Quest for Mud (Special Edition)

[JC w KC redux]

^^^
Thanks Nick.

You will like Pocket Protector. Jack O is fun too.

Going out to do Squareblock Crack was the first time I climbed with clink.

If you haven't done it yet, I also recommend Mr. Bolt Jangles.

[germanShepherd]

Cormac & I had a great Friday up in the High Peaks, questing around.

First we hoofed it out to Squareblock, which, was actually a pretty chill approach (no routefinding errors). Warmed up on Pocket Protector (5.6**), which was definitely still cleaning up, but fun movement. I got a pretty good #3 towards the top of the route, and thoroughly enjoyed the route length. Photo from the rap, as my mind was too focused on not raining down lichen and cobbles on Cormac. Next time, I'd love to check out some of the other routes on Squareblock.



Then we headed over to Half-Pumpkin Dome to run up Jack O' (5.8*). We both thought this was a great addition for any Squareblock outing, despite it's shortness, packed in some super fun movement, and was a cool little dome. The sun started to crest over HPD just as we finished up, and headed back to the Freedom/Spike's area.



I'd been wanting to get on the Freedom Dome regular route  (5.9**) for quite a while, though the route intimidated me. When we got to the base of the dome (after the short gully), I stared up at the closely spaced first 3 bolts (lulling me into a sense of security), and knew it needed to happen today. The traverse over to bolt 4 is pretty solid, but also engaging, LOL, as is the roof clip (true crux of the route).

The regular route was the true gem of the day, and we ended up running a bunch of laps on it, and Preferred Freedom (5.9R) next door, which was super comical and quite different in character from the RR. Can you spot the German Shepherd blending in?





That little picture-frame slot between Freedom and the Eggshell is super beautiful



We ended the day on Spike's Peak, running some laps on Abuela (5., and pondering the Dragonfly Dome runouts / fantasizing about leading Little Javelina. All in all, a great High Peaks day, ~10 miles hiked, ~10ish pitches - little to no humans, many Condors accompanying us, and the Quest continues.

[Brad Young]

Nice report. The skies are so blue in your photos that it is almost scary (will it ever rain again?).

As usual, I had to work last Friday.

I have a question about Half Pumpkin Dome: while you were there did you run up the easy route, Peter Peter? My favorite climbing numbers are the sheer number of routes I do and I always try to pick off "extra" routes if and when I can.

[Brad Young]

I gotta add too that it is great seeing people visiting the less traveled stuff. No doubt you would have had solitude there if it had been a Saturday and not a Friday.

[germanShepherd]

I have a question about Half Pumpkin Dome: while you were there did you run up the easy route, Peter Peter? My favorite climbing numbers are the sheer number of routes I do and I always try to pick off "extra" routes if and when I can.

Thanks Brad! We didn't run up Peter Peter, though I did look at it. We just did a couple laps on Jack O' and moved on, with our other High Peaks goals in mind. I always try to do what you said as well, though my motivation for some of our other goals that day was higher.

Soon I want to head over to Get Smart and the Flying None to check those out!

[Brad Young]

On the subject of such total numbers, I am in real, severe danger this year.

Although I will soon exceed 1,200 routes done at Pinnacles in good style, this summer (if I am still around and climbing), I will reach a point where I have done more routes on Sonora Pass than at Pinnacles. Sad. But there are just so many more routes up here that I haven't done and, honestly, so many more FAs to do.

[JC w KC redux]

Thanks for the report Nick.

I hate to say this but I can only see parts of your pictures. I see you are using Google and I know there is a way to make the files smaller so the whole picture displays. I think it is a choice when you upload. I chose that option when I started uploading to Google (just trying to help).

I knew you would like Pocket Protector. The old routes out there are pretty scrappy and the Holmgren route on the front looks downright dangerous. clink and I had fun on Squareblock Crack but there is not much pro.

I liked Freedom Dome until I got to that upper crux. The route was originally aided, so that bolt is too low and you are going to get tweaked or hurt if you blow the moves.(which are pretty thin as I recall). Those bolts at the start are an old aid ladder.

After we did Peter Peter I told Brad I would have called it Got Wood? - although there is less wood on the route now.

Dragonfly is a cool climb but I do not think the tricams I had in holes would have held a fall and I have also heard that there is an easy and a hard way to get to bolt 2. The route scared me pretty good and from the noises I was making while I led it, we have referred to it as Drama Queen Dome ever since.

Spikes Peak has some great shade for warmer days.

Check out Cinder if you want a short thrill. You start moving past the bolt and it is Oh Shit!
 

[NOAL]

Looks like you guys had a fun day.

You can get a lot of routes in one day climbing in the High Peaks just walking down the trail picking them off as you go.. Especially if you climb during the week because you can do the ones over the trail.  Until last spring I had never climbed St. Valentines or Abner Bear. I enjoyed both of them. I also enjoyed the routes in the chimney at Spikes. The chimney is surprisingly not too cold.

