South Face of Half Dome

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sling512

Trad climber
Chicago
Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 8, 2006 - 10:46am PT
I'm having some trouble finding any route info on the South Face of Half Dome. I know it's famously devoid of anything, but there MUST be some climbable routes. I read John M's rescue story from up there, but no mention of actually finishing the route. He talks about some good free climbing potential but has anyone done anything?
Levy

Big Wall climber
So Calif
Mar 8, 2006 - 11:19am PT
Southern Belle is a free route that begins just right of the Harding South face route, crosses into it midway and finishes to the left of it up high. It is unrepeated despite strong attempts by Alan Lester & Hank Caylor(who took a 70' fall which broke his leg). Hank declared it scarier than the Bachar Yerian!

Eric Kohl also did a solo route called Lost Again, VI A3+. It is a couple hundred feet to the left of the Harding route & might be unrepeated. The Harding route has had a few repeats and has aging fixed anchors.

Levy
sling512

Trad climber
Chicago
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 8, 2006 - 11:23am PT
Seems ripe for some adventure climbing then!
BASE104

climber
An Oil Field
Mar 8, 2006 - 11:31am PT
Someone should girdle traverse Half Dome like skinning an apple, in a spiral. Go all the way and drop down a few hundred feet each time. It is so overhung between Tis Sa Ack and Bushido that there would have to be a lot of nailing. You could stay up there for months.
healyje

Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
Mar 8, 2006 - 02:10pm PT
The possibilities are endless...

Wings of Peel

Wings of Speil

Wings of Squeal

Wings of Steal

Wings of Wheels

Wingers of Steel

High Rollers

Hooks Of Squeal

Hunt And Pecker

Iron Tap Dancers

Rock and Roll

Slab Dancers

Slab o' Fools

Slab Of Dreams

Slabotage

Slow Hand Jack

Stain Of Effort
Wade Icey

Social climber
the EPC
Mar 8, 2006 - 02:35pm PT
Karma- I. Monkey and Chicken Skinner. '80s. No second (?) Reid Guide
bringmeshelter

Social climber
la la land
Mar 8, 2006 - 02:44pm PT
Eric put up Lost Again when he was like 6! Mega proud if you ask me... youngest FA ever of a bigwall? HAHAHA
Ed Hartouni

Trad climber
Livermore, CA
Mar 8, 2006 - 03:31pm PT
oy, you guys never forget!
aldude

climber
Monument Manor
Mar 8, 2006 - 04:33pm PT
Forget El Cap the South Face of Half Dome is the future of Yosemite free climbing. Now I know why Klaus wants all that 1/4 in gear. Klaus , let's see a topo or photos of the Megashear - Proud
sling512

Trad climber
Chicago
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 8, 2006 - 04:49pm PT
I suggest setting up a 'Camp 5' at Lost Lake to facilite the fury of route that are bound to spring up!
ThomasKeefer

Trad climber
Monterey, CA
Mar 8, 2006 - 05:01pm PT
I have heard that the bears are pretty rampant there at the lake for those that are choosing to bivvy there. That seems to be fueled by the proximity to the camping at Little Yosemite Valley of the JMT and the less than suitable food storage tactics for those choosing to bivvy there prior to Snake Hike climbs.
Dirk

climber
Curry Village
Mar 8, 2006 - 08:10pm PT
There may now be some post-Harding anchors on SFHD, but don't expect three ASCA bolts at at station... or even one. The route has been repeated maybe 10 times to the best of my knowledge. While the Northwest Face has seen a girdle traverse the entire formation has yet to be circumnativated--a seemingly ideal task for Kohl, he could just continue to establish pitch after pitch of obscure A5 over multple laps.
Minerals

Social climber
The Deli
Mar 8, 2006 - 09:06pm PT
Here you go Al Dude… You should go bag the second with SG!

Topo drawn by Klaus.
Not sure where the rack list came from – C Mac?


This topo is part of the downloadable “Obscurities” here on this site. Check it out.

Yosemite Big Wall Obscurities:
http://www.supertopo.com/topos/yosemite/obscurities.pdf



Belay 6:
Photo by Andrew McGarry


There is a picture on pages 20 and 21 in the ’01 BD catalog and another picture (same pitch) in the ’03 Climbing Magazine Weekly Engagement Calendar… Photos by Andrew McGarry.



Ed, that wasn’t your fault – it’s a misprint in the ’93 Reid guide!
healyje

Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
Mar 8, 2006 - 09:12pm PT
Bryan,

I'm curious, given the terrain looks like pretty scant slabs for much of the way, how much drilling and hooking was used on that route if any?
TradIsGood

Trad climber
Gunks end of country
Mar 8, 2006 - 09:14pm PT
Awesome picture!
bringmeshelter

Social climber
la la land
Mar 8, 2006 - 09:15pm PT
Bryan, where is your beer?

Is the orange jug filled with liquor?
Ed Hartouni

Trad climber
Livermore, CA
Mar 9, 2006 - 12:27am PT
I should have at least checked it out on the Forum before posting... not hard to do. The mental image of a kindergarten aged klaus chugging an OE while putting up an A5 obscurity is somewhat amusing and not too far fetched.


bringmeshelter

Social climber
la la land
Mar 9, 2006 - 01:27am PT
I'm always on a beach in my mind... flying too
Minerals

Social climber
The Deli
Mar 9, 2006 - 01:39am PT
Nice, Klaus!

Joseph, the aid climbing is limited to pitches 3, 4, 11, and 12. Everything else goes free. But, that’s not to say that there isn’t any free climbing on the aid pitches… The upper part of pitch 3 and pitch 4 are basically rivet ladders, with a few hook moves. There are probably less than a half dozen hook moves on the entire route; there are no bat-hook holes. It’s pretty much a free route with a little bit of drilling and nailing to connect the free sections. There is also some nailing on some of the free pitches. I only led pitches 4, 11, 12, and the beginning of pitch 8. Klaus is the free climber.

Sorry Jake, the orange jug contains Gatorade with no extras. I’ve got a beer stashed somewhere in that pile of stuff, though…

Yeah, Mike. We had a lot of fun on that route.
bringmeshelter

Social climber
la la land
Mar 9, 2006 - 02:03am PT
Klaus was trying to create his triangle of sluts up there! Wait this belongs in coiler slander fest.
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