Author Topic: Fun on The Hand (Read 11958 times)

Atomizer · « **on:** April 03, 2012, 07:58:18 AM »

John and I made it down last Friday. We had a great time out at The Hand where we started the day out with another run up the spectacular "Loveline", which was better and scarier then a remembered. But the real highlight for me was doing the "Back of the Hand" route. I had always been intrigued by the line ever since Stevi Dx showed me it. John has proven that he loves a good adventure and we were so stoked after Loveline that we went for it.

Looking up at the West Face. The route traverse right off the big ledge acrross the face and around the corner.

On the cool traverse ledge

On route

The amazing belay stone

Touching the top

Superstar rappeller

I thought it was a really cool route. A little disconcerting for the follower, since all they get once the leader starts is the sound of falling rocks... and then a step off the ledge into the unknown.

Get a Grip was also amazing. John and I can't wait to get back out there and are also looking forward to the gathering in a few weeks.

squiddo · « **Reply #1 on:** April 03, 2012, 08:21:17 AM »

Nice Adam....got to get on that Loveline.....heard so many good things about it. How are the bolts on the hand these days?

You still keep in touch with SD? Good guy.

mungeclimber · « **Reply #2 on:** April 03, 2012, 10:03:52 AM »

Atomizer,
glad you posted up. I had totally forgotten that The Hand was OPEN this season! Old brain waves haven't caught up to the new school Wildlife Biologist Awesome Factor.

Hrm, may need to head down and do that bolt ladder to nowhere.

Quote

Reservoir
Sensitive: None
Okay: Frog, Hand, Five Sisters, Upper Crust, Tiburcio’s X, all climbs below reservoir

mynameismud · « **Reply #3 on:** April 03, 2012, 04:50:06 PM »

Looks like it was a beautiful day

MUCCI · « **Reply #4 on:** April 04, 2012, 10:03:02 PM »

Man what a cool looking route!

Wilts, and Burnette were good, but the BACKSIDE has a rep. Lived up to it I see.

Thanks for the TR Adam!

Rap pic is sweet.

mungeclimber · « **Reply #5 on:** April 05, 2012, 12:31:13 PM »

Atom, did you guys burn a lap on the McC route in the corridor?

mynameismud · « **Reply #6 on:** April 05, 2012, 08:04:58 PM »

I think all the Hand routes are good. I do like the Back of Hand route. I have done it at least a dozen times.

F4? · « **Reply #7 on:** April 06, 2012, 11:13:57 AM »

Burnet bolt variation....must do w/ slings.

Brad Young · « **Reply #8 on:** April 07, 2012, 08:10:08 AM »

Adam, you're introducing him to Pinns the right way! Adventure first, including some of it that is off the beaten path. Nice.

If I recall Munge, didn't you and I do this when the old/ancient bolts were in place? God those were bad bolts. I recall both of us being scared sh#tless that the bolts (all of them, including the anchor) would pull if either of us fell anywhere.

Thanks again to whoever did the bolt replacement on that one (Bruce?). Now it's only scary, not death defying/stupid.

JC w KC redux · « **Reply #9 on:** April 08, 2012, 09:23:21 AM »

I felt like I got the "back of the hand" yesterday - but any day climbing is better than the alternative. I had my eye on going out to the Hand yesterday after perusing this thread but KC wasn't quite up to it after having laproscopic surgery on the 26th. We had a disappointing start to the day(valuable learning experience) then consoled ourselves with the backside 4th class** up Tiburcio's and a run up the 5.6* Center var on 1st Sister. Monolith looked like a climbing gym on the hike out...

mungeclimber · « **Reply #10 on:** April 08, 2012, 12:18:00 PM »

Quote from: JC w KC redux on April 08, 2012, 09:23:21 AM

I felt like I got the "back of the hand" yesterday - but any day climbing is better than the alternative. I had my eye on going out to the Hand yesterday after perusing this thread but KC wasn't quite up to it after having laproscopic surgery on the 26th. We had a disappointing start to the day(valuable learning experience) then consoled ourselves with the backside 4th class** up Tiburcio's and a run up the 5.6* Center var on 1st Sister. Monolith looked like a climbing gym on the hike out...

we contributed to that gym look and feel
I apologize
I yarded on draws
I hung
I complained about how pumped I was.

mountains call

mungeclimber · « **Reply #11 on:** April 08, 2012, 12:18:56 PM »

Quote from: Brad Young on April 07, 2012, 08:10:08 AM

Adam, you're introducing him to Pinns the right way! Adventure first, including some of it that is off the beaten path. Nice.

