Silk Road (Calaveras Dome) - is P4 corner really 10b/c?

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kovarpa

Mountain climber
Bay Area
Topic Author's Original Post - Sep 26, 2011 - 02:04pm PT
Originally we were going to climb something else but ended up on the Silk Road (with no topo). I think (pretty sure) we climbed the first two pitches of Sands and then did the short traverse into the corner that is Silk Road's P4. Cottrell's book has this corner pitch rated at 10b and 10c, interestingly the easier 10b rating is in the bottom part of the pitch. I though it was significantly harder than 10b, without the topo I was putting the first say 50 feet of that corner at 11b. Am I out of my mind or do I just really suck at liebacking thin cracks? Maybe both?
As a sidenote, this is a fantastic route, amazing rock quality. We rapped from P7 but will be back!

Sorry, per Clint's topo I meant P5. We were linking some pitches so I have my P's all mixed up :-)
Clint Cummins

Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
Sep 26, 2011 - 02:09pm PT

I haven't done that pitch, but here's a topo for reference.
This topo shows face climbing out left of the arch on p4, not liebacking in the arch.
But it sounds like you are referring to what is shown as p5 in this topo.
kovarpa

Mountain climber
Bay Area
Topic Author's Reply - Sep 26, 2011 - 02:50pm PT
yes, sorry I meant P5. The P4 as shown on the topo felt about 10b.
SierraGoat

Trad climber
Quincy, Ca
Sep 26, 2011 - 03:08pm PT
last time i rapped pitch 10 one of those lost arrow pins was gone (i think the top one)... would love to hear the story of someone taking a winger on that thin tough pitch and popping the pin!
Greg Barnes

climber
Sep 26, 2011 - 03:33pm PT
I remember the traverse into the corner (p4) having a scary move or two, and the corner being enduro but easier.

Maybe you aren't using enough stemming?

Or maybe you have huge fingers and they don't fit in the crack? (or knowing Cal Dome, maybe the crack is a bit vegetated?).
Aaron Johnson

climber
Bear Valley, CA
Sep 26, 2011 - 03:41pm PT
I think Greg B. is spot on, however those pitches are pretty clean by Cal Dome standards.
kovarpa

Mountain climber
Bay Area
Topic Author's Reply - Sep 26, 2011 - 04:02pm PT
"I remember the traverse into the corner (p4) having a scary move or two, and the corner being enduro but easier.

Maybe you aren't using enough stemming?

Or maybe you have huge fingers and they don't fit in the crack? (or knowing Cal Dome, maybe the crack is a bit vegetated?)"

the traverse into the corner has a couple of exposed moves, you just have to keep moving... In the corner I was not stemming at all, I liebacked the whole thing (160 feet?) and lot of times was able to get only fingertips in so that's why I was like "10b my a***"! Will try something different next time.

No vegetation on that pitch, super super clean. On the next pitch though I went the wrong way (underneath that big roof (to the right of where Silk Road actually goes) and had to do some moss cleaning...
fatbastard

Trad climber
Mountain View, CA
Sep 26, 2011 - 05:25pm PT
That pitch definitely felt hard to me as well. If I recall correctly, I got a reasonable stemming rest midway up, with a long sustained tips layback on the lower corner. For size comparison, I think the gear was in the green-red C3 size.

I'm pretty bad at guessing grades (everything feels hard!), but it seemed harder than 10b. Finger size likely plays a large role in that, though.

I also felt the first pitch was harder than 10c, but that might have been more a psychological issue than the climbing actually being harder. There's a lot of very tenuous climbing with very thin gear in between the bolts. If you fell, you probably wouldn't get hurt, but I was definitely gripped!

Anyway, the route is amazing. Beautiful, sustained climbing.
snowhazed

Trad climber
Oaksterdam, CA
May 11, 2013 - 02:55pm PT
I climbed the first 8 pitches yesterday, and was able to get through the corner even with wet rock. The face climbing into the corner is stout for sure but obvious. The corner is definitely enduro 10b with a few stems. For reference I thought of the enduro corner on Sunspot Dihedral which is 10c and definitely harder.
Levy

Big Wall climber
So Cal
Jul 14, 2014 - 08:01pm PT
I just did the first 7 or 8 pitches of this gem on Saturday. The 5th pitch seemed way stout for 5.10b. I thought that pitch to be harder than Good Book, or the lower pitches of Moratorium. I was stemming like a fiend but the whole route seemed a bit underrated & definitely a bit vegetated. Maybe an early ascent for this season perhaps?

That being said, the thing was incredible. We turned back due to a lack of water. I only brought a 1.5 L bottle which was clearly not enough.
Impaler

Social climber
Oakland
Jul 14, 2014 - 09:34pm PT
That corner is about 10d realistically. My partner, who climbes 5.13 slipped and fell on it. It's not quite as sandbagged as the first pitch, though.
ruppell

climber
Jul 14, 2014 - 09:38pm PT
That corner felt pretty stout to me as well. The feet just don't have the friction you would like. So I ended up having to jack my feet higher to keep the pressure to not slip out. What a climb though. One of the best.
rick sumner

Trad climber
reno, nevada/ wasilla alaska
Jul 14, 2014 - 09:39pm PT
Jay Smith and I did the FA of the first six pitches about 79 or 80 with the first pitch Sands of Time start. The lieback was long and sustained, tips for a good long while, but definitely easier than the face moves to enter the corner. Protected well with stoppers and hexes as we didn't yet have the new fangled gear.
Vitaliy M.

Mountain climber
San Francisco
Jul 14, 2014 - 09:58pm PT
10d face pitch seemed hard as hell too. Great climb. Congrats on the ascent Rick.
Brian Biega

climber
Truckee, CA
Jul 14, 2014 - 10:19pm PT
Way to go! The pitch in question...


Cheers
le_bruce

climber
Oakland, CA
Jul 15, 2014 - 11:16am PT
Damn could that corner be any more beautiful
Clint Cummins

Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
Jul 15, 2014 - 11:28am PT
Rick,
Jay Smith and I did the FA of the first six pitches about 79 or 80 with the first pitch Sands of Time start.
Right, I have this listed as Hightimes, FA by Jay and you in 1979.

Here's my description of Hightimes:
"81. Hightimes 5.10d *, 14p, starts with p1 of Sands of Time,
then up a series of left facing corners. At the top of p8
in the topo, Hightimes goes to the right, and the Silk Road p9-11
variation goes up the thin left facing corner."

Is this correct?
Or does Hightimes keep going straight above the first (7) on the topo?

http://web.stanford.edu/%7Eclint/caldomes/calav.htm
Matt's

climber
Jul 15, 2014 - 11:30am PT
More photos of this beautiful corner-- took this while rapping off the formation

Footloose

Trad climber
Lake Tahoe
Jul 15, 2014 - 11:41am PT
Dang it, Rick, I wish you would've brought Pat and me along!
79-80 would've been perfect!!
kirkadirka

Trad climber
Boulder, CO
Jul 15, 2014 - 12:25pm PT
If you are fit, that corner is definitely only 5.10. Mega sustained, mega classic:)
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