MudNCrud Forums
Climbing and ... Climbing => Masters of Mud -- Pinnacles => Topic started by: JC w KC redux on January 26, 2013, 10:26:00 AM
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Had an adventure yesterday at Squareblock with Jon Cochran. We climbed Squareblock Crack 5.5 and then scrambled up Rabbit Rock 3rd class. We also took quite a bit of time scoping out the other climbs including a couple by Holmgren/Walton. Wild stuff!
The approach was interesting and time consuming. It looked like some sections could be passed more easily by skirting the brush on the left/downhill side of the ridge. I left the trail where Brad recommends (near the Big Step), while Jon continued along the main trail to the point where you can see down the ridge - and proceeded from there. I had scoped out the path Jon took a few weeks ago and it did save him some brush work. We stopped to peruse various pinnacles and formations on the way out.
Check out these clouds!
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3fMW4_c97jFEl7xJUD9ux6_nJTKsMbHZuvkvg4SpCVRFEs9Rjt9l_aD7nDilvzrGloTMtJtwJlWV9dXNJzhBOjBcNtPl_KMhTzsIDulmzxFz873-MSiwN0HKgkS8u7l_1zqlU1xEsOsR4K1z-8iI1O9=w834-h625-no?authuser=0)
Squareblock with Sidehorse
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3dD_Zma-X30EcCObedTsjZbmImDw_OhCe3x2KCgaYxHXNE5MK3ufFx9jf1etGj4QjTN6Ekqcr3s_Q1CwX-EREqhgZBOqL3ORcE8vWOCR9AOaIbCKJ0_widexxkfdfzgkT-4WEGfbND2nbZVebUyKtYf=w834-h625-no?authuser=0)
Squareblock Rock - Squareblock Crack is the leftmost prominent chimney
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3cMX79KM1HA8j__5gSKyaxFSG1A2XpfolgeaTYWWKIT3aY-7HuX4pruWgj57vmCpPLdugRBbHpqCHNk1-T6L3XRZd9GVf18CrUb8Ze4ah4qcFcRK-AftLLkvM9uT_t6JbDhRGmB9ltHavUbVPmrpY2b=w834-h625-no?authuser=0)
Jon described the route we did as old school.
Since the FA is listed as unknown, I'll say the climb was older than either of us!
I got in some pro a bit off the deck and then slung a sizable tree before entering the chimney.
This was my first Pinnacles chimney - full of loose rock and dirt at the start - I moved carefully so Jon wouldn't get "rained" on!
I've actually only led one short shallow chimney-like section and that was in Red Rocks.
In that one I was able to go to the back and arrange pro with long runners.
As I started up I quickly realized that there was going to be no possibilty of protection.
I looked for slingable knobs(a few looked good from below but lousy when I got there), pockets, a meaningful crack at the back (way too far back) - nothing. Up I went.
Once I was way up, the slot narrowed down and I either needed to step out on the face for a few moves or move deeper in. I wasn't sure I could squeeze through deeper in, so I chose the face. I tried not to think about how far that slung tree was below me. After a couple moves I was back in the chimney and finished that to a ledge. I was able to arrange some pro between some keyed-in chockstones - not ideal but considering my predicament - it would have to do.
The next section was a giant keyed-in wedge with a nasty protruding edge on the left and a fist to off-width crack on the right, and me with nothing bigger than a #3 camalot. I've gotten pretty comfortable with crack climbing over the last 6 months and I figured as long as I could jam in various body parts, I'd feel secure until I could find a placement. I called down to Jon that I had never climbed any off width. Looks like it was baptism by fire!
As I neared the top of this section, the crack narrowed enough that it looked like the # 3 would work. I had a solid foot in and a good fist, so I removed the cam from my rack and reached up to place it - DAMMMNIT!
"Jon - I dropped my cam!"
Luckily it didn't keep falling and I never heard it smack anything.
