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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jan 3, 2014 - 11:45am PT
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After a couple of days climbing the hard cracks, with torn-up hands (and more likely than not, battered egos) we'd say, "Let's put on our bras and climb at the apron."
I suppose our idea was that climbing low angle slabs built up our pecks, but I for one looked forward to the balance challenges, and climbing with light-weight racks.
Here, I'd like to start a conversation about favorite routes on the apron, a vast piece of solid granite where I'm sure many have unfolded interesting stories to tell.
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 3, 2014 - 11:52am PT
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Sailin' Shoes is a great intro to harder slab and the fist pitch lures you in. Starting on overlapping arches, you place pieces here and there until you break out onto the slab proper. The .10d crux starts slow, but keeps coming until you realize you're gonna make the move to the chains, or not.
The next few pitches are technically easier, but never do you feel like you're on a sport route--the bolts are welcome (and especially so because of the rebolting efforts of our heroes), but the security of their closeness doesn't last for long.
The third pitch is especially eye-catching, you make your way up an arching ledge, and get a piece before climbing a thin left-facing seam. With one piece between you and the belay, the goal is the top of the seam where you can get pro under an overlap. And the fun keeps coming.
Brilliant climbing on a sea of dark grey.
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bhilden
Trad climber
Mountain View, CA/Boulder, CO
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For me 'Tightrope' was the iconic route on the Apron. It had serious runouts..you could hit the ground from 300' up if you blew the 5.8+ friction moves at the top of the second pitch. It had a lot of varied climbing from face to pure friction. It only had 3 or so bolts per pitch so you really had to have your act together in the head department. It had route-finding difficulties. Thankfully the crux(5.11b or c) was a boulder problem and reasonably well-protected. Tightrope had it all.
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Barbarian
climber
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Monday Morning Right Side - I appreciate that there is still something in Yosemite that I can still lead with my broken down body.
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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The Grack Center and Marginal are two of my all-time favorites, although I confess that I, too, still climb Monday Morning Slab not only to get to other routes, but for its own sake. The Daley Route (as it was originally done, not the first pitch of the Chouinard Variation, which is how the route is shown in ST) has been remarkably uncrowded of late, particularly compared with the Grack Center.
John
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Jan
Mountain climber
Colorado, Nepal & Okinawa
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I love the Apron too. My first climb in the Valley was Sunnyside Bench and my second the right side of Monday morning slab.I also liked the old version of the Harry Daley. My first 5.9 was on Coonyard above Monday Morning, which was harder than it might now seem, because of the old kluttershues.
The chief advantage of the Apron back in the day and why it was thought of as girl climbing, is that you didn't have to hammer pitons in and out (I always found getting them out worse than putting them in). I liked having the focus on the climb and not the hardware.
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j-tree
Big Wall climber
Classroom to crag to summer camp
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The new wall route Jericho A2+ just to the left of the death zone is by far my new GPA fav.
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TrundleBum
Trad climber
Las Vegas
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I love the apron !
Love the early classics but I luuurve the Morris/Cantwell era treats such as...
Green Dragon, Mr. Natural, Sailing Shoes, Short but thin, Synapse collapse and Shuttle madness, Son of Sam and... and and and ;)
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Reeotch
climber
4 Corners Area
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Yep, my first 5.11 lead was Green Dragon.
More rcently, I found Goodrich Pinnacle to be quite the excellent (heads up!) adventure.
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Stewart Johnson
climber
lake forest
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Almost died from rockfall on green dragon
Never will go back
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Bruce Morris
Social climber
Belmont, California
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"Short but Thin" (5.11b)
That's over on El Cap just below Sacher Cracker, isn't it?
From the Punch Bowl west to Lean Years is a prime avalanche zone; always has been, always will be. However, the worst time of year is the spring when the melt water loosens up the rocks and scree, but the fall is fairly quiet (sometimes!). September-October-early November is your best bet for a safe non-lethal east Apron visit.
I too almost died at the base of Lean Years not far from Mr Natural-Green Dragon. Absolutely huge boulders raining down. Amazing that I only got the back of my hand whacked good and proper.
Best strategy? Don't go over there until the area has stabilized late in the year.
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kaholatingtong
Trad climber
Nevada City
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mmmm, i have yet to sample large amounts of the apron, but i like what i have been on thus far.
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Barbarian
climber
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I agree with JEleazarian. I've run a number of laps on Grack Center and Marginal over the years. I used to free solo Harry Daley on a regular basis - I loved those perfect jams on the final pitch.
Coonyard has always been fun, and I have a special affinity for Looking for Lichen on Monday Morning for personal reasons.
Now I guess I'm going to plan a trip to do some stink-buggin on the Apron!
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Kalimon
Social climber
Ridgway, CO
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Ochre Fields and Hoppy's Favorite are good routes.
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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Ahhh.... The Apron.
My very first climb in Yosemite Valley was on Glacier Point Apron back in 1978.
My very first 5.11 lead was on the Apron.
Almost all of my free-solos were on the Apron. I used to down-clmb my free-solos on the Apron instead of rapping off.
I used to lead Harry Daley with the lead rope tied in a hangman's noose around my neck (instead of attached to my harness).
I was almost killed on the Apron from rockfall - god a bad gash to the head when I was unroped 200 feet above the ground.
The Apron is one of my all-time favorite climbing areas.
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Edge
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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Grack Marginal, nuff said.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Any Apron climbs done in other than Kronnies or Blue Suedes deserve an asterisk.
Edge, 'heavenly' shot!
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karodrinker
Trad climber
San Jose, CA
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Green dragon, goodrich to the oasis, some fun climbing for sure
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BG
Trad climber
JTree & Idyllwild
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Hall of Mirrors
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