Give Dragonfly Dome a try.  It might be a little runout but the rock quality is super good. 

Some other fun things to do:  tack a trip to Goat Rock onto your High Peaks circuit. Do Scout Peak area, Fels Rock, cut through the notch in Pinch and Lynch do some of those, then try to do OCD at the Voyeur Wall.

I have been questing myself every weekend for the last month but I have been solo and shoe shots are not that interesting.  Thanks for posting some photos!

[germanShepherd]

Looks like you guys had a fun day.

You can get a lot of routes in one day climbing in the High Peaks just walking down the trail picking them off as you go.. Especially if you climb during the week because you can do the ones over the trail.  Until last spring I had never climbed St. Valentines or Abner Bear. I enjoyed both of them. I also enjoyed the routes in the chimney at Spikes. The chimney is surprisingly not too cold.

Give Dragonfly Dome a try.  It might be a little runout but the rock quality is super good. 

Some other fun things to do:  tack a trip to Goat Rock onto your High Peaks circuit. Do Scout Peak area, Fels Rock, cut through the notch in Pinch and Lynch do some of those, then try to do OCD at the Voyeur Wall.

Great to hear your thoughts, Noal & JC.

I agree, on the boundless questing possibilities out there, and really appreciate the new suggestions!

I think I will give Dragonfly a shot next time, and tack on some of those suggestions for next time (e.g., Goat Rock, Scout Peak, etc...). I've only done a bit of questing over there, and those new routes that Gavin put up near Goat Rock look nice and long. Abner and St Valentine's have been on my to do for some time now as well. Those will have to get worked in next trip. I've also wanted to do Condor Condiment forever, but haven't found a partner yet for that one.

Hope everyone's having a nice Valentine's Day. Different kind of a quest there :-)

[JC w KC redux]

^^^
Condor Condiment stays in the shade and is a great route.
All the bolts are old but only a few are flexing in the holes.
Some of the hangers are stainless SMC's but most are Leepers.

You may as well do Sidehorse when you do Dragonfly.
The start pitch of Condor Crag is in your face.
I led it clean once (the first time) - so when I went back to do all the other routes - I aided it for the practice. It takes a bunch of pieces and it was really fun for me because I had never aided on gear. The second time I tried climbing it free I fell twice - just about landing on Kats head - at which point she said - that is enough. We went and climbed something else that day. Those old Condor routes are fun and The Fingers are also not to be missed - they are old school cool.

[JC w KC redux]

I just combed through my photos over the years and most Valentines Days we were not at Pinns or not climbing anything new
In 2014 I was out rebolting with Bruce.
In 2015 I was at the Lower Flumes with Gavin and Brad confirming all the routes.

Ironically, the only year I was climbing something new on Valentines was 2020.
waldo and BAP were out with us too. I posted some pics on this thread a day later but here are a few more


3 bolts in, leading Mr. Boltjangles





waldo with Condor Crag


 

[NOAL]

Nice photo of Waldo.

I've also wanted to do Condor Condiment forever, but haven't found a partner yet for that one 

It's been awhile since I have climbed it.  If you can not find a partner I might be up for climbing it again.  Unfortunately I am not available to climb during the week.

Here's a little doable circuit for 5.9 climbers:

Dragonfly Dome
Abuella Conchinita
Little Javelina (or one of the easier routes in the chimney to the left)
Burgundy Dome
Piglet
Sponge
Jeepers TR
Shades of Jade
Up the Buttress (top half after the chimney) rappel into corridor
Cut through notch in Pinch and Lynch
OCD Overdrive
If there's still daylight TR Cutting the Rug

I went out yesterday and finished up a new route.  It is 5.8ish or 5.9 two pitches. Second pitch is 90 degree stemming corner. I have some teaser shots of my feet but I don't think I can post with my phone.

[waldo]

Condiment's 2nd belay has only two stars for bolts and the stance is small. Have I mentioned that there is a great slot for an alien (green or yellow) that backs up the old bolts? It's to climber's right and a little higher than the level of the bolts. Have fun and don't lean back.

[germanShepherd]

I just combed through my photos over the years and most Valentines Days we were not at Pinns or not climbing anything new
In 2014 I was out rebolting with Bruce.
In 2015 I was at the Lower Flumes with Gavin and Brad confirming all the routes.

Ironically, the only year I was climbing something new on Valentines was 2020.
waldo and BAP were out with us too. I posted some pics on this thread a day later but here are a few more

Nice pics JC, and recs for the High Peaks Circuit! I still need to go do Mr. Boltjangles, that is up on the docket for next time...

It's been awhile since I have climbed it.  If you can not find a partner I might be up for climbing it again.  Unfortunately I am not available to climb during the week.

