Today
is really cold so we decide to go climb on the sunny South Face. Left Ski
Track is very different from other climbs at Tahquitz. It is steep and juggy,
as it follows a sea of huge huecos between two wide, parallel cracks.
Even in
the sun, it is still cold when we reach the base of the route around 11AM.
We decide to take our time and give the rock a chance to warm up before heading
up.
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Left
Ski Track follows the obvious parallel cracks to the nose-like
feature.
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Starting
the first pitch (5.6).
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Climbing
the slabby ramp to gain the right hand crack.
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Once
in the crack, pro abounds.
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Higher
on pitch 1, just below the belay pod.
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The route
starts on a slabby ramp just below the right hand crack. Some pro is available
but not tons of it. I get pretty tense on the short runout section before
joining the right hand crack. I climb the right hand crack some distance,
then move to the left one. In most places, it is easier to climb the steep
and juggy huecos up the face between the two cracks. The pro though, is only
in the cracks, so I tend to stay really close to the left one except for a
couple of moves here and there.
Instead
of traversing left to the bolted anchor, I belay in a pod in the crack at
the same level. Good pro placements are available... I'm not sure why you
would go to the trouble of traversing to the anchor, unless you're rapping
down or setting up a toprope. Reaching the anchor does not look trivial; it
is probably best to climb the crack past the anchor, then downclimb diagonally
left on small edges.
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Eric
following pitch 1 (on the slabby ramp before gaining the crack).
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Climbing
the steep jugs below the belay.
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The
second pitch follows a good right-leaning crack...
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...before
steping across just above a feature which looks like a small nose.
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Peeking
around the corner before committing to the step-across.
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Pitch
2 is the famous step across pitch, also rated 5.6 and much easier than it
looks. From the belay, I follow the crack up to the small nose with two fixed
pins. The upper pin protects the step across nicely (there is a good ledge
for the feet, a finger lock for your left hand and a pinch for your right).
I place a piece in the crack just past the step across and continue right
to a very good ledge with another crack system. I set up an anchor and belay
Eric from there.
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Traversing
to the good ledge to set up a belay.
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Eric
following pitch 2.
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On
the step-across move.
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Starting
pitch 3.
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Racking
up at the top of the route.
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The last
pitch climbs the crack just above the ledge (i.e, the second crack climber's
right of the step-across). The crack is pretty wide. It can be protected with
a #3 and a #4 Camalot (I would recommend taking a number #4 for this reason).
After the crack ends, a couple of slab moves (protected with one bolt) lead
to a good ledge. I get a bit tense before committing to the slab moves; it's
such a mental change from the crack climbing and the steep face below. Once
you reach the ledge, the climb turns into a 4th class scramble, following
the ledge leftward to the low angle slab that leads to the top of the South
Face.
We follow
the usual friction descent and get back to the packs where we have a quick
lunch. After that, we still have time to do the first pitch of Fingertrip
before calling it a day. We'll come back a few days later to climb the entire
route.
