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Trad
Trad climber
northern CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 8, 2010 - 01:08am PT
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Climbing withdrawal. Would've gone to Sugarloaf despite the marginal forecast but when I turned the key the car was dead.
So here's a Sugarloaf appreciation instead. Sugarloaf is my favorite Winter crag.
It's got cracks...
and face...
and burly liebacks...
and boa constrictors:
plus other interesting reptiles:
and then there are the chimneys & offwidths:
Did I mention the chimneys?
And the world's first 5.13!
Nothing beats topping out on a balmy winter afternoon...
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Crimpergirl
Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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Ha! I thought this was going to show Brazilian climbing! Where is this sugarloaf? It's beautiful (well, except the off widths) :)
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msiddens
Trad climber
Mountain View
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Thanks for the post...love that place and might need to make a trip sooner than later. Snowshoe time
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JOEY.F
Social climber
sebastopol
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Never been,
looks awesome!
Thank you!
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aaronfm
Trad climber
BA
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The "self-abuse" picture is awesome. A man-eating squeeze. What's that rated?
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Mike Bolte
Trad climber
Planet Earth
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Outstanding! Thanks!
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Evdawg
Trad climber
Sacramento/S. Tahoe
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Which route is the one before Grande Illusion?
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Trad
Trad climber
northern CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 8, 2010 - 01:57am PT
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Where is this sugarloaf?
Pardon my parochialism. Sugarloaf is near Lake Tahoe and is in a few climbing guides, including one published by some company - forget the name - that even has a website and online climber's forum! (Joking, of course - it's in the South Tahoe guide or check the beta page.)
The "self-abuse" picture is awesome. A man-eating squeeze. What's that rated?
It's 'only' .10b and is remarkably protectable - lots of smaller-sized placements available in the back.
Which route is the one before Grande Illusion?
You mean how to get up to the base? There's lots of options - Scheister, Farley, Fracture, Dominion, Captain Fingers, to name a few (check out Mic's Grand Illusion TR, too).
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Willoughby
Social climber
Truckee, CA
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Hmmmmnnnnnn....
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enjoimx
Big Wall climber
SLO Cal
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The Fracture!! Love that route
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waulrat
Big Wall climber
Santa Rosa, CA
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aww yes... Sugarloaf, great place for a winter day! Waist deep snow at Lovers Leap and shorts and t-shirt just down the road at Sugarloaf, gotta love it.
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Ghoulwe
Trad climber
Spokane, WA
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Thanks for posting the photos Trad and Willoughby. I used to spend a lot of time there back in my Sacramento days. Phantom Spires too. Love that area!
Eric Barrett
Spokane, WA
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skychild
Trad climber
Birmingham, Alabama
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The loaf is a good spot... although the number of climbs at any particular level of difficulty is very limited. The rock quality is top notch but there aren't really that many true splitter cracks... most of the climbs follow nice corners but offer little in the way of straight-in jamming. I recently got a tour of another area close to Tahoe, called Woodfords Canyon. The rock while not nearlly as compact and clean as Sugarloaf offers WAY more climbing. The winter side of the road has more than 130 pitches of excellent crack climbing. The Loaf is good and deserves recognition, but it doesn't compare to The Woodfords when it comes to sheer volume and diversity. Just Sayin' Don
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ct
climber
CO
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A great winter crag, such beautiful granite!
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Tattooed 1
Trad climber
Sebastopol, Ca
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Sugarloaf is an Awesome winter crag. It's always nice up there than you expect it to be. There may not be a huge number of climbs at any particular grade but they are almost all great climbs.
Tim
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skychild
Trad climber
Birmingham, Alabama
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I agree that all the climbs are excellent, but really how many times can you climb the Fracture or dominion or farley or Pony expree until you get sick of doing the same old thing each weekend? Do yourself a favor and download the woodfords obscurity Pdf file. There is some supplementary info on Moutain project if you run out of stuff to do from the old guide. Repeats are cool, but onsighting is the real deal. Don Burn rock burn, thanks for the photos D.
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Trad
Trad climber
northern CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 8, 2010 - 09:38pm PT
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Shoot, that's right - I wanted to climb at Woodford's this winter! (Well, there's a few weeks left so it might still happen...)
