Surface Tension  5.11- PG13

830 page views Good page?

Type:  Trad, 2 pitches, 190 feet Consensus:  5.11- [details] FA:  Paul Horak, Mark Leonard Submitted By:  George Perkins on Jul 18, 2007 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (6) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

Add Photo  Add Comment    Printer View

Some rocks in this area are on private property. Property owner requests signed waiver. MORE INFO >>> The remainder are on US Forest Service land. A map detailing the public areas can be obtained from the ranger station en route to the rocks from the village of Tres Piedras. According to Jan Studebaker: "The property line runs from approximately the current east corner by the access gate in a straight line over the top of South Rock to the top middle of the Chicken Heads/Mosaic Wall mount, and from there west down the mount slope to the meadow just south of the Alley climbs. Some of the most popular routes are completely on private property. There are survey markers on the top of South rock (the mysterious aluminum stake stuck in the rock) and on top of the Mosaic rock (most of the time buried in water in a pot hole.)" A new online Tres Piedras Route Guide from LA Mountaineers has been updated with the latest access information, and should be read by all Tres Piedras climbers. Group climb leaders, and Climbing Directors (future or past) should take particular note. From the guide: Access Notes: Tres Piedras climbers should sign the waiver found on this page because the popular South Rock is mostly on private land, as is some of the access to the area. The landowner, requests a waiver, NO fires, no chalk and "please close any gates". In order to nurture greater landowner acceptance of climbers, participants of group climbs are requested to organize quick clean up activities before leaving the area; this should include the climbing area as well as the access roads (trip leaders could supply plastic grocery bags). Small parties should practice "leave no trace" principles. On August 19, 2009 the landowner stated: "Yes I still own the property, and yes I'd still like to have waivers on hand - even or perhaps especially from your organization. Only once in awhile do I have problems with climbers, mostly not picking up after themselves. My biggest gripe is that despite repeated requests, the climbers don't remove protection (edit: colored webbing, shiny hardware) from the climbing routes, which is both lazy and unattractive. Your organization could do me a big favor by doing a group climb and removing the crap that others have left on the various routes so that it is both a pristine part of the landscape, and so that each climber must figure out his own route without relying on the handiwork of others." This information is a public crowdsourcing effort between the Access Fund, and Mountain Project. You should confirm closures, restrictions, and/or related dates. Keeping climbing areas open and conserving the climbing environment

Description 

Excellent friction climbing on this one. Bolts close together at the crux make this a good one to taste 5.11 slab for the first time, but it does take climbing a section of 5.9+ or 5.10 slab with pro far apart to get there.

p1) Clip the low bolt and make an awkward move (5.10) onto an easy ramp (this 5.10 section can be avoided by starting farther right, but if you want to avoid this move, you'll probably be better off avoiding the rest of the climb too). A directional piece above this move is beneficial to protect the follower. Follow the easy ramp up and left to a ledge below a slab identified by the fixed pins in the slab (pro available in finger size cracks along the way and before starting the slab). Build an anchor here, unless you have reason to do the climb in a single 60m pitch.

p2) Start up the slab, clip the first piton, work left and up on thin slab to the 2nd pin (5.9+ or 5.10 R) It's rather heady between the pitons but they are bomber. A few more moves gain a diagonal crack, and you get more pro, any cam 1"- 3" works. An intimidating but easy move puts you within reach of the first bolt on the final slab headwall. The well-protected face gets blanker and blanker with the hardest "surface tension" moves passing the final bolt (crux).

An intermediate belay at the ledge below the pitons and/or the final headwall is recommended to reduce rope drag, although I found it tolerable to climb the whole route in a single 58m pitch- a good idea if you have 3 people.

Location 

Start below a single bolt about 10' uphill and left of Yikes Dikes on the west side of the north face of South Rock.

Protection 

1 bolt down low, then 2 fixed pins, then 3 bolts, to a 2-bolt anchor, with some of your own trad gear in between..

1 60m rope works to descend the North side in a single rap. Find the center.