tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82612309328321236032024-03-12T21:36:25.127-07:00Climber's Guide to Old Rag Mountain, Virginia(Oh My God Dihedral, 5.10c)Drew Fryehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013965677534522281noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8261230932832123603.post-64391676456960972952018-01-16T22:09:00.000-08:002018-01-16T22:10:54.247-08:00January 2018, Great FallsNothing to crow about, but we did get a few days of ice climbing in at Great Falls during the early January cold snap. Cold, but not enough flow for any of the fun, tall stuff to come in. No snow and no rain. Maybe February?<br />
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<br />Drew Fryehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013965677534522281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8261230932832123603.post-16260046676091290472015-11-12T14:10:00.001-08:002015-12-08T12:08:11.436-08:00According to the Black Diamond web site:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hyNAKJgyklY/VkULZpQlolI/AAAAAAAALrY/gysb9aSjzxs/s1600/BD%2BTorque%2Bfrom%2BBD%2Bsite.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hyNAKJgyklY/VkULZpQlolI/AAAAAAAALrY/gysb9aSjzxs/s320/BD%2BTorque%2Bfrom%2BBD%2Bsite.jpg" width="320" /></a><i><u>Torque Gloves</u></i><br />
<i>A durable, slim-fitting glove with a super-sticky palm ideal for
drytooling and mixed cragging, the Torque’s lightweight construction
provides incredible sensitivity without palm rolling.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="product-details ">
<i>
</i><br />
<div class="product-details-text">
<i>
</i><i><u><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Description</span></b></u></i><br />
<i>
Built for high-end mixed climbing and drytooling, the Black
Diamond Torque Glove features a super-sticky palm and low-profile
construction for unmatched grip and dexterity. The softshell fabric
protects your hands from the elements while remaining highly breathable,
and the soft tricot lining adds just enough warmth for the WI5 hanger
above the business.<br /><br />
</i><br />
<ul>
<li><i>Abrasion-resistant woven softshell</i></li>
<li><i>Slip-Stop palm for unparalleled grip</i></li>
<li><i>Laminated, brushed tricot lining</i></li>
<li><i>Articulated neoprene cuff with hook-and-loop closure and carabiner clip loop</i></li>
<li><i>Compression-molded EVA padding for impact protection</i></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<br />
I can agree with the sensitivity, fit,
and sticky palm comments. They are a pleasure to slip in and out of
leashes. But the durable adjective is provably misplaced.<br />
<br />
After
two 30-foot M6 climbs and one 30 lower, the rubber was gone from the
right pinky and holidays were evident on the ring finger. Just one short
lower.<br />
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I
called Mountain Tools and they said "but you've used them." Black
Diamond said "they aren't for rappelling, just climbing." However, the
company literature does not SAY they are too delicate for any of the
realities of climbing. (Mountain Tool subsequently accepted the return and refunded the money, after contacting Black Diamond.)<br />
<br />
The next day I went to the same
places, climbed 3 times as much and lowered 3 times as much, wearing a
pair of 10-for-$3.99 disposable work gloves ($0.39 each, or about 140
times cheaper) and had less wear. Pretty comfortable, too. Perhaps the
Torques climbed a little better, but only a little. I may have to start
keeping a stack of the discount gloves in my pack. I can loose a lot of
them for 39 cents.Drew Fryehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013965677534522281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8261230932832123603.post-74084631135286785382015-08-10T09:35:00.001-07:002015-08-10T19:23:36.423-07:00February 2015<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photography By Dave Rockwell </span></i><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>A little lead climbing on the upper wall, north of the Amphitheater. Very solid, WI 3+ to 4+, depending on the specific line and ice conditions. Generally you can get in all the screws you need, but place them in hollows and mind delamination in the sun or above 32F.</i></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q4K2vMUmWqM/VcjQJUZejRI/AAAAAAAAKQ4/sMUaoxSMrXc/s1600/Leading%2Bin%2BWhite%2BOak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q4K2vMUmWqM/VcjQJUZejRI/AAAAAAAAKQ4/sMUaoxSMrXc/s400/Leading%2Bin%2BWhite%2BOak.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>All sewn up. Just practice, you know. For me, shooting in screws on steep ice without getting my gloves tangled in the leashes </i><i><i>is the crux</i>. The climbing is easy. Don't get me started on leashless climbing; I guess I'm just old school. But maybe I can learn.</i></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i> Oh yeah.... I was supposed to clean that!</i></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yNK0y2VN7Wg/VcjSSTxxLwI/AAAAAAAAKRc/Crq8joTeJQM/s1600/Leading%2Bin%2BWhite%2BOak%252C%2Bjessica%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yNK0y2VN7Wg/VcjSSTxxLwI/AAAAAAAAKRc/Crq8joTeJQM/s320/Leading%2Bin%2BWhite%2BOak%252C%2Bjessica%2B2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
____________</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Don't forget your helmet; stuff falls down.</i></div>
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<br />Drew Fryehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013965677534522281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8261230932832123603.post-47993564663857515872015-02-09T16:17:00.002-08:002015-08-10T19:20:54.735-07:00Keep Crampons on the Feet<span style="font-family: Arial;">After having the heel come loose
on my new Lynx crampons (and having to one-foot up the remainder of a 20' problem with no rope) and a friend telling me of plastic toe baskets
breaking while front pointing up a big snow/ice slope (and having to figure something out way up in the mountains), I got to
thinking.<br />
<br /> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Dbgg9s07Y3o/VNlM_xx4oOI/AAAAAAAAIiQ/rz6AjVzzULo/s1600/Crampon%2Bheels%2B001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Dbgg9s07Y3o/VNlM_xx4oOI/AAAAAAAAIiQ/rz6AjVzzULo/s1600/Crampon%2Bheels%2B001.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">I like the high aluminum
lever on the BD Switchblades (right); bullet proof, low
profile, and a high leverage point. It doesn't seem that
plastic has any place on crampons, and yet many high-end
crampons do.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">My BD Contacts (left) have
plastic front and rear. I got these for my daughter when she was
5, and they fit quite a range (2-11). How durable? Can't
say, since they have only been used by a miniature person,
and lightly at that. Never in sub-zero conditions. Maybe I should carry a strap for field
repairs.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">The Lynx has a VERY low
strap securing the ankle (second from left). It provides
effectively NO restraint for the heel lever. Was this a
factor in the release I had? Minor, at most. I think I did
not have them tight enough and vigorous kicking loosened
them. I may also have had my gaiters on the ledge, but I
don't know. I readjusted them that night, after better
understanding how I wanted them fitted to the boot and they
have been great since.<br />
</span></li>
<li><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">With the addition of a few
rings (second from right) I was able to put a second wrap on
the ankle and to secure the lever MUCH further up. It
certainly feels more secure, and there is no way the lever
can be released by snagging. Several reviewers commented on
this lever design flaw, but none suggested a revision or
work-around. Interestingly, I can even swap the BD heel
lever on to the Lynx if I don't like this.</span></span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EBSRmoknkWk/VNlNdkaOKTI/AAAAAAAAIiY/q3a3jzXmjU4/s1600/Crampon%2Bheels%2B002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EBSRmoknkWk/VNlNdkaOKTI/AAAAAAAAIiY/q3a3jzXmjU4/s1600/Crampon%2Bheels%2B002.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
Just in case you haven't seen these side-by-side<br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-txIfeQib-yk/VNlNnBEYkUI/AAAAAAAAIig/9Pf01VqJaRk/s1600/Crampon%2Bheels%2B003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-txIfeQib-yk/VNlNnBEYkUI/AAAAAAAAIig/9Pf01VqJaRk/s1600/Crampon%2Bheels%2B003.jpg" width="308" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">And while we're at it, note the difference in front point angle. I find that
with the lower angle it is easier to place them higher, and
they are still <u>very</u> secure with more moderate heel
drop angles. In fact, it is less critical to keep the heels
down to prevent shearing. So just like axes with differing droop angles (Cobras vs. Quarks, for example), the correct placement angle varies. Gotta know what you are wearing.<br />
</span>Drew Fryehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013965677534522281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8261230932832123603.post-51249260190672100962014-02-16T12:06:00.001-08:002015-08-10T19:22:37.307-07:00Ice Climber's Guide to Great Falls, Virginia<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Rev. 1-15-2015 </i></span><br />
<br />
While hardly a wonderland of ice, there is enough to learn basic
skills, warm up for greater challenges, or enjoy a vigorous morning of
ice bouldering as your skills improve, all within minutes of Washington
DC.<br />
<br />
Warning. Everything we said about rock climbing
being dangerous goes triple for ice. You can stab yourself, cutting the
rope is easy, and falls with crampons carry a high risk of ankle injury.
Even the approach hike can be dangerous. Falling in the river is almost
certainly fatal. Be careful and use a top rope until you have well
advanced your ability to read ice. Climb in the morning , while it's
crisp.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i> Keep your heels down! </i></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>(My waterfall crampons broken, </i></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>I went old school for the day. </i></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>Honestly, SMC rigids do just as well) </i></div>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eaHPQuctf40/UwEOlbT0RJI/AAAAAAAAEeU/iC72lvfHvJU/s1600/Clasic+crampons+%28SMC+Rigids+circa+1960%29.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eaHPQuctf40/UwEOlbT0RJI/AAAAAAAAEeU/iC72lvfHvJU/s1600/Clasic+crampons+(SMC+Rigids+circa+1960).jpg" /></a><br />
Consider
wearing a helmet. It's not impossible for the climber to drop ice on
the belayer... though belaying to one side should prevent that. Belaying
from above can be smart.<br />
<br />
Leading. Climbs are short and
ice conditions extremely variable. Though I love leading ice, the
practice would seem silly and dangerous here. That said, there is no
harm in practicing screw placement (waist-high, make a starter hole, use
ONLY concave ice (convex ice shears off). Don't bottom screws into the
rock; sharpening is a drag.<br />
<br />
Anchors. Rock anchors with slings. If you have ice screws, bring one or 2 for directionals. <br />
<br />
Dry Tooling. Don't dry tool anywhere folks rock climb. You will be <u>very</u>
unpopular and will richly deserve it. There is simply no reason to
scratch up such a limited resource. In fact, the Park Service has
expressed displeasure at this activity in some places (Little Stoney
Man, SNP), so try to be invisible. Find some hidden place no one climbs;
there are many. There has never been any mention of trouble at Great
Falls, and let's keep it that way.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The aftermath of sloppy dry-tooling. Dry-tooling is
NOT about hang-dogging and flailing, it is about precision placement and
planning. Curious that there are no scratches on the holds that
actually work--All this punter did was his dull tools. At least they
stayed away from popular rock climbs. But if this is the best you can
do, stay with easier climbs for a while. This is just graffiti. </i></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Pge0Yhxo8ok/Uxi3qz8FJPI/AAAAAAAAEkw/POvVR23TqMI/s1600/Microdome+Right,+sloppy+dry-tooling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Pge0Yhxo8ok/Uxi3qz8FJPI/AAAAAAAAEkw/POvVR23TqMI/s1600/Microdome+Right,+sloppy+dry-tooling.jpg" width="320" /></a></i></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
Smashing. If you are dropping chunks of ice larger than hand size, you are doing something wrong. If you dropping more than teaspoon size bits from a peg-boarded late season climb, you are not using what is there. Ice axes should strike in hollows, where the ice is strong in compression, not on bumps where it is fat but will shatter when spiked. Crampon points should aim for flats or features, and if we keep our heals down, seldom shear. We should be careful when cleaning axes; over placed axes, horsed around, can bring down huge chunks. When the cracks in a formation get to a certain point, move on; they will heal overnight if you can just <u>leave it alone.</u> Ice is a finite resource at Great Falls, and we should always be aware that tomorrow there may be another guy that wants to climb on the stuff we unthinkingly knocked down. Best of all, the gentle touch will put you in good stead when you move on to thin, challenging ice, where there aren't deep placements and you need to preserve what little ice there is for upwards progress.<br />
<br />
"If it doesn't stick, swing harder" is almost never true. Even on thick ice, 80% of placements--ax or crampon--should require only a single moderate blow.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">A just-departed group had knocked down over 100 pounds of ice talus, until they reasoned there was too little remaining to climb. I then climbed a half dozen laps, hooking old holes and using features, never displacing more than dust. It simply never occurred to them they didn't need to swing like barbarians. If we are all going to climb here, we've got to be gentle. </span></i></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VLzv1LA7NLo/Uxi2SvNgsVI/AAAAAAAAEkk/ALvGwj_D4ck/s1600/ice+smashing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VLzv1LA7NLo/Uxi2SvNgsVI/AAAAAAAAEkk/ALvGwj_D4ck/s1600/ice+smashing.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Grades.
On the New England (NE) ice scale, grades can vary from day to day and from first
climber to second. Please take them with a grain of salt. The short
length prevents any high ratings; how tired can you get in 25 feet? Mixed grades (M) are more like rock grades in that they don't vary so much with conditions, but that all depends on whether the crux is on thin ice.<br />
<br />
Climbs
are listed from upstream, referencing rock climbs near by when ever
practical. Any Great Falls Rock Climbing Guide should keep you
organized. We've never seen any good ice in Great Falls, Maryland, but we'd be glad to add it to the list.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>And don't chop your rope! </b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b>The Gorky Park and Cove areas are inaccessible when the river is even a little high. Best when it hasn't snowed too much, as they do not depend on snow melt.<b><br /></b></span><br />
<br />
<b>Gorky Park.</b> 25 feet, NE 3+. Rap approach. A nice smear forms in the damp area
just downstream of the big roof. Further to the right, under the roof,
there is often a short thin and mixed start, about M4.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Just down stream of the Technostratoman Roof. The thin stuff under the roof goes too.</i></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h8cUv0T0dxI/UwEOQvmN2aI/AAAAAAAAEeM/-T0tq0zSes0/s1600/Drew+on+Stratoman+Left.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h8cUv0T0dxI/UwEOQvmN2aI/AAAAAAAAEeM/-T0tq0zSes0/s1600/Drew+on+Stratoman+Left.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>Dribbles right and left. </b>20
feet, NE 2-3. Rap approach. 50 feet down stream from Gorky Park are a couple of
little dribbles right next to each other. A fun little warm up,
sometimes mixed. You can rap in, or you can scramble along the water's edge, working upstream from The Cove.<br />
<br />
<b>The Cove, right. </b>15 feet, NE 3. About 50 yards up stream of the Microdome, this little cove holds a
variety of small drips and one reliable flow. A little corner climb
forms 40 feet right of the main fall, surprisingly solid for a thin little
line, well supported in a corner.<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xqYWJD0lTYI/UwEPJg6VliI/AAAAAAAAEec/iPvwviZcMWc/s1600/Chris+and+Paul+near+the+cove.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xqYWJD0lTYI/UwEPJg6VliI/AAAAAAAAEec/iPvwviZcMWc/s1600/Chris+and+Paul+near+the+cove.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Cove Main is clearly visible to the left. The Ice Bouldering area is visible above and behind the Cove Main flow.</span></i></div>
<br />
<b>The Cove, Main.</b>
20 feet, NE 3-3+. Thin direct starts are generally possible, though
most climbers start on the more solid left side. Nice and steep at the top, and very
dependable. Inaccessible when the river is up a little. There is also some very steep dry tooling out through the cave (M5). <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YMjGP29MdHc/UxJAkKTUCFI/AAAAAAAAEhI/uubceeYgBik/s1600/Upper+Pond+Ice+Bouldering+Area.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YMjGP29MdHc/UxJAkKTUCFI/AAAAAAAAEhI/uubceeYgBik/s1600/Upper+Pond+Ice+Bouldering+Area.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
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<i> <span style="font-size: x-small;"> Only 8', but thick and no death-fall. However, even a short jump is very dangerous on ice, so don't fall.</span></i></div>
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<b>Ice Bouldering Area.</b> 5-8 feet, NE2. Just about the Cove Main and on the way to the Microdome area. Always fat, always in early, and lasts a long time. In rock climbing, the basics of foot placement and movement are most quickly mastered just a few feet above the ground, where the climber can focus on exactly what is happening and what is working, not success or failure. With ice the same is true; I watch many climbers flail on a rope, flubbing basics they could have better learned in private; this is where I learned them, a few mornings on my own, trying variations and honing basics. This is a place to play with different swings and foot work, both flat footed stuff and front pointing. Work on one-strike placements (moderate force, direct at a hollow, pull downwards at impact so it hooks). Work on one-kick front point placements (firm strike with follow-through, heel low, direct at flat or just above feature), step on to them, and then raise the heels and see what happens (they shear right out). Really look at what you are doing and at how the ice reacts to it. No smashing.<br />
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Also saves wear and tear on the more interesting flows. Practice here.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c9BOiHe68tU/UxJCTUQpSeI/AAAAAAAAEhU/StkqSVFoDv4/s1600/Microdome+Veil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c9BOiHe68tU/UxJCTUQpSeI/AAAAAAAAEhU/StkqSVFoDv4/s1600/Microdome+Veil.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The traversing and thin ice can make it interesting. Melted out but still climbable in March.</span></div>
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<b>Microdome Veil.</b> 20 feet, NE 3. Several thin lines go up the broken area right of the Microdome. Not
dependable and short, but interesting and sometimes mixed.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NX-rfdskfZk/UxI-1V_TpTI/AAAAAAAAEg8/ovTjAFsXYQw/s1600/Right+of+Microdome.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NX-rfdskfZk/UxI-1V_TpTI/AAAAAAAAEg8/ovTjAFsXYQw/s1600/Right+of+Microdome.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Microdome Right, thinning but still climbable in March. This route is often in for 2 months, </i>amazing for Virginia.</span></div>
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<br />
<b>Microdome Right.</b> 20 feet, NE 2-3, depending on how peg-boarded it is. The most popular Great Falls ice climb, good
materials for beginners, and fun for all. Reliable and generally quite thick.
