Quest for Mud (Special Edition)

[clink]

 

 

[JC w KC redux]

I made my own bi-pattern rope. I put half in a box and the other half I left out in the sun for a  couple of months.  If anybody wants one just give me your rope. I might be able to speed up the process to 6 weeks by putting it in the window of my car.  No charge.

Hard pass. I have the new fluid rope 

[JC w KC redux]

Got up to The Bachelor today after Climber Coffee and took an alternate way to the summit that Brad told me about - thanks Brad! We would have done Young and Single too but the weather turned kooky - cold, windy and hailing. We'll have to go back. Hiked out with climberdude and got to stop and chat with T O Double D by the res.

Here's the new route and some pics

Things Not Rings 5.3
Move 35 feet west from the start of Young and Single and scramble 35 feet up a very low angle slab with patches of moss and dirt. At the top of the slab curve around left (south then southeast) for 25 feet and move up into a slot/chute. Follow along and then slightly down the chute until it is easy to climb to a shoulder and the first bolt. The bolt protects moves out, up, and left to a sub summit (exposed). From the top of the sub summit, lean over and clip the second bolt. From the second bolt, move left and slightly down to a knob (exposed). Step out left onto a cracked lodestone and big solid handholds which allow easy climbing to the anchor on Young and Single. Continue to the true summit if desired as for Young and Single. 
FA Party: John and Kathy Cook   FA date: 3-25-18

Drilling the first bolt





Dark cloud that moved over while I was drilling





Hail on Kat's pants at the belay - note to self - stand up when hail starts to keep from getting too wet





Hail in the chute below the first bolt stance - my heel is visible in the upper right corner





Getting a second bolt in to gain the summit




Thanks again to Brad for the suggestion and also for that nicely equalized anchor 

[Brad Young]

Very nice! You found the LOLR for sure.

Those clouds sprinkled hard on us for ten minutes about 40 miles east of you (heading south on highway 41).

[Brad Young]

Can you say “hail on Kat’s pants” three times fast?

[climberdude]

It was great to see JC and KC on Sunday at The Bachelor.  I finished climbing all of the routes in The New World in the morning and was planning to go to the climbs at Rubble Wall when it started hailing very hard, so I hiked to the top of North Chalone Peak, which I had never done before.  On the hike down, I heard some familiar voices from below me at the Bachelor.  I hiked up to meet JC and KC as well as look at the new Young route.  In the New World area, I particularly liked "Quadruple Decker", "Uncorked", "Goliath", and "Top Knot".

[clink]

Rope soloing Uncorked is. 

[T O Double D]

It was rad meeting you guys JC and Kc, Climber Dude. I gotta start exploring more of Pinnacles and check out some of the routes past the res. I’ve been stuck climbing the usual crags/routes too many times. We had a really good time top roping some harder routes for us at Upper Crust though. The cold sure made things challenging. My fingers went numb several times and it was hard to tell how good a hold was.

[JC w KC redux]

We climbed Young and Single today.
I used that big plate at the end of the long shoulder to rig a directional for Kat's follow.

Afterwards, I bolted the water chute (not the groove) under the rappel. Really good rock and steep, fun climbing.
I'll write a description tamale.
Love 'Em and Leave 'Em 5.7*

Kat on the follow









Me drilling the third bolt


 

[Brad Young]

Looks like a good route (it looked like it when we rapped over it too).

Because of the late hour, and the surprise at the path the route was taking, I used that big (really big) plate too, to belay Hitch and Phoebe up so that they could help drill the second bolt.

[Brad Young]

And again, nice name (although I certainly, certainly hope that you're not intending that as advice now are you?).   

I'm hoping it's dry enough after Saturday that I can get on these and the lines I haven't done at Rubble !!!!

(Rain rain go away....)

[JC w KC redux]

Looks like a good route (it looked like it when we rapped over it too).

