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rhyang
climber
SJC
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Topic Author's Original Post - Nov 24, 2008 - 11:31am PT
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Went climbing this past weekend with my friend Mike Z at [url="http://www.summitpost.org/view_object.php?object_id=151415">Tollhouse Rock[/url]. My friction technique was in need of a tune-up and generally I wanted to get out of the house after getting over the worst cold I have had in years.
We had climbed at this crag together numerous times over the past several years, so we had our routine down, though this was my first time back since breaking my neck last August in a car accident. Friday night we hiked in our gear from the road and camped atop the hang glider slab, as usual.
Saturday morning bright and early we went down to the practice slabs (climber's left of the descent trail) and took turns leading / following the bolted 5.7 routes. Mike led some 5.8 routes, but I wasn't feeling up to that level yet -- the last time I led a 5.8 was in August 2007, a couple of weeks before my accident but I followed ok.
Mike decided to lead the leftmost route on the slab, Taking a Bath With Strangers (5.8+) and I was surprised to see he had packed in a Batman cape & mask just for the occasion. Dammit, I'd forgotten to bring my camera down from camp ! He had led it several times before though, and though I thought he might trip on his cape, it went uneventfully.
From there we decided to head down to Elephant Walk (5.7), which I'd led before. I led the first pitch, which felt good. Mike followed and checked my gear, and then we rapped off.
Mike also wanted to lead Silly Wizard (5.8) which goes up to the Elephant Walk anchors, and I followed him on that.. the pro was thin .. tiny nuts, micro-cams and friction ! He also led the 5.8 right side finger crack variation of Elephant Walk's first pitch. We decided to call it a day.
Sunday dawned clear and a bit warmer.
We warmed up on the practice slabs again. I got the wild hair to lead one of the 5.8's. I took a lead slip clipping the first bolt, and then a fall after clipping it. I had some practice running backwards ! Maybe I'm not quite back up to leading 5.8's yet ..
I finished the route though (it was mostly 5.7 after the first bolt).
Mike led a 5.8 after that and we headed up to a slab above to see if he was up for settling an old score with a 5.8 he'd backed off before .. not today apparently :)
From there we headed over to Falling Star and I led the first 5.7 pitch. It felt good to lead this one again. The finger crack took offset nuts like a dream, and the little roof was eminently doable for me.
Mike led the first pitch of Knocking on Heaven's Door (5.8) which was good but reminded me I am not quite ready to lead 5.8's again yet.
We finished up by swapping leads on the classic Tollhouse Traverse, following the 5.7 friction variation to the top of the dome, for four full pitches. We topped out just as the sun was setting.
Good times with friends .. for me, that's what climbing is all about.
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Tork
climber
Yosemite
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Nov 24, 2008 - 11:35am PT
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Welcome back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Keep at it
Jeff
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micronut
Trad climber
fresno, ca
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Nov 24, 2008 - 11:37am PT
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Glad yall had a good time. Thats my home rock. Give me a holler if you are ever in the area again. Do you guys live close? Lets give it up for Tollhouse!
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micronut
Trad climber
fresno, ca
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Nov 24, 2008 - 11:41am PT
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She's not all that impressive, but still kinda pretty in the right light.
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rhyang
climber
SJC
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 24, 2008 - 12:01pm PT
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Micronut - that's a fine crag you have. We live in the south SF bay, and the drive is about the same as to Yosemite Valley.
A friend is recovering from breast cancer surgery and a hip replacement .. she is just getting back into climbing and I have been raving about the Tollhouse Traverse. I will shoot you a note the next time we are going to be around.
The very first outdoor technical (roped) rock climbing I did was at Tollhouse, on the practice slabs. Friction was the first kind of technique I learned really. I'm not good at it, but it's fun !
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Nov 24, 2008 - 12:05pm PT
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Well done rhyang.
Thanks for getting me out of the house!
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salad
climber
Escondido
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Nov 24, 2008 - 12:08pm PT
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good stuff!
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Nov 24, 2008 - 12:21pm PT
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Let me second Micronut's recommendation, and his offer. Tollhouse is a great place to spend time in the winter, and to practice friction techniques. I've been climbing there since 1970, and it was one of the reasons I chose to locate here.
John
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Gene
climber
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Nov 24, 2008 - 12:45pm PT
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Tollhouse = FUN
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rhyang
climber
SJC
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 24, 2008 - 05:45pm PT
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Thanks all !
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Mike Bolte
Trad climber
Planet Earth
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Nov 24, 2008 - 11:58pm PT
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Went to Tollhouse once and had a nice time.
