EISPIRATEN

Zach, Bert, Johnny and I headed up in the afternoon, arriving just in time to enjoy perfect conditions. We beat the heat, which made the first routes we did a ton of fun.

Zach lead Three Giant Steps 5.10a ( http://www.summitpost.org/route/633585/ ... pitch.html ), which starts up a fun flake edge with slick face moves to the left.


Zach being belayed by the Sheriff of Ropedrag County


GO!



















Then, this guy showed up.




Johnny follows...














Then I got a couple of pics looking down, the usual leg pic to offset all the ass pics.





Zach then lead Make a Way 5.10a/b ( http://www.summitpost.org/route/633591/ ... pitch.html ), which was a grunter of a pitch. I had an easier time on this route, as I am pretty tall. Dyno Viking did a cool dyno move to grab the first moves, which kicked ass.




Johnny bouldering out the start


Bert rapps down from the top to get some pics looking down:














A wild DynoViking appears!




More top down pics from Bert, showing Johnny following:










DynoViking uses the power of awesome hats to make an ascent:




Damn hat flew off. Lost my powers.


Then we moved over to our campsite. Here, Johnny uses the power of white gas to get some ants off the slab:


He needs a headlamp:



I attempt the flaming traverse of death:









Johnny and I head out to do two routes at 2am. The first was Sam I Am ( http://www.summitpost.org/route/633599/ ... pitch.html ), which was quick and easy.

The second route, Jack be Nimble 5.9 ( http://www.summitpost.org/route/633597/ ... pitch.html ) felt more like a 5.10, but maybe it was just the dark and whatnot.







In the morning, Johnny got ready for his first sport lead, Little Jack Horner 5.6-5.9 (left side is 5.9ish) ( http://www.summitpost.org/route/633602/ ... pitch.html ).










A quick turn around the corner gives access two a few fun 5.8-.9's...

Leading Cheap Lipstick 5.9 ( http://www.summitpost.org/route/633606/ ... pitch.html ), which is a real fun route.


















The top anchor is shared with Powder Puff 5.8 ( http://www.summitpost.org/route/633610/ ... pitch.html ), so a quick toprope was in order.





Zach headed around the wall a bit to set up a toprope for some 5.10's we were to try out. He set up a 5.8, and I pulled up a second rope to set up another line, since we had to judge from the ground which was which.

The sheriff is back in town on Walk in the Park 5.8 ( http://www.summitpost.org/route/633618/ ... pitch.html ), which was hot as hell up top.









The crew checks out the line from below. The route to be attempted is Dr Know 5.10c ( http://www.summitpost.org/route/633614/ ... pitch.html ), which repelled all attempts this time.










At this point it was getting pretty hot, so we decided to pack up and head home.

We checked out some of the stuff at Mormon Rocks later, and Johnny found 5 hangerless bolts in one position. The rock is as you'd expect it, very sandy and "loose" (comes apart).






El fin

That's what I call a climbing pardner...

I know where Mormon Rocks is, but where are those darker colored rocks?

HJ

Take the 247 south out of Barstow, and it's on the right side at mile marker 63, just east of Stoddard Peak.

TacoDelRio wrote:Take the 247 south out of Barstow, and it's on the right side at mile marker 63, just east of Stoddard Peak.

Somewhere around here?

Interesting. Haven't been out that way much. Good stuff.

HJ

Good times!
But my computer has smoke coming out the back after loadin all the pix
Are there still anchors at Mormon Rocks? When I was a kid, we'd travel 138 a lot to my Pa's property near Pearblossom. Sometimes we'd stop at Mormon and dulfer down the rocks on some crappy manilla rope we had.

Jim, just a 1/2 mile or so NW of that point.

Yeah, a ton of pics, Dave.

Great stuff! Looks like summer is in full swing Cool hats

It got a bit hot after noon. Figure we'll be doing less desert in the summer, more alpine!

Let's go back and do Dr. Know in the shade.

=D Good times