Glad to see someone posted a picture of Pony Express. I never get tired of that first pitch, but the second pitch is fun too.
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Mic
climber
Davis, CA
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Oh no, the black wagon is dead?
Is the next trip going to be in a new Subaru?
Tom, we should go to Woodfords sometime, but in the meantime, back to appreciating Sugarloaf. Maybe we could do a marathon day sometime when the daylight is long, but the temperature isn't too high.
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Srbphoto
Trad climber
Kennewick wa
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Is this Pony Express? We went up, thought it looked moderate and took off. We didn't have a guidebook.
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leonardo
climber
davis, CA
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Tom
I was there on Sunday with Raffy. We also tried to call you...
We wasted two-three hour on Captain Finger, trying the movements on TR: a good way to keep the Ego under control...
Overall it was a great day...
Some "old" pictures..
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ontheedgeandscaredtodeath
Trad climber
San Francisco, Ca
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I've only ever spent one day there...
Butt shot of me on Dominion:
Harding's Chimney:
Pony Express:
Veiw from the top:
These are from last summer. Beers in the truck were about 150 degrees when we got back. Also, rattle snakes were out in force! Fun place.
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Tattooed 1
Trad climber
Sebastopol, Ca
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Here is Taurus 11b. It will be my favorite when I get it clean on lead. So close last time.
Tim
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Zander
Trad climber
Berkeley
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Trad,
Are those my feet on Self Abuse? I know you guys were standing at the base. Then it got dark and I finished by headlamp.
I love Sugarloaf. I learned to climb there. Woo Hoo!
Zander
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le_bruce
climber
Oakland: what's not to love?
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Taurus - great route, hard to climb; I fell this day and haven't been back yet.
Perfect hybrid alien at Fracture's crux. Who says they were made strictly for front range and pin scar climbing?
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Mark Hudon
Trad climber
Hood River, OR
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I have so many great memories of climbing at Sugarloaf.
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Trad
Trad climber
northern CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 9, 2010 - 10:08pm PT
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Are those my feet on Self Abuse? I know you guys were standing at the base.
Actually (ahem) those are MY white-socked feet from the one time I led it. It would've been an onsight flash, too, except that I fell 3 or 4 times grovelling through the crux and climbed it a couple times previously on toprope. (details...)
I did manage to find a picture of you and Bob from that day, though. It might even be from your camera because it was in a folder called "ZanderPics".
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Kupandamingi
Trad climber
Berkeley
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How many times can you have fun doing the same old routes? Many my friend...many. Bryce you still haven't got that thing? We better head up soon.
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North
climber
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Greg,
Was up there today. Good stuff. Looks like someone put two bolts in the traverse of Grand Delusion. Or maybe they've always been there and I just never noticed???
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Mark Hudon
Trad climber
Hood River, OR
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Max working on Hooker's Haven the day we freed it.
The gear was all placed on aid and was all pitons. We were doing the crux off a stack of a Lost Arrow and a knifeblade. We called it 5.12a back then. I don't know what it's rated nowadays but I hear it's been retrobolted.
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oldcragster
Gym climber
WA
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Mar 10, 2010 - 12:00am PT
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Trad, thanks for the thread. Seeing these photos certainly brings back many memories for me. I was one, admittedly, who never tired of any of the routes. Have probably climbed Pony Express at least 60-70 times and enjoyed every effort. The first guide to Sugarloaf appeared in a very early issue of CLIMBING, maybe 1969? I wrote it, at the request of Bob Grow, and the photos were taken by a photographer friend - not a climber. Climbers like Warren Harding, John Orenschall, Steve Roper and others were the first there, going back to the fifties. My first climb, the East Chimney, was in April 1967. In the late 60's when I climbed a lot there, it was rare to see other climbers. My wife Cindy and I met climbing there with different partners in 1988. Sugarloaf is very special for many of us. It was one of the first places that I climbed with my first climbing partner, Bill Stall [who died a year ago]. As novices, we had some wonderful adventures on the rock. Harding's Chimney was particularly challenging for us at the time and one certainly couldn't afford to fall on it. We were tying into 1" nylon wrapped several times around the waist, wearing knickers, mountaineering boots, and using pitons only. I have few photos of the place, so really appreciate seeing the pictures. Thanks everyone.