If I recall Munge, didn't you and I do this when the old/ancient bolts were in place? God those were bad bolts. I recall both of us being scared sh#tless that the bolts (all of them, including the anchor) would pull if either of us fell anywhere.

Thanks again to whoever did the bolt replacement on that one (Bruce?). Now it's only scary, not death defying/stupid.

yep

climbing wasn't bad, just a touch heady

then we TR'd the 10c in the corridor and I think solo'd the easy route on the thumb.

JC w KC redux · « **Reply #12 on:** April 08, 2012, 12:38:53 PM »

Quote from: mungeclimber on April 08, 2012, 12:18:00 PM

we contributed to that gym look and feel
I apologize
I yarded on draws
I hung
I complained about how pumped I was.

mountains call

funny! cruxluv said you guys met.

Bruce Hildenbrand · « **Reply #13 on:** April 09, 2012, 11:48:52 AM »

As per Brad's comment on who did the bolt replacement on the Hand.... in fall 1997 I organized a mini-expedition to go and rebolt the Hand. Brooks White, Kelly Rich, Dave Rubine and I spent a day on the front side replacing as many bolts as we could find.

I labelled every bolt and made a photocopy of the topo and sent everything to the Access Fund so they could put a plaque together with the bolts for one of their fundraising auctions. Longtime Pinnacles climber, Sam Davidson, was working at the Access Fund and mentioned that they had done that with some other historical bolts from routes like The Nose of El Capitan and they usually got some nice coin as a result.

Also, I remember a friend telling me that he once discovered two, old fixed pins driven into cracks at the base of the knob you stand at the first belay of the Salathe Route. I mentioned that to Kelly and he removed them as well. I sent the pitons to the Access Fund along with the bolts. There was some question that these pitons might have been Salathe's originals. It took me several years, but I finally tracked the pins down to Neptune Mountaineering in Boulder and was able to verify that they were indeed old, but probably not Salathe's.

mynameismud · « **Reply #14 on:** April 09, 2012, 01:24:43 PM »

If I remember correctly myself and someone else re-bolted Back of Hand. It may have been Clint but I think it was Andy Gardner or some other unsuspecting victim. I may not have done all the bolts but I did most. I remember cuz we did not have a crow bar so we used a hook and a nut tool and plenty of cursing to remove the old bolts.

The 10c is Carpel Tunnel.

Atomizer · « **Reply #15 on:** April 09, 2012, 08:59:31 PM »

We didn't do the 10c in the corridor, but I believe I may have done it before. This was John's first day of multipitch climbing. I can say that I would have shit my pants if that was my first multipitch. Loveline really blew out our minds. The Hand is a super special place.

Looking forward to seeing you all at the mudfeast.

Gavin · « **Reply #16 on:** April 13, 2012, 08:27:44 AM »

Good to see the Hand getting attention... I remember doing Loveline with Joe Denicola a few years ago, followed by Carpal Tunnel. Walking towards the Hand in winter, he kept insisting Loveline would be in the sun early in the day. It wasn't; we both found our hands were numb halfway through the first pitch, then wind was howling around us through the second pitch. Still, we loved it... It was definitely memorable!

Atomizer · « **Reply #17 on:** April 13, 2012, 02:38:14 PM »

Gavin, thanks for keeping it open this year. It's nice to see the NPS being on top of where the raptors are from year to year, instead of sitting on dated scientific data policies. The folks in Yosemite have also been doing a good job with the birds and continuing on in Jeff Mauer's legacy. We did see a Peregrine fly by and give us a squack but it didn't seem like there was any other raptor action in the area. Just a fly by. It's always so special to see those birds in action.

Gavin · « **Reply #18 on:** April 13, 2012, 03:07:49 PM »

Thanks, Adam. I would guess you saw a prairie falcon fly by... Our only peregrine pair in the park is up in the Tuff Dome area. There is a red-tailed hawk pair being territorial near Frog and Hand too, but so far they haven't decided on a nest site... We'll see what they do.

As for Yosemite - funny you should mention that, as I was just there these past few days assisting folks in locating peregrine falcon nests. A couple of falcon pairs have chosen some 'interesting' locations for nesting this year. I think the raptor biologists there for the past few years have tried hard to limit closures as much as they can while still protecting the nesting birds.

Atomizer · « **Reply #19 on:** April 14, 2012, 06:42:55 AM »

Must have been a Prairie Falcon then as it definitely wasn't a buteo.
I just saw the new Yosemite list of closures 20 mins ago and was quite surprised by some of the new locations.
As for the Yosemite list, it has helped to have biologists that climb and have an interest in both sides of the equation. Well at least that was how it was when I worked there.

News:

Author Topic: Fun on The Hand (Read 11958 times)