Oklahoma rocks?

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Messages 1 - 17 of total 17 in this topic
skamoto

Mountain climber
coalinga ca
Topic Author's Original Post - Dec 21, 2014 - 06:24pm PT
Anyone ever climb in Oklahoma at quartz mt or the witchita mountains? Stories or photos would be awesome.




Flip Flop

Trad climber
Truckee, CA
Dec 21, 2014 - 08:34pm PT
Chirp chirp
johntp

Trad climber
socal
Dec 22, 2014 - 05:28am PT
No photos, but Quartz is fantastic. The narrows in Wichita has some good stuff as well. I have not been to either place in 30 years, but BITD the face climbs were pretty run out; not sure if they have been retro bolted. Kind of reminiscent of JT in quality. Most climbs are one pitch, but quartz has a few two pitch routes, although with today's longer ropes maybe not.

Not sure if it is still there but there was a place in Meers that had some excellent burgers and cherry coke.
johntp

Trad climber
socal
Dec 22, 2014 - 06:52am PT
Had a friend ground on a fall on league of doom. Lucky sucker walked away. I was on ker plunk when he fell. Heard a bunch of gear rattling then silence. Dood never screamed.

edit: ripped all his gear from about 70 feet up. Slowed him down enuf.
GuapoVino

climber
Dec 22, 2014 - 08:05am PT
Here's an old route I found in the Wichitas.


GuapoVino

climber
Dec 22, 2014 - 08:15am PT





johntp

Trad climber
socal
Dec 22, 2014 - 08:35am PT
crab eyes! Elk mtn (or is it Mt. Scott). fun roof.
OlympicMtnBoy

climber
Seattle
Dec 22, 2014 - 09:20am PT
I spent a couple days in the Wichita Wildlife Refuge when I was working the tornadoes last year. There is some info on mountainproject.com and I managed to find a partner there too.

It was actually pretty fun, some good granite in parts that reminded me of Joshua Tree.

Of course I was there in June and it hit 99 one day. I froze as many water bottles as I could in my hotel mini-freezer and probably went through 2 gallons of liquid. We spent the day at Crab Eyes and were able to stay in the shade the whole time by working our way around. Fortunately that was a low humidity day or I'm not sure I would have made it sunrise-sunset. Some cool full pitch cracks over there.

Some pics here: https://plus.google.com/photos/104708573545176184583/albums/5893241307005298241
johntp

Trad climber
socal
Dec 22, 2014 - 04:16pm PT
Here's an old route I found in the Wichitas.

Must have been put up by that Raleigh guy.

edit: yeah, if you aren't used to the OK summer heat and humidity it can be an interesting time.
skamoto

Mountain climber
coalinga ca
Topic Author's Reply - Dec 22, 2014 - 07:20pm PT
Those are some awesome pictures! I'm living in elk city OK, only about 30 miles north of quartz. Getting my climbing stuff shipped out soon. I can't wait to explore the area, had no idea there was any climbing in OK when I moved here.
johntp

Trad climber
socal
Dec 23, 2014 - 06:50am PT
Go for it! OK has great climbing.

edit: 30 miles from Quartz; dood, I used to drive 4 hours one way for a day trip from Dallas.

double edit since no one else has posted up. There are some great climbers in Norman.
Gunkie

Trad climber
East Coast US
Dec 23, 2014 - 06:59am PT
Spent a weekend climbing out there in the late 1980's. Great cragging area with some pretty sizable rattlesnakes. 'The Hobbit' is a fun climb with three short pitches. I remember doing something called 'Scream' or something like that which at the time had 1/4" bolts for gear at the hard parts of a slab climb. And one of the best climbs in it's grade that would be a classic anywhere is called something like 'Last of the Good Guys'. I was wiggling a pink tri-cam into a solution pocket near the crux and had a small white scorpion crawl out. Of course, I immediately flicked it 60 feet down onto my belayer who proceeded to run around in circles, effectively taking me off-belay.

Highly recommended.
Gunkie

Trad climber
East Coast US
Dec 23, 2014 - 07:03am PT
I used to drive 4 hours one way for a day trip from Dallas.

I drive 4.5 hours one-way for a day trip to surf Pt Judith Rhode Island when the hurricane swells hit. I understand the psychosis.
johntp

Trad climber
socal
Dec 23, 2014 - 07:20am PT
I remember doing something called 'Scream' or something like that

Fun route. Keeps your mind occupied.
skamoto

Mountain climber
coalinga ca
Topic Author's Reply - Feb 1, 2015 - 06:14pm PT
I have seen some pretty cool climbs so far out here. Don't have a partner or my full gear yet but I have solo'd some 5.6 stuff that was pretty fun
BASE104

Social climber
An Oil Field
Feb 4, 2015 - 03:59pm PT
Wow. I get to post about climbing!

There is quite a bit of climbing all over Oklahoma. Enough to keep you entertained if you end up stuck around here.

There are two main spots in the SW part of the state:

Quartz (Baldy Peak), a big slab with a lot of runout old school routes in the 5.7 to 5.11 range. A few were retrobolted with permission, but most of the routes are as they were. Go do Amazon Woman (.10a or so) and enjoy. 4 bolts, but they are right where you need them. A lot like Josh.

Wichita Mountains, a wildlife refuge. There are a lot of routes of all grades. Mt. Scott has two nice little cliffs that are close to the road. Crab Eyes and Lost Dome are more of a hike, but it isn't bad. Some good routes there.

Yes, the summer sucks.

Tony Mayse wrote the current guidebook, "Oklahoma Select." I'm not sure if it is still in print. It covers most of the good routes.

Norman just got a climbing gym a few weeks ago.
johntp

Trad climber
socal
Feb 4, 2015 - 04:16pm PT
Norman just got a climbing gym a few weeks ago.

What happened to the OK University campus? Off limits these daze?

edit: not sure what kind of climbing you are looking for, but a fun .8 in the Wichita narrows is Crazy Alice. Probably goes a lot easier now with cams and sticky rubber.
Messages 1 - 17 of total 17 in this topic
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