Because of the late hour, and the surprise at the path the route was taking, I used that big (really big) plate too, to belay Hitch and Phoebe up so that they could help drill the second bolt.

Edit:
I figured you had to have looked at it. I couldn't resist starting up it and then I couldn't stop.
Kind of reminds me of the climbing on Here's Mud In Your Eye - but with a wandering/puzzling nature.

After getting up to the shoulder, I wondered how Hitch and Phoebe followed without being scared silly at the swing potential after unclipping the first bolt.
I'm sure you told me that but I forgot. It was a good exercise in how not to screw your follower  

[JC w KC redux]

And again, nice name (although I certainly, certainly hope that you're not intending that as advice now are you?).   

I'm hoping it's dry enough after Saturday that I can get on these and the lines I haven't done at Rubble !!!!

(Rain rain go away....)

Kat came up with the name after thinking about what bachelors do.

Agreed - no more rain!

[Brad Young]

...I couldn't resist starting up it and then I couldn't stop.

And this is a new experience for you how?  

[JC w KC redux]

Here's the route description. The climb is borderline 2 stars.

Love ‘Em and Leave ‘Em 5.7* - start this route by making a few moves up the groove described in Young and Single. After a couple moves, reach right to a baseball-sized knob and move right and up to the first bolt. Two more bolts protect steep climbing up the wall/shallow chute. Exit the chute and continue up and right to reach the last bolt on Things Not Rings, finishing on that route.
FA Party: John and Kathy Cook    FA Date: 4-1-18

[JC w KC redux]

No wonder I am sore today 

[JC w KC redux]

I met some interesting characters the last couple days.
Wednesday I met Sergio. He was telling me about days climbing with Barbella, Jim (he, like others. calls him James) and some other mud masters. He said that over time his partners quit climbing or moved away and he gradually stopped. He said one of his last partners (Slate Williams) now lives in/near the Sierra. I immediately recognized the name - no doubt from perusing the SPH guidebook and the conversation went on from there. He wished me luck on the day when we got to the Rim Trail. I was fired up to replace some bolts but realized I could not do the job without someone to hold me in to the wall on the overhanging sections. I returned to the car, dumped all the rebolting gear and headed out to quest for mud. I only managed to get one bolt placed but it was a good feeling.

Yesterday I met an older guy on the trail. We got to talking and he asked where I was going. When I said where I was headed, he asked if I was headed to the Yaks. I could tell right away he was well acquainted with Pinns. I slowed down to share the walk with him and we talked all the way to the Res. He told me some cool stories and shared some other interesting stuff. One thing that really blew me away was him talking about climbing The Hand before Salathe had bolts or had cleaned up.
His name is Reb Monaco (pronounced Muh-knock-oh). Talking with him was the highlight of my day.

I met another guy on the way out - Glenn from Sports Basement. He was hiking up from the climber's access trail to The Hand/Frog. I asked if he had been climbing and he said yes. I asked where and he said Crud and Mud. I asked what routes he had climbed and he said all of 'em. Well, he hadn't quite climbed them all but it sounded like he got a nice sampling. He had the guidebook but was not familiar with this site. I clued him in and told him about the upcoming MoM. I was kicking myself for forgetting to mention that to Reb. I think both of them would enjoy meeting and jaw jabbering with the crew.

[mynameismud]

sounds cool.

[NOAL]

Those do all sound like interesting people.

One thing that really blew me away was him talking about climbing The Hand before Salathe had bolts or had cleaned up.

How old was this guy?  You might have had a super natural experience.

Sounds like a good birthday.

Edit: around what year was the  salathe route retro-bolted?

[JC w KC redux]

How old was this guy?  You might have had a super natural experience.

Sounds like a good birthday.

Edit: around what year was the  salathe route retro-bolted?

That thought crossed my mind. 
73. That would make him 2 when the Salathe went up.
He says he tries to make it a point to get out and hike at Pinns once a month.