Fear and Loathing 

Ok personal comments.

This route is sick good. One of the top 3 crack climbs in Red Rock. The rock is as good as it looks in the pictures, maybe better.
A true splitter the climb itself is easily 4 stars.

The approach and descent, however, are quite involved. If this wasn't the case people would have been screaming about the quality of this route for years.

So if you want to go have a long adventerous day, and do a kick ass climb this is a good choice.

As far as the grade goes, I gave it 5.10+. My partner seemed to think it was closer to 5.11-....I wouldn't argue that point. Go decide for yourself.

Have fun!

josh

That approach and descent are HEINOUS! Went up to climb Gemstone last year, my girl has never let me forget that one. You do so much more hiking than climbing, it means you really have to want these routes. For myself, I thought F+L looked good, but haven't been able to muster the interest in the approach a second time. My legs got cut to shit THROUGH a pair of Levis, I remember a big scratch on my neck from the approach got a lot of comments from work about vindictive ex-girlfriends. Glad the route's good-it HAS to be for me to brave the "Nightmare on Elm Street" hike...

More like the nightmare on OAK street.

josh

Incidentally, what do you consider the other top 3 crack climbs here? And do you have to hike through, under, and over as much scrub oak to get to them?

psyched to see peeps getting up there, thanks for the post

Well Killis as you know there aren't very many pure crack climbs in RR. Definitely not to many longish ones. So for the longer ones I'd have to say Cloud Tower, and maybe Triassic. Jet stream has some good crack climbing but is more facey/stemming at it's cruxs, as is Adventure Punks. The Warrior Might deserve an honorable mention.
For short ones I'd put The Fox, Atman, and Out of Control. Handbone is defiantly in there as is Desert Gold. I've not done the Schwa, but it looks pretty classic and Splitter.
I've done a bit of climbing in RR over the last 11 years or so and those are the CRACKS that stick out. To figure out my true top 3 I'd have to really sit down and think about it. I think I'd have to have 2 different lists...one for short routes and one for long.
Why don't you hike up there and see for yourself?
What did you think of Gemstone?


Jon, it was good to meet you when I was in town.
Cheers,

josh

maybe add red zinger in there as well. good list josh!

I've not Done Red Zinger, but I hear it's a sweet and splitter route.

The photos I've seen of the OW "Bro's before holes" might put it on the list as well. Anybody done it?
Anyone have any others?

Cheers,

josh

The approach hike was cairned. We found a rope coiled near a tree well below the climb. Interesting. We approached the climb from the north, not Gemstone Gully. There are some very tight slots that would be tough getting a big pack through.

Way late replying-Gemstone felt sandbagged as hell at "10a", the anchor was "interesting" as in we had to re-cord the whole thing and still backed it up until the last/lightest person went down, 2nd pitch wasn't obvious and Captains Forethought and Preparation goofed on a topo/description. Rock was way crunchy where you place gear, kind of a separated patina that was pretty easy to bust out, not encouraging in terms of confidence in the pro. I remember saying I'd bring every .5 cam I owned when we came back for P2, that's still the plan when I feel like paying my karmic debt and getting leg-caned by scrub oak. It looks sexy as hell but I bet F+L's probably a better line. When I do the 2nd pitch I'll post up a decent description. The Tricam in the P1 anchor is home to a way rotted sling; don't get on this one without a real-deal backup plan on how to get down or one of those snazzy Cliffhanger things that everyone seems so infatuated with.

I climbed Red Zinger a couple of weeks ago...it should totally go on the cracks list.

josh

What's with the discrepancy in route descriptions (J. Thompson v Handren)?

Josh has obviously been on it. Jerry did a shitload of legwork for the guide but it doesn't mean he repeated everything. I'd trust the most recent description, with the caveat that everyone's experience is subjective. I still maintain that the "10d" crux of La Cierta is more like 5.9 cruiser. Your impression may vary. The only constant is that the hike sucks donkey balls.

Oh, and Josh: Weenie Juice. Has to be climbed to be believed.

Andy,

There's been alot of different info about these routes over the years.
Supposedly when the FA's went up there both of the "cracks" had been climbed...one being named "fear" and the other "loathing". When they got up there they figured out quickly that neither had been climbed (and the one on the left looks awful)...thus creating the route.

When we went up there we used Handrens description...and what we found was very different. The route is very obvious, and there is no way we were off route. So what you see above reflects my experience climbing the route.

The more routes you climb the more you'll take even Handrens quality book with a grain of salt.

BTW...you've been climbing a lot of obscure routes lately, congrats! And thanks for adding them to the database, I've been enjoying seeing them pop up.

josh

Climbed this today with Lisa Buchina. I thought Josh's info was spot on. Some may want additional #1-3 for the third pitch. We had doubles and still had long run outs on the sustained 200+ third pitch. Great job with the cairns, Branch! It got dark and they saved our butts. Added a sling to the first and last rappel.