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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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Topic Author's Original Post - Nov 4, 2011 - 12:22pm PT
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There's a lot of really old archive stuff from around 1910-30 that has a "Twilight Zone" kind of vibe to all of us who grew up bouldering out at Roubidoux. On certain days the place could be stunningly beautiful.
JL
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Gary
climber
From the City That Dreams
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Roubidoux has it all. Everything a climber needs. All within a half-mile or so:
Rock
Hospital
Cemetery
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Phil_B
Social climber
Hercules, CA
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That place kept me sane in grad school.
I remember the time I finally got FiveNiner (.10a), that was a good day.
My dog got skunked *TWICE* coming down the trail one evening. That was a hell of a ride home.
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Keith Leaman
Trad climber
Seattle
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John, Those photos are really good! They are reminiscent of American Luminist landscape painting. Around 1970 I was wandering the hillside looking for something new and "discovered" this clean crack. I was so pleased to be able to jam up the thing and couldn't wait to show it to Paul. Further, I couldn't believe he climbed it this way! He called it a "solid" 5.9. (Another climbing 'site calls it 5.12 if a lieback). A slab route low on the hill there-"Wall of Glass" I believe it is called, was one of my favorites.
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looking sketchy there...
Social climber
Latitute 33
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^^^^
Nice shot of the Turtle Dome crack. I "learned" to jam on that thing and still have a scar on my left hand to prove it.
Great shots John, brings back lots of memories.
After a rain in the winter, Rubidoux could seem almost sylvan.
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Those last two color photos are indeed beautiful. I was going to say they looked like Barbizon School paintings, but close enough.
I learned to climb at Rubidoux so, graffiti and broken glass and all, I really like the place. Climb there alot and you will not want for callous on your tips. Whatever old photos I have of the place (late 70s onward) are all going to be in my old room at my parents' place in the OC.
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henny
Social climber
The Past
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When green, as in JL's last picture, the mountain almost seems a paradise amidst the urban sprawl.
So John, I assume they hadn't invented color film yet when you took that first picture? And I thought I was old. (haha)
Does anyone have a picture of the resident goat that used to wander the mountain in the early 70's? Anybody else remember it?
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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nice Cragman!
yeah, cool photos Largo!
Having grown up in my climbing formative teens, just down The 91 from Riverside, I seriously would race home from classes to get out to Rubberducks to send what I could (sans pads back then) in the afternoon light. Usually smogging, but after the greenery would come, and the new growth on the pepper trees would be lush, it really seemed like you were 'above it all' of the hub bub down low.
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Off White
climber
Tenino, WA
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That last pic in particular evokes my memories of Southern California at its best.
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 4, 2011 - 05:11pm PT
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henny
Social climber
The Past
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Great picture JL! What a great problem.
That picture makes one yearn for the days when the wall was free of paint.
Counterpoint, a problem just to the left taken a year or two ago. Fortunately, the city has since done a decent sand-blasting job, and the wall has been somewhat restored.
A late 70's/early 80's picture of the Dimes.
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henny
Social climber
The Past
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Easy there, sketchy one...
There's a bunch of things about that picture that date it, that being one of them. Those sideburns were something "special"... Hilarious.
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 4, 2011 - 10:35pm PT
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Roubidoux has some of the biggest sand bag ratings ever. Auto pilot might only be 5.11, but you better be a 5.12 climber or you'll tumble all the way down to the cemetary. And Surrealistic Pillar at V1 is just wrong.
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rottingjohnny
Sport climber
mammoth lakes ca
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Thanks Largo for the pics...I use to get off work early and drive my 64 Bel Air from Long beach on the 91 for a Rubidoux session...Those were the days...
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Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Anybody else able to get the stereo on the first image? It's actually an easy one.
I knew my years studying protein structures would pay off.
And yes the splitter is awesome.
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Jereme
Trad climber
Bay Area, CA
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Here is an old school photo of my father and uncle on Rubidoux taken sometime during the mid seventies.
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TYeary
Social climber
State of decay
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TY
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dogtown
Trad climber
JackAssVille, Wyoming
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Hensel and Long; just a note. Its moves, problems and routes you guys did back then, that truly inspired me and others to push to levels once thought of as unachievable( for me ). True Rock Climbing Hall of fame guys. I love old school Photos!
Dawg.
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PhilG
Trad climber
The Circuit, Tonasket WA
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Great thread, guys!
It both brings back memories and inspires me to go bouldering today.
I'll see if I can scan some slides and add to the mix.
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