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delendaest
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Aug 10, 2010 - 01:00pm PT
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the supertopo for south lake tahoe is woefully inadequate for the west wall at the leap, and doesn't have any mention of two 5.7 multi-pitch routes, Craven Image and Lady Bug. does anyone have any beta or photos of these routes? i've read the brief descriptions on rockclimbing.com, but would like to get as much beta as possible. thanks
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delendaest
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 10, 2010 - 01:17pm PT
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thanks ron, exactly what i was looking for.
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delendaest
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 10, 2010 - 01:21pm PT
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btw, what is that guide book? major style points for a guidebook with rack suggestions of "chocks up to 3""
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mucci
Trad climber
The pitch of Bagalaar above you
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Aug 10, 2010 - 02:45pm PT
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Yeah Ron,
Those are the books to have!
There are tons of ways to get lost up there. Search here for CI, Salamanizer and I posted some good (Modern)descriptions.
Lady bug's 3rd pitch is 5.7x, Very sporty indeed.
I have never done craven image the same way twice.
Have fun!
Mucci
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Jay Wood
Trad climber
Fairfax, CA
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Aug 10, 2010 - 09:38pm PT
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I did Ladybug- I think- last year, using the Falcon guide. Was never 100% sure of being on the route.
As I recall, we started on left side of right-most bowl (banana?) and chose to go up and left on poorly protected arete rather than up stout looking right- facing corner.
My notes say: "Fun, obscure route-finding, tops out at tallest main wall. 5.7 4 pitches.
I think it was runout on easy ground, but low pucker factor.
The top out has the best views around. No pictures. Forgot camera?
Daphne do you recall it being scary?
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dave goodwin
climber
carson city, nv
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Aug 10, 2010 - 11:05pm PT
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went to climb Lady Bug back when I first started climbing. Maybe had 2 months of climbing experience total and my partner had about 1 month of experience. We wanted to climb something obscure and after perusing the guide and seeing Lady Bug we thought what the heck and we were off.
We borrowed my partners brothers rack and we were off to the approach sometime early afternoon. I am pretty sure that we went and did the groove first and then proceeded up to the West Wall.
We started up what looked like the beginning according to the guide and the rope moved steadily. We really had no idea if we were on route (we really had no route finding skills with our limited experience).
So higher up I am leading a cool pillar like feature having a blast, when I come to the end of this pillar and mantel up and realise there is no more crack. Just blank face interrupted by small dikes. Too unsure (I was to young and stupid to be scared in those days) if the above rock was climbable by me, and the thought of downclimbing never really crossed my mind, I yelled at my partner to check the topo. His consensus was we were lost and for me to go wherever looked best. Great!!
The best looking option was to traverse about 40' to the right to gain another crack system. Which I did with major rope drag!!
Well we get the last pitch and it is completely dark so we Ro Sham Bo for the last pitch..... Yes it is Steve's lead!!!
Off he goes uneventfully and tops out. I follow then we start the descent which I had done once coming off CC. We were proceeding pretty slow when we noticed a headlamp down below. We thought what a great idea bringing a head lamp. duh
We thought we should catch up to them when it was apparent they were headed for us. Next thing you know here is my partners brother coming our way. We assumed he was coming to save us when he says "came up here to make sure I get my rack back!! ha ha"
Well liked any well prepared rescuer he did bring beer!!!!
So this was probably way too long of a story for what it was, but for me with so little climbing experience (especially leading) and my partner having even less, we really felt liked we accomplished something. We researched a route, borrowed a rack, found what we thought was the start, don't have a clue as to what we climbed other than good rock, climbed till dark, and then drank a beer. Priceless!!!
I have asked many people over the years if they know anything about this route? Most said they never climbed it, and a few said they climbed something but not sure if it was Lady Bug.
take care
dave
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Salamanizer
Trad climber
The land of Fruits & Nuts!
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Aug 11, 2010 - 10:35pm PT
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delendaest, sorry to not respond to your email. Been busy and did not have time to properly give beta on Craven Image as it's hard to describe.
I thought a quick little draw up topo would be best to help.