Gene Drake
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Mark Hudon
Trad climber
Hood River, OR
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Mar 10, 2010 - 12:10am PT
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Gene,
How's it going? I hear life has been tough lately.
Mark
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oldcragster
Gym climber
WA
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Mar 10, 2010 - 12:24am PT
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Hi Mark, I'm living vicariously through your posts here. I'm doing OK. GD
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mugalug
Trad climber
elk grove, ca
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Mar 10, 2010 - 12:44am PT
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great pics! fingerlock, fracture, taurus, self abuse, tm's, hyperspace, pony x. what great cracks.
definately bummed the last couple of times at the number of bolts and the number of people.
if you bolt it, they shall come :(
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Kupandamingi
Trad climber
Berkeley
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Mar 10, 2010 - 12:56am PT
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With a few notable exceptions the recent and excessive bolting has produced little in the way of good climbing. Some retro-bolted stuff like Blue Velvet were tamed for the masses and resulted - for better or worse - in a great climb being climbed far more often. I'm sure Hooker's Haven doesn't see much traffic even with the added bolts (great shot of the first ascentionists Mark).
The true blight are the hordes of new marginal routes added on outlying boulders such as those up around the left side from self-abuse on mid-way rock....slab routes cleaned aggressively to create crimps (and climbs). I suppose there is an argument to be made that those areas weren't getting climbed without the bolts, but that seems an even weaker argument than the one for retro-bolting Blue Velvet to me.
I hate to drag this appreciation thread down into a bolting debate, but mention it in response to the prior post and the lack of appreciate (beyond self-appreciation)associated with the recent bolting trend
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mcreel
climber
Barcelona
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Mar 10, 2010 - 04:21am PT
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Sugarloaf was the site of my first date with my wife, about 23 years ago. We were going to have a conventional date, but I was headed up to the Loaf beforehand. I invited her along, and she was happy to get out of Davis. That was the day I first led Taurus, and my partner claimed it was because I was trying to impress Montse. Maybe. Later on we went around and set a toprope on Pony Express so she could have a try. She could hardly get off the ground. I was thinking "oh oh, this doesn't look too promising!". Not too long after, she was leading Fingerlocks and the Fracture.
At some point later on, I had been working on Beast of Burden. On a redpoint attempt, she was belaying me. I made it through the crux, and was on my way to the anchor, when a foot popped. I hung on, though, but... oh shit! the rope came tight and pulled me off! She thought I was going to fall, so she reeled me in. Very amusing.
Lots of good times there. On two separate occasions partners lost their wedding rings, but they were found.
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Branscomb
Trad climber
Lander, WY
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Mar 10, 2010 - 10:42am PT
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I spent a lot of time there when I lived in Placerville. Loved it a lot and learned a lot. Thanks for the pictures, brought back some good memories.
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Norwegian
Trad climber
Placerville, California
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Mar 10, 2010 - 10:59am PT
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what about this testy little 5.9
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Trad
Trad climber
northern CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 10, 2010 - 10:02pm PT
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Fang! Well that certainly brings back the memories. Very first route I ever climbed at Sugarloaf. Only 5.9 - how hard can it be? I got first shot at the lead but chickened out and backed off, so my partner went for it but slipped and gashed her calf open on the sharp rocks at the base of the finger crack. Looked like a trip to emergency for stiches.
No way, she says. She patched it with climber's tape and kleenex, and insisted on climbing for the rest of the day despite risking her promising career as a leg model.
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oldcragster
Gym climber
WA
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Mar 10, 2010 - 10:15pm PT
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That's a great shot of 'Hooker's' roof too! Compare the photo of Max Jones starting the problem. Try as I might, I never did succeed on 'Hooker's' but did 'the Fang' with a couple points of aid first few times. Remember being impressed when Jim Orey made FA....long time ago. Great start pitch to Harding's Chimney.