Ledges keep it from getting vertical, and once picked-out, quite easy and secure.<br />
<br />
<b>The Gully. </b>Several
extremely variable climbs from NE 2 to M4. Continue down river from
the Microdome Left top-out, and descend the first major gulley to the
left. Short climbs at the base and mixed routes on the downstream walls. Requires snow and the right temperature swings.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Cigar Box Right, melted out in March. When it's fat it's a workable access downclimb.</i></span></div>
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<b>Cigar Box Right.</b> 15 feet, NE2-3. A short little climb-out covered by the same anchor. There is also an easy rock descent to the right<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2EclSedxgUM/UxJCxxM2XwI/AAAAAAAAEhs/EY7zxzlzO80/s1600/Upstream+of+Cigar+Box.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2EclSedxgUM/UxJCxxM2XwI/AAAAAAAAEhs/EY7zxzlzO80/s1600/Upstream+of+Cigar+Box.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
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<i> <span style="font-size: x-small;">Cigar Box. The bottom is gone in March.</span></i></div>
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<b>Cigar Box. </b>25 feet, NE 3-M4. The first dirty gulley upstream from <i>Humidor</i>, a nice corner flow with a steep start. Fat when it's in, tricky and educational start when it is not.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kiuoTm4BZgo/UxJCx7MIsrI/AAAAAAAAEho/df-fQjxf_NA/s1600/Upstream+of+Aid+Box+II.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kiuoTm4BZgo/UxJCx7MIsrI/AAAAAAAAEho/df-fQjxf_NA/s1600/Upstream+of+Aid+Box+II.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Aid Box Right. The right flow went on cool March morning, but just barely; the crampons were gently placed on holds and the axes placed lightly, with precision.</i><i> </i></span></div>
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<b>Aid Box Right. 15 feet. NE </b><b>4. </b>Just right of the Aid Box down climb. Short, steep, and desperately thin, these lines are extremely variable. Must be well below freezing, like any thin climb.Drew Fryehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013965677534522281noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8261230932832123603.post-4845915280178705212014-01-30T19:48:00.001-08:002014-04-05T11:44:59.234-07:00White Oak Cannyon, January 2014<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6I3h0VW46CE/UusctuypW4I/AAAAAAAAELQ/U4zwVOfEK1Q/s1600/Chris+ice+bouldering+white+oak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6I3h0VW46CE/UusctuypW4I/AAAAAAAAELQ/U4zwVOfEK1Q/s1600/Chris+ice+bouldering+white+oak.jpg" height="320" width="151" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TuY6agM1nO8/UuscrMXXajI/AAAAAAAAELI/4Rc9kSYIYYM/s1600/Ice+Bouldering.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TuY6agM1nO8/UuscrMXXajI/AAAAAAAAELI/4Rc9kSYIYYM/s1600/Ice+Bouldering.jpg" height="400" width="117" /></a>The original destination for the day's expedition was<br />
Overall Run, but we elected to approach from <br />
Skyline
drive and the Park Service elected to close a drive due to icy
conditions (1-inch of snowfall). Faced with a barricade, we retreated
and drove to White Oak, where predictably good conditions rewarded us with 3
leads, numerous top ropes, and tired bodies.<br />
<br />
Chris
honed gear management leading WI 2 on the lower falls. We both bouldered
on the cauliflowered base, marveling at the flow, the lace-like
structure others travel to view and photograph, but for some reason we
are drawn to scale.<br />
<br />
Further up the canyon we found the
south side to be unstable and thinner than expected. We talked about
possibility, then something substantial fell and better judgment
prevailed.<br />
<br />
The grotto was nice and cold, though and the
steep walls nearer the falls provides some short but stiff leads and
top roping. And quiet. No company other than the thunk of ax and the
crunch of front points.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Really fun cauliflowers on the Lower Falls.</i></span></div>
Nice.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--Wt5HvHXpPw/Uuscpt7kdtI/AAAAAAAAELA/o3nhci9Q-N8/s1600/drippers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--Wt5HvHXpPw/Uuscpt7kdtI/AAAAAAAAELA/o3nhci9Q-N8/s1600/drippers.jpg" height="640" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />Drew Fryehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013965677534522281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8261230932832123603.post-61671017559663955202011-02-08T13:11:00.000-08:002015-08-10T19:23:59.051-07:00White Oak Canyon, 2011Not a great ice season, but enough for a few day trips, including this 65-foot rotting death trap that just barely went, dropped the microwave-sized bulge that formed at the summit for the first climber. A 50-pound bomb.<br />
<br />
Note: it was NOT belayed from from directly below. This climb always sports a small ice talus field, where the bits shed in the sun each day accumulate.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>North Wall, WI4+, 60 feet</i></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/TVGvM_vu0mI/AAAAAAAAArc/Z6td9lu1_84/s1600/Ice%252C+White+Oak+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/TVGvM_vu0mI/AAAAAAAAArc/Z6td9lu1_84/s400/Ice%252C+White+Oak+3.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
The drama, wondering if the whole business was going to crumble under a climber's weight, led to a lack of good photos. Ascending a long wall just north of the trail, between the amphitheater and the upper falls, it's a fine climb that seldom forms.<br />
<br />
North and above the amphitheater were a number of solid 40-foot climbs....<br />
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<i>North Wall, WI 3+ to WI4 </i></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/TVGw_hfrHLI/AAAAAAAAArg/Pg4s1ZaNEtI/s1600/Ice%252C+Whiteoak+Canyon+2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/TVGw_hfrHLI/AAAAAAAAArg/Pg4s1ZaNEtI/s400/Ice%252C+Whiteoak+Canyon+2011.jpg" width="300" /> </a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/TVGyyITS9DI/AAAAAAAAArs/wcQqsolIGE4/s1600/Ice%252C+White+Oak+4+Chris.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/TVGyyITS9DI/AAAAAAAAArs/wcQqsolIGE4/s320/Ice%252C+White+Oak+4+Chris.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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and the flows of the south side of the amphitheater, though simple, were as thick and dependable as ever. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Ursa Crag, WI 3</i></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/TVGxa0K5CfI/AAAAAAAAAro/KqQySYv_ylY/s1600/Ice%252C+Whiteoak+Canyon+2011+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/TVGxa0K5CfI/AAAAAAAAAro/KqQySYv_ylY/s400/Ice%252C+Whiteoak+Canyon+2011+2.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photos by Dave Rockwell</span></div>
Drew Fryehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013965677534522281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8261230932832123603.post-33243307220663908502010-04-14T19:37:00.000-07:002010-04-14T19:43:16.472-07:00Trip: Psychobabble, Dobie Gillis, etc.<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Old Rag. October 11<sup>th</sup>, 2009</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">with Todd Bradley</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Another inimitable Trip Report by Dave Rockwell</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Thrash (?) warmup 5.5</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Fern Crack 5.7</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Piton Crack 5.8</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Psychobabble 5.10b</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Dobie Gillis 5.8</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Weather: lovely. T-shirt: Pomona Piratical Sagehens. Notable animal sighting: three large ravens, reminding us inevitably of the brilliant and tragic E. A. Poe – date of death: Oct. 7 1849.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S8UuaH6dD9I/AAAAAAAAAhs/sCR-Ec_kn_s/s1600/DSCN1207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S8UuaH6dD9I/AAAAAAAAAhs/sCR-Ec_kn_s/s400/DSCN1207.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Summit, facing north</i></div><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> The leaves were turning nicely at the higher elevations, and it was sunny and mild, no wind. However, we put in a workmanlike day at the cool and shaded PATC Wall, from 11:00 to 5:00. It was a rather crowded day at Old Rag; we conversed briefly with a party of two climbers on their way down to the God Crag area, and later chatted up a pair of Harrisonburg guys who had been all the way down to Bushwhack Crack. But no one else came by the PATC. Todd led a warmup 5.5, name uncertain; I led Piton Crack, this time without any difficulty, as I had solved the peculiar walking-hands-mantle-traverse crux last time, and I was wearing jamming gloves for the start, which makes it fairly trivial. Todd then led Fern Crack, with the slightly intimidating cracked-overhang move, in good style and with good pro. I think it was here while belaying him that I discovered a large black spider attempting to attach a strand of webbing to my chin, and while I yield to no one in my admiration of the matchless mountaineering skills of the arachnid clan, I fear that my involuntary twitch of dismay may have led to the poor spider's injury and probably lingering death later on. Clearly I am not going to get my Nirvana merit badge this time around and might just be reborn as a fly or a stinkbug. An hour or so later a similar spider climbing up my shoulder caused me to slap myself all over with my headband in a fit of hysteria.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S8Z6uMr0UKI/AAAAAAAAAig/sZKAkb_F1Wc/s1600/DSCN1187.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S8Z6uMr0UKI/AAAAAAAAAig/sZKAkb_F1Wc/s400/DSCN1187.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The Easy Hand Crack Near the Summit</i> </div> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> I then led, for the fourth time, I believe, (over about 20 years) the lovely little 5.10b called Psychobabble. At this point I think we can agree to change the climb's name to DAVE'S BITCH, as I have never failed nor fallen on this climb. The two bolts are now almost unacceptably rusty, although apparently holding tight. Although I am not generally in favor of making any kind of improvement that might bring more climbers to Old Rag, I would favor replacing these bolts and the one on Dobie Gillis, and while we're at it, putting a nice two-bolt ring station on top of each of them, to avoid the rigmarole of traversing to the anchor above Waste Age (5.12 whatever) in the center.<br />
<br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> To take some air out of my boasting, Psychobabble is a very pleasant climb at its grade: the first half is essentially soloed and a small tree is slung; then a delicate 5.9 traverse move right after the first bolt is performed, and finally two short but very thin and balancey moves are done with the second bolt just under one's feet. If one falls here with one's hand mere inches from the massive exit horizontal, and the very rusty bolt snaps off, the lower bolt will also snap off and it is extremely likely that one's corpse will leave a small bloody crater at the base. With great care given to placing the fingertips on the best available rugosities (in this case I pinched an pencil-eraser-sized knob with the right) one stands up very smoothly and carefully on the small horizontal hold just below the last bolt, and then one says “Damn it all,” because the exit crack is still some distance above one's pathetically outstretched digits. One more <i>even thinner</i> move is required before one is permitted to emit the Baboon Bark of Triumph.<br />
<br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> Finally Todd and I tag-teamed good old Dobie Gillis: he led the first half, and then, in the middle of the nasty, super-rough, flaring jam crack, abruptly ran out of steam, feeling chills and general malaise, and so I finished the lead for him, and off we went to the summit to warm up and relax in the late-afternoon sun. A few photos were taken of me re-creating a photo that I once made many years ago, of Doug Cosby soloing an easy hand crack, with our shadows printed black on the warm granite, and the orange and red autumn foliage behind, and the green and blue mountains stretching south into the horizon. Alas – though I looked casual and daring in my red T-shirt at the top of the crack, no one could mistake me for that greyhound, the young Doug, neither now nor then.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S8Z50DR7ZnI/AAAAAAAAAiY/UbXD2WHEl60/s1600/DSCN1191.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S8Z50DR7ZnI/AAAAAAAAAiY/UbXD2WHEl60/s400/DSCN1191.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> At the Frost Diner in Warrenton the current waitress was blond, young, moderately pretty and actually tried to put some personality into the job. My deep-fried haddock was, amazingly, rather tasty, with fries and coleslaw and assisted by gobs of Texas Pete cayenne sauce; Todd had a good-sized cheeseburger. As we were both starving, the food could easily have been assembled from industrial waste and we would not have known the difference – victims of the usual Twilight Zone perception warp. The jukebox selection, with the manual, completely non-electronic song selector at each booth, was the usual classic grab-bag of the cheesiest hits from the last six decades. I over-tipped the waitress on the theory that she couldn't possibly survive on the normal tip percentage at these prices, and we blasted off, the White Whale riding smoothly up Lee Highway, still encased entirely in the anachronistic time bubble of Twentieth Century America: a 305 c.i. V-8, a four-barrel carburetor, a large bottle of Coke, and, on the radio, the adventures of Boston Blackie, a serial from approximately the year I was born. </div>Drew Fryehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013965677534522281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8261230932832123603.post-81924551378984169882010-01-18T13:29:00.000-08:002014-03-08T13:10:13.701-08:00Ice Climbing - White Oak CanyonCoastal and Piedmont Virgina share more climatic similarity to the south than the frozen tundra of New Hampshire, but a few times each year the mercury drops far enough in the nearby mountains to change the order of things, for a few days. We hastily dig out our ice tools and crampons, give them a quick tune-up with a file as needed, and drive through the early morning to grab our share of ice time, before it fades away.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Amphitheater Falls, WI 2</i></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S1TScapUF4I/AAAAAAAAAUk/BssvmO2PFMU/s1600-h/Jessica+on+upper+falls,+White+Oak+Canyon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S1TScapUF4I/AAAAAAAAAUk/BssvmO2PFMU/s320/Jessica+on+upper+falls,+White+Oak+Canyon.jpg" ps="true" /></a></div>
The climbing is mostly on the lowest falls (grade 2-3, 60 feet) and on the canyon walls further up (grade 3-4+, 25-70 feet) and depends very much on the season. The lowest falls is great for beginners and beginning leaders, as it is moderately angled and generally thick enough to take screws on several lines. On the canyon walls further up, particularly in the grotto surrounding the next major falls, the ice tends to get steeper and thinner, with fewer leading opportunities; good ice periods produce leadable grade 4 lines, though some rock gear may be prudent. Small pillars and climbable free-hanging icicles are possible, but rare.<br />
<br />
For Northern Virginia climbers, there is also some tune-up potential at <a href="http://old-rag-guide.blogspot.com/2014/02/ice-climbers-guide-to-great-falls.html">Great Falls, on the Virginia side.</a> A few short lines freeze reliably, some near the Micro Dome and some near Gorkey Park, about 200 yards upstream, all at the waters edge. Don't climb under the tourist overlooks - the rangers will chase you off.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>North Wall, WI 3+ to WI 4+</i></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S1TT-tMBC-I/AAAAAAAAAU0/TkOnAsRvXbY/s1600-h/whiteoak+canyon,+1-19-03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S1TT-tMBC-I/AAAAAAAAAU0/TkOnAsRvXbY/s640/whiteoak+canyon,+1-19-03.jpg" ps="true" /></a></div>
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White Oak Canyon is located on the drive-in to the Old Rag Saddle Trail parking lot (Berry Hollow side). Some additional guide information to White Oak Canyon ice is given on the link-list to the right.</div>
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It's not a lot of ice, but it is a change of pace and place to learn before heading to New Hampshire and other points to the north.<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: black;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Routes. </span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Remember that ice formation varies so much from year to year and condition from hour to hour, that specifics are pointless.</span><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></b></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.potomacmountainclub.org/images/stories/climbing_beta/woc_topo.jpg" target="_blank"></a></div>
<table border="0"><tbody>
<tr>
<td>1) </td>
<td>Lower Falls WI2+, 50 ft. Good for first leads.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2)</td>
<td>Lower Middle Falls WI2, 40 ft</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3) </td>
<td>Bear Falls WI2, 40 ft</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>4) </td>
<td>Amphitheater Falls WI2, 20 ft.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>5) </td>
<td>Upper Middle Falls WI2+, 40 ft.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>6) </td>
<td>Upper Falls WI3+, 6O ft</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>7) </td>
<td>Ursa Crag WI3, 30 ft.</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td>8) </td>
<td>North Wall WI4+, 50 ft;<br />
(Top outs marginal normally Top Roped)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>9) </td>
<td>Amphitheater Crag WI3+4, 40 ft. Often leadable.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>10) </td>
<td>Upper Amphitheater WI2-3+, 30 ft;<br />
(Another Ice Pillar 15-20 feet above)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>11) </td>
<td>North Amphitheater WI3, 40ft</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="border: medium none;">
<br /></div>