Basically you head up either a 3rd class ramp/s to the left of Vanishing point until they drop off steeply. Narrow spooky 3rd class... ok, 4th class minus! From there you should be at a steep headwall, about 10ft above, you should see a thin right facing flake covered in dikes. A difficult mantle move past a big black knob protected by horizontal cracks at or about your ankles brings you to the steep flake which quickly begins to open up into a wide low angle chimney/gully system. There is a 1 1/4 in angle piton which marks the belay. Don't miss it!
From there you traverse on large dikes up and out right onto a steep headwall for about 10ft. Start climbing strait up passing ample short cracks that protect well until you reach a small but steep bulge/overhang. Skirt this to the left or pull over it and you are now in the bottom of the U-shaped bowl. There is a vertical crack that takes .75" to 2" pro... belay here.
Climb the U-shaped bowl up a steep ramp (5.6) to the left. The gear up the ramp leaves something to be desired but the climbing is easy. This ramp will dump you on a nice little spacious grassy ledge... Belay here!
The next pitch either exits to the right up low angle grassy ledges to the top or you can do the better variation shown in the topo. For the variation (which I think is actually the original line) climb strait up a very steep to overhanging small roof (.9ish)to another ledge, burrow behind a rather large detached flake (solid) finally gaining another large grassy ledge. Strait in front of you will be a gnarly wide moss covered corner/chimney. Avoid this by climbing around the steep arete to the right, through a bush and onto the headwall which will have a rather wide (fists) and splitter crack system that seemingly heads through a series of steep overhangs. Fear not, this crack system is "Easier than it Looks" and is about 5.7. Save a couple #3 C4's for this finish. Sling your pro long and watch for rope drag on this last pitch around the arete. This pitch is almost exactly 200ft. You will top out on a grassy ledge with some good belay trees and an easy walk off to the trail.
Hope this helps.
Enjoy!
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Footloose
Trad climber
Lake Tahoe
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Aug 11, 2010 - 10:53pm PT
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Dave, your story almost parallels mine! Only read the last 4-5 posts in the thread. But similarly, we were drawn to it by its 5.7 rating. Probably only climbed two other routes at the time total (East Wall and the Groove if you can believe it). Was never so glad to get to the bowl in Sal's image, I'll never forget it! Lady Bug and Craven Image almost the same, I think. Thanks for the share.
Haven't been to the Leap once this season, can't believe it.
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mucci
Trad climber
The pitch of Bagalaar above you
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Aug 12, 2010 - 01:08am PT
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Of note, a better 1st belay for craven Image is to clip the pin in the 1st pitch chimney, and break up and right to a 2 bolt anchor.
I have no idea what the anchor is there for, but I saw it as I was about to belay at the pin, some 5.7 traversing gets you to it.
This may be slightly above where Sal's description says to go, but up and right of the 2 bolt anchor is a badass RFC, no idea what route once again.
It is big fun to get lost up on the west wall!
Sal- What is the route just left of the banana on that steep face? Thin face with some bolts, to a 2 bolt anchor. Looks like another pitch or two above that but no bolts?
Mucci
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Salamanizer
Trad climber
The land of Fruits & Nuts!
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Aug 12, 2010 - 01:45am PT
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Mucci, those anchors are all that's left of the old West Wall Rappel route. The upper anchors no longer exist and haven't since the mid 90's. It's referenced in the old Bob Sutton guide. There is some anchor replacement over in that area that needs to be done. I have a list if you're looking for a project.
That sweet corner system is part of the Clonedike as well as the very last part of Captain Coconuts.
Captain Coconuts, now there is a horror show. I asked Crawford how he protected it and he said sling the coconuts. I told him there is no way a sling would hold on one of those sloping knobs. He shrugged and said "oh? I guess I never really tried to sling em' anyway". Yikes!
The bolted route just left of the Banana you refer to is probably "Here We Go Again" 5.10c Gable, Pietrolungo 1996.
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mucci
Trad climber
The pitch of Bagalaar above you
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Aug 12, 2010 - 01:56am PT
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OH, now that makes sense, those anchor bolts are in pretty good shape as of a year or two ago.
