Looking for info on Sauratown route
|
Hey Y’all- I was born and raised in North Carolina.. I taught myself to climb at Pilot Mountain and Moore’s Wall in the late 80’s while I was still in high school in Greensboro.. During the winters of 91/92 and 92/93 I spent many days climbing at Sauratown.. spring of 1993 I moved on to California.. Back in those days we hiked down from the top. most of the development was done before I got there.. although I did walk around the corner as Rock Dust settled the day “Shock the Monkey” was bolted.. in my mind I did the first onsight of that one.. but that could be something I made up.. ;) I climbed “B Ware” while being belayed by Dave Ware, the first time I redpointed “Channel 12” it finished at a fixed nut with a biner on it.. you’d clip it and then start down cleaning the route.. before I left for Ca another bolt or 2 and anchors were added.. anyway… just strolling down memory lane.. My question is- I was involved in a first ascent in the Meadow/Monkey Buttress area, I was just curious as to what happened to the route.. Based on my memory- it wasn’t super great.. I wonder if it’s even still there.. Looking at the PDF guidebook I found- I’d put it in the vicinity of “naked on a train” but closer to 10d/11a.. More on the Monkey Buttress side of the wall than the grassy part of the meadow I’d say.. steep bouldery start up and left through a chossy roof section , then veering right in to a long slab 2nd half on a mix of bolts/gear, finished at a tree The start seeped and dripped and was probably often not climbable..
Thank You! -Quinn |
|
Hey Quinn G There are some routes immediately left of the Monkey Buttress that are often wet. Maybe Curious George is the one you're referring to? Emil |
|
I haven't climbed there in a long time but I seem to remember a pretty good (and under appreciated) 10+ over there that fits that description. I think it was called Medusa or something like that? The bolts had gotten pretty rusty and I rebolted it sometime in the late 90s/early 2000s if I remember correctly. |
|
Thanks both of you for the replies.. Emil, yeah i saw curious George in the guide.. seems like the right area.. “often wet” would for sure be an accurate descriptor Nbrown, I remember the name Medusa, so I’m assuming that was established before the route I’m thinking of.. |
|
No one really climbs Curios George these days, it has one or two very rusty bolts down low. I've always wondered if it was a separate route or a harder start to Man with a Yellow Hat. If it dries out this season I may give it a TR go to see if it's worth restoring, your description sounds just like Curious George. I don’t remember the route at all, but I do remember jumping on it back in the early 90's. BTW, I still climb with Dave Ware. |
|
Andrew Jackson wrote: Andrew- thanks for your reply.. if you’re at that wall maybe snap a pic for me?
|
|
The image below is of Naked on a Train, it has seven bolts and a fair amount of gear. The crux is pulling through the orange part of the lower roof. Sorry for the perspective, B Ware hasn't grown to 6' 5"! Monkey Buttress is casting a shadow on the wall that is the approximate line for Man in the Yellow Hat (FA Rick Cobb), Curious George would be the thin seam left of Center in the photo. Quinn, I understand you went to Guilford. When? I graduated in 1990. |
|
That’s awesome!!! Thanks so much!! Great to see Mr Ware!! It was actually my partner Ross that went to guilford |
|
Certainly don't that wall like some other climbers here but the next routes left I remember after "naked on a train" pictured in Andrew's first picture, were in the meadows area. There was 3 routes with fixed hardware that stop about 1/3 up the wall there. All had 3 or 4 bolts and and I think finished just before a small ledge. Everything above this looked more chossy or wet. Further climbers left of the meadows area was the orange dihedral area. |
|
Yeah- not in the actual Meadow.. I think just a bit left, like just out of the shot in the top pic.. Im assuming from the guide that the route has fallen in to obscurity.. maybe the bolts are gone.. I really appreciate all the replies on this.. |
|
There is a bolted(maybe mixed) unknown route left of Medusa that's not in the guide, if I make it up again this season I snap a shot of it. It tends to stay wet after rain. |
|
Thanks again Andrew! Medusa isn’t shown in the PDF guide I’ve been looking at.. I do remember it from back in the day.. certainly in the general vicinity of the route I’m talking about.. Your descriptors “left” and “wet” certainly sound like the route in question! Thanks for the help on this- and for the pic of Dave! Maybe some day I’ll get back to Greensboro and we can hit Sauratown together… or if you ever make it west and want to go to Yosemite- you know who to call.. -Q |
|
Quinn, I really think the route that you did is Naked on a Train. 30 year memory, but I was there climbing Monkey Trial when 2 guys (Ross and you?) were bolting the first roof of Naked on a Train. Intrigued and compelled by the cool looking roof, I came back and climbed it on my next visit or at least very soon after seeing you guys put it up. Good route that deserves more attention; rarely see anyone climb it. Did you guys have a different name? |
|
Sean Barb wrote: Hey Sean- thanks for the reply! I agree that the written description of Naked on a Train is spot on.. I remember us calling our route 11b/c’ish so I suppose that made me think the routes were not the same.. certainly our route finished at a prominent tree on top that was not far from where this wall and monkey buttress meet- so I suppose it’s unlikely that it would be too much further left.. For some reason Ross and I got it in our heads that we should establish the route “ground up” which is not how most (any?) of the routes there were done.. so after top roping it and deciding where bolts should be we started on lead at the bottom and dragged the drill up to place each bolt.. at some point a tall skinny climber that we knew (name is lost) walked around the corner and said “oh man Ross and Quinn and their Self Inflicted Ethics” so we named it Self Inflicted Ethics.. *I’ll never remember the tall skinny guys name- but he had spent a winter in Hueco Tanks and told me stories of his climbs there that sparked an interest that took me to Hueco many times… |
|
^ That's a great story and cool that we can now correctly attribute the FA and name. Tall, skinny guy telling stories about Hueco sounds like almost everybody I hung out with in the 90s :) |