We hiked up onto the ridgeline west of the upper tram station (and west of the watertank), and hiked west along it overlooking the desert and some cool looking crags. I spoke with a local and he gave me a good overview of the area. Thanks dude. Sorry I was joking around so loudly today.
We hiked over to a small dome probably 1 mile hiking from the tram. I tried to climb up what looked like a moderate finger and hand crack, but didn't notice how loose the surface was. The rock down lower on this formation is not as good as the stuff up above in the sun. It's still good and it holds protection pretty confidently. I backed off this about 20ft up and got all scratched up. Tried left of that, and went up some 5.6-y whatever stuff before getting a cam in, then going left into a class 3 gully with a real short handcrack which put us on a ledge it appears one can probably walk to.
Continuing up this climb (which we call Dirtman), we move into a really really easy chimney that gets awkward with a pack on, like some sorta canyoneering move. Up right with some crummy 5th class with a buncha big loose blocks on it and friggin Pine needles all up in dem bitches. Then easy walk and short scramble to base of the dome, where the rock changes character and kinda reminds me of a few spots in Tuolumne, with cool lumpy crack lip features and stuff. Kinda spacey. I think there's a dike on a slab face of this dome that goes up a bit on what looks like hard-ish slab, which then inverts and becomes incut. Really neat. Also present are some knobs! Yeehaw, knobs.
San J Trip by TacoDelRio, on FlickrI wasn't feeling like leading these possible pitches because I wasn't sure where or if the pro would come up, since the cracks are waterworn a bit and flared. We hiked to the top and I built a toprope anchor on the summit, beneath the main block. With my 69m rope and an anchor made with two cordelettes, there were about 20ft of rope left on the bottom.
We climbed up the crack starting on the bottom left half of the photo. The first moves started with standing on the edge of the block barely visible in the photo. It's about a foot and a half or two feet or whatever between that and the wall, and falling on the first handful of moves puts you at risk of hitting this. Not a big deal after you learn the state of the rock, but a big deal when what we had just come through wasn't confidence inspiring. Real big change. The crack has a flat right side so you kinda lieback it and step up the edge of your left foot on a small edge or a decent smear, then apply to that and move up, and grab the black hold on the right, move up to bigger and bigger holds and then you're in a cool crack sorta lieback deal that's pretty chill. The lay of the rope then commanded me to follow the steep step above where the light hits the edge, and over. This meant making some cool moves left with some nice exposure, and then cranking over the face. This would be a really awesome route to lead. If you choose to climb this, give it a quick cleaning up of loose bits.
San J Trip by TacoDelRio, on FlickrChris on the opening moves.
What really caught my eye when we pulled up at the foot of this formation was that right corner. I think it was a little waterworn and flaring like the last, but larger. It turns left and it would maybe take tiny cams in that roof. I'm not confident enough to lead that section. I think it might even be a knifeblade seam. I figure it must seem lame to many other climbers, but I don't mind toproping a route a buncha times before I lead it. I figure I'll have other chances. I'd like to do that to this route. It's a really cool line that catches anyone's eyes.
I didn't look further right around the corner, but there may be some nice things there. It's shady!
There is a neat slab I talked about before on the left of that photo. The walk-up/scramble is further left and up.
Thank you for your time. I hope you like the nerdy art present in climbing movement and minor explorations.
Some more pics:
San J Trip by TacoDelRio, on FlickrWould this be Coffmans Crag?
San J Trip by TacoDelRio, on FlickrCool face west of the tram
San J Trip by TacoDelRio, on FlickrNeat looking ridge. That could be a fun outing in itself.
San J Trip by TacoDelRio, on FlickrChris is smaller than this tree.
fin