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franky
Trad climber
Bishop, CA
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Mar 10, 2010 - 10:26pm PT
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Ahhhhhh man! no sugar loaf for me. Hey Tom, I'm going to be in the valley in April if you want a partner for something! (might make a trip to Utah in there, don't know yet)
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Norwegian
Trad climber
Placerville, California
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Mar 11, 2010 - 10:31am PT
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my daughter leading unprotected slab to her first summit.
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tarek
climber
berkeley
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Mar 11, 2010 - 12:03pm PT
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bump
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Darryl Cramer
Social climber
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Mar 11, 2010 - 12:03pm PT
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Gene –
I am sure you won’t remember this but about 1982 or so on my first trip to Donner – cold and stormy October - I forgot my climbing shoes so a friend and I decided to go nail Bliss of the Knife – all we had was the old Beck guide. I had a load of iron over my shoulder and you walked up and informed us that the route was now free. I told you about my shoe situation and asked if there were any nailable aid routes around. You suggested free climbing might be a better bet and pointed us to some TR routes. Later in he day your partner left and you took my friend and I on a quick tour of the area and gave us a copy of your photocopy guide. We ended up being so psyched for the area that we drove down from Arcata every weekend until winter really hit. We never ran into you again but 26 years later thanks for the guide!
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oldcragster
Gym climber
WA
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Mar 11, 2010 - 03:53pm PT
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Darryl, actually I do sort of remember...probably because hardly anyone ever tried that route. "Your welcome" and thanks for jogging my memory. Hope you made it to Sugarloaf too! Gene
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Darryl Cramer
Social climber
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Mar 11, 2010 - 04:23pm PT
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Yep made it to Sugarloaf many times! I am surprised no one has mentioned the last pitch of Farley...runout, exposed but fairly moderate face climbing with some exposure!
By the way it looks like we are both in Washington now.
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Petch
Gym climber
knapsack crack
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Mar 11, 2010 - 05:35pm PT
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had the place to myself today. the descent still had a few inches of snow on it which wasn't to pleasant in slippers and shorts. there is a loose block on sheister about twenty feet after the squeeze. it's super close to coming down. i would have sent it but billy the dog was right under me.
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tom woods
Gym climber
Bishop, CA
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Mar 11, 2010 - 05:47pm PT
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Is schiester the one that used to be protected by a shoe string tied through an RURP?
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oldcragster
Gym climber
WA
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Mar 11, 2010 - 08:53pm PT
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Darryl, glad you brought that up. Jim Orey was the one who encouraged me to climb that upper wall for a fitting finish to Farley. First time I led it I thought it a bit crazy, but with more experience and sticky rubber it was a classic, providing one didn't fall. I was born in Longview WA and spent my early youth in Seattle area. Now we are in Port Angeles, a long way from our favorite climbing areas...so again...love these pictures. Ron, I'm glad to see you are still active both in writing about your passion and no doubt still getting out there. GD
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Trad
Trad climber
northern CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 11, 2010 - 11:29pm PT
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Did somebody mention the last pitch of Farley? I found a couple pictures:
The second pitch of Farley is fun, too.
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caughtinside
Social climber
Davis, CA
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Mar 12, 2010 - 01:18pm PT
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nice going trad! Love the loaf! That third pitch of farley looks, eh, sporty!
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Charlie D.
Trad climber
Western Slope, Tahoe Sierra
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Mar 12, 2010 - 03:08pm PT
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My first adventure at Sugarloaf was with the prankster (late) Jon Bowlin who told us we needed to rap off. Asking why we wouldn’t simply walk off toward the north he went into a very convincing description of lose blocks in a wet chimney that couldn’t be avoided on the descent. Somewhat skeptical we tied two ropes together and headed over the bun of the Fracture Roof (now the Grand Illusion) off of the ¼ inchers of the day. We went to pull the ropes down and much to our dismay they were hopelessly stuck and it was getting dark. All three of us walked out toward the extreme edge of the ledge and hung by our dead weight which slowly began to pull down against the friction. The melted ropes were retired and to this day on each return I burst out laughing. Many fond memories there and good to hear from Gene who I must of met there or at the Spires BITD.
Berg Heil,
Charlie D.
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Charlie D.