Clonedike, yup that corner is truly bitchen, as is the face to the left of the corner directly above the anchor bolts I mentioned (5.8 R in my book)
I thought that there was a route just right of 3rd stone, and just left of the Gable/Petch route, maybe I was seeing things through the scope?
Now that route that climbs the face to the right of the banana proper, and the more alpine climb that traverses under the nana to the right and up to that pinnacle look really cool.
Adventure is a 30 min approach at the leap.
^^^^I will take that list when you get the chance.
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Branscomb
Trad climber
Lander, WY
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Aug 12, 2010 - 11:44am PT
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Craven Image is a nice route, especially combined with the Dead Tree direct finish. I really liked it, even free soloed it several times in the late 70s and 80s. Captain Coconuts is pretty wild. I only led it once, remember using some 1/2" loops on ify knobs and several RPs. One of those 'I did it once and that's good for that' routes.
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Daphne
Trad climber
Mill Valley, CA
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Aug 12, 2010 - 01:18pm PT
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I followed Lady Bug last year and remembered Jay never being quite sure if we were on route and that it was very dirty and crumbly in places where pro wasn't available At one point we hit a corner where there was an old pin and I bootied a nut from that crack. I was coming back from a big injury and wasn't greatly confident with my climbing and was definitely scared maybe three times on that route.
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Trad
Trad climber
northern CA
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Aug 12, 2010 - 09:45pm PT
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A few years ago I happened to look up at the west wall area when the lighting was just right and got an idea of (maybe) how Craven Image got it's name. It sort of resembles a face if you look at it right. Here's the original photo:
Here it is photoshopped to enhance the "face":
I think I've climbed Craven Image (the route) but as others in this thread have said, the difference between Lady Bug and Craven Image isn't all that obvious sometimes.
Speaking of Clonedike, I posted a short TR a couple years ago here with a few pictures. Really fun route (but watch out for a scary loose flake up left of the anchors).
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=667946
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Trad
Trad climber
northern CA
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Jul 31, 2012 - 12:54am PT
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Here's a few more pictures to add to the mix, from a recent trip up Craven Image.
Instead of belaying at the piton after the first pitch you can keep going to a good stance, roughly across from the rap bolts for Clonedike (or maybe this overlaps with Ladybug?).
Looking down from the 1st belay as Patrick was climbing past the piton:
The second pitch to the base of the bowl was short but fun. With a 70 m rope (which we had) the 2nd and 3rd pitches could've easily been linked. (A 60 m *might* make it too, if you belay high for the 1st pitch.) Looking down the 2nd:
From the top of the 3rd pitch there were a few different options and I'm pretty sure we took what was (based on descriptions upthread) the original route.
Looking up from the 3rd belay:
There are a lot of gear options. I had two #3 camelots ready for the last pitch but then kept saving them for "later" and placed smaller pieces (finger-sized) whenever possible. In the end I didn't use either one. On the plus side, I'm now in slightly better shape having lugged those things all the way up the route!
Just before the top it looked possible to either traverse around to easy ground or climb straight over a final roof/bulge with a wide crack (protects w/#4). I chose the crack, and here's Patrick coming over the that last little roof:
All in all the route went something like this:
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KitKat
Trad climber
South Lake Tahoe
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Jul 31, 2012 - 03:38am PT
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Skully.... Let's go climb the Banana
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hare
climber
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Sep 21, 2012 - 01:53am PT
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Thanks for the updated photos from our run up there.
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caughtinside
Social climber
Oakland, CA
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Sep 21, 2012 - 02:12am PT
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Mucci posted about a route between Here We Go Again and 3rd Stone. It's Ozzie, another .10a Crawford/Smith thing. I toproped it and it is excellent on some brilliant dikes. I'd call it pretty R at about .9 down low.
Like everyone else who's tried I got lost years ago. Looking for Ladybug, I think we did the start right and then drifted up and right across Craven. I know we finished out right of what's shown in Salamanizer's nice photo overlay there. It was way grainy and pretty run but not that hard. Could have been a First, or it could have been a rare repeat of the Drunker Than It Looks. hard to tell up there... it all goes.
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bergbryce
Mountain climber
South Lake Tahoe, CA
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Sep 21, 2012 - 02:36am PT
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This thread kicks ass.
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