Note: there is little worthwhile rock climbing in White Oak CanyonDrew Fryehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013965677534522281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8261230932832123603.post-38060143752330232612009-07-29T06:41:00.002-07:002009-07-29T06:42:43.825-07:00New Route Information - Under ConstructionDrew Fryehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013965677534522281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8261230932832123603.post-16253671120124474522009-07-29T06:41:00.001-07:002010-04-14T13:27:31.253-07:00Trip Reports<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">November 4th, 2006</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">A Dave Rockwell Trip Report. Subject: Wilderness Regulation for Rock Outcroppings, etc.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Old Rag. Clear, gradually turning grayish, then back to mostly sun at sunset. High temp. about 45. With a large group of Access Fund types, NPS personnel and other rabble, i.e. climbers.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> I was operating on four hours of sleep after a nine-hour flight from Frankfurt the day before, with the inherent get-up-early boost of flying west through six time zones. I felt free and exuberant, though bloated with fat, after five hellish days of sitting on a tour bus in Tuscany and gobbling prosciutto and pasta four times a day, with the mandatory chugging of superb Chianti. The final day I did walk four miles or so with a boulder on my back (a very bad backpack/rolling carryon) which did my knee no good. So Old Rag, with its total lack of ancient vineyards, trattorias, museums and skinny Italian women with torn and faded skintight Capri jeans and shit-kicking stiletto-heel boots, was the perfect purgative and remedy, for everything but the knee.<br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> With various stops along the way, the group hiked from the Old Rag Shelter (to which we had been driven! - don’t tell anyone.) to the PATC wall, where botanists pointed out a rare (in Virginia) high-altitude smugwort, or plugwort - at any rate, I can now recognize it and avoid obliterating it. We all discussed strategies for channeling foot traffic and preserving soil and diversity without using heavy and unenforceable rules and regulations, or building concrete bunkers topped with razor-wire to protect the minuscule little buggers. I put in my two cents from time to time just on principle. So what if you’re an idiot -speak up! This is America and we want your thoughts expressed, so we can then grind them up for The Sausage That Is Democracy.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> Let me warn you though: these hiking-boot bureaucrats are sneaky, subtle and deadly dangerous! They play the game better than we common plebeians. I observed them pretending to listen to our petty climber concerns, exhibiting egregious use of reason, tolerance, openness to the views of others, etc., and I was just working up a nice, juicy, bubbling stew of hatred and resentment for their insidious seduction that would lull us to sleep, after which we’d wake up in the Cannibal Pot of Restrictive Regulation faster than you can say Environmental Impact Study, when, BAM! It sunk into my granite skull that they weren’t faking it. We were all acting as a problem-solving study group, and interacting in good faith! Boy, that’s the most treacherous thing ever! So I had to toss the resentment stew into the bushes, so to speak.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> Some climbing-specific items that were discussed or at least bruited about: means of consolidating and improving social trails to minimize trampling of the rare plants; means of educating the general public as well as climbers to the ethics prevailing in more eco-aware regions, such as walking on rock whenever possible; the possibility of replacing old rusty quarter-inch deathtrap bolts here and there with new stainless-steel three-eighth-inch bolts in the same holes; the best way of minimizing traffic on the west summit, where there is a fine population of a globally-quite-rare plant that only grows in thin, poor granitic soils in harsh summit areas, and which can be blasted to hell in a moment by the careless brush of a child’s sneaker. All these goals need to be accomplished without the use of the iron fist, as in any case there is no enforcement budget, and without installing hideous barriers and neon signs that would destroy what’s left of that delicate and ineffable feeling of wilderness that we still sometimes get up there, when there’s a lull in the din from hordes of yelling kids and rowdy picnickers. When five hundred humans file through a site in a day, there’s always going to be some of that, and somebody’s going to drop his water bottle and forget about it. But here’s one reason I feel so good about the process we participated in: near the summit we wondered how to stop the erosion of islands of soil that sustain various tough little pines and other picturesque bushes, and it was suggested by NPS persons, mark you, that nearby boulders could be placed as retaining walls so artfully, by actual landscape architects, that only certified Feng Shui practitioners would suspect that they had not been there for the past billion years. Many of us felt very good that tax money could go to a goal so purely aesthetic, rather than pouring it as usual down some rat hole full of defense contractors. Could it actually be true - hold on to your hat - that government is not invariably evil?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> Some of us took a quick look at a flourishing colony of glugworts next to the short trail leading down to Pure Fun, just to see if the trail needed any change (consensus: probably not), and then most went on home, while myself and three others went down to the Sunshine Buttress area below the west summit, where I led a very nice classic little 5.8, maybe a hundred feet, which I had never suspected was there, as the sun went down in a blaze of glory as it usually does. I skipped the 5.10a finish, feeling clumsy enough as it was, and we walked off west through the usual maze of huge, weird boulders.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> The day was nicely capped with a typical bit of comic relief. As we were walking down the fire road in the quickly thickening gloom, we were accosted by an anxious young man, who had hiked the mountain earlier that afternoon with two companions, but had separated from them for his own inscrutable reasons, and now was unsure of how to get back to the parking lot, which lot it was, and what planet he was on, etc. No map, flashlight, water, or planning ability. Actually a quite common situation out here, which every so often leads to major problems as the temperature drops well below freezing. (We had encountered ice slicks in many areas all day long.) We walked him down to Berry Hollow where he thought he recognized his starting point, and with that good deed done another excellent Rag expedition ended.<br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Old Rag, September 27, 2009</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Yet another Dave Rockwell Trip Report.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Gutterballs 5.9</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Simple Man in a Complex World 5.8</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Jabba the Hut Left – 5.8, but with direct 5.10a finish, part of newer climb. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Chris and Dave. Song of the day: “Just a little lovin'” - Shelby Lynne version. T-shirt: PRANA<br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S8UdbE_H1yI/AAAAAAAAAhE/0mQZFp5DZ7c/s1600/DSCN1016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S8UdbE_H1yI/AAAAAAAAAhE/0mQZFp5DZ7c/s400/DSCN1016.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> Another perfect fall day at Old Rag. What more can I say? A lot more – just try and stop me. As everyone knows, Joe Brown said that time spent in the mountains is not deducted from the sum total of one's life – or was it that hosebag John Sherman? Regardless, the enduring tragedy is that we cannot live up there and become immortal, like those Taoist hermits that ride the winds and drink the dews of Heaven. Those guys have it made in the shade.<br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S8Ugm_PQxII/AAAAAAAAAhk/g9QL6uQyKgs/s1600/DSCN1038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S8Ugm_PQxII/AAAAAAAAAhk/g9QL6uQyKgs/s400/DSCN1038.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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It had rained hard that night. As we cruised westward from Warrenton the overcast drizzle began to lift in patches, and as we drove west from the speck of buildings that the elves call Etlan, the clouds drifted slow and low, obscuring the mountain, but revealing glimpses of the Blue Ridge behind, sporadically sunlit. As we hiked up from Berry Hollow and approached the Old Rag shelter on the fire road, the odd shaft of gold burned through and caused the doomed ferns of the forest floor to glow molten, water vapor rising through them. Soon we met two young men carrying heavy packs encased in garbage bags; I asked them how they liked the camping, and they said it was seriously wet last night, and that the mountain was a great place and a serious one, essentially. They seemed disposed to talk of their adventure, but we forged on. Halfway up at the outlook I frantically snapped the entire western horizon, mottled as it was with clouds of vapor cruising slowly through the various permutations of the Ridge. At the summit, around 11 am, a fine breeze was blowing and the many rainwater pools looked fresh enough to drink, instead of the usual algae soup. My legs felt fine and we went right on down to the mysterious and rarely-visited Gutterballs crag, pioneered, if I am not mistaken (and please correct me if I am wrong) by local demigod Sandy Fleming and crew.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> Now, lost in the mists of time there was a day when I went there alone and climbed the two climbs on self-belay. All I remembered was that there is absolutely no easy way to the base except rappelling (rusty but large two-bolt anchor) and that the climbs were interesting. One old tick list of mine claims that I flashed the lead of Gutterballs, but I have not the least recollection of doing the finish. So as huge vultures soared nearby in the void, sometimes only perhaps twenty feet away, and the sun came and went, Chris led Simple Man with no particular difficulty: an easy layback leads to a bolt and a short slab; then there is a short but rather nasty little overhang, which is analogous to placing one set of toes on the edge of a desk as such a height that one's knee is completely bent and the ankle splayed outward, and then standing up. Of course, Geoff, the Master of Carderock, can do this without strain, but I have a crappy left knee, and I needed something extra to levitate my wavering left hand another three inches to a mild horn. For me this involved a desperate mantle move with the right thumb tip and the second joint of the index finger pressing straight down into a nest of carpet tacks and applying a great deal of pressure. The climb finishes with a small headwall that demands a non-standard layback move and the use of tweakers, invisible from below, to get to a bucket, also invisible. 75 or 80 feet total and well worth the bushwack. I'm sorry, but there is no way to describe the location of the crag well enough to guarantee that anyone can find it. It is south of The Eagle's Gift, north of Jabba the Hut, northwest of Oh My God, etc., and east of the sun and west of the moon.<br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S8Udz9M9MyI/AAAAAAAAAhM/yu2HXnLMa-E/s1600/DSCN1087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S8Udz9M9MyI/AAAAAAAAAhM/yu2HXnLMa-E/s400/DSCN1087.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Mrozowski leading Simple Man in a Complex World</i></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> Regardless of my marginal performance following Simple Man, I wanted to lead Gutterballs, and I did, mostly. The first half consists of three bolts just to the right of a shallow, rounded flaring seam with no crack at all; there is almost nothing useful to the face to either side. Basic technique for this consists of tiptoeing up the seam in short steps, while jumping the hands desperately to certain sparsely distributed side-cling edges, mandating a weird mixture of friction, face and subtle laybacking. Not unlike riding a unicycle down the gutter at the bowling alley. If you could stay right in the middle and had superhumanly perfect balance, it would be a cruise, but you can't; hence my unhesitating lead gave me great satisfaction. Then after that there is a rather horrible, vertical finger crack in a short dihedral set just above a small overhang in such a way that I could not find the start to it, regardless of the excellent nut I had placed above my head. Tape your fingers for this crack, unless you have the skill and strength of Chris, who went right up it on top belay (though using a small cheat stone that happened to be lying there) after I had bugged out and finished the lead on the easier climb. I very much doubt that any cheat stone would have helped me lead that on that day.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> Jabba the Hut is an amusing blob of granite bulging ominously on the south side of the Reflector Oven gully, the highest of the crags in that area, the closest to the trail, but nevertheless not so easy to find or approach. You can see it from several vantage points, but when you walk toward it from any direction you will soon find yourself either a) struggling upside down amongst brambles and dead sticks in some dead-end flytrap of granite, or, b) faced with frictioning up 80 or a hundred feet of 45-degree slope, or c) wading through brush blindly, following a vague trend down from the main trail. When you get there (and you won’t recognize it from above) you can friction down a short slope to the top, or use a nice new descending ring that’s been installed there. When rappelling to the base on the nice new rings at the summit, remember to leave all your stuff up there unless you enjoy hauling packs or climbing with them. On the other hand, you might contribute to the public good as we did, by hauling our packs and thus brushing off a portion of the big black lichens that have buried certain sections of Jabba Right (5.9) and the easy right-side finish of Jabba Left.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">At the base (brushy, damp, vines and brambles, bugs) we found, just to the left where the clean granite slope extends down and around the bulging overhang, the new 5.10 (or harder?) which ascends a difficult overhang problem, and we could not resist, being already set up, a few attempts on toprope here. Momentarily we each seemed on the verge of success, trying to get into balance with the right leg swung high, the arms pulling in and down and the face practically planted in the bulging wall that has a few minor red-herring knobs which would be useless even if one could free a hand to grasp them. Nevertheless it was fun and I was able to further calibrate just what my crappy left shoulder will or will not do; in this case it performed well on a straightforward all-out pull.<br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S8UeD_HSRoI/AAAAAAAAAhU/klNGdnE1Ob0/s1600/DSCN1099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S8UeD_HSRoI/AAAAAAAAAhU/klNGdnE1Ob0/s400/DSCN1099.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Looking southeast from the base of Jabba</i></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><i> </i><br />
Chris then led Jabba Left, the supposed 5.8, which I remembered from those dim ages of prehistory as disappointingly easy, because I had been expecting a 5.9 as listed in the old Rock and Ice guide, not knowing then that the ratings of the right and left climbs had been reversed. But now both climbs are nearly buried in black lichen in the last fifteen feet or so, and when Chris emerged from the rather stiff layback-crack start, did the leftward step-across and headed toward the single bolt a good ways up in the clean rock directly above, he found a much greater resistance than expected, and the bolt about a foot farther up than any logical stance-related placement would have placed it. He did a hard move, clipped it, and worked for a while on the next hard move before finally deciding to do the “French Free” and grab the quick-draw; the move would have been pretty much standing up on one big toe, on a fairly small item, with the hands just posing existentially here and there on meaningless bumps. I found it tough enough with his top-belay removing all risk. And then there are a couple more interesting, harder-than-5.8 moves to finally top out. Hence this makes the climb better; this is the finish to the 5.10 overhang start, but it also becomes the 5.9+ direct finish to the crack start. I might like to go back and try to lead it. In any case the nice little 5.9 on the right deserves to have the lichens cleaned from the top section. So gear list for the next expedition must include (as it always should at Old Rag) a wire brush and a pair of hand clippers. A machete would be helpful also, though heavy to lug along.<br />
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S8UeoOGyHfI/AAAAAAAAAhc/Y-rCqtUJLJA/s1600/DSCN1103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S8UeoOGyHfI/AAAAAAAAAhc/Y-rCqtUJLJA/s400/DSCN1103.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Friction slab guarding the summit of Jabba</i> </div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><div style="text-align: center;"></div><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> Heading home we cruised right on by the sunny summit, where we could have rested and sorted gear, but my legs felt fairly good, helped along with the trekking poles as always. As we drove out through Etlan and headed north, with Sperryville some ten or twelve miles ahead, we immediately fetched up behind a small car being driven either by a centenarian or a doper. He or she drove about 45 mph, except whenever the road turned slightly or went over a small hill, or when other cars approached, when he would quickly slow to 25 and flash his brights erratically. As this is a winding and hilly stretch of road, such slowdowns happened with great frequency, sometimes apparently triggered by nothing at all. I followed as closely as I dared, looking for my chance, but of course on the few straightaways the guy accelerated such that I could not safely pass. I was not in the mood for this, but I was relaxed enough from a good day of climbing that I restrained the Whale, knowing that right after Sperryville I'd drop this guy like a turd off a tower.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> Things even out, though – the rest of the drive was fast and easy and made quicker by listening to some classic old radio skits from the fifties, like Gunsmoke, and The Adventures of Philip Marlowe. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
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</div>Drew Fryehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013965677534522281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8261230932832123603.post-87503475831740344162009-07-19T20:11:00.000-07:002010-01-20T09:33:06.144-08:00Climbing Practices and TipsClimbing Practices<br />