Trad climber
Western Slope, Tahoe Sierra
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Mar 12, 2010 - 05:57pm PT
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BTW Ron, same time frame we climbed up to the Fracture ledge and found a small yellow note stuffed in the crack with basically the same message, "the roof goes free". It contained a joint that my buddy Roy Baker quickly fired up, both of them are now long gone. I miss my buddies and love Sugarloaf, the place for me is haunted.
Charlie D.
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Salamanizer
Trad climber
The land of Fruits & Nuts!
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Mar 12, 2010 - 09:57pm PT
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Oldcragster, is the bolt on the last pitch of Farley original? Or was it placed later. Being that you did the F.A. I figure you'd know.
It's in need of a little refurbishing.
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oldcragster
Gym climber
WA
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Mar 12, 2010 - 10:52pm PT
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Just pulled out the 'Sumner guide' to check on the last pitch of Farley. It describes the pitch, never mentioning a bolt. I wrote in the guide that Jim Orey did that pitch, first ascent in 1971. I didn't do the first ascent. Can't remember when the bolt 'went in' or by who, but I think I convinced Jim that it was a good thing. Too long ago to be sure. Wonder if anyone has ever fallen on it. I hope not! Gene
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oldcragster
Gym climber
WA
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Mar 12, 2010 - 11:29pm PT
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Salamanizer, I just looked at Christine's '87 guide and she gives credit to Jim Orey for first ascent of that pitch also. Maybe someone will replace it, if it needs to be upgraded.
Charlie D., we may know each other because you mention Jon Bowlin, an old buddy also. May of '77, Jon and his family and Jim Day come to the Valley to climb for a week. They have one of those tent-camper units. I was hanging out so I came by every day to see how they were. It rained every day...the whole week, as I remember. I don't think they ever got to climb. Really felt bad for them. Jon was a great guy, and I'm glad to have known him. Always wondered how his family made out. Years later I was climbing/belaying on Short Subject (School Rock, Donner) when someone yells up, "Hey Gene". Turned out to be Jim Day with his family hiking the PCT. Last time I saw him. Those two plus Jim Orey did FA of 'Kangaroo' on Flagpole Peak (Echo Lake), just up the canyon from Sugarloaf. I repeated it because they raved about it, but only once.
If you like that last pitch of Farley, you'll probably like 'Lurch'. I remember it being challenging for 5.8, though not as exposed. Does anyone do that climb? Hicks couldn't come up with a name for the route so since his nickname was 'lurch'......He was about 16 when he did that climb.
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Salamanizer
Trad climber
The land of Fruits & Nuts!
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Mar 13, 2010 - 12:03am PT
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Thanks Gene! I was going to replace the bolt but wanted to make sure it was or wasn't original before using donated ASCA gear to do so.
Loving your stories, you undoubtedly know some juicy little tidbits of forgotten history about the Tahoe area. Keep the stories coming and maybe we can dig something up. Either way, they're a good read.
Speaking of Lurch, I just climbed that route last week. It had a smidgen of chalk on it so I suspect it sees a fair bit of traffic.
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Trad
Trad climber
northern CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 13, 2010 - 01:20am PT
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Hey Salamanizer, I'm pretty sure that's you (or maybe your partner) silhouetted against the sky in the second picture of the first post. I recall running into you guys earlier in the day, maybe starting up Hooker's Haven? (Date on the photo is Feb. 2009)
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Salamanizer
Trad climber
The land of Fruits & Nuts!
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Mar 13, 2010 - 01:28am PT
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Trad... Cool!!!
My notes say I climbed Hookers for the first time in April 09 but climbed both Bolee gold and Gost in the Machine in Feb 09. Looks like Bolee Gold.
By the way, when are we gonna get out together and do some climbing???
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dcaunt
Trad climber
Chico, CA
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Mar 14, 2010 - 01:40am PT
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Me and the Chico gang use to climb Sugarloaf in the early eighties, great place to go when the weather is too cold in the mountains. One trip we bumped into Bachar and he was doing the Grand Illusion. Lucky for me I had my camera, what an awesome climb!