Some 5.9 finger crack in a corner on the right side when facing the main rock:
More typical slab/friction on the main face somewhere:
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marty(r)
climber
beneath the valley of ultravegans
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Nov 25, 2008 - 12:36am PT
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Rhyang,
Nice meeting you down at Steve's plywood anti-christ and great to see you getting out at the crags. Hopefully we can climb some time.
Take care,
Marty
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enjoimx
Big Wall climber
SLO Cal
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Nov 25, 2008 - 01:47am PT
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I went there once and did Elephant walk and some other dirty 5.8
Conditions were Foggy
In fact, it got SO foggy at the end of the night, we got lost in the woods and couldnt find our way back to the car for about 2 hours. We even asked directions from a couple climbers who had a campfire, ended up doing a circle, and arriving back at their campfire...twice.
The boulder on the way out is KILLER!
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tiki-jer
climber
fresno/clovis
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Nov 25, 2008 - 09:48am PT
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Hey thats my home turf as well. Rhyang post up next time yer in town. Leave the Llama at home tho'.
Hey Micronut, how are you.
Mike B, that looks like Art Baker Memorial(1st photo).
Might be there this Thanksgiving weekend.
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Crimpergirl
Social climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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Nov 25, 2008 - 10:11am PT
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Awesome TR.
Hey Micronut, what's with all these photos of you climbing/hiking in the dark lately? Heh heh!
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climblight
Mountain climber
Northern NV
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Nov 25, 2008 - 11:18am PT
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Nice!
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rhyang
climber
SJC
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 25, 2008 - 07:58pm PT
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Thanks Doug, Marty and Crimpie ! Fresno locals, we will be in touch .. heading out the door to climb plastic with my friend and talk up the Traverse to her some more - she may need some encouragement in overcoming the approach :)
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rhyang
climber
SJC
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 26, 2009 - 02:08pm PT
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I and a climbing buddy Justin were up at Courtright Reservoir over the weekend. We got a morning's worth of climbing in on Saturday.
5.7 crack on the Tiger Cage
I'd wanted to lead this for a while, and this time I did
We tr'd the 5.9 and 5.10-something climbs to the left of it.
Justin got some practice with placing cams on the 5.7 crack and I critiqued his placements. He's new to the game, but seemed to be picking it up pretty quickly.
Around 1:30pm we packed up and headed back to the car, and the drizzle started in earnest. We wandered around Wishon Reservoir, then returned to camp. Overnight the rain intensified. By morning we decided to bail.
As we headed down 168 we had an idea .. Tollhouse Rock ! Couldn't hurt to go have a look.
The rock was dry and while the weather looked iffy we figured it couldn't be too bad..
I led a couple of 5.7 bolted routes on the Saturday Slab, or whatever that practice area is called. Then we headed over to Elephant Walk (5.7) and headed up.
I hadn't been on the upper pitches of this climb for about four years. It was fun friction climbing. I hadn't brought the topo with me, and I think I veered left over to the anchor for Falling Star (5.8). We looked up at where the Tollhouse Traverse (5.5) goes left.
Is the original FA mantel where the crack joins the corner ? Or do you go up a ways to where the bolts are and mantel near there ? I tried it the former way back in June and that didn't seem 5.5 to me -- the latter seems more like it would be doable in the x/c skis of the day :)
Anyhow, we headed up the 5.7 friction finish to the top, five pitches from the base with a 60m rope. As we started our walk back to the car around 3pm the rain started.
Timing is everything !
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Nefarius
Big Wall climber
Fresno
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Aug 26, 2009 - 03:06pm PT
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"Is the original FA mantel where the crack joins the corner ?"
Yes, this is the original finish for the Traverse. The move going over the dihedral is def 5.5, at best. Dead easy. Should be no problem for you, Rob.
I'd never done this finish, and had always used the .7 friction finish, until Blaine and I soloed the Traverse together last year. We soloed the mantel over the dihedral. No biggee. I still prefer the .7 friction finish, however. Although, if it's windy or something, I may start using the 5.5 mantel when soloing, rather than the .7 friction.
"Or do you go up a ways to where the bolts are and mantel near there ? I tried it the former way back in June and that didn't seem 5.5 to me -- the latter seems more like it would be doable in the x/c skis of the day :) "
This sounds like the finish to Elephant Walk. 5.7 friction up the slab past a few bolts, mantel over the dihedral, where it rounds ove a bit, to a bolted anchor that has quick links on it. From there, walk-off to the digger pine up above.
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rhyang
climber
SJC
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 26, 2009 - 03:12pm PT
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Damn. Well, now I have to go back and figure out what I'm doing wrong :)
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