Flower
of High Rank (5.9, 2p) & Etude (5.11a, 1p):
Today
we climb at Suicide Rock for the first time. We try to stay in the shade,
starting on the Northeast Buttress. We warm up on "Flower of High Rank" (5.9,
2p). Amazing splitter crack climb on a steep wall. Very varied and subtle.
Really good.
Then we
climb the very short "Peer Pressure", a 3-bolt, 5.10a slab to a rap anchor.
After a short rest, we climb the stunning "Etude" (5.11a). Very thin climbing
on double seams, protected by pins and some tiny pro (including a crucial
Lowe Ball in a KB scar right at the crux). I almost onsight it clean, but
end up putting one foot on a pin while putting pro in at the crux. Lucie avoids
this but slips inadvertently in the same section. Note that the traverse move
from one crack to the other is very easy (and well protected) if done low
enough. The crack above this is the crux (3 pins and tiny gear). I climb it
straight using flared foot jams and very thin finger holds… tough. Lucie has
the better idea (I think) of stemming between the main crack and another one
to the right. A great route!
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First
pitch of "Flower of High Rank" (5.9).
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Following
the second pitch.
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Etude
(5.11a) follows another striking twin crack.
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Eric
starting "Etude".
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Just
below the crux.
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Revelation
(5.10a, 3p):
To round
up our day, we walk around to the Weeping Wall and climb "Revelation" (3p,
5.10a). Pure slab climbing, very insecure and significantly runout. Probably
deserves to be rated PG. Not dangerous, just ballsy. The hardest pitch is
the third in our opinion. Our feet are screaming by the end of this route.
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Starting
the easy first pitch (5.8) of Revelation.
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Following
the first pitch.
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Pitch
2 climbs to the flake then traverses left.
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Eric
higher on pitch 2.
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Lucie
on pitch 2.
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To get
down, we traverse to the left edge of the wall and use the bolted rap route
there (there is no fixed anchor at the top of this route). Not the most convenient
descent… chimneys and flakes. By the time we're down, it's late and we're
wasted.
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Smiile!
Click here for Lucie's impressions.
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Looking
across the valley at Tahquitz Rock.
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The
third pitch (10a) is another quintessential slab.
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Scrambling
down to the first rap anchor of the Bye Gully descent.
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Rapping
the Bye Gully.
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Johnny
Quest (5.10b, 2p) & Sundance (5.10b PG, 5.6R, 3p):
Two days
later, we hike to the base of Suicide Rock again. It's very hot in the sun.
Our main objective is on the Sunshine Face, which won't be in the shade until
mid-afternoon. We head up the sweaty trail late (about 11AM). Everything is
still in the sun so we hang out in the shade of trees near the North Face
for some time. Eventually, we climb "Johnny Quest", (5.10b), in
two pitches, via the direct 5.8 start. Short, burly route, but very good climbing.
After
rapping down, we move around the crag to the Sunshine Face to climb "Sundance"
(5.10b, 3p). The first pitch is strange, up and down wide corners/flakes.
The second (5.9) wide corner protects well with a #4 Camalot near the start,
then #4.5 near the top. I had both, which is probably overkill. I'd probably
take just the 4.5 if I had to do it again. The corner is very short and only
requires two moves of actual liebacking.
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Starting
pitch 2 of Johnny Quest.
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The
first pitch of Sundance starts in a 5.9 corner.
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Lucie
following pitch 2.
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Looking
at Eric through the offwidth.
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Pitch
2 (5.10b). A tough pitch.
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The next
pitch starts with a very difficult, insecure crux move (10b) right off the
ledge (sidepulling from a shallow hold, without any footholds). A good bolt
at full reach provides some protection through this but I doubt you would
avoid decking on the ledge if you fell. I do not have the nerve to finish
this move without holding the draw. Too risky. Above this, the climbing remains
tricky, with a couple of difficult mantles. At the last bolt, one makes a
thin traverse to the obvious corner, where a decent small nut placement can
be found before moving out of the corner and onto the face at right and running
it out 60ft (5.6R, fairly secure) to the anchors. Tough pitch.
The third
pitch starts with another runout. Some distance above the anchor is a bolt,
then a thin flared finger crack (mostly pinched shut). Delicate climbing up
this crack (tricky, not-so-good pro) leads to a couple of good placement and
the anchors at the top.
Two raps
(with double ropes) bring you down. It's quite late by the time we make it
off this route, but I feel like doing some more, so we go back to the Weeping
Wall and climb the first two pitches of "Serpentine".
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High
on pitch 2, on the runout 5.6 section.
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Looking
back at the amazing hard crack of the area: "Insomnia"
(5.11c).
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Climbing
the tricky 10a crack on pitch 3.
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Serpentine
(5.9, 2p):
This is
apparently a popular route. It is sort of fun, but pretty generic slab. I
actually take a fall on the second pitch after not paying attention on a thin
traverse... We rap down from belay #2 in one shot (double 60m).
We're
now both pretty tired and out of water. We hike down quickly, hoping to find
a place to eat in town. Unfortunately, every restaurant we check is closed
(it's only 8PM). Even the supermarket is closed, and we don't have any food
left at the bus. Fortunately the smaller grocery store on the main road is
still open. We get some asparagus and mushrooms, go back to the bus and cook
this with spaghetti. Late evening...
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Pitch
1 starts up the flakes, then "serpentines" left and
right.
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High
on pitch 1.
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Following
the first pitch.
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Eric
starting pitch 2 (5.9).
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Lucie
on pitch 2.
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