Bachar on Grand Illusion
Rob Settlemeyer leading Taurus
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skychild
Trad climber
Birmingham, Alabama
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Mar 14, 2010 - 01:56am PT
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S-mizer why don't you do what comes natural and remove all the recent bolted routes on the totally lame boulders on the way to the "rrrrreal" climbing. The climbing up there is good but not worth 60 + responses, maybe it's just close to a highly populated area. There's good climbs up there but come on. Just sayin' Don Actually the climbing is excellent. But Amphibians still suck. You'll never find me S-Mizer I actually get after it and don't need notes to remind me what I "sent". Good job on hookers Haven?
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Salamanizer
Trad climber
The land of Fruits & Nuts!
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Mar 14, 2010 - 04:18am PT
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Skychild, your extremely lame remarks and witless, negative demeanor throughout all your posts are an obvious indication to your weak character, lack of intelligence and overall low self esteem.
Must you be a total dick in every post you make? Do you really need to fluff up your already inflated ego that much??
Lets try this; How about you give us your full name Don? That way everyone will know exactly who we're talking too. You see, you might just have to back up your big mouth when someone runs into you out in the real world, which just might cause you to be a little more courteous and cautious with what you say in the future.
My guess is you don't have the balls, or are you just simply a Troll?
Here, I'll go first. Hi, my name is Chad Suchoski. Some of you may better know me as Salamanizer. Ya see, that wasn't so hard. Now I have to back up what I say to people when I meet them out on the stone. See ya out there Donnie.
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Norwegian
Trad climber
Placerville, California
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Mar 14, 2010 - 10:02am PT
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a winter outing on sheister.
(loose block is still there above chimney. tread lightly)
the loose block.
view from the drivers seat.
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Mar 14, 2010 - 10:28am PT
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I always recall Sugarloaf with affection; it was my first climbing outing without an adult. We began to go up there before we even had drivers licenses. We would take the Greyhound and get off at Kyburz. This was beginning in 1964. We never ever saw any other climbers there although I guess Ken Edsburg and Davidson had been up there a little and soon RR too. One time, Greyhound had somehow lost our luggage and we had to sleep in newspapers in the forest for that night, waiting all the next day for it to finally arrive.
As everyone says the rock is superb but maybe not mentioned above is how you can dry camp up there on the saddle without any problems with heaps of other people and machinery. A big relief. And you can keep the beat going by just going up-canyon to Phantom Spires, the Leap, Emerald Bay, and of course Woodfords a bit further. Great places.
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Mark Hudon
Trad climber
Hood River, OR
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Mar 14, 2010 - 12:19pm PT
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Max on The Fracture Roof before it was Grand Illusion.
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FTOR
Sport climber
CA
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Mar 14, 2010 - 06:18pm PT
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had my first experience with roped climbing at sugarloaf too. sans nuts, just pins and hammer. remember looking up at farley, that i think tm put up, in disbelief that someone could hang in there placing bongs for pro on the lead. spent many fine days up there over the years, good times. feel sorry for those not having a chance to climb up there before the fire took out most of the forest, haven't been up there myself, but it just doesn't look the same. hi all-rob
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oldcragster
Gym climber
WA
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Mar 14, 2010 - 10:02pm PT
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nice shots of Scheister's flared chimney. Reminded of story. The pitch above has that lieback that gets easier after a bit. Jim Hicks was leading the lieback section. I'm guessing it was '69, because we only had pitons. I wanted to get a picture, so I moved the belay way over left to the ledge atop Harding's Chimney. The belay was a hip belay. So I have one hand on the rope and the other holding the camera, when Jim falls. He had one piton in. The rope to me acted like a trip wire; he instantly inverted with gear rack over shoulder almost coming off his body. I managed to stop him one-handed. His head was only a few feet above the normal belay ledge. It went from a terror-filled instant to us laughing our heads off, as he quickly righted himself. It was then that we realized the seriousness our folly. Had the pin pulled, he probably would have hit the ledge headfirst, then falling down the chimney below for a ways, and if I had lost control of the rope.....I don't want think of the outcome. We rallied, moved the belay to normal spot, added another piton, and up he went with no further delays. Don't remember ever being on a route at Sugarloaf in the snow.