Climbing at Old Rag includes bouldering, top roping, sport climbing, and traditional leading. The quality and volume of all of these are excellent. However, the star attraction is lead climbing on flawless granite of great variety. Because of its designation as a Wilderness in Shenandoah National Park (SNP), bolting by power drill on Old Rag is now prohibited. Any alteration of the rock, including chipping holds or adding them is prohibited. The Ranger staff is currently working to determine if a formal climbing policy (ROMP – Rock Outcrop Management Plan; http://www.nps.gov/shen/parknews/national-park-service-announces-availability-of-environmental-assessment-for-the-rock-outcrop-management-plan.htm) for the area is needed, based on volume of use and potential for degradation. Hand drill and placing pins is still legal at this time, but the Park Service does not appreciate this, and the climbing community hopes that you will stay away from established lines and hiking trail areas. In the interest of preserving this wilderness and the best possible relationship with the Park Service, the cooperation of all climbers will be needed. Park policies and regulations can change at any time, and can currently be found at <a href="http://www.nps.gov/shen/ps/nr/bwmp/ch7.htm">www.nps.gov/shen/ps/nr/bwmp/ch7.htm</a>. Note: work on this plant has been suspended for technical reasons (http://www.nps.gov/shen/parknews/public-comment-on-rock-outcrop-management-plan-suspended.htm).<br />
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Many traditionally established bolted lines can be found, drilled by hand from the ground up. Only a few routes were rap bolted. Some of the original anchors are old deteriorated 1/4” spinners and could use replacement, but most are high quality 3/8” stainless in perfect rock. The result is many fine sport and traditional routes. Additional bolting cannot be justified. Only a few cliffs are so tall that top-roping is not practical, though rope drag would be an issue on many due to fantastic friction in most areas. When you clip each bolt, remember that on the first ascent the leader was swinging a hammer while on that measly stance. Suddenly a casual sport route becomes more of a traditional adventure climb!<br />
Gear requirements at Old Rag are standard for granite. The rock can be best described as similar to Joshua Tree, existing as domes with slabs and splitter cracks. However, the rock is considerably more sound and offers unique bumps and even single crystal holds that are quite strong. The many fine crack routes are very receptive to the “standard” rack of granite gear, many routes practically pulling the gear from your rack. However, those that are new to granite will at times need to be very observant of the subtleties of protecting the unique curves and pockets of weathered granite. Small Tri-cams and active cams (SLCDs) are highly recommended. A standard rack would contain a full set of wired nuts, a dozen quick draws, six full length slings, several small Tri-cams, a full set of SLCDs, a cordalette, some extra biners, and perhaps some Aliens and Ball-nuts. A roll of athletic tape for the hands and the knowledge of its use is mandatory for many of the saber-toothed cracks. A single rope is what most routes require, but doubles are occasionally nice, the second rope often finding additional use in descents and hauling. Add a couple of bail biners, quick links for anchors missing pieces, and several tied slings for backing up anchors, and you’re in good shape. You won’t need a lot of this gear on most routes, but it is a long way to the car! If a route description suggests certain gear, don’t take it for fact; you may see the route’s protection needs differently, you may overlook a key placement, we may have forgotten some detail, or the route may have changed over time. Bolt and anchor hangers are occasionally stolen. I hope these people realize there is a special chamber in hell for those that steal hangers, next to the room for climbers that chop bolts. Even climbs referred to as beginning leader climbs are not for beginners. They are for intermediate climbers that have led at that grade before.<br />
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For many mid-Atlantic climbers, Old Rag is the first real introduction to jamming. Most area climbing is on face holds, and those times jamming is called for, generally to character of the rock is very different from the coarse texture of Old Rag granite. This leaves many beginners believing that hand cracks are some horrible, old-school anachronistic rite of that they can avoid. Perhaps the following information can open up the world of hand cracks and jamming to the "new generation".<br />
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<b>Tips on Jamming and Taping</b><br />
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Technique. Jamming, even more than face climbing, is very individual, both to the climber and the crack at hand. In order to see technique, you will need to watch other climber's jams very closely. It is the details inside the crack that make the difference. There are also many details concerning how the pressure is applied that are not visible. However, if you consider that your hands function in the same ways as the gear on your rack, the following thoughts may help you to make sense of the approach.<br />
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1. Natural constrictions. Take a lead from your climbing rack when thinking of placements. Like stoppers, look for constrictions. But don't wedge a finger too well! I have a friend who has 9 fingers because his wedding band caught on a ladder rung and his foot slipped. However, a hand, fist, or foot in a constriction is bliss. <br />
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2. Movement. Don't go too deep into a crack unless you must. Movement is easier and quicker if you are closer to the edge. Feet jammed much past the toes in a hand crack can be the dickens to get out after you have moved up on them. When you stand up and the leg becomes extended, they cannot be uncammed. Thumbs-up is generally preferred, unless precluded by the need for camming, because longer reaches are possible. Thumbs-down jambs are generally shuffled with short reaches. <br />
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3. Expansion. Like SLCDs, hands and fists can be expanded. In the case of a fist, clench hard. In the case of a hand, draw the thumb in across the palm. Make a cup. Often very secure in the correct size range, but tiring if the crack is a little too big. <br />
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4. Camming. Like Tri-cams and Hexes, hands and fingers can be cammed. With fingers, the variations are many, and the best advise is to experiment. With hands it is generally a simple twist of the wrist. Chose thumbs down and cam by lowering your elbow, or better, go thumbs up and cam by twisting your wrist such that the thumb wants to point outwards. With fists, it generally involves bending the wrist to the outside. Less secure than constrictions or expansion, but less tiring and fast. <br />
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5. Fit. Like locating a curved nut, there is a perfect fit. There may be finger holds inside the crack in only one spot. Even a ripple is a big help. The crack may curve a bit and simply fit better one place than the other. Learn to pick your hand placements like you would gear slots. <br />
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6. Big moves vs small moves. This can go either way. Big moves are faster and are often the choice with big solid jams. Smaller moves can be best on poor jams, especially for thin hands/finger cracks when getting the toes in is difficult. Like face climbing, some times a small somewhat insecure move is needed to make the next move possible. Try everything. <br />
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7. Mix it up. Don't be so focused on the crack that you miss stemming, lay backing, and face holds. The change of pace alone can help. It is really easy to focus on a big unjammable crack, while small features are available to save you. <br />
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8. Rotation. Don't rotate in the jams. This is the source of most pain. Try to place jams so that they will improve as you move up, and do the flexing with the wrist. Place them methodically, load them slowly, and keep them still. <br />
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9. Loose jams. Don't expect a jam to feel like a handhold. They can move around a little, which you will get used to. Get weight on your feet. A jam does not have to be good enough to pull up on. It has to keep your weight in while your feet do the walking.<br />
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10. Clothing. Long canvas pants and rugby shirts are the deal for off-widths. Sweaty knees and arms do not cut it. However, be careful of shirt cuffs that are on your wrists: They can ruin perfect jams. <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S1Trf21poOI/AAAAAAAAAVM/bJF8iKhTpBs/s1600-h/tape+stage+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S1Trf21poOI/AAAAAAAAAVM/bJF8iKhTpBs/s200/tape+stage+1.jpg" /></a>Taping. The best technique will not prevent all pain when the crack is jagged and the jams highly loaded. Also, thrashing at your limit and learning are no fun if the blood is sure to flow. Try the following and<br />
damage to the hands can be greatly limited.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S1TrhU76CEI/AAAAAAAAAVU/mV1Iu5eO2Qs/s1600-h/tape+stage+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S1TrhU76CEI/AAAAAAAAAVU/mV1Iu5eO2Qs/s200/tape+stage+2.jpg" /></a>The Tape Glove for General Use<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S1TrjPtkuOI/AAAAAAAAAVc/H1mlK55x-F8/s1600-h/tape+stage+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S1TrjPtkuOI/AAAAAAAAAVc/H1mlK55x-F8/s200/tape+stage+3.jpg" /></a>1. Base Strips. Cover the knuckles, the bone below the index finger, the back of the thumb, and other high pressure areas with one or several layers of athletic tape. Flex the wrist no more than 10°. There is less tape in this glove, so it will come apart if too loose.<br />
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2. Finger loops. Index and pinkie only. Take a 10" length of 1 1/2 "tape. Pinch in the middle and wrap around each finger, starting and finishing on the back of the hand. Bend the wrist forward about 10 degrees while applying.<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S1TrlwZmFNI/AAAAAAAAAVs/opzUPhArsjU/s1600-h/tape+stage+4+palm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S1TrlwZmFNI/AAAAAAAAAVs/opzUPhArsjU/s200/tape+stage+4+palm.jpg" /></a><br />
3. Thumb. Use a 4" length of ¾" tape as a ring to secure the base taping.<br />
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4. Wrist. Use 2 10" x 1 ½" lengths of tape. The first begins in the center of the back of the hand, wraps under the wrist riding up a bit on to the heel of the hand, and returns to the back of the hand. The second strip is the same, overlapping but about 1" further down the wrist.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S1TrkjmiCXI/AAAAAAAAAVk/VqrNrIxOC9s/s1600-h/tape+stage+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S1TrkjmiCXI/AAAAAAAAAVk/VqrNrIxOC9s/s200/tape+stage+4.jpg" /></a><br />
5. Gaps. If you left any gaps, add tape and pat it down hard. It should stay.<br />
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This method is adequate for most hand cracks and has the advantages of being relatively thin, open palm, and non-restrictive. However, for heavy duty cracks and off-widths, beef it up:<br />
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1. Base layer. Cover the entire back of the hand. Put several layers in the high pressure areas. 2 layers on the thumb.<br />
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2. Finger loops. All of the fingers. Use 12" loops.<br />
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3. Wrist. More wraps. Place a strip down the back to cover the ends of the strips.<br />
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4. Knuckle wraps. If the crack requires either fist jams or sliding the hand down hard into constrictions, wrap 3 times around the knuckles with 1 ½" tape. Start and finish on the back of the hand.<br />
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Be warned, however: Excessive tape can occasionally prevent the use of the best jams if they turn thin.<br />
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Now you have armor. However, this took half a roll of tape and some time.<br />
If you would like to have a reusable glove, try this:<br />
<br />
1. Build the heavy duty version of the glove but without the knuckle wraps or the wrist wraps. Do finish the wrist off on the back only with some strips. On the thumb, skip the base strips and tape with a loop as for the other fingers. Do not climb in it yet.<br />
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2. Carefully peal the glove off inside out. Add strips to the inside, covering all of the adhesive. Wrap tape around the edges to prevent raveling. Store the finished gloves in a sandwich bag.<br />
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To use, simply pull them on and do the wrist taping as above. The fit is improved dramatically if the wrist wrap is done by starting in the middle of the back of the hand, going under the base of the hand , and returning to the back of the hand. Repeat this several times and it will help the glove hug the hand. These do not fit quite as well as the taped on glove, but they are very handy. Certainly good enough for seconding most of the time.<br />
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These are the basic tape gloves. There are tons of variations, so play. Taping will seem like too much trouble the first time, but with practice a full tape job should take only a few minutes. I routinely climb cracks with the sharpest crystals all day and expect to get no cuts. The only scratches I expect are from folowing and cleaning deeply placed gear, or bushwhacking gullies. Good taping makes the nastiest crack fun, if evil cracks are your pleasure.<br />
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Long pants and long sleeves are mandatory in any season, and bug repellent is very useful at times in certain areas. Since the hike is long, carry more water than you think. A minimum 2 quarts in the winter, and 4-5 in the summer. The USGS 15 minute quad for Old Rag (available on-line at www.mapserver2.com) shows a spring on the ridge, but it only runs when there has been significant rain within a few weeks. The spring is located at about the midpoint of the PATC Wall, but on the opposite side of the ridge, about 30 yards from the trail. It is down slope and east of the large very low angle slab. There is no reliable trail, but it is not hard to find if you climb on a high boulder and look around for something shiny. Don’t plan on it, but it might just save the day if you break a bottle. It is an unsupervised water source and has the potential for contamination. Pack plenty of high energy food and refuel often. There is no need to sprain an ankle due to fatigue. There are also springs at the old Rag hut, and on the Ridge Trail about ½ way between the Nethers trail head and the Lower Ridge Trail Slabs under a huge (30’) flat boulder.<br />
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One important reminder for all climbers concerns the difficulty in evacuating injured people. One epic involved a 13-hour evacuation of a climber with a shoulder dislocated during a strenuous move. Even with no other injuries and plenty of experienced help, it was extremely arduous. The quality of the rock is excellent, but many opportunities exist to knock a loose rock from a seldom-climbed crag or to turn an ankle while bushwhacking off trail. Though venomous snakes are certainly a possibility, so far in many bushwhacking miles, they have stayed under their side of the rock. Certainly, there is less of a hazard in accessible areas, and when the temperature drops.<br />
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Organization of the Guide<br />
This guide describes all of the developed areas of the mountain, but many are not developed. We have tried to describe most of the routes, but have left out some that we were either unsure of or that seemed obscure. We have tried to climb as many routes as possible, but regrettably some are beyond our abilities, and some beyond the time available. The ordering of the areas requires some explanation. First, we have generally ordered the areas from south to north, as most climbers approach the Climbs via the saddle trail. They are not in the order they appear on a map in many cases. They are in the order you will reach them. Additionally, the areas north of the Eagles gift are often approached from the North via the Ridge trail. Please see the area map to make sense of this. The ordering of routes within each area is also typically in the order you will reach them. There are over one hundred established lead routes, and the possibilities for top ropes and bouldering are beyond counting. There are small crags that have not been visited, and crags where historic climbs have been forgotten. For those that like to roam and can safely evaluate their limits on lead, go explore! It may or may not be a first ascent, but the challenge will be the same, and the sense of accomplishment should be the same as well. You will have the same lack of prior knowledge the first guy had. This guide is growing and will become more complete over time, but it is not our intention to steal the adventure.<br />
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Grading is by the well-known Yosemite decimal system. There are climbs on the mountain from 5.1 to 5.13. However, we have focused on the 5.6 - 5.11 range, as this is the range of greatest interest. Additionally, an “R” has been added to routes that are significantly run-out or poorly protected. However, this always assumes that the climber is solid at the grade, and that each person can evaluate the types of risks they are willing to accept. The ratings assume the climber is experienced on the type of rock, the type of climbing, and the methods of protection involved. A climber whose skill set is primarily face and gym climbing may find himself in dire straits on a run-out friction route or crack climb several grades below his theoretical limit. I am uncomfortable giving any climb a “G” rating outside of a gym environment. Even the most over-bolted sport route at Old Rag contains at least some area where a fall would break and ankle or a head. I am concerned that climbing gyms have created some in this generation of climbers that believe that they are bulletproof. I recently overheard a group of kids saying that they were going to try back-clipping on all of their routes just to see if a rope could be unclipped. I have seen biners broken when their gates were forced open by a rock crystal, ropes cut by loading over an edge, harnesses come open, and helped to collect one dead climber. Seeking instruction is wise, and a lengthy apprenticeship is of great value. There is always more to learn about safety, and learning about safety improves your leading ability by allowing you to focus on the moves at hand.Drew Fryehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013965677534522281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8261230932832123603.post-18239105092710162162009-07-19T20:08:00.000-07:002010-01-19T15:18:55.401-08:00Organization, Directions, Fees, etc.Directions<br />
