Rad cliff in crystal basin

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Baggins

Boulder climber
Topic Author's Original Post - Apr 7, 2011 - 08:57pm PT
A climbing topic for once!! hopefully this on doesnt get drowned like most the others...

So the google map folk have updated the el dorado and tahoe aerial imagery and now it has some seriously useful resolution

Anyway so this impressive feature stood out east of union valley resevoir - funny cos I have never seen it on the drive on ice house

I realise that placerville climbers have really gone out of their way to find gems out in the crystal basin, so presumably someones climbed this one a few times? anyone know anything?

looks like some nice rock from google earth...

donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
Apr 7, 2011 - 09:35pm PT
Looks like clean granite but awfully slabby.
Charlie D.

Trad climber
Western Slope, Tahoe Sierra
Apr 7, 2011 - 09:44pm PT
Bob B. would know about it along with other obscure crags in CB, heard there's a 5.8 right up front and center......may even be his route.
Gene

climber
Apr 7, 2011 - 09:47pm PT
Looks like clean granite but awfully slabby.


Isn't that what us elder climbers look for?
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
Apr 7, 2011 - 10:13pm PT
Nope- I still, as always, do better on the steep.
dfinnecy

Social climber
'stralia
Apr 7, 2011 - 11:10pm PT
This angle gives it a little more relief:

Banquo

Trad climber
Morgan Hill, CA (Mo' Hill)
Apr 7, 2011 - 11:32pm PT
Based on coords, Slick Rock?

Salamanizer

Trad climber
The land of Fruits & Nuts!
Apr 7, 2011 - 11:36pm PT
That there's "Slick Rock".

Several routes exist from 5.5 to 5.9.
Not a destination crag and requires some leg work to get there.
Kalimon

Trad climber
Ridgway, CO
Apr 7, 2011 - 11:42pm PT
Looks like some sweet apron style climbing on quality rock . . . slabs are sweet and so is the steep! A well rounded rock climber should be proficient in all disciplines.
Mungeclimber

Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
Apr 8, 2011 - 12:29am PT
elevation?
caughtinside

Social climber
Davis, CA
Apr 8, 2011 - 01:30am PT
http://www.rockclimbing.com/routes/North_America/United_States/California/Lake_Tahoe/Crystal_Basin/Slick_Rock/
Mungeclimber

Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
Apr 8, 2011 - 02:37am PT
groovy, thx.
Salamanizer

Trad climber
The land of Fruits & Nuts!
Apr 8, 2011 - 03:11am PT
It's not that steep and the climbings not that hard...

But it is obscure.


I got some pictures around here somewhere.
I think I even got the keys to the gate.
Baggins

Boulder climber
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 8, 2011 - 12:42pm PT
Slick rock eh, good to know! Would def. be interested in seeing some photos. I do enjoy a good bit of slab climbing, not so much of it around tahoe. But the mile long bushwhack approach doesnt sound too much fun...
RonV

Trad climber
Placerville
Apr 8, 2011 - 01:25pm PT
That is Slick Rock.
Bob Branscomb,Don Garrett, Kim Treadaway, and myself put up several routes there in the late 70's.
The Bolts are quite rusty and old by now.
squishy

Mountain climber
sacramento
Apr 8, 2011 - 02:03pm PT
I have climbed it several times...there's nothing there, the crag sucks...it's all choosy and ghey...plus the approach sucks, it's like an hour drive on a muddy dirt road and there's hunters out there shooting at beer cans...be careful...

survival

Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
Apr 8, 2011 - 02:09pm PT
But the mile long bushwhack approach doesnt sound too much fun...


A mile? Ho mahn, yer sounding a bit light with that comment, and I'm 50!


I have climbed it several times...there's nothing there, the crag sucks...it's all choosy and ghey...plus the approach sucks, it's like an hour drive on a muddy dirt road and there's hunters out there shooting at beer cans...be careful...


Hmmmm, trying to throw somebody off the scent? If it sucks so bad why'd you climb it "several" times? Gotta be more careful what you write bro.
Branscomb

Trad climber
Lander, WY
Apr 8, 2011 - 02:14pm PT
That's Slick Rock up at the end of Picket Pen Road off the paved road going up to Loon Lake.

The suspicious characters of Ron Vardanega, Don Garrett, Kim Treadaway, and myself put up some routes there in the late 70s and then Paul Brown, Kristi Stouffer and I put up another route in the 1980s there.

Mostly low angle friction, usually the first pitch is the stuff and then it goes ridiculously low angle. Most of the routes are in the center of the face, ranging from 5.7 to 5.9 and old 1/4" bolts. Three pitches if you go all the way up.

Descriptions are in the old Crystal Basin Guide I used to publish. Salamanizer has a copy and I still have the proof if anyone is interested.

There are several other (smaller) formations in the Crystal Basin, mainly located around Loon Lake. They are nicer, steeper, offer some nice routes. Again, in the old guide.

Approach is to drive up to the end of Picket Pen Road, turn off the Loon Lake Road by Union Valley Res. Park at the end and bushwhack for a mile west to the base of the face. Hotter and hell on that thing in the summer. Take some bolts and replace all those awful 1/4". Please.
Baggins

Boulder climber
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 8, 2011 - 02:35pm PT
But the mile long bushwhack approach doesnt sound too much fun...

A mile? Ho mahn, yer sounding a bit light with that comment, and I'm 50!

Yeah thanks for calling me out on that one :) What I mean is, how dense is that bush? Are we talking senior or dubya? (haw haw)

Chest high manzanita not so fun

Take some bolts and replace all those awful 1/4". Please.

Sounds like a retro bolting adventure then? could be fun

I have climbed it several times...there's nothing there, the crag sucks...it's all choosy and ghey...plus the approach sucks, it's like an hour drive on a muddy dirt road and there's hunters out there shooting at beer cans...be careful...

heh man no ones gonna beleive you google earth sees all (esp. when they update their photo resolution...)

that dome looks smoooth... you guys sure there arent any harder (steeper/blanker) slab lines to be had?

any photos?
Branscomb

Trad climber
Lander, WY
Apr 8, 2011 - 02:51pm PT
Sounds like Squishy has something going on out there (?) :).

Senior bushwhack, though, It's like chest deep, though with breaks. Sorry.

There are one pitch slab options around Loon Lake we did that are more approachable and harder. There's an interesting 10c on the buttress seen to the east as you get to the top of the long open grade just before Loon. Two pitches, start at the toe of the buttress, up and left past a bolt into a thin crack. Leads to a ledge, then up the bolt line left of the dihedral.

There are also some options on the cliffs above the intake for Loon at the east end of the lake. The lower cliff, just above the road above the intake has a couple of 10s on it, mixed bolts and gear, put up by Kristi Stouffer and myself in the 80s. The obvious slab above has a two pitch 5.8 route up it that she and I did then. Mainly 1/4" bolts.

Minimal bushwhacking for these places. Bon appetit!
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