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skychild
Trad climber
Birmingham, Alabama
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Mar 15, 2010 - 09:21pm PT
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I edited my recent entry but the jist of it remains the same. Peace Pot Microdot, Don
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msiddens
Trad climber
Mountain View
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Mar 16, 2010 - 02:44pm PT
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Hmm, I felt that the responses ARE an indication of the overall quality of the climbs and the area. Tahoe has plenty of good stone and areas. This is another one of them.
Of course...it's all a matter of personal preference and it's up to the climber. That being said, I don't bag on the group that would rather climb boulders that routes or in the gym rather than outside.
Sal, you are right on the mark.
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Ricardo Cabeza
climber
All Over.
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Mar 16, 2010 - 03:06pm PT
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This may sound lame, but Hardings Chimney scared the crap out of me!
Pulling into the chimney and seeing the manky piton as my only pro ( I had no big gear) was scary and cool!
Old skool 5.7.
The pitch into the chimney was fun as well, all passive pro.
My GF (at the time) saw some folks she knew around the corner and they were heckling me for using hexes. Whatever, those hexes were bomber!
I may not be old, but climbing old school routes on old school gear is really fun!
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Norwegian
Trad climber
Placerville, California
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Mar 16, 2010 - 03:41pm PT
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ricardo, check out the hex placement on farley!
what i was thinking?
the fracture.
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tom woods
Gym climber
Bishop, CA
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Mar 16, 2010 - 03:49pm PT
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That's the move step on the knob then pull a fingerlock to your thigh and reach the next perfect lock.
it's been ten years, but that crack is classic.
Anybody know if Bachar sent the grand illusion? It looks so good it's not funny.
I'm really liking the pics of grand illusion.
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Trad
Trad climber
northern CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 16, 2010 - 09:31pm PT
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Here's a picture from a couple months ago. Not the greatest shot but if you look close you can see someone trying to free Grand Illusion up there.
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caughtinside
Social climber
Davis, CA
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Mar 17, 2010 - 07:04pm PT
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Crushed Velvet, tuesday at the Loaf. Great route!
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Kupandamingi
Trad climber
Berkeley
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Mar 17, 2010 - 10:34pm PT
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Dave,
nice picture. sorry I wasn't able to join you guys up there today, I've always wanted to get on that route. I heard the day was 'eventful'.
Greg
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Charlie D.
Trad climber
Western Slope, Tahoe Sierra
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Mar 18, 2010 - 12:48am PT
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oldcragster, Yes indeed we likely met BITD, I do remember Jim Day, did you climb with Urmas?
Trad, Chances are that's Paul Crawford on Grand Illusion he was working it a couple months ago making the old school boys proud!
t*r, Your friend I held in my arms as a baby, I was a good friend of Jon's and their mother's. It would be my pleasure to meet him or her. I have fond memories of their dad and the many days at Tahquitz & Suicide, in the Sierra and here climbing, skiing and just hanging out that I'd be happy to share. I also have many photos of our adventures together, he was a great guy who profoundly affected my life, send me a pm if he, she or they are interested.
Supertopo, thanks for helping connect the dots.....such magic, berg heil.
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caughtinside
Social climber
Davis, CA
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Mar 18, 2010 - 01:02am PT
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Hey Greg! Yeah, it was a productive and eventful day for us at the loaf, sorry you couldn't make it. Lots of stuff went down, sometimes stuff went down head first, yikes!
Love the Loaf!
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TLloyd-Davies
Trad climber
Santa Clara, ca
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Mar 18, 2010 - 04:12am PT
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Wow Sugarloaf, my first ever lead during a mutli-pitch. This place, although I rarely think of it up there with a lot of my other firsts (first climb, first lead, first 5.10 etc.), really holds a special place for me.
We did Bolee's Gold (5.10c ish).
Man, after going through the exposure of those first 5.10 pitches, belaying at a hanging belay for the first time, in like 20mph winter winds, flipping out, expecting my partner to fall at any point (he hyped me up so much that he would, I was uber aware), I swore off climbing forever.
Oh, and then I had the pleasure of leading what they call 5.8-5.7 R-ish. My first lead way off the ground, slinging the occasional knob, running sh#t out like I knew what I was doing. Looking back I can't believe I climbed again.
But getting to the top of my pitches, still being alive, hot damn that was one of the best experiences of my life. We finished up another climb to head to the actual summit, and honestly thus, on that summit, began the obsession.