To Ridge Trail, near Nethers: From Washington D.C., take Interstate 66 to Gainesville, then 211 west to Sperryville. A little left-right jiggle through town will lead to U.S. 522. After 0.3 miles, turn right onto State Route 231. Stay with this for 8 miles until a right turn sign marks Old Rag. This road will change names several times: 601, 602, 700. Keep going and stay right. On weekdays you can use the upper lot, and on weekends you can ask the rangers to let you drop off your packs there. Otherwise, there is a 1.2 mile slog up the road from the lower lot to the trail head.<br />
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To Saddle Trail, Near White Oak Canyon: Begin same as for Ridge Trail approach, but go 8 miles further on State Route 231. Turn right onto State Route 643 at Etlan, and right onto State Route 600 at the sign for White Oak Canyon. Continue to where the road dead-ends at the Berry Hollow parking lot.<br />
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Fees<br />
This is a fee area. At the Nethers end of the Ridge Trail end there are rangers on weekends. Otherwise it is the honor system. The fee is $15.00. Golden Eagle Passes are good for a family or one hiker and a partner.<br />
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Camping<br />
Camping is substantially restricted in the vicinity of Old Rag. This is a very popular location in-season, and I would suggest that you not plan on camping in the immediate area. Competition can be stiff, and this is no place to build a tent city. There are many camping areas in the nearby Shenandoah National Park and surounding areas. However, in off season periods back country camping is practical, and the cost of the permit is included the entrance permit. Please respect the following updated restrictions, effective June 23, 2000. They are designed to preserve the wilderness experience.<br />
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There is no camping permitted within:<br />
• 10 yards of any stream<br />
• 20 yards of any unpaved fire road<br />
• 50 yards of any building ruins<br />
• 50 yards of any No Camping sign<br />
• 50 yards of any other party<br />
• ¼ mile of any road, campground, hut, cabin, picnic area, or other developed area<br />
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Additionally, there is no camping above 2800 feet. This is just above the level of the Byrd’s Nest on the Saddle Trail, and near the Lower Ridge Slab on the Ridge Trail. This leaves only limited possibilities on the Berry Hollow Fire Road, and near the Nethers end of the Ridge Trail. The good spots are ~ 100 yards behind the Byrds Nest, and on the Ridge Trail saddle at about 2500 feet. The only trouble is that they are dry.<br />
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Back country camping permits are available at the Ranger booth at the Ridge Trail parking lot near Nethers, at the White Oak Canyon trailhead on Berry Hollow Road, and at any SNP entrance station. There is no additional fee for back country permits.<br />
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No pets are permited, even if leashed.<br />
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Food<br />
If you are coming from the Washington D.C area, there is practically nothing in the way of eating places on the way back until Warrenton. If you are like me you will be hungry enough to devour anything that stands still, but you are in a hurry to get home after a long day. You’re looking for more than a burger, something less greasy than pizza or fried chicken, and quicker than a sit down dinner. Heck, no real restarant would let you in anyway. For a dinner to fill you up, suit a climber’s budget, and keep in local character, try the Frost Diner, just north of where route 211 turns left in Warenton, as route 17 heads to Culpepper. Built in 1946, it is quite authentic in the menu, fittings, clientele, and the fact that they don’t take plastic. It is right across the street from Hardees, but if you’d eat there, just climb in the gym.<br />
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Shenandoah Rock Outcrop Managment Plan (ROMP)<br />
The Park authority has been working with the climbing comunity and biologists to develop regulations regarding access to the crags throughout the park. Most of the impacts are related to hiker impacts around trail overlook areas, but there is some mention of other climbing areas. http://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?parkID=274&projectId=19298&documentID=25100<br />
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Suggestions / Further Information<br />
If you have a favorite area or climb that you are offended we missed, or if there are material errors in this guide, please let us know. We have kept the guide simple at this first pass to keep the adventure and to keep it accurate. However, it will be updated continuously in order to make it better. Please contact us at info@contactclimbinggear.com. If you are interested in other web links concerning Old Rag, check http://members.home.com/juvjr//links.htm.<br />
Climbing Areas<br />
Below is an annotated topographical map noting the major climbing areas discussed in this guide. The main summit is labeled as the Summit Area. The Ridge Trail runs WSW for most of the length of the ridge, so it will be the convention in this guide to refer to proceeding south or west on the trail as the direction towards the Saddle Trail end. It is suggested that the climber get a full-size copy of this map in order to more clearly pick out features. We have include GPS derived coordinates for some of the harder to locate areas. However, cliff faces offer a considerable radio shadow, so there is some error and often fixes are difficult to get. Better to rely on you nose and a good map. There have been a few climbers placing signs to guide others: Please refrain from this practice, as Old Rag is a wilderness area.<br />
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The season can often determine the best climbing area just as definitively as traffic law determines which side of the road on which to drive. In the winter, the east and south facing slabs and walls are often comfortable on cold days, though the cracks never seem to warm up. The lengthy approaches to southeast crags are reasonable in the winter and early spring before the local flora springs to the defense of the mountain. The approaches to the God Crag and the Reflector Oven are infested with poison ivy by mid-May. In the summer, the west and north facing PATC fall and the Projects are more appealing, cooler destinations with shorter approaches. The Lower Ridge Slab remains accessible all year, though it can get quite warm. Bouldering on the summit is brutally cold in the winter, sun or not, but the wind makes it nice in the summer. The north and west facing areas such as the PATC Wall are brutally cold in the winter – ideal for budding alpinists anxious to practice martyrdom and pointless deprivation. Getting lost on most of the approaches can lead can lead to epic struggles with mountain laurel. But suffer you must: there is some wonderful rock hidden just around the corner! Just as alpinists flirt with frostbite and objective dangers, all Old Rag climbers come to know that the epic bushwhacking is the price exacted in the quest for new routes. Perhaps I should have thrown in a section dedicated to a non-existent crag, with a horrible approach through a rhododendron-choked gully, the sole purpose being to deepen your experience of Old Rag and blow-off the less dedicated! If you use this guide long enough, you will swear we did just that.Drew Fryehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013965677534522281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8261230932832123603.post-56778205390857196242009-07-19T20:07:00.000-07:002009-07-19T20:35:13.217-07:00The Byrds Nest CragThe Byrds Nest Crag<br />Behind Byrds Nest #1 is a 100 foot long by 20 foot high top-rope crag with some excellent hard problems on finer grained rock. Unlike the rest of the climbing on Old Rag, these routes offer hard slightly overhanging climbing on solid incuts, somewhat like Great Falls Virginia. Though Old Rag shines most brightly for its lead climbing areas, this is a good crag for young climbers with strong fingers. I’m always too tired from leading to have given this nice little crag the attention it deserves. Some nice bouldering.<br /><br />From the trail, walk past the front of the Byrds Nest following an obvious trail through several clearings. When the trail becomes vague in a hundred yards, trend to the right and follow the base of a north west facing cliff band on reaching a small clearing at the base of the crag. Routes are listed from left to right.<br /><br />1)* Unknown 5.9. Climb face and then finish on finger crack. Often damp.<br /><br />2)* Unknown 5.10d. Climb face 20 feet left of finger crack. Zig zag up face using horizontals, side-clings, and creative reach.<br /><br />3) Unknown 5.11. Climb the face 50 feet to the right of the finger crack. Some rotten rock.Drew Fryehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013965677534522281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8261230932832123603.post-3407855860098508812009-07-19T20:06:00.000-07:002010-04-12T14:24:12.380-07:00The Projects and the SuburbsThe Projects (aka Sunset)<br />
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The Projects are one of the more complex areas on the mountain to reach. There is no well-established trail, and the landmarks are rocks and patterns of trees that can be difficult to follow. The area is between 2600’ and 2700’ at 78.19’5”W and 38.34.6”N (Right Side Wall) and is only moderately horribly difficult to find in summer. The climbs are 30’ to 70’ in height, many are bolted, and some very nice climbs can be found. However, since the approach is better in cool weather and the area is cold in the winter, choose a perfect fall or spring day for the voyage. Climbs are described from right to left as the climber faces up the mountain.<br />
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From the Saddle Trail, ascend until the first extensive set of stone stairs is reached, leading up and right. Leave the trail about 40 feet lower than this turn and bushwhack about 300 yards to the left, staying at roughly a constant elevation. Then angle up and left for several hundred yards further, climbing on open slabs if possible to avoid being eaten by the dense laurel. You should be able to see the cliffs through the trees. <br />
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A shorter but more difficult to follow approach is possible further up the Saddle Trail. About 250 yards before the summit locate a small trail leading down a gully on the left. You will pass below a friction slab with a low wall on its lower edge (Lower Summit Slab). Follow this down the gully until it is possible to descend more directly. There will appear a large 300-yard square low angle slab with a 20’ wall facing the gully to your right. The Projects will be visible, a couple of hundred yards down and to the left. There are some low angle slabs on the right side of the gully that help avoid the brush, but be cautious descending them. They can be a bit dirty.<br />
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Right Side Wall<br />
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4)**Unknown 5.8. Traverse left, then follow line of 4 bolts to double ring belay. Hidden holds here and there make it very reasonable. 35’, all bolts.<br />
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5)***Unknown 5.11b/c. Twisty mantles and laybacks lead past 2 bolts to layback edge. Thin face climbing leads past 2 more bolts to top. 40’, shuts.<br />
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[add unknown 5.10b crack with one bolt near the top?]<br />
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6)**TR Finger Crack 5.12b. Follow steep left leaning finger crack past 1 fixed pin and 3 small fixed stoppers, at last count.<br />
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7)**Easy Project 5.5. Right facing inside corner with hand/fist crack. Trad, 30’.<br />
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Breasts of Sheba (78.19’5”W, 38.34’6”N)<br />
These climbs are located about 75 yards to the east of the right side wall and face north. The base of the climbs is on a balcony well up from the ground and is best located by traversing over from the uphill (right) side of the right side wall.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S1Tn801IlgI/AAAAAAAAAU8/ZouIvOPF-fI/s1600-h/Right+Breast+of+Sheba,+5.10d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S1Tn801IlgI/AAAAAAAAAU8/ZouIvOPF-fI/s320/Right+Breast+of+Sheba,+5.10d.jpg" /></a></div>8)****Dark Side of the Moon 5.10d. Follow 6 bolts up the right breast, starting at the left side and working right. Some friction, some lay backing, some mantling, and some weird stuff. A very nice slab. 60’, shuts.<br />
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9)**Unknown 5.6 PG. Climb right facing inside corner with off-width crack. Takes modest size gear if you reach deep inside. 45’, trad.<br />
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10)**Unknown 5.11. On left breast, follow line of bolts up and left under overhang. Traverse left to anchor. 80’.<br />
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11) **Unknown 5.8 On left side of left breast friction up a gentle slope out toward the ‘nipple’ region, then turn and follow the bolts up the arête; nicely exposed. Cold shuts at top also serve for the next climb:<br />
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12) *Stretch Mark 5.10a Climb the steeper flank to the only short crack; place some good gear in spots you don’t need for finger-jams, and crank.<br />
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The Suburbs<br />
Several small crags are located to the right of the projects and slightly lower on the mountain. These can be approached as for the projects, or better, from above via the Saddle trail. Go further up the Saddle Trail, past the stone steps. When you cross the edge of a 30- by 40-foot level slab, go back down and take a side trail leaving just at the uphill side of an 8 foot boulder. Follow this trail down a set of slabs, staying to your right as you face down hill. When the slabs end, continue down hill into a narrow gully until a series of crags appear on your right. Continue straight down the gully, passing on your right first “Oh My Gosh Corner” and then “Winding Road”. By veering to the right at the bottom of the slabs it is possible to reach the Projects with some difficulty. Climbs are listed in the order you will reach them, from right to left.<br />
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13)** Oh My Gosh Corner 5.9-) Left facing corner with crack that starts as a low angle seam and gradually becomes an overhanging hand crack. Stemming, lay backing, jamming. A few wraps of tape on the right hand will allow you to enjoy the exit jams. Protects well with stoppers alone, but cams may help. 35’. Identifiable by shallow cave to the right of the base.<br />
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14)** Winding Road 5.10aPG) Wander up face to left of short crag. This line begins near the lower left edge behind a large fallen log, moves right and then up past a small right facing ramp and undercling, and then left to a body size horizontal crack. Traverse awkwardly far to the left until it is possible to step up and finish. Run out to first placement in horizontal crack. Watch out for rope drag as the end is nice and delicate. 60’ of climbing to gain 40’in altitude. About 40 yards down hill from Oh My Gosh.Drew Fryehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013965677534522281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8261230932832123603.post-26140067315288804442009-07-19T20:05:00.000-07:002010-01-20T09:30:00.717-08:00South Summit SlabSouth Summit Slab<br />
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Approach by the gully at the base of the Sunshine Wall. Turn left at the base of the gully and traverse under a slab, about 100 yards down from the saddle between the summits. Tucked away in the small overhang under the lower edge of the slab is a depression era outhouse seat or chamber pot, with not a lot left of it. Further down the same gully is a good bit of heavily rusted roofing tin and presumably, the remains of a long decayed structure. It is hard to imagine how these items came to be in this small narrow gully. Most likely it was a small mountaineer shack, testimony to the rugged people and the conditions they could deal with.<br />
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</div>15)** Clean Living 5.10a. Follow line of 3 bolts up friction slab with small overhang at mid route, and larger overhang above. Crux at the top. Take medium stoppers and small cams for a few cracks and the lower overhang. Double bolt anchor below large overhang, 70’.<br />
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Below this climb several hundred yards can be found the remains of a shack, formerly bolted to the south summit (the anchors are still visible). Presumably, this was a part of the original Skyland operation. Nothing more remains than scattered bits of roofing tin. The basin that floats around to various locations at the base of this climb is typical of the one every mountain cabin would have for cleaning up, washing socks, and what have you.Drew Fryehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013965677534522281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8261230932832123603.post-42728164155318294562009-07-19T20:04:00.000-07:002010-01-21T20:07:12.392-08:00Summit Area and Dead Tree CragSummit Area<br />
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The Old Rag Summit area has several classic moderate climbs that are not difficult of access, for the most part, and a nice selection of boulder problems as well. Beginning leaders will find an adventurous feel in some long, well-protected pitches, and a crowd of admirers when they summit. Tape is an excellent idea on most of these climbs. I can think of one overhanging crack boulder problem on the summit that is a nice V2 properly taped, quite sick without it. I include the Dead Tree Wall and the Duckbill in this list, as they are very close by.<br />
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“Some years ago I was hiking up the Saddle Trail in a light snow, not expecting to climb. I was on a solo back packing trip, enjoying the mountain. As I moved up the mountain in the light snow, the silence was complete. I became aware by degrees that there were tracks in the snow preceding me, that they belonged to a bear and not a dog or deer, and that gradually, they were becoming fresh. I was going to have company on this trip, and I was going to have it soon. When I reached the Byrd’s Nest shelter, close to the summit, there he was, enjoying a fine repast of left-over hiker food. Gotta love nature. It was a fair sized black bear in the process of proving that even bear-proof trash cans aren’t bear-proof when they are over filled. I really had my heart set on cooking my lunch in that shelter, so I began to make a lot of noise as I walked. Nothing. I yelled. Nothing. Stupidly, I lobbed some snowballs in from maximum range, landing 20 yards short by design. Fortunately, the bear was full and waddled off. Dumb luck. However, eating there seemed like a poor idea by that time, as I fully considered the idiocy of the snow balls I threw; I moved on.” <br />
