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Location: NV : Red Rock : Oak Creek Canyon : Solar Slab - Lower Tier : Solar Flare (5.10-)
By: L. Hamilton When: Sep 27, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: One of the beta photos above notes that a "direct variation takes wires well." Anybody got other info about this variation, like its difficulty, quality, PG or R feeling, whatever? How's the rope drag if you link all the way through P2, as the photo suggests?
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Location: CA : Yosemite National Park : Tuolumne Meadows : Lamb Dome : On the Lamb (5.9)
By: L. Hamilton When: Aug 19, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Agreed, the "bushy ledge" you should start traversing from (drawn with three little trees on SuperTopo) isn't bushy anymore. This is confusing because there's an obviously bushier ledge one unpleasant pitch higher that has lured some climbers way off route.
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Location: CO : Alpine Rock : RMNP - Rock : Glacier Gorge : McHenry's Peak : Dog Star (5.8)
By: L. Hamilton When: Aug 19, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Greg, that "killer LFD" you jumped on might have been our original FA line. I recall two crux pitches (we called both 5.8) in fairly obvious dihedrals, the first about pitch 2 and the second through the steep section at mid-height. Both were clean and fun, if I remember right. Since Dog Star was the FA of that whole buttress, not just a new route, we tried to take it from the lowest point to highest point of the wall. Quite the cruise -- wish I'd shot more photos.
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Location: CO : Alpine Rock : RMNP - Rock : Notchtop : Laid Back (a.k.a. NE Ridge) (5.8)
By: L. Hamilton When: Aug 3, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Another rarely-done adventure route! Sounds like Greg's "tremendously fractured, steep, big blocks" are the same part I called "rotten climbing." Requiring caution no doubt, though I don't recall feeling too sketched out -- Dakers & I thought we were having fun in the sun.
We didn't see or place any pitons, however. Hammerless was the thing in those days. That ring piton Greg mentions must have been a later addition, possibly from somebody who bailed?
As for how high we pushed 3rd class at... more >>
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Location: NH : Whitehorse Ledge : Childrens Crusade Wall : Children's Crusade (5.11a)
By: L. Hamilton When: Jul 20, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: As of 7/17/09, there is a loose flake just below the belay on pitch 2. It's not necessary to grab it, but could be nasty if someone carelessly did.
The small 10c roof halfway up pitch 4 has a fairly sharp edge -- it's tough to keep the rope away from this, for leader or second. Double ropes might not be a bad idea.
The 10c slab moves on pitch 5, just above the belay, are protected by an old 1/4" bolt with spinning SMC hanger. Adds to the sense of exposure.
"A tremendous adventure," Ed Webs... more >>
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Location: UT : Saint George : Snow Canyon State Park : Circus Wall : Trapeze (5.10b/c R)
By: L. Hamilton When: Mar 22, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: "The guidebook says this one is not worth the effort due to hideous rope drag."
There's no significant rope drag if you use double ropes.
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Location: UT : Saint George : Snow Canyon State Park : Circus Wall : Roar of the Greasepaint (5.10a)
By: L. Hamilton When: Mar 22, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Our 70m rope worked fine to climb in one pitch, then lower off the top anchors. Watch out if yours is shorter, though.
This pitch is definitely 5.10, with a lot of good moves.
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Location: UT : Saint George : Snow Canyon State Park : Circus Wall : Freak Show (5.9)
By: L. Hamilton When: Mar 22, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Using double rope technique, rope drag on this route (or Trapeze) is no problem. Doing one long, wandering lead is just fun.
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Location: NV : Red Rock : Willow Spring : Hidden Falls Wall : Black Track (5.9)
By: L. Hamilton When: Mar 22, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Bring your old hexes -- they work as well or better than those newfangled cams on this route.
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Location: NV : Red Rock : Pine Creek Canyon : Mescalito : Centerfold (5.10a R)
By: L. Hamilton When: Jan 2, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: I recently re-scanned my old slides and took a close look to figure out where our route went. The topo photo for this entry is wrong, but so was an alternative photo I posted myself, and more recently removed.
Jeremy Handren's guidebook, however, contains a detailed topo photo that matches well with my slides from the route itself -- Jerry must have studied this wall with the original route description in hand, to get it right. The one correction I'd add to Jerry's guidebook topo is that we b... more >>
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Location: CO : Alpine Rock : RMNP - Rock : Notchtop : Optimismus (5.9)
By: L. Hamilton When: Oct 4, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: Minor historical note: Walt Fricke's 1970 guidebook rated Optimismus 5.8 A1 (one move of aid). John Byrd and I made the first free ascent, AFAWK, in 1974.
A photo the guidebook showed Optimismus as the only route ascending Notchtop's main face. The photo with all that unclimbed rock became the inspiration for Religion (1973), Laid Back (1974) and White Room (1974).
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Location: UT : Moab Area : Castle Valley : Sister Superior Group : Unknown Sister (5.10d C1)
By: L. Hamilton When: May 7, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: Sounds like clean aid is trickier than the old days -- I just hammered pins and called it A1. We only drilled once, though, probably a 1/4" Star dryvin, to reach the main crack. Then a couple more good Star bolts for anchors on the summit, so if there are more holes than those three, they are retro. It's a cool little summit.
