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Location: CA : Tahoe Vicinity : North Lake Tahoe : Donner Pass : Peanut Gallery, The : Middle Ages (5.8)
By: Colonel Mustard When: Jun 12, 2013 | view comment >> |
Comments: The second pitch: Continue straight up from first to some mantles to an angled ledge while aiming for the obvious crack. You are now facing a pull over a bulge with undercut knob feet, small incuts for hands, and a single point of protection to avoid a ledge deck and that you really, really, really hope will hold (and that you probably only have in the first place if your tall-ish and can place it: yellow metolius mastercam). Yeah. Totally 5.8, baby ;). You pull the bulge to a jug you ... more >>
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Location: CA : Tahoe Vicinity : South Lake Tahoe : Woodfords Canyon : One Of These Days Buttress : Bush League (5.10a)
By: Colonel Mustard When: May 31, 2013 | view comment >> |
Comments: Honestly, there were times when I felt like the climb was faking it, but I appreciated the effort.
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Location: CA : High Sierra : Temple Crag : Dark Star (5.10c)
By: Colonel Mustard When: Dec 8, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: Not sure on the grade ratings in the above description, they seem a bit sandbagged. It generally seems correct otherwise, although I doubt any two parties have gone exactly the same way on the climb after the first buttress.
We linked in 400' of simul climbing on the apron of the first buttress leading to the official 1st pitch start instead of walking up and around. Largely, the climbing there was 4th, low 5th class, with maybe a move of 5.7 here and there. The start we chose had a piton marki... more >>
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Location: CA : Sierra Eastside : Mammoth Lakes Area : Clark Canyon : Potato Patch : ... : Bucket Brigade (5.10c)
By: Colonel Mustard When: Dec 2, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: The juggy finish is pretty fun. The start is good for keeping your attention, if not quality-wise.
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Location: CA : Sierra Eastside : Mammoth Lakes Area : Clark Canyon : Potato Patch : ... : King Spud (5.11b)
By: Colonel Mustard When: Dec 2, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: Way fun. Stay solid down low (bad fall potential, but easier climbing) and keep hauling like you're on a gym climb up top. Some big moves on this one, including a big, blind throw near the top going over the arete as I recall.
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Location: CA : Tahoe Vicinity : North Lake Tahoe : Donner Pass : School Rock : Senior Prom (5.9)
By: Colonel Mustard When: Dec 2, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: Pretty darn good 5.9 pitch. The only pitch better at the straight 5.9 grade at Donner I can think of is the second pitch of One Hand Clapping. Plus, the hang up at this nook is superb. Four quality climbs all off this one ledge....
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Location: CA : Tahoe Vicinity : North Lake Tahoe : Donner Pass : North Stars Wall : Free and Easy (5.6)
By: Colonel Mustard When: Dec 2, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: Fun climbing. It has somewhat of a bouldery, unprotected start the way I did it. Intermittent protection, so, yes, you would essentially want to be comfortable with soloing 5.6 to lead this. The dihedral crack is so money. If it went for a 100' this would be a moderate leader's wet dream.
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Location: CA : Joshua Tree National Park : Roadside Rocks : Dihedral Rock : Coarse and Buggy (5.11a/b) : Photo
By: Colonel Mustard When: Nov 29, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: Thanks! It was a bit ago, but we all have to rest our laurels somewhere ;). I was proud because I always worked it on lead and felt pretty close to getting it on each of the multiple goes I gave it. It took a couple trips, but I finally got it on this chilly day. If you have to work a route, this one is awesome because it is so good! I would be hard pressed to point out a better pitch. There are cooler, more remote locales in JTree, but the route itself is superb.
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Location: CA : Sonora Pass (Hwy 108) : Table Mountain : The Grotto
By: Colonel Mustard When: Nov 28, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: Better (sport) climbing is to be had at the nearby Gold Wall. You catch a trail closer to the final entrance gate and then bear left on the trail at the fork to gain the base of the crag. Follow the crowds, you can't go wrong ;). But the dumb asses pretending there isn't a weekend gang bang of the area in effect already still don't want this info published?