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</div>Pack out your trash. Take bear precautions with food at night. Don’t bother the animals. There have been very few incidents in the Park because the bears are shy, but there have been a few. I have seen many bears in the area over the years and I consider it a treat. But pay attention. Don’t throw snowballs.<br />
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above: a short, easy hand-and-fist crack on the trail leading from the summit down to the base of the Pure Fun wall. Excellent beginner training for basic techniques and hand jamming; tape not needed for once. <br />
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16)**Unknown 5.9. 25 feet to the right of Pure Fun, climb steep hand crack. Tape a must. Trad, 50’.<br />
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17)**Unknown 5.7. 15 feet to the right of Pure Fun, climb major crack system to summit. Standard rack, 1 pitch.<br />
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</div>18)***Pure Fun 5.6 to 5.8+ depending on finish. Scramble down a small gully on the south end of the summit; pass by a short smooth hand crack on the left, and turn right down through the bushes to the southwest face. Several moderate lines wind through this somewhat broken-up face (though the rock is very sound like almost all rock at Old Rag). An excellent alternate start (5.8) is possible following the right leaning hand crack 20’ to the left of Pure Fun. Pure Fun follows cracks up the middle to a slight overhang. In the center, follow climb through the overhang using horizontals with hidden jugs (5.8). One the right side, follow a difficult crack that fades away (5.10b). Or belay here, and traverse off to the left through easy chimney with major rope drag (5.6). A good beginner's lead. Trad, 110’.<br />
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19)**Inner Cube 5.9. 25 feet to the left of Pure Fun, climb inside corners and cracks to finish through the Pure Fun escape chimney. Standard rack. Trad, 110’.<br />
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20)*Unknown 5.10aPG. At the far right edge of the Amphitheater photo above, follow slabs and cracks for a long pitch. Finish on low angle slab near summit.<br />
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21)Unknown 5.8 to 5.10a depending on finish. If you are feeling adventurous, follow the base of the cliff further around until you are swimming and burrowing through intolerable rhododendron. Just as you are about to chuck it, you'll come to a tiny grassy clearing under a 5.8 dihedral with an old rusty ring-pin visible above. This is a worthwhile two or even three-pitch climb; the second pitch can be a 5.10a arching crack on a wall on the left, or a rising traverse to the right over grassy ledges and mantle moves. There also might be a theoretical climb out through the cave in the middle; probably rather hard and complex.<br />
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22)*Labarbdevagine 5.10c. Mostly a face climb, six bolts. This is the only climb on the Duckbill Crag, which is slightly down and north of the summit. The top is easily reached from a vague gully on the north end of the summit area, then trending right over heather-like brush until you realize you are standing on a huge overhanging hunk of loose rock (the Duckbill) and you jump back and rig a rappel. Although the base of the crag is easily reached by a walk down on the south side, the base of the climb itself is partway up the crag, and reached by climbing up unpleasant cracks on the left and doing a tenuous traverse, making it a two-pitch climb, which is a little silly on a crag this size; hence my recommendation of a rappel. Very thin face climbing. Sun-sheltered.<br />
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Dead Tree Crag<br />
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At the concrete trail marker on the trail on the northern edge of the summit area, descend a gully to the north west. After descending 100 yards or so, the Dead Tree Crag will be visible down the gully and to the left. It is about another 200 yards. This crag is easily visible from the main summit rocks facing north, about 300 yards down the slope. [I doubt if it is that far.]<br />
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23)**Dead Tree Crack 5.9. All gear; about 50 feet, dead vertical, slightly intimidating but very solid crack climb. Follow the same north gully down perhaps 50 yards, though some brush; cliff faces southwest. 5.10a variation near the top is a jog right. This climb could use a better name - I doubt whether the Dead Tree is still there in any case.<br />
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24)*Unknown 5.?. Climb right leaning crack 25 feet to left of the Dead Tree Crack.<br />
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25)**Tons of Fun 5.8. A very good thin crack/face climb with good nut placements. Follow the cliff on down the hill a few more yards until you see a nice crack system interrupted by a large, unreliable-looking block not far up. Be careful getting down - there is no fixed anchor or rap tree at the top, and the scramble-down is complex. One could probably also continue scrambling back up toward the summit. Very nice intermediate lead; strenuous crux; as far as I know the block is totally solid. All gear, 65 feet.Drew Fryehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013965677534522281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8261230932832123603.post-9002327549585189112009-07-19T20:03:00.000-07:002010-01-20T09:26:24.230-08:00PATC Wall Area<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S1Y8ihez10I/AAAAAAAAAZE/21tXRXjEph8/s1600-h/PATC+decent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S1Y8ihez10I/AAAAAAAAAZE/21tXRXjEph8/s200/PATC+decent.jpg" /></a><br />
</div>The PATC Wall is about 300 yards northeast and down hill from the summit towards Nethers, where the trail crosses a large rocky area with excellent views north and west; entry points to the cliff just below are on either end, not obvious, but not difficult to scramble down, with no bushwhacking. There are about 20 climbs on this wall in the 5.5 to 5.12a range; this wall has the biggest concentration of climbs of any area on the mountain, and also has the easiest access. Previously there was a rappel entry at Moonshadow, however, the hangers have been stolen, and the remaining bolts are very rusty and should be removed; do not use them. It is a good summer area, getting sun only in the late afternoon, and the Dobie/Waste/Psycho trio stays dry in light rain, being under a massive headwall. Rust Bong should also be dry. The climbs are listed left to right, beginning just after walking through the keyhole.<br />
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</div>27)*#10 Hex Off Width. 5.9R. Jamming to a nasty 6" off-width which might still have a large hex stuck down in its bowels. It is possible to detour around the off width section on the face to the left. Nice overhanging hand-jam finish. Tape highly recommended. Standard rack.<br />
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28)**Moon Shadow 5.12a. Thin face climbing with 6 bolts and shuts. Unfortunately, most of the bolts have been chopped or the hangers stolen, but it can still be readily top-roped. I don’t understand such behavior. Starts 15 left of Duck Walk.<br />
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29)****Duck Walk 5.10cR. A truly marvelous mixture of techniques; one bolt, large to medium gear and a few tiny wires. Tape absolutely necessary. Overhang move off the deck, short crack, traverse up and right to bolt, then back left. Dead-point to crack under final overhang, jam out and up right. Know how to lead or don't start at all. 85 tough feet.<br />
OR 6, 3 - 30 <br />
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</div>30)***Dobie Gillis 5.8. Nice hand crack leading to a bolt and a rightward rising traverse and a good bolt anchor (The creepy old anchor that tightened everyone's scrotums for so long is now gone.). Tape, medium rack and one tied runner to back up the rappel anchor. <br />
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31)*Waste Age 5.12a. Alleged face climb straight up to the same anchor.<br />
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32)****Psychobabble 5.10bPG. Nice face climbing on wonderfully solid crystals. Improbable crystal pinching crux right at the top. A couple of nuts low in the right hand crack, then a trio or so of bolts. Again, the same anchor as Dobie, now to your left. 65feet. <br />
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</div>“After puzzling over possible names for a new climb we just did, I begin my lead of Psychobabble. The first 30 feet to the first bolt are trivial, hardly necessary to protect at all. Then traversing slightly left and up to the second bolt is not especially hard, but leaves me in a stance just thin enough to be gradually more and more uncomfortable. Then, lifting off from this stance is quite problematic; several slow attempts on horribly small holds were hastily reversed, to resume the dismal slow dance back and forth, trying to rest toes and heels and ankles, fruitlessly. Now the humidity and effort cause my fingers to start sliming very quickly, leaving only a short window of drought between chalk-up. Rather than traversing left to the rap pitons, and finally I begin the move, and in a terrible thin feeling get both feet on adequate holds; but the handholds, both at full extension, are both tiny and highly questionable; immediately I knew that I could not go back; my position was so tenuous I had no more options and very little time. But the left tweaker gave me just enough edge that I could raise my left foot to its maximum height, desperately aiming for a nasty, stinking little crystal surface, sloping, as big as a postage stamp, maybe; but my foot refused to land on it or go even a millimeter higher; it stuck helplessly like a blind moth just next to the hold, giving me neither aid nor comfort; putting my leg back down, as simple as that action is, would rip off one of my hands, and then the rest of me (I was only standing two feet above the bolt, so it wasn’t drama, really); all I could do was sort of grunt, goggle eyed, trying to vibrate or will the foot to slime two inches to the right, onto the alleged hold. It shifted, maybe a quarter of an inch; I tried again, and again, and several more times, as my right foot burned in place and my hands commenced to slime on the tiny, sharp, unbelievably inadequate holds; each time the left toes moved an infinitesimal crumb of distance onto the hold. The temptation grew to simply go, go, go, move, and get off this torture rack! I had to stop myself, knowing that the foothold would be barely adequate when I began the pull, and I needed all of it. Finally the hold was covered, and I immediately started the pull, like turning on an electric current, powerfully but slowly vibrating upward, telling myself that it would go and it must go and I could do it if I did it right now; and here in this agony was the genuine spark of completion: no longer the fear of falling, of the soloist failing, or the bolt pulling, or the anchor tree magically lifting upwards, or the rope inexplicably parting, or even the reasonable fear of bashing my kneecap on the rock, full as it is of half-melted silicon razors, the intractable malice of quartz, crystalline in the marvelous granite. All I felt, all that was left, was the fierce connection, the completion of some kind of meaningful thought as the foothold held my quivering mass and my right hand sank into the massive positive exit crack under the headwall. <br />
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The climb is beautifully named: as I stood, panting, cursing softly, barely able to turn my head downward to that tiny foothold at the crux, trying to bounce my foot onto it, I certainly felt driven to a spot far distant from a normal cast of mind, a sane and rational appraisal; such an appraisal would tell me to ease off, drop gracefully past the bolt and bounce to a stop just below it on the soft rope, and then depart in humility. But this possibility didn’t even exist in my mind, honestly: I had been sucked into the interior world of the Problem, and nothing remained but the striving to Solve the Problem; to fall would be to break the chain, to waken from a short but noble dream of utter triumph, back into a limited, ambiguous world.<br />
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So I bailed from the anchors (stiff, not very new nylon slings through three ancient but good pitons), ate my peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and used the anchored rope to top-rope the Dobie Gillis route, just for fun; seemed easy.” <br />
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(The experiences of a solo climber some time ago, sorting his weaknesses. Your mileage may differ.)<br />
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33)*Unknown 5.7. Climb crack 15 feet to left of Rusty Bong. Same belay as Rusty Bong.<br />
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</div>34) **Rusty Bong 5.8. A long layback/jam/stem corner with an old rusty bong stuck in it, start marked by a useless rotting ¼ spinner bolt, rewards good resting technique. Awkward escape move to the top. Good training lead for those in shape. Sew it up but keep moving. Tape is nice. All gear, 70 feet. See photo above right.<br />
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</div>35)**Five O'clock Shadow 5.10a. Starts a few feet up an easy dihedral climb, then traverses right out to a major arête with a horn; mantle the horn and go up the outside face (thin crux) to a horizontal and a short jamming finish. As yet only a top rope, unless you like R/X climbing. See left photo above.<br />
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36)**Ragged Edge 5.10cR. Straight up a striking, sharp 60 foot arête, near the right end of the area; can be top-roped, very strenuous lead with a difficult finish. <br />
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37)***Pissant Overhang 5.11b. Obvious wide hand crack splitting body length overhang near the top of the south western end descent to the PATC Wall. Lots of tape, and sequence the jams well. The first part, just through the roof, is a good boulder problem if spotted. This is not a 20 foot roof problem, but John Long’s taped-up welders' gloves might come in handy. After turning the roof, the jamming is straight forward to the top. Top rope, as the crux is too close to the ground.Drew Fryehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013965677534522281noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8261230932832123603.post-37598638228915833452009-07-19T20:01:00.000-07:002010-01-20T16:40:54.004-08:00Reflector Oven and AreaSeveral hundred yards north of the end of the PATC Wall the Ridge Trail will descend slightly into a saddle. Heading north if you look to your right you will be able to see the God Crag and Reflector Oven from a small overlook. The climber trail descends to the right from the lowest point in the saddle. Sometimes there is a small cairn just off the trail. Try to follow the trail that forks about 50 yards down the hill. Take the right fork. If you lose the trail, expect some wild bushwhacking. Take heart, as there is a nice clearing at the foot of the crag.<br />
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Report to Sickbay is the major inside corner to the left side. Strawberry Fields is the obvious hand crack in the center.<br />
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38)**The Crackin 5.11c/d. Finger crack and under cling layback too right of “V” 20’ above the ground, starting 15 feet to the right of the up hill entrance to the Reflector Oven cave. Several variation are possible on the upper faces, or walk off to the right. 80’ gear route, no bolts.<br />
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39)**Sheds of Wonderland 5.12a. Starts a few feet to the left of The Crackin. Climb small edges and flakes to the left of The Crackin “V”. Travers left, then pull through 5’ overhang at finger crack. Continue up finger crack to top. 80’ gear route.<br />
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40)**Yellow Jacket 5.11b. Follow small edges and side clings up and right following corner to easier ground. 70’ gear route.<br />
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41)**Mystery Move 5.11d). Same start as Yellow Jacket. After about 15’, angle to the left. 2 bolts and gear. 70’.<br />
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</div>42)****Strawberry Fields 5.9+ to first belay, 5.11a to top. Probably the best-known Old Rag climb, it is irresistible. Climb obvious hand crack at center of wall, with small dead tree in crack at 3/4 height. Traditional route takes plenty of pro from fist to small. Many parties climb only the first pitch (75 feet) and rap from a cabled bolt anchor. Tape up, and expect continuous effort, as this “traditional” rating is hard for its grade. Second pitch follows thin layback crack to top and is 30 feet, 105 feet total. Cold shut anchor at the top. Long, complex walk off is also possible to the right. Tape will make it more fun. (He means, less tortuous.)<br />
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Just to the right of Strawberry Fields, and just to the left there are a pair of 2 bolt projects. They are hard 5.11 to this point, and perhaps they are finished by this printing! <br />
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“Crack climbing is a peculiar and unnatural activity. Unnatural, because our arboreal forebears, forced from the shrinking forest and a simplistic branch-grasping form of climbing down onto the relatively open savanna, and into developing a new and more versatile hand form that just happened to end up as the finest all-purpose tool in the world, probably had no selective pressure to climb cracks in rocks per se. Therefore the hand has no special design features useful in climbing cracks. Crack climbing is often awkward, usually involves pain, and not infrequently draws blood. The bones of the hand and wrist unavoidably conflict with the random and entirely unsympathetic configurations of solid rock cracked or eroded into fissures, studded with brutal crystals, and so forth. Why would anyone begin climbing cracks? Once tried, why would they continue? Yet, sometimes they do - and that's peculiar. I, though, as a crack addict of many years’ standing, am qualified to expound bombastically on these questions.<br />
