OF CLIMBS: May 14, 2020
WALLS HIT: 1 (First Creek Slabs) NUMBER OF CLIMBS TODAY: 2 NUMBER OF PITCHES TODAY: 3 (normally 4, but Rick combined 2 pitches into 1) NUMBER OF FALLS: 0 NUMBER OF TAKES: 0 VERTICAL FEET CLIMBED TODAY: 370 DIRTY UNDERWEAR ENCOUNTERED TODAY: 0 TOTAL CLIMBS SO FAR: 100 TOTAL PITCHES SO FAR: 132 TOTAL 5.7 VERTICAL FEET ON THE TOUR SO FAR: 11,280' NUMBER OF CLIMBS REMAINING: 136 (out of 237 - although we may redo Pre-Skool) VERTICAL FEET REMAINING: 39,195 DIRTY UNDERWEAR ENCOUNTERED TO DATE: 3 |
FALLS SO FAR: 0
TAKES ON LEAD SO FAR:
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START & END TIMES:
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