Here's a little doable circuit for 5.9 climbers:

Dragonfly Dome
Abuella Conchinita
Little Javelina (or one of the easier routes in the chimney to the left)
Burgundy Dome
Piglet
Sponge
Jeepers TR
Shades of Jade
Up the Buttress (top half after the chimney) rappel into corridor
Cut through notch in Pinch and Lynch
OCD Overdrive
If there's still daylight TR Cutting the Rug

I went out yesterday and finished up a new route.  It is 5.8ish or 5.9 two pitches. Second pitch is 90 degree stemming corner. I have some teaser shots of my feet but I don't think I can post with my phone.

Appreciate your recs as well Noal. I've done about 3/4 of that circuit (not on the same trip), and that is definitely a nice 5.9 collection. Still need to check out Shades of Jade / OCD Overdrive.

If you're up for doing Condor Condiment sometime soon, i'd certainly enjoy that. Will DM you privately to chat about it/exchange info.

[JC w KC redux]

Condiment's 2nd belay has only two stars for bolts and the stance is small. Have I mentioned that there is a great slot for an alien (green or yellow) that backs up the old bolts? It's to climber's right and a little higher than the level of the bolts. Have fun and don't lean back.

waldo - Are you sure that is not pitch 3?
I do not have anything in my notes about problems with the p2 anchor (I led p2 and 4).
I do recall and have pictures of Jim backing up the anchor on p3. He did not have the right gear so he knotted a cord and slotted the knot above and to the right. It was quite ingenious and I will never forget that day climbing with Jim and Bill.

On a positive note I wrote that all the stars looked good and the hangers were stainless SMCs. All my pictures seem to bear that out.
There is one buttonhead at p1 anchor that needs replaced. It would be good just to get another modern bolt in there.

The only other buttonhead I saw was one on pitch 1 and there was another bolt really close. I could have sworn there were some Leepers on p1 but my notes and pictures do not show any. I did write that a few of the hangers are a bit loose.

Unfortunately, I did not take a picture of p1 anchor - I was swinging through to lead p2 with the two of them hanging at the p1 belay.

.

[NOAL]

  Appreciate your recs as well Noal. I've done about 3/4 of that circuit (not on the same trip), and that is definitely a nice 5.9 collection. Still need to check out Shades of Jade / OCD Overdrive.

A good variation would be to cut out Burgundy,  Piglet, and Sponge and substitute Condor Condiment or add other routes like Fifi Wears Lycra, Pet Rock Syndrome etc.  For circuits I prefer to pick mostly 2 and 3 star routes and dont do anything less than 50ft tall.   

[JC w KC redux]

^^^
Burgundy is necky and Sponge is really fun (thoughtful start, great rock, cool holds up higher).

Have you climbed Fifi? It is good until it is not. Weird finish too. I can elaborate but not unsolicited. Not star worthy imo.

[NOAL]

No, I have not climbed it yet.  Just threw it in there as a possibility. Pet Rock Syndrome can be included in that list too but harder than 5.9.

I remember when we climbed Condor Condiment we also did that crack route The Hand Me Down.  It was pretty good.  Long hand crack which is unique for Pinns.  The second pitch is kind of a snooze fest.

[clink]

Snooze Fest is my new favorite sport.

I took a decent lead fall on Condor Condiment. Foot hold broke.

[waldo]

waldo - Are you sure that is not pitch 3?
I do not have anything in my notes about problems with the p2 anchor (I led p2 and 4).
I do recall and have pictures of Jim backing up the anchor on p3. He did not have the right gear so he knotted a cord and slotted the knot above and to the right. It was quite ingenious and I will never forget that day climbing with Jim and Bill.

On a positive note I wrote that all the stars looked good and the hangers were stainless SMCs. All my pictures seem to bear that out.
There is one buttonhead at p1 anchor that needs replaced. It would be good just to get another modern bolt in there.

The only other buttonhead I saw was one on pitch 1 and there was another bolt really close. I could have sworn there were some Leepers on p1 but my notes and pictures do not show any. I did write that a few of the hangers are a bit loose.

Unfortunately, I did not take a picture of p1 anchor - I was swinging through to lead p2 with the two of them hanging at the p1 belay.

.

JC, that jammed knot technique is straight from Dave Gregory's Brit playbook. I think I've even used it in the Sierras some place. It's great that Jim used it up there on the 3rd belay. I only recall one bolt at that belay and some "bomber" (according to Holmgren) aliens. The bolts at belay two were good but the big drop there always made me want more. The backup alien alleviated my desire to get out of there. I'll mention, too, that Jack and I rapped off those two stars a couple of times.  Once was after I put a bolt in above the pitch 2 belay and the other was because we got that far and were freezing. It's a long free rappel for sure. We knew those 3/16ths buttonheads were pretty worthless and this was the last climb on which we used them.