Machete Ridge and April Fools

[CruxLuv]

Waldo treated us to a fantastic adventure yesterday (thankyouthankyouthankyou!) 

I love this picture of him skipping along the top!

[CruxLuv]

[CruxLuv]

The Fools

[mungeclimber]

nice!

[mynameismud]

Good times

[waldo]

Somebody told me there was beer at the Hideout belay.

[CruxLuv]

Yeah but it probably would have been BLL anyhow   

[mungeclimber]

you don't say?!

[rhyang]

[JC w KC redux]

he's too kind - I woulda charged you $100 each...plus a surcharge for any additional foolishness...

[Atomizer]

You cant' beat a day out on the Machette with good friends.

[MUCCI]

Looks like big fun.

That route is still on the ticklist,

[squiddo]

such a great route...never gets old. The decent down the backside to the caves is, interesting. Even with the wonderful guide (wink wink) I still found the move around the boulder on the mud at the top of the final drop daunting. Rapping was nicer.

[Brad Young]

Old Original is one of my five favorite Pinns routes. Pure fun.

[JC w KC redux]

Brad,

here is that description i was telling you and Gavin about.

http://www.summitpost.org/machete-ridge-traverse-old-original/167844

scroll down to the descent for

treacherous, exposed slabs and slippery grass ledges to weave its way down through poison oak thickets

maybe they went the wrong way or maybe you guys aren't affected by the oak - the oakridge boys are out in force at Pinns - it's easier to see now that things are leafing back out - although i'm pretty good at i.d.'ing it bare.

KC and I still want to do this adventure and after this weekend we may head back to the west side or back into the High Peaks to avoid the masses. For me it's all about the adventure. I get enough crowding and socializing at the gym - which to me is mostly just a workout anyway. The plethora of top ropes at the Monolith and chalk smeared on every hold just about turned my stomach yesterday.

[Brad Young]

Yeah I read the link. Not only does there description not include the whole Old Origianal climbing route, it makes them sound a little pathetic as far as route finding/descent ability. For their sakes I hope they allot plenty of time for descents if they climb in the High Sierra and/or off the beaten path in Josh.

[mungeclimber]

that descent does get wet in the winter

mossy in one spot

PO thickets means probably cut down too soon to the caves

[waldo]

When I take the Machete descent, I turn left from the climber's trail when it goes right and take a stream drainage straight to the caves.  Some boulder hopping leads to a giant chockstone above the caves which appears to be a dead end.  Oozing down the north face of this big rock, however, reveals a non-suicidal landing place about three feet wide on another rock.  Careful down-climbing and a modest jump puts you on this rock.  About twenty yards of scrambling leads to the railings at the top of the caves.  Does anybody else use this shortcut?