Tollhouse Traverse 

An undeniable classic for the grade. If I'm remembering correctly, it's been climbed in roller skates!

If your in the area this is a must do route!

An awesome route, with two fun options to finish with: A Nutcracker-style mantel, or a classic book. Both finish at the same anchors.

Somebody supposedly lead it on rollerskates while the follower did it in X-country skis. We used to chain up at least 15 to 20 people in a mass simulclimb assault when the Tollhouse Face Off was still happenin in the 90's. Whatever happened to the Face Off? Any other local climbing gatherings still happenin in the area?

Used to do "laps" on this one.....9 laps in one afternoon. Did a car-to-car from the Hang Glider Slab: 20 min 12 seconds.

Oh, and for those interested......Mark Hammond (lives in Fresno) did one of the first ascents using roller skates. Still active (63 years young) and member of the SSCA.

Very fun and certainly classic! I've climbed this route four times. Three of the times I've taken the spicy mantle move over the wall toward the end, the other time I followed along the same wall that forms the book. I think the mantle move is definitely a higher grade than 5.5. Perhaps 5.7ish? Following the inside corner of the book continues along as 5.5

I concur with Aaron's previous post. The mantle move is straight-forward, airy, fun and should not be missed. It's also 5.7.

"Follow it for two and a half pitches (bolted belays)" ...this is misleading, unless someone considers a single bolt a bolted belay.

Bolted belays are at the top of the 2nd and 3rd pitches.

Full 60 meter rope required. Used pink tricam and a .75 c4 for belay at p1. P2 and p3 where solid new bolts. Mantle finish is defenitly 5.7 but looks even bigger after climbing low angle slab and crack for two pitches.

Made it to the area for the first time and opted to solo this route. Wow, awesome climbing the whole length. I got to the corner with the 3 summit options and got a little confused. The dihedral was looking pretty blank so I opted for the 5.7 mantle finish. Airy indeed! Does the dihedral offer some decent holds because it was looking too blank for my liking... especially at that height.

Doable in three pitches with a 70m rope, if you don't use any of the bolted anchors and run it out on every pitch. There are lot's of opportunities to build a natural anchor.

Sad to see that there are bolts on the first pitch next to a perfect crack.

Agree, that the mantel move is not 5.5.

There is a bolted belay on the first pitch as well. As you go up the slanting crack there is a bolt in between the two cracks, cut across there to the second crack and go up maybe 15 feet. There are two shiny fresh bolts. Or you can continue up the first crack to a ledge where there are two bolts as well. This is a part of the climb next door to tollhouse. If you belay from there you then have a spicy unprotected traverse to the next crack and it leaves your follower in a sketchy situation.

Amazing climb! There is a bolted belay on first pitch now. 60 meter rope makes it to every bolted belay so no need to build anchors or bring a 70 unless desired. Did 3 pitches, the part to summit after the 3rd is nothing. Relaxed climbing with an awesome move over the dihedral (5.7ish)... I loved it!

We simul-climbed the first two pitches. If many people think the mantel is 5.7 (I agree that it is); shouldn't the climb be rated 5.7? After all, the purpose of a guidebook is to inform people who've never been to the area, and to indicate which climbs they can do safely.
What if two visiting climbers, who can only lead 5.6, come here and try to climb this? They could be in trouble at the mantel ... although I did place gear above it and it could be aided if necessary.

sibylle,

The reason people grade TT 5.5 is because the original route exits to the climber's left at the top of the dihedral (you then finish on 4th class up and left). The 5.7 finish is a variation.

Cheers.

Sibylle is referring to the standard finish with the mantel over the dihedral and 4th class climbing to the top not the 5.7 bolted runout friction pitch of Elephant's walk.

The guidebook states that the 4th pitch goes over the mantel - so I did the mantel. I'm not sure what you mean by exit "left" - doesn't the corner head up and right before the mantel?

We climbed the route as a way to reach the top at the end of the day. But I'm concerned about beginning climbers who get onto the route, which looks (and is) easy down low, and then are stymied at the mantel.
The beta photo here shows the route going over the mantel, and it also says:
" starting the 5.7 bolted slab option to the right of the dihedral"
If the slab option's 5.7, and the mantel is 5.7 ... how do we end up with a 5.5 climb?

I might be way off base here but I remember there being essentially 3 ways to finish the route. The 5.7 mantle over the dihedral, the 5.7 bolted line out to the slab on the right which I believe is actually part of elephant walk and then instead of mantling the right facing dihedral on the third pitch you continue working up the dihedral until you arrive at the ledge with the anchor for the top of p3 which will be on your left. I believe continuing up the dihedral goes at 5.5 and is the original variation of the route, thus the 5.5 rating. At least that's what I'm going with.