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But first let us consider a Darwinian speculation on the origins of crack climbing. You are a member of a small tribe of Homo Erectus. You stand four feet tall, and your neighborhood is crammed with competitors, most of whom are faster and stronger than you, with keener senses and better weapons - red in tooth and claw, verily. You're handy with a stick, and probably can whip a stone better than anyone else, but if you're out on the open savanna and night falls, sticks and stones ain't gonna break the bones of the lions and hyenas when they show up in five minutes. You can climb a handy tree, but the leopard, who uses trees as a handy food-storage locker, might want a midnight snack, and you can't fly. So you head off to the nearest cliff escarpment, looking for rock too steep for the leopard to climb, only to find the slopes occupied with hordes of smelly, savage baboons who had the same idea. Not only will they not share, but they also want to feast on your skinny ass. What do you do? In desperation you lead your group up onto a huge boulder lying against the cliff's base in the fading light as the predators close in. You notice that the cliff has a major alcove thirty feet up, where the boulder fell out, and that the vertical, smooth rock has a crack leading to the alcove. Suddenly Also Sprach Zarathustra rings out from somewhere, and you quickly invent jamming. You swarm up the crack, all the smarter members of the tribe follow, the babies clinging to their back fur, and the rest are eaten; they've been selected out. Voila! A crack-climbing species is born! <br />
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Evolution aside, climbing cracks is seen by a majority of beginners as either a necessary evil, if they wish to climb a variety of climbs, or as an avoidable evil, if they are satisfied with gyms and pure face climbing for their sport. Only a few quickly grasp the concept, become addicted to the beauty of it, and then refine the technique: the awkward becomes graceful, the pain becomes secondary, and the blood is greatly reduced. A typical scenario: a strong, handsome young gym climber, let's call him Steel Fingers, has been invited to climb at an out-of-town crag that might have a crack or two, and he wants to suck up the technique in a day or two, so as to avoid looking the fool. None of his friends know cracks from a hole in the cliff, so he asks a local decrepit old bum, Crusty Piton, rumored to have once been a crackmaster, to help him wire the concept. Crusty amiably leads him through the forest primeval to a classic, standard granite hand jam that is nominally rated well below Steel's ability level. Crusty laces up his rotting EBs and leads the crack slowly and casually, placing three or four old frayed nuts, and stopping frequently to explain the technique, both general and specific to this crack. He gains the ledge, sets an anchor, and pulls a beer out of his jacket pocket. Steel has watched very closely, and has an excellent head for sequence; as Crusty did not use or mention tape, Steel decides not to bring up the subject at all. Steel, in following, does his damnedest to place his hands in the same spots and use the same techniques and sequences, but he is soon flailing like a trout on a hook. As he is strong enough to bench-press Crusty twenty times, he eventually makes it up to the belay, hot and bewildered. Immediately he notices a mysterious anomaly: the backs of Crusty's hands bear a few indented marks from the vicious crystals inside the crack, while his own hands look like chopped liver, oozing gore. Is Crusty just so damned old and desiccated that his leathery flesh cannot be pierced by granite? Steel would like to believe this, but his intellect, such as it is, eventually tells him that perhaps there is more to crack climbing than meets the eye, and that Crusty must be using some kinda mysterious Eastern Crack-Zen mind control thingy, that takes decades of meditation and self-denial to learn. Or maybe he's just climbed an unimaginable number of evil cracks. In any case, Steel resolves forthwith to avoid all cracks like anthrax. <br />
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I myself learned crack climbing at the Practice Rock behind the stadium at the University of Washington in Seattle. This marvelous old facility has many fine cracks that simulate in concrete of various textures many of the real situations one might encounter on real rock, and I naively attempted to do every problem there, of whatever type. Defeat would result in a drop of three or four feet onto a deep bed of round pebbles, and a furious counterattack would follow. Soon I learned the efficiency gain that a good crack affords the climber who possesses proper technique, and I acquired calluses on the back of my hand. I began taping my hand in imitation of other boulderers, not to prevent injury (I was still in my 20s, and the words 'injury' and 'prevention' meant nothing to me), but to reduce pain and increase the index of friction on the back of my hand, in order to climb harder cracks with no increase in effort. I soon found two things: if the tape is applied too tightly, your hands will turn black and fall off (or at the very least you'll be weakened in climbing), and that the tape only lasts so long, succumbing to sweat and/or abrasion sooner or later on any given day. However, applied properly, it makes a big difference in most hand-jamming. Over the years I've used it less and less though; I reserve it for more difficult or rougher-textured cracks, as I'm not willing to spend the time to put it on unless I really need it, and increasing skill in crack technique also reduces the need. Perhaps I could have adopted the practice of using tape gloves many years ago, but to me, being inculcated in the Zen requirements of traditional crack climbing it seemed, well, like cheating. However, as I got older I finally realized that pain is not strictly necessary to the true experience of climbing. Now I use the "Hand Jammies" gloves for most cracks of intermediate difficulty, (especially at the Rag) as they are quick to put on, extremely durable, hence cheaper in the long run than taping, and do almost as good a job as a careful standard tape application. It is not as easy to customize to the particular climb, though; if the main crack width is "thin hands" for me, I'll tape my hands directly using the minimum number of layers, or skip the tape altogether if the rock texture is not too rough. Of course, most cracks on Old Rag are wonderfully sharp, and rotating or moving the hand while jamming is harshly punished. Local tip: On my most recent lead of Strawberry Jam I started with a thin layer of tape and the Jammies on top of it, and when I got to the last fifteen feet, where it narrows a bit, I removed the gloves and dropped them, and finished somewhat painfully with the tape alone. It helped.<br />
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Interesting products are becoming available to further enhance and customize the abilities of the hand, but many climbers, macho, devil-may-care bitches and sons of bitches, as they often consider themselves, will look askance at all these ideas as a tedious waste of time, when the crag is beckoning, or even as a cowardly use of excessive technological aid, suited only to the over-the-hill and pathetic geezer. Sometimes they change their minds after leading a brutal pitch, belaying with badly trashed hands which fifteen minutes of preparation would have prevented. Then again this masochism may constitute a reward in itself, the red badge of courage. Typical of youth is the fiery feeling that it is worthless if it isn't fully and furiously actualized; that when the climber can't improve any more, and begins to decline, he'll just give up climbing, sit on the porch and drink beer, and criticize the youth of today. Often, though, the youth finds that when that time comes, and he's no longer young, his addictions and pleasures remain intact: he still goes climbing, he still falls in love, he still drives fast and cranks the music up loud; he just doesn't do things with quite the same stupid gusto that used to get him in all those jams." <br />
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Continue to the left, around and up onto a big block:<br />
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43) Blue Begunias 5.10a. Starts from right corner of block. Follow thin mossy corner crack until it joins The Vegetated Crack. I hear it is nice when it is dry….which is not often. Gear, 1 bolt, shuts, 90’.<br />
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44) The Vegetated Crack 5.7. Follow large vegetated crack up and right to low angle slab. Gear rout, shuts, 90’<br />
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</div>45)**Report to Sickbay 5.10cPG. Climb chimney and off-width crack in prominent corner to the left of Strawberry Fields. The crux is getting out of the chimney and into the crack, reaching far to get to the good jams. Strenuous, continuous, traditional. 140 feet.<br />
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46)**Two Bolts to Nowhere 5.10ish (as far as it goes). Nice climbing….until. Two obvious bolts to the left of the Sickbay corner. About 25’, lower of a single good bolt.<br />
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47)** Unknown 5.13a/b. Just around the corner to the left from Two Bolts. 5 bolts, shuts, 80’. (Cosby’s Climb, but we have been avoiding names)<br />
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At this point it is necessary to angle down and around a large buttress to access the remainder of the Oven.<br />
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48)* Jaws Chimney. Big ugly chimney 45’ to the left of the Sickbay corner.<br />
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First led in 1944 by PATC members, the Jaws Chimney was one of the first climbs led in this area. Most early efforts focused on the upper terraces of the reflector oven and were approached from above. There are a number of possible traverses and short problems on these upper faces, some quite difficult, other easy.<br />
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49)** Unknown 5.10. Hard finger crack.<br />
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50)** Parker Route 5.11b. Beautiful finger crack with 2 bolts near the top as the crack tapers of to nothing. This climb is not situated on the main cliff, but rather on the buttress you just traversed around. Keep an eye open to your right.<br />
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51)** Obstacle Illusion 5.12a. Line of 6 bolts follows small edges and cracks up dome. Starts 30 feet to the left of the buttress, 20 feet to the right of a small tree near the base. Some gear.<br />
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52)** Liesure Suit Larry 5.12b. A very casual climb…pinching little nothings. Line of 4 bolts angles up and left across face devoid of anything bigger than typical Old Rag crystals. <br />
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53)** Howard’s Slab 5.8. (Needs Description and topo)<br />
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For the more adventurous and for those looking for first accent potential, there are more crags down the Reflector Oven ridge. From the area of Leisure Suit Larry, hike up hill about 50 yards to the ridge top. Hike down the ridge for 200 yards until a large crag is reached. Circle around to the South. There you will pass a number of large and small crags begging for climbers. Until the fire of 2000 this area was all but impossible to reach, but it is now quite feasible.<br />
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54) Water streak crag. The white streak on the left 1/3 of the slab looks awesome, with just enough ripples to make the impossible reasonable. Sure top rope bet.Drew Fryehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013965677534522281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8261230932832123603.post-87495393560604912082009-07-19T20:00:00.000-07:002010-04-12T13:26:43.583-07:00God Crag, Bushwack Trail Area<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S1Y5Ih79aTI/AAAAAAAAAYM/vQcHX2qUv1k/s1600-h/God+Crag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S1Y5Ih79aTI/AAAAAAAAAYM/vQcHX2qUv1k/s640/God+Crag.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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</div>Same approach as Reflector Oven, but take the left fork. Again, watch the trail closely. This area can also be approached from above by taking a trail a bit further north on the ridge trail. Follow indistinct trails down the spine, looking for some dwarfed pine trees that belong in a Japanese painting. At that point either figure out a rap, (there is a single bolt on the slope above Jabba the Hut, to help get you to the small pines at the top of the cliff) or down climb a steep and challenging 3rd class gully to your right as you face down hill. As in many other spots on Old Rag, description of the approach is virtually useless; however, distances are short, so be patient and persistent and eventually you'll find something. Even a blind squirrel, etc. <br />
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55)**Jabba the Hut Hard 5.9+PG. Follow 3 bolts up the right side of the slab. Some nice traversing moves toward the top. A slight run out at the top and bottom, but not scary. The bottom runout can be avoided by slinging a tree.<br />
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56)*Jabba the Hut Easy 5.8PG. Follow right leaning trad crack 20 feet left of Jabba the Hut Hard to the same belay. Run out at the top, but easing angle.<br />
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Jabba also has harder leads; one of them starts at the point of the base left of the crack start of Jabba Easy where the brush ends, and you are standing on clean but steep rock. There is a belay station and a stiff overhang start, probably .10d or harder (couldn't quite pull it); it then crosses Jabba Easy, going straight up, and has a rather thin crux near the top in the easy 5.10 range. Adequate bolts, but bring a few nuts and some guns. <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S1PUGenQWEI/AAAAAAAAAUc/yzYKz7jJC2k/s1600-h/oldrag+-+OMG+Dihedral.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S1PUGenQWEI/AAAAAAAAAUc/yzYKz7jJC2k/s320/oldrag+-+OMG+Dihedral.jpg" /></a></div>57)****”Oh My God” Dihedral 5.10cPG. Classic overhanging lay back/off width crack. With modern large crack cams it is merely exhausting and intimidating. With only Hexentrics in the good old days, it was terrifying, as the crack keeps getting bigger, steeper, and smoother. Practice energy conservation, and keep it moving. 55 feet, gear route. (Yes, the cover shot is flipped because I liked it better that way - this is the correct image)<br />
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Around the corner, below “Oh My God” and to the north, are a series of bolted slab routes ranging in difficulty from 5.8 to 5.11d. Most are bolted and easy to find. Included are God Knows 5.11a (just around the corner, 6 bolts) and Alpenglow 5.11a (classic, 5 bolts). The easiest approach is to go back up hill a bit and follow the trail in front of the foreground cliff. Many begin from patios that have serious 3rd class approaches, particularly with a full pack.<br />
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58)**God Knows 5.11a. Climb left edge of face just around to the right from “Oh My God” on the same hunk of rock. Pass 6 blots to shuts.<br />
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59)**The Untamed 5.10d. Climb center of face past 3 bolts to shuts. Light rack.<br />
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60)**The Unchained 5.11 b/cPG. Climb the right edge of the face past 3 bolts to shuts. Light rack.<br />
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61)**House Broken 5.8. A reasonable start to The Unchained. Follow edge just to the right until the routes join. The crux is a friction problem low on the route, followed by some lay backing, face climbing, and a reach to the ledge. Shuts, from which the Untamed and Unchained can be top roped.<br />
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Just down hill from Oh My God Corner is a patio reached by climbing a 6 foot head wall with a crack in it, just to the left of the path. Notice the God Corner in the upper right hand corner. You are above the left wall of the Bushwhack Corridor.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S1Y5Z6RJldI/AAAAAAAAAYU/NXA2cvTAYSQ/s1600-h/Climbers+in+Torpor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S1Y5Z6RJldI/AAAAAAAAAYU/NXA2cvTAYSQ/s320/Climbers+in+Torpor.jpg" /></a></div>62)**Climbers in Torpor, right side, 5.10a. Climb up and right past 4 bolts. Steeper than it looks, with interesting pockets. 60 feet. Rappel carefully from a bush-like tree.<br />
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63)**The Ragged Edge #2, 5.9+ to 10c?) Climb past bolts up left side. 70 feet.Drew Fryehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013965677534522281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8261230932832123603.post-35835510290284229352009-07-19T19:59:00.001-07:002010-04-13T07:20:51.216-07:00Bushwack Corridor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S1Tzv74ilfI/AAAAAAAAAWM/rAc4yFwxYKc/s1600-h/Bushwack+Corridor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S1Tzv74ilfI/AAAAAAAAAWM/rAc4yFwxYKc/s320/Bushwack+Corridor.jpg" /></a></div>Between the foreground cliff and the God Crag proper is a cleft with some smooth rock and some thin bolted routes in the 5.11c – 5.12 hard range. The bolt lines are obvious.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S1TqXpFkTcI/AAAAAAAAAVE/FNPwNqGBWyQ/s1600-h/unknow+5.11c+near+Assemblage+Point.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S1TqXpFkTcI/AAAAAAAAAVE/FNPwNqGBWyQ/s320/unknow+5.11c+near+Assemblage+Point.jpg" /></a></div>63a)***Unknown 5.11c About 40 feet up hill from Assemblage Point is a short hand crack. Climb the crack to a stance on the arete (bolt), about 10 feet left of the 3rd bolt of Assemblage point. Travers left on thin friction up past 2 more bolts. 90 feet, gear and 3 bolts.<br />
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64) ***Assemblage Point 5.11d. Climb the downhill face on the left. Start around the corner on the south face, ease around to the first bolt and up, as the holds keep getting worse and worse. Expect to move left above the second bolt on some crystals to thin edges and horizontals, then back left to bolt #3. Continue on crystals. Just before the bulge near the top, traverse right to a bolt around the corner. Finish up crack to shuts with some gear. Dificulty may have changed due to crystal breakage. 110 feet<br />
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65)*** Unknown 5.11d. Climb past 4 bolts on left side of left face of cleft. Thin.<br />
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66)*** Earth Tones 5.11c. Climb past 3 bolts in center of left face. Thin.<br />
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67) * Unknown 5.10b/c. Toward the back of the corridor, on the right side. Climb past 5 bolts, rising over several bumps and arêtes. Shuts at top. 80 feet.<br />
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Proceed downhill and to the left, then up onto a patio. You will need to step across a tricky 4-foot sloping gap, so you will know you’re there! The Alpenglow buttress will be just to your right as you face up hill. <br />
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</div>68)*** Scared Seamless 5.10b/c. Follow 2 bolts up center of slab through bulge, up vanishing seam to left, finishing with traverse to anchor on right. Light rack including several small SLCD or Tri-cams for top of seam. 70 feet. <br />