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Location: NH : Whitehorse Ledge : Atlantis Area : Lost Souls (5.10a/b)
By: L. Hamilton When: Apr 27, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: For the original first pitch of Lost Souls, start at the same gearing-up spot used for Atlantis, Inferno, Last Unicorn, etc. Instead of scrambling up the long 3rd class section that accesses those routes, look for a ledge with several trees about 30 feet up and right from the start of scrambling. The first bolt of the Lost Souls can be seen from the ground, on a slab about ten feet above the tree ledge. Scramble up to the tree ledge and set the first belay.
Slab climbing (tricky when wet) le... more >>
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Location: NH : Cathedral Ledge : The Central Wall : Antline (5.10a)
By: L. Hamilton When: Sep 8, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: An alternative to the deep chimney on pitch 2:
After the 5.9 cracks section of pitch 2, instead of stepping right into the chimney, continue leading straight up the striking hand crack on the vertical wall above (also 5.9). This is actually part of Bicycle Route, but linking it from Antline makes a consistent and outstanding pitch. The hand crack ends on the same tree ledge as Antline's chimney, so from there you can finish with more good jamming up Antline's pitch 3.
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Location: NH : Cathedral Ledge : Thin Air Face : The Saigons (5.8)
By: L. Hamilton When: Aug 16, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: One 70m rope is enough to descend in two rappels. We were able to reach the ground (barely!) from the first belay. With a 60m, some downclimbing would be needed.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : The West Ridge : West Ridge - Long John to V... : Long John Wall (5.8)
By: L. Hamilton When: Aug 2, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: The 5.8 variation to P4 mentioned in the route description above sounds like a variation named "Pluto" that Dakers Gowans and I climbed in 1974. It's the bottomless corner to the right of the regular finish, visible and appealing from the road. If there are fixed pitons here they came long after the first ascent; we did it hammerless.
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Location: NV : Red Rock : Willow Spring : Ragged Edges Area : Theme Book (5.9)
By: L. Hamilton When: Jul 20, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: Just to fill out the record ... Leslie Hamilton and I followed Joe on the FA of this route in 1973. On page 131 of Red Rock Odyssey is a photo I took of Joe leading the crux with piton hammer and EBs. The Theme Book turned out to be our warmup for the FA of Rainbow Wall, which Joe and I climbed over the next three days.
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Location: NH : Whitehorse Ledge : Atlantis Area : Cold Day in Hell (5.9+)
By: L. Hamilton When: Jul 6, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: FWIW, this route's actual name is "Cold Day in Hell."
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Location: NH : Whitehorse Ledge : Atlantis Area : Lost Souls (5.10a/b)
By: L. Hamilton When: Jul 1, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: It's not mentioned but the description above begins partway up the cliff, after a 4th-class scramble up and right to reach fixed anchors at the horizontal break below the steeper part of the wall.
There's a worthwhile first pitch that was traditionally part of the route, but which is bypassed by doing this scramble. Its difficulty and rock quality are consistent with the climbing above, so for full value, you might want to climb all four pitches.
From the ground, scramble up and right about 4... more >>
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Location: UT : Wasatch Range : Little Cottonwood Canyon : Gate Buttress : Dihedrals Area : Lisa's Shoulder (5.9 R)
By: L. Hamilton When: May 3, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: I agree, the hand crack protects well but felt more like 9+, harder than the upper face. It might make it a better route too, adding a couple of small overhangs. The upper face and arete finish are just fun, plenty of interest for such a short pitch.
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Location: NY : The Gunks : The Trapps : Frog's Head (5.6)
By: L. Hamilton When: Jan 13, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: The direct finish, climbing straight over the final roof instead of scrambling off left on the ledge, makes a more exciting finish to the climb. Cross the roof near an old ring piton, which fortunately can be backed up. With 60-meter rope, rap from tree back to P1 anchors. 5.6+
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Location: CO : Alpine Rock : RMNP - Rock : Powell Peak : Snark (5.6)
By: L. Hamilton When: Jan 6, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: Hamish, thanks for contributing a 3rd opinion. I was baffled when Tracy and her partner reported an impression so different from those of the FA party, and felt responsible for having recommended the route. Your account helps to reconcile the differences.
Your description and grades match what John and I recall, except for the vegetation. I wonder now whether this could be a climate-change effect, due to warmer, wetter weather over the past 30 years? Apart from the short chimney pitch and s... more >>
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Location: NY : The Gunks : The Trapps : Keep on Struttin' (5.9+)
By: L. Hamilton When: Nov 27, 2006 | view comment >> |
Comments: It's a fine route, although not one I'd recommend for "breaking into the grade." It starts interesting right off the ledge, and there are only a few placements before the bolt at 30'. The move above the bolt is tricky for 5.9, and there's no fixed pro (as of 11/2006) on the strenuous traverse -- you have to hang on to place a cam.
The third pitch is not sustained, but its last moves give one more crux.
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Location: NY : The Gunks : The Trapps : Strictly From Nowhere (5.7)
By: L. Hamilton When: Nov 27, 2006 | view comment >> |
Comments: For a better, more consistent 2nd pitch, follow the thin crack up to a tiny tree, then move up and left on hero holds through small overhangs to the top. Good pro, fun moves, more exposure (5.6).
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Location: NY : The Gunks : The Trapps : CCK Direct (5.9 PG13)
By: L. Hamilton When: Nov 27, 2006 | view comment >> |
Comments: No fixed gear the whole way as of 11/2006. A brilliant pitch with an exciting, slightly out-there finish.
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