Well, that was it - nowhere to go but up - sans pro.
A few more moves and I was at the next ledge, just below the belay for pitch 1.
Jon followed and said the cam I dropped had somehow gotten hung between the rope and the pro I placed at the upper chockstone. When Jon got up to the belay (pitch 2's one bolt with a tree backup), we took a good look at the bolt. Rubine had it as "1/4 inch (very bad)" in his guide. The old bolt had been replaced, but it goes in at an angle and it's not fully seated. The hanger is tight but Jon said it is still suspect. Jon led up the very short second pitch and I followed. We both agreed that the committing move/start of pitch 2 is not 5.5. Based on the small size of the holds and the slightly overhanging nature, we'd put it at 5.7(at the very least - hard 5.6). Hard to say if the suspect lone bolt would sustain a fall.
Summit of Squareblock looking north
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3dA-0t2xQ1_09HpE9MICTjpqRq7ibHoAX_ADkGqpZUdmHW8TvWZvbDGuFsME7A4wYTxjlR56r2sePAEWZ97dpuiF4XaRaRpPWiqe-a4Yk0YpuRVd5VoBci-0E7f2IYPktJduuHO0ernMtY3D7Cg3F6f=w834-h625-no?authuser=0)
If you diagonal over to the right of the chimney on the rappel, a 60m will just barely reach the ground.
There is no RB info for Squareblock in Brad's book, but someone has obviously been there since the Rubine guide was published. The summit anchor bolts have a stainless ring on one and a rusty smallish(5/16"?) screwlink with two aluminum rings on the other. The views are great and the clouds were amazing. We kept waiting for it to rain but it never did. Temps were perfect whether shaded or sunny.
Dueling JC's on the summit of Squareblock
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3dAQdPb-4YcDP41mWLCHg1byoKq9U88F5iSUnCdcTDsvV6-jti6gVJHDdRuz8pbuzTUaX07cmk1QJoqJxjFxh6lskzAgZn9g3Elwd9FLZEgAMavkpbR2Te0tI3J0bV7ih7oTgVGINqQ5uxHZajTVUCT=w469-h625-no?authuser=0)
Perfect View of Costanoan from Squareblock
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3esLra2TyaQek3qFR1b7OgrXCs3mYy4FhmtfVNjfzO492jXAMkRn-MI9uQyA7bxR9cJQbYl6I5ycTimtLglcdenZ1NSStsO_mJMxYQ4paazvT-WJm3WSQLnIhBARkPBomuUpyXxdsjq1EThzkqRtfsq=w834-h625-no?authuser=0)
Rabbit Rock is a cool scramble. The beginning of the slot leading up to it had a small chockstone with accumulated leaves behind it that disguised a step-through hole - could have resulted in a nasty nutting!
Awesome day, cool adventure...
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That's the JC from Romper Room? Been so long since I've seen him. Tell him I still have his REI fleece hat and that I like it very much and will buy him a new one! LOL
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That's the JC from Romper Room? Been so long since I've seen him. Tell him I still have his REI fleece hat and that I like it very much and will buy him a new one! LOL
That's him brudda - he's wantin' to get back after it and he's got great stories to boot!
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nice, get him on the board!
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As far as rebolting on Squareblock goes, I remember hearing that Mark Fletcher had been over there in the late 90's/early 2000's doing some rebolting work.
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I do believe Holmgren and I put the 5/16 bolt in long ago. He's the only person I knew who used them. It took two visits to complete Sock Hop and another to add a second bolt to the anchor. That chimney is the pits - mud merit badges to you both! Hey, give my greetings to Cochrane. Long time no see.
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I do believe Holmgren and I put the 5/16 bolt in long ago. He's the only person I knew who used them. It took two visits to complete Sock Hop and another to add a second bolt to the anchor. That chimney is the pits - mud merit badges to you both! Hey, give my greetings to Cochrane. Long time no see.
Thanks for the history and the props Bob!