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70) Unknown 5.7. To the left of Scared Seamless there is an easier off-width crack. Takes reasonable size gear in deep. How do you rate discomfort? 70 feet, big gear.<br />
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71)* Leitmotif 5.9. Climb smaller buttress between Scared Seamless and Alpenglow. Climb lichen-covered rock past 2 bolts. Light rack.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S1T0JQ1xHHI/AAAAAAAAAWc/de8JwkwaNEU/s1600-h/Alpenglow+5.11a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S1T0JQ1xHHI/AAAAAAAAAWc/de8JwkwaNEU/s200/Alpenglow+5.11a.jpg" /></a></div>72)*** Alpenglow 5.11a. Follow line of bolts up buttress 25 feet to right of Scared Seamless. The climb begins with a traverse in from the left side through a small bulge. 85 feet. There is also a difficult bolted direct start through the over hang at the base.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S1T0O10DC6I/AAAAAAAAAWk/V3vJ5B2tAxY/s1600-h/short+n+sweet+5.9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S1T0O10DC6I/AAAAAAAAAWk/V3vJ5B2tAxY/s200/short+n+sweet+5.9.jpg" /></a></div>73)** Short ‘n’ Schweet, 5.9+ About 100 feet downhill from Assemblage Point, below Alpenglow: Two bolts on a sloping face lead past a prominent at horizontal to a short layback crack; harder than it looks. 50 feet, some gear, no bolts at the top; descend tricky gully to the right.Drew Fryehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013965677534522281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8261230932832123603.post-15497153772063933712009-07-19T19:58:00.001-07:002010-01-19T17:34:16.687-08:00The Wall That Dreams Are Made OfFurther down the mountain, about 100 yard, below the God Crag area, is The Wall that Dreams are Made Of. The approach is long and painful in any season other than winter, but it is worth it just for Bushwhack Crack. There are other nice climbs on the wall as well, including the steep finger crack of The The, perhaps the first 5.13 redpoint in Virginia. <br />
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</div>74)****Bushwhack Crack 5.10c. Climb obvious fist/hand crack leaning to the left. Leads up through roof about 12 feet above the ground (spot may be advisable until gear is placed above the roof, as turning the roof is the technical crux), followed by continuous perfect hand jamming up perfect vertical granite. Fortunately, it soaks up plenty of gear, upon which resting is popular. The crack narrows to thin hands and off-fingers at the top. About 80’, overhanging a little the whole way. One of the best climbs in Virginia, or anywhere else, for that matter.<br />
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</div>75)***The The 5.13a/b. About 20 feet to the right of Bushwhack Crack there is a finger crack. Mere mortals can get some distance off the ground. Then it gets hard. Follow prominent finger crack up through concave wall to 2’ overhang. Continue up vertical face. All gear route.<br />
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76)**Good Friday 5.11a. A hand to fist crack/left-facing dihedral 6’ far to the right of The The, which can be jammed, laybacked or stemmed, though a combination of techniques might be best. The offset of the corner is about 2’.<br />
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77)* Unknown face/arête 5.11d. Four feet to the right of Good Friday is a corner. Start 2 feet around the corner. Follow 4 bolts up, staying close to the arête. <br />
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78)** Beam Me Up Scotty 5.10d. A narrowing crack starting as an easy offwidth and finishing as a difficult hand jam; begins on the next level down to the right. 75 feet.<br />
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About 40 yards below The Wall That Dream Are Made Of is another small crag with some interesting problems.<br />
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79) Unknown dome crack 5.10a. Follow stiff vertical off-finger finger crack past ledge for about 25 feet until angle eases and the crack ends. Traverse right to arête, and ascend back side of rock via crack and face climbing. Come back on to the arête just as the crack becomes a seam, to a surprise bolt. Easy climbing to top, walk off gully to right. Plenty of gear, off-fingers and smaller, 130 feet.<br />
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There are additional crags and spires further down the Gully, many of which are awaiting accents.Drew Fryehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013965677534522281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8261230932832123603.post-82070845711534721362009-07-19T19:56:00.000-07:002010-01-20T09:36:48.274-08:00Bushwack Gully SlabAbout 50 yards across the gully from Assemblage Point (on your right hiking down hill) is a large low angle slab, just steep enough to hold some moderate climbs. The top of the climbs are quite near the Reflector Oven. Routes are described left to right, and located relative to 3 black waterstreaks.<br />
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80)*** One Bolt Wonder 5.4PG. Imagine a perfect granite slab pitched just at the angle where you have to pay attention, but can walk right up. Imagine the angle never wavers a bit for 120’. Throw in a natural drilling stance about 50’ up protecting the crux smooth area 10’ higher, followed by easier climbing. This is very reminiscent of the opening slabs of White Horse Ledge classics such as the Sliding Board, with perfect friction on perfect rock. Though the climbing is not hard, a beginning leader should remember to keep a cool head, as the run outs are hefty. Route is on left side of slab, to the left of the first prominent water streak. Pick a few small cams.<br />
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TOPO for 80s<br />
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80a)** Bull Elk Mating Call. 5.10d/5.11a TR. Under prominent white spot (2’ diameter, 25 up) between 2nd and 3rd water streaks. Climb up through small left leaning dike using crystals. Some of these crystals may now be gone,and the climb correspondingly harder.<br />
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80b)** 5.9 TR. Climb 3rd water streak through eye brows.<br />
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80c 5.7. Eight feet to the left of 80b climb right facing corner. Trad rack, with run out at top with easy angle. 120’.<br />
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80d 5.3. Climb left facing corner at right side of slab. Good beginning lead climb. 70’.Drew Fryehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013965677534522281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8261230932832123603.post-81477226211257563212009-07-19T19:55:00.000-07:002009-07-19T20:39:54.595-07:00Whale’s Lip, Gutter Balls Crag, Eagle’s Gift SlabGoing up the main trail from the Lower Ridge Slab, one ascends a steep section to come out on a small plateau, with some exposed rock and a distinctive, ancient, wizened oak tree at the top edge of a 100 foot square low angle slab. This is the starting point for access to many different small east-side crags, which seem scattered and hidden due to the vegetation. Walk east down the slab to the bushes on the right corner and plunge in, finding a manifold of very indistinct paths in the dense undergrowth. Naming them left to right, they lead to the Whale’s Lip (turn left just before a 10 foot high boulder, just 20 yards down the path, and stay left close to the base of the crag), Eagle’s Gift Slab, Gutterballs Crag, the Latest Trick Crag, and Jabba the Hut. These are all at different elevations, with Jabba the highest at the base, and the Whale’s Lip by far the biggest, with several excellent face and slab climbs. The walk is short but obscure. As you trend down left of center, over a small slab (“Baby Whale’s Lip”) you will see an entrance to a corridor on the right, where a gigantic flake has split from the main slab. The Eagle’s Gift starts at the mild arête down at the corner of the slab.<br /><br /> (Improve description of approach.) <br /><br />81)****The Eagle’s Gift 5.10a+R. A classic by any standard. At right side of wall, climb past 4 bolts beginning at shallow right facing corner layback crack. The 3rd bolt is hidden from view by a bulge. Continue to rising traverse on bumps to grove/crack 25 feet to left. The gear placements on the route, though adequate, are strange in spots. Not a sport climb. The finish of the climb up a rounded flaring crack includes a 40’ run-out over initially difficult but easing rock. Gear belay with cordalette if using 165’ rope! Light rack with stoppers, small SLCDs, and Tri-cams. A very long 165’.<br /><br />82)** Mussel Memory 5.11d. About 25 feet to the left of Eagles gift, on the other side of a large block. 4 bolts. Follows seam that disappears.<br /><br />83)** The Ally 5.11a. About 15 feet to the right of “Visit from Juan”, starting at the top of a boulder platform. Past 1 bolt, past a crack with a pin, past 3 more bolts to the top. 120’.<br /><br />84)**Visit from Juan 5.9- A nice bolted slab climb with outstanding friction; the leftmost climb on the face, starting on the same platform as “the Ally”, traversing in from left. 4 bolts, no top anchor. Less than a full rope length. <br /><br />At the right edge of the Eagles Gift slab there is a corridor. There are several climbs in this hallway.<br /><br />Gutter Balls Crag<br /><br />At the bottom of the low-angle slab marking the entrance to several areas, very faint or even imaginary trails diverge in the brush. A hard left down the slope leads to the Whale’s Lip; a mild left to the Eagle’s Gift Slab; a still milder left to the Gutterballs crag, the top of which is almost at your present level, and which is marked with two rap bolts, using which are the best way to the base of the crag; a mild right and down a gully leads to the Latest Trick crag and several others farther down; and a hard right goes to the top of Jabba the Hut. None of these routes are obvious.<br /> <br />85)***Gutter Balls 5.9. Follow shallow unjammable crack (the gutter) to overhang. Surmount in corner using finger crack. Two bolts at start.<br /><br />86)**Simple Man in a Complex World 5.8) Face climb through 2 overlaps.<br /><br /><br />Whale’s Lip Slab<br />The base of the Whales Lip slab is reached as above. The top of the Crag can be reach via a number of very short side trails. The best of these leaves to the left side of a large boulder by the side of the trail. About 15 yards off the trail you emerge on the top of a gradually steepening slab. There is a 2 bolt rappel station about 40 feet down the slab at the top of Introspection, about 20 feet from the steep part. It is a few feet to the left of a small corner/crack in an obvious water drainage groove. Be careful walking down to it. This rappel station gives very quick access to the base of the crag. <br /><br />More than most areas at Old Rag there are bold lines here with few or no bolts. Do not assume you are the first ascender, and of course, bolting are not allowed. It is surprising the rate at which lichens grow on the lower part of this slab. Even popular routes look unexplored. Please only clean the few holds that are needed.<br /><br />87)**Autumn Harvest 5.10c) 2 bolts.<br /><br />88)**Thar She Blows 5.11b) 5 bolts.<br /><br />89)**Pincer Perfect 5.9) Crystal pinching. What else? 4 bolts.<br /><br />90)* Crab Walk 5.7) 1 bolt. Follows discontinuous cracks and pockets. Light rack with small to large Tricams. Where Pincer Perfect goes straight up, traverse off to right using large break.<br /><br />91)**** Introspection 5.10bR) 4 bolts. Light rack with stoppers and cams to thin hands. Excellent route offering several cruxes with varied thin climbing. Start to the left of the row of bolts at a right facing corner with good holds just within reach of the ground. Mantel onto the horn, step right across the void and up the line of bolts with home-made hangers. Don’t fall near the beginning, and expect a substantial run out over 5.8 rock at the end. The introspection in this climb may be a matter of evaluating exact character of the rock in a precise engineering study. I think it is more a matter of evaluating the size of your oats…the more quickly the better. Pound your chest when you get to the top. I’ve never seen a gibbon absorbed in thought while climbing; only when trying to do something complex, like peeling an orange.<br /><br />92)* Archful Dodger 5.9X) Simple gear: No bolts, no rack. Archful Dodger Direct 5.9R goes up through the first arch instead of traversing around the arch. Light rack.<br /><br />93)*Dodge City aka Startful Dodger 5.9R) Start on Another Green World and join Artful Dodger just past bolt. Light rack.<br /><br />94)* Another Green World 5.7R) Light rack.<br /><br />95)* Sold to the Highest Buddha 5.6) Light rack.Drew Fryehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013965677534522281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8261230932832123603.post-63745088203752609232009-07-19T19:54:00.001-07:002010-01-19T17:29:40.663-08:00Lower Ridge Trail Slab<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S1Y1xX_Il0I/AAAAAAAAAXE/PIkhJLWHq9U/s1600-h/lower+ridge+trail+slab+aproach,+seen+from+south.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S1Y1xX_Il0I/AAAAAAAAAXE/PIkhJLWHq9U/s320/lower+ridge+trail+slab+aproach,+seen+from+south.jpg" /></a><br />
</div>Lower Ridge Slab/Lower Ridge Gully Wall Approach<br />
The approach to these areas and to the Eagle’s Gift/Whale’s Lip areas are best made by the Ridge Trail from near Nethers. Most other areas are best approached by the Saddle Trail from the south side. To reach the Lower Ridge Slabs, hike about 2.5 miles until the trail comes out of the woods and up onto boulders forming a small minor summit. A large garage-sized boulder at the top resembles a loaf of bread. From this summit you will be able to see large slabs below to the southeast, and the Whale’s Lip to the southwest. As the Ridge Trail descends from these boulders onto a dirt path, look for a small unmarked path on the left. The left branch of the trail will take you below the Lower Ridge Slab within a few hundred yards. The right fork will take you to the smaller Lower Ridge Gully Wall within about 250 yards.<br />
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On Ridge Trail headed south, side trail to Lower Ridge Slab Gully Wall and base of Lower Ridge Slab.<br />
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Lower Ridge Slab<br />
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</div>96)**Unknown 5.6 Follow diagonal right leaning hand/fist crack on the left side of the photo up slab. One bolt near top protects only blank area. Nice beginning traditional lead route that will take lots of gear of all types. Belay at pair of old angle pins, but back-up with gear and tree. Rappel rings to right allow single rope (if 165’) descent. 120 feet, gear route. <br />
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97)**Unknown 5.9+PG. Follow line of 6 bolts. Route begins at right side of slab in photo at the edge of the shadow, 30 feet right of the main crack. Climb left through small bulge (crux) to top, crossing main crack 30 feet up. Climb easier but slightly run-out rock to gear belay at top of slab by right side of massive overhanging block. Second pitch follows steep 5.8+ headwall past 4 bolts. Interesting pocket climbing. Gear belay. 240 feet, light rack. Descend via approach gully or do very tricky 3rd class descent to rap tree on ledge below headwall. This is the same tree used on the adjacent 5.6 crack climb.<br />
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Around-The-Corner Slab.<br />
Approach by traversing right (ENE) about 100 yards from the previous routes above some large low angle slabs. Find narrow 80’ slab with bolts.<br />
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98)***Unknown 5.10a. Follow 5 bolts up steep slab. Interesting boulder problem cruxes. Belay at pair of large bolts with over size hangers. 9 quick draws, 80 feet.<br />
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Lower Ridge Gully Wall (38.33.164N, 78.18.310W at 2625’)<br />
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99) Left Slab 5.8+. 40’ to the left of the main slab and the next listed route is a line of 3 bolts. 25’.<br />
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To the left of this climb are a series of easier groves which make interesting short beginner/intermediate top rope problems, though they are really too short to lead. 5.5- 5.8. 25’<br />
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The main slab contains 3 bolted lines between the left most route and the 2 closely spaced routes to the right are a group of flakes and groves offering nice top rope and lead opportunities in the 5.4 – 5.10 range. The difficulties vary greatly with what is considered off-route. The prominent hand crack toward the right of the slab is about 5.5. The prominent ledge contains a large tree.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S1Y3DkyQeGI/AAAAAAAAAXc/maouagw0qtU/s1600-h/lower+left+detail+on+lower+ridge+trail+gulley+slab,+5.9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S1Y3DkyQeGI/AAAAAAAAAXc/maouagw0qtU/s200/lower+left+detail+on+lower+ridge+trail+gulley+slab,+5.9.jpg" /></a>100)***Unknown 5.10b/c. At far left side of wall, climb past 3 bolts to thin flakes. Travers left past several more bolts. Includes 2 boulder problem cruxes at the start and before the 4th bolt. Very well protected in crux areas, with easier climbing to top. Belay at cold shuts. 8 quick draws, 80 feet. Nice variation continues straight up after the 4th bolt over featured rock past 3 bolts, at 5.10a to tree belay of next climb. 110 feet.<br />
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101)*Unknown 5.9-. Left hand of 2 bolted lines on upper slab. Start either by scrambling up to ledge or by leading prominent hand crack. Traverse right about 6 feet just above the ledge. Then follow line of 4 bolts between the upper portion of the hand crack and thinner crack 4 feet to the right. Belay at tree with rings. Do not use cracks on upper wall. 85’ from ledge.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S1Y3ZIfTZgI/AAAAAAAAAXk/C3mgXs_woWs/s1600-h/lower+ridge+gully+slab+right+side.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fDLXryKUnCE/S1Y3ZIfTZgI/AAAAAAAAAXk/C3mgXs_woWs/s200/lower+ridge+gully+slab+right+side.jpg" /></a>102)**Unknown 5.10c. Scramble to ledge. Climb line of 5 bolts to the same belay tree as the previous climb. Several variations are possible before the second bolt. Straight up is 5.11a. To the right, using the right leaning crack minimally is 5.10a. To the left, without using holds closer than one foot from the crack, is 5.10c and is the standard route. 85’ from ledge.<br />
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102a)* Jessica’s Climb 5.5tr. The first slab on your right when descending the gully, about 40 yards from the Ridge Trail. Friction up and left from the bottom right hand corner. 25 feet. Harder in the middle (5.9 highball?) Plenty hard enough on the right if you are only 42” tall and 6 years old.Drew Fryehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013965677534522281noreply@blogger.com0