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KitKat
Trad climber
South Lake Tahoe
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Mar 18, 2010 - 04:51pm PT
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Climbed at Sugarbun yesterday! Gotta love Fingerlocker! SPLITTER!
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drunkenmaster
Social climber
santa rosa
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Mar 18, 2010 - 07:27pm PT
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i had some great times at sugarloaf as well. fracture, farley, pony express, fingerlock and how about make that move now baby - all so good!
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Willoughby
Social climber
Truckee, CA
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Nov 12, 2010 - 02:59am PT
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W-I-D-E BUMP!!!!
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Nov 12, 2010 - 03:46am PT
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hey there say, willoughby... wow, thanks for the neat bump... neat share...
hmmm, missed this... last year, this time, i was busy helping a neighbor, so i only peeked in fast... i think...
neat shares, everyone...
:)
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Stewart Johnson
climber
yo mama
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Nov 12, 2010 - 09:45am PT
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fat merchants crack... anyone?
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franky
Trad climber
Ford Pickup Truck, North America
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Nov 12, 2010 - 12:49pm PT
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Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh TAHOE GRANITE!!!
I miss it!!!!!!!!!
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Stonewalker
Big Wall climber
Smartsville, Ca
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Nov 12, 2010 - 02:24pm PT
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I'm going tomorrow!!!
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213
climber
Where the Froude number often >> 1
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Jan 30, 2011 - 04:58pm PT
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How I heart sugarloaf, let me count the ways!
Seas of knobs
Nice light on rocks and trees is always a nice end to the day
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Mark Hudon
Trad climber
Hood River, OR
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Jan 30, 2011 - 05:12pm PT
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I asked Tony to leave me a note when he finally free climbed Grand Illusion.
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Knave
Trad climber
State of Jefferson
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Jan 30, 2011 - 06:33pm PT
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Zander
Trad climber
Berkeley
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The Fang turned out to be harder than I thought it would be a couple weeks ago. I guess that's not a surprise!
A couple pics.
Z
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drunkenmaster
Social climber
santa rosa
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some of the best cracks ive ever done are there - i love it!
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213
climber
Where the Froude number often >> 1
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Apr 18, 2011 - 03:24pm PT
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Self Abuse Lizard sighting!!!!
We had to provoke him to migrate to wider domains so that the starting wet finger cracks could be navigated without testing the alligator biting mechanism. That is a fun climb btw
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Footloose
Trad climber
Lake Tahoe
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Apr 18, 2011 - 05:12pm PT
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1980. Nice, Ron. That's you there?
P.S.
That's a great lovemaking site by the way. If
you just happen to be in good company, that is,
with the one you love. ;)
We christened that spot 20 years after
your pic there: 2000-1980=20. Good times.
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drunkenmaster
Social climber
santa rosa
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Apr 19, 2011 - 12:00am PT
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love that song but forgot/never knew the band was called Sugarloaf! nice :)
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drunkenmaster
Social climber
santa rosa
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Apr 19, 2011 - 12:15am PT
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I love the loaf!
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Norwegian
Trad climber
Pollock Pines, California
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Feb 17, 2013 - 06:42pm PT
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feliz a.
may the stone inspire us further.
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mcreel
climber
Barcelona
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What's the name of the route Norwegian is on, before the Fracture? The one with the knob tie-offs and the horizontal up near the top. I remember that one being quite fun.
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Norwegian
Trad climber
dancin on the tip of god's middle finger
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that's the stone.
a steve miller route.
gobs of good time, on that one
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Norwegian
Trad climber
dancin on the tip of god's middle finger
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mcreel
climber
Barcelona
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Thanks! I couldn't remember, even though I must have climbed it at least 10 times.
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Jimbo7
Trad climber
Pocatello, Idaho
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Sep 14, 2014 - 06:43pm PT
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I do remember starting up Taurus in the winter in the late 1960s, when the ice came crashing down and my belay man was tied off to a tree at the bottom. All said and done, my partner was able to move around to the downhill side of the tree and the snow/ice at base was about three feet deeper. No injuries, just good stories and a good climb. Fond memories of my climbs at Sugarloaf.
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