Too bad, community discussion of the area and appropriate behavior would be more helpful since only those who need a new set of ... more >>
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Location: AZ : Central Arizona : Phoenix Areas : South Mountain : Pima Canyon Area : ... : Pima Traverse (V4)
By: Colonel Mustard When: Nov 20, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: And so it is. I updated FA info and will keep the name since it fits.
Thanks for the background on the problem. It's still one of my fave boulder problems/spots in my limited bouldering experience.
-Zach T.
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Location: CA : Tahoe Vicinity : North Lake Tahoe : Donner Pass : School Rock : Teacher's Pet (5.10b PG13)
By: Colonel Mustard When: Nov 18, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: This is one of the better 5.10b climbs at Donner, probably just behind Farewell to Arms and Firecracker.
A perfect belay ledge (set a couple of bomber pieces for the belayer in case the worst happens) leads to climbing that isn't necessarily scary but demands your head be screwed on from start to finish. The start high up on the wall gives this climb a sense of continuous exposure as well.
After the head's up start is a cool left rail traverse into demanding jamming between several different c... more >>
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Location: ID : City of Rocks : Breadloaves : Super Hits - Bloody Fingers : Bloody Fingers (5.10a)
By: Colonel Mustard When: Nov 18, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: Just a bit of thin hands jamming at the start for the man hand set to provide difficulties. Nothing wrong with the climb, but it suffered from Pillowsoft Overhype Syndrome (POS) in my experience. A good time, a fun romp, but nothing mind blowing; not even a standout from several other trad 10a climbs I did at the City. Maybe I'm just the cranky outlier on this one, but I had more fun on several other climbs at the same grade in this area.
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Location: CA : Tahoe Vicinity : South Lake Tahoe : Woodfords Canyon : Books Area : Cat Scratch Fever (5.10a)
By: Colonel Mustard When: Oct 27, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: "Cat scratch fever is an infection with Bartonella bacteria that is believed to be transmitted by cat scratches and bites, or by climbing the route in Woodfords Canyon that goes by the same name." -Some medical definition, totally official
I've got the fever!
Great climbing, very challenging at 5.10a. As described, sustained climbing leads to a couple of definite cruxes. The crack is flared more than it would appear from the ground, and sections that look like rests usually aren't.
... more >>
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Location: CA : Tahoe Vicinity : South Lake Tahoe : Woodfords Canyon : Wood Hood : Jammin' for Jehova' (5.10b/c)
By: Colonel Mustard When: Oct 27, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: I wouldn't belay off that pine tree, it's a bit too bushy with jabbity needles. We set an anchor directly below the start. As mentioned, it's a bit junky starting the climb, but then you pull into the left leaning crack and it's jam after glorious jam. Strenuous though, as the man says. Great stuff!
The only problem is I kept going up the formation instead of taking a right at the end of the tasty crack climbing (where I can only assume the anchors are) and trended into basically 4th class ter... more >>
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Location: CO : Estes Park Valley : Lumpy Ridge : The Book : J-Crack Slab Area : ... : Photo
By: Colonel Mustard When: Oct 25, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: Did Tommy manage to get up it?
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Location: NV : Reno - Carson City : River Rock : Total Recall (5.11b)
By: Colonel Mustard When: Oct 18, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: Whoo! Led this again yesterday. Every clean ascent involves down climbing for me, that crux at bolt three demands further thought every time. The cruxes on this one are at turns tricky, sequential, and burly, and it's like three or more cruxes in a row! I wonder if consensus would find this one somewhere in the 5.11+ range or not?
It was kind of exciting to go for no pro on the start and the bolting is perfect for just enough not to feel dangerous, yet far enough not apart to rule out a little ... more >>
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Location: ID : City of Rocks : White Lightning : White Lightning (5.10-)
By: Colonel Mustard When: Oct 12, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: Nah, just normal-sized mitts, Alex. I was able to reach through or jam deeply in the wider sections, maybe arm barring the one really wide pod near the beginning. I dunno, it just seemed more hand jam oriented to me and pretty pure compared to other City routes. But I have a lot of experience at that wide hand size, and there's definitely more than one way to climb most climbs. Cheers!
BTW, I was just browsing one of the climbing mags and this route was featured as one of the underground classi... more >>
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Location: CA : Tahoe Vicinity : South Lake Tahoe : Eagle Creek Canyon : Eagle Lake Cliff : ... : Photo
By: Colonel Mustard When: Oct 12, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: There's actually no reason to flash your taint here, it goes pretty easily straight on even for the larger-fingered folk.
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Location: CA : Tahoe Vicinity : South Lake Tahoe : Lover's Leap : Dear John Buttress : Rehab (5.11a)
By: Colonel Mustard When: Oct 1, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: Not one of those climbs that necessarily stands out from the ground, but the climbing proves to be excellent.
My experience was that the climbing between bolts 2 and 3 was the crux of the climb, but maybe I just hit the jams perfectly on the crack crux (right after bolt 4). It seemed like no more than 10+ climbing to me there, but I have seen somebody get screwed by pro'ing in the wrong section. Additionally, the climbing between the second and third bolts is slightly head's up, a nut or small ... more >>
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Location: CA : Tahoe Vicinity : North Lake Tahoe : Donner Pass : Grouse Slab : Jellyroll Arch (5.8)
By: Colonel Mustard When: Sep 4, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: A very cool route that I found fairly sustained for the grade. My buddy, a 5.8/9 trad leader thought so too, and I wouldn't suggest it as an easy example of the grade.
No rope drag issues for me, but I back cleaned one piece to have my first pro about 4-6 feet out from where the arch basically goes in horizontal mode and used a fully extended shoulder length sling.
Cams from tiny to about .75 (green camalot) rule for leader and follower, although there's a big fixed stopper to clip as of 9-2-1... more >>
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Location: CA : Tahoe Vicinity : North Lake Tahoe : Donner Pass : Goldilocks Wall : Goldielocks (5.10d)
By: Colonel Mustard When: Aug 29, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: I don't know if I could handle 200' of this climb!
Btw, the 5.10d originally labelled here seems to be yet another Blitzo creation. The older Carville guide (circa 1991) has it at 5.11a, a very reasonable grade for the climb in my experience at Donner.
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Location: ID : City of Rocks : White Lightning : White Lightning (5.10-)
By: Colonel Mustard When: Aug 28, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: More of a lieback than a jam crack? I guess you can lieback any crack if you want but I found the reverse to be true on this climb. Although, the crux (for me) was liebacking out of the overhanging hand jam roof. Different strokes, or, er, jams I guess.
Also, I did not find the crack to need cleaning or to require more than two #3 cams.
We'll have to bring our dispute to the route setter on this one.
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Location: CA : Joshua Tree National Park : Real Hidden Valley : Sports Challenge Rock : Sports Challenge Rock - Wes... : Sphincter Quits (5.9+ R)
By: Colonel Mustard When: Aug 24, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: I'd agree that it is no harder than 5.9. The pro off the ledge is not inspiring in the least though, perhaps leading to a perception of the climb being harder. Personally, I would not want to test the protection there in the least, but you can call it well protected if you want.
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Location: CA : High Sierra : Incredible Hulk : Red Dihedral (aka "Yggdrasi... (5.10)
By: Colonel Mustard When: Aug 1, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: The majority of 5.10 climbers out there will find Red Dihedral to be a full day in the alpine and a fantastic experience. It would be highly foolish to cross this one off your list just because some people here have lost perspective in order to play the cool kid. Quality alpine rock on fun, mostly sustained climbing while ascending one of the cooler hunks of stone in the Sierras. Yeah, sounds totally lame ;).
If the rock quality isn't up to snuff for you, go to Temple Crag and report ... more >>
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Location: CA : The Needles / Kern River : The Needles : The Charlatan : Spooky (5.9)
By: Colonel Mustard When: Jul 21, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: A #5 C4 will make you feel warm and cozy at the OW crux. I used this with a #4 and felt great and you can too. Very fun climbing.
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