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climberweenie
Trad climber
San Jose, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Nov 27, 2005 - 05:36am PT
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not talking tired, hot, confusing, etc.
talking pant-loading, make you feel kinda woozy when you look at it type approaches.
note, this is mostly a self-aggrandizing setup to share some pics later when I remember how to upload them.
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aldude
climber
Monument Manor
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Nov 27, 2005 - 01:16pm PT
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N.W. face Clouds Rest - Chief Tenaya's curse for white men entering this canyon makes this approach tops on the bad juju list.
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WBraun
climber
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Nov 27, 2005 - 01:34pm PT
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There are actually many, factors such as knowledge of the art of approach. Is one using his/her intelligence correctly or is one just sheep from guide book descriptions.
Even a common simple approach can become scary to the unprepared and inexperienced.
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ThomasKeefer
Trad climber
Monterey, CA
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Nov 27, 2005 - 01:56pm PT
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Half dome slabs approach would probably be my vote.. 0ut of the approaches I have done.
Not that this was in the question but wierdest (maybe not scariest) descent is definitly Geronimo at Red Rocks.. a 5mm 'safety line' tied to a pebble at one end and a horn at the other to get you to the hole that you slither through to start the rap down.
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bringmedeath
climber
la la land
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Nov 27, 2005 - 02:07pm PT
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When I helped my friend carry stuff up to the base of 9 O Clock wall... that was bad! We went up this loose gully. It just lets loose big rocks. We thought someone had to have been up there... but no just nature running its course. Josh and I took turns going up this one part. I was hidin behing a boulder and all this rock was just flying down besides me. At least it forces you to move as fast as possible and make the approach seem short.
But everything I've done(not much) in the valley is pretty solid compared to the mountains. Places with glaciers are just dangerous to begin with. I did this one big talus slope and you sink up to your knees in the loose sand and rock. It is just really active in that it is still changin daily.
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Bruce Morris
Social climber
Belmont, California
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Nov 27, 2005 - 03:36pm PT
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Unroped approach to the top of the Dimitri B's "White Owl" to clean it from above in winter. 250 feet of wet munge plastered to a near vertical slab. Great views of the Owl Roof however and the valley of the giant (undone) cracks right next door.
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elcapfool
Big Wall climber
hiding in plain sight
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Nov 27, 2005 - 04:28pm PT
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The courthouse.
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James
Social climber
My Subconcious
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Nov 27, 2005 - 05:06pm PT
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One early Spring I hiked to the summit of Leaning Tower to be a subman for the day. We went up the Gunsight and then crossed Bridalveil Falls...half naked with big ass packs. I thought I was going to lose it and go over the edge...
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matty
Big Wall climber
Valencia, CA
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Nov 27, 2005 - 05:53pm PT
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Church Bowl Tree.
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Dog
climber
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Nov 27, 2005 - 08:39pm PT
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Leaning Tower with the pig strapped to your ass.
....without being clipped to the fixed line!
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Gunkie
climber
East Coast US
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Nov 27, 2005 - 09:15pm PT
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I'm with Dog, that LT approach is freaky for me even with fixed lines and with only a 25% full pig.
I always found the 3rd/4th class to the base of the Prow/SFWC scary too. That one I've done with a 100% pig a few times.
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Nov 27, 2005 - 10:06pm PT
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The time I went to Mt Watkins in full spring runoff and got swept 100 feet downstream, with whitecaps and a haulbag.
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dank
Trad climber
the pitch above you!
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Nov 27, 2005 - 11:20pm PT
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pine line
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aldude
climber
Monument Manor
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Nov 28, 2005 - 02:26am PT
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Jaybro - THE CURSE!
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JuanDeFuca
Big Wall climber
Northern Mexico
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Nov 28, 2005 - 03:47am PT
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Getting on the Steck-Salathe?
Getting to the start of the Nose?
Juanito
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Nov 28, 2005 - 05:41am PT
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The Steck-Salathe approach is pretty exciting...
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Wholly Mammoth
Social climber
The question is: where do I want to be?
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Nov 28, 2005 - 10:47am PT
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Despite not residing in the Valley, the slab walk off of Daff Dome is rather exciting!
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can't say
Social climber
Pasadena CA
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Nov 28, 2005 - 12:02pm PT
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One approach that I thought was really cool, was the one up to Knucklebuster. The bolt on ladders gave it a bit of a Euro feel. While it's not really that scary of an approach, it does put you in a pretty cool place with nice routes and your own private waterfall.
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HalHammer
Trad climber
CA
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Nov 28, 2005 - 05:46pm PT
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The Lost Arrow Spire Direct with 100% haul bags approach.
Nasty dirty slabby hills with the trail like 4 feet from 500 foot + drops plus gnarly 3rd and 4th class sections.
The descent of of Washington Column down the NDG with a still heavy haul bag takes the cake for the most sucking though. That was rough.
Oh and since it was mentioned..The Steck-Salathe approach is not that bad!
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
one pass away from the big ditch
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Nov 28, 2005 - 08:50pm PT
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werd to Leaning Tower approach up the gunsight and across the creek and up the back side.
cool place to be though... just a couple hundred feet about the tourons, but miles of wilderness feel.
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T2
climber
Cardiff by the sea
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Nov 28, 2005 - 09:04pm PT
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I agree with you can'tsay. The approach to Knucklebuster is not necessarily scary, but it is certianly memorable. As much so as the perfect 5.11 spliter that Knucklebuster is.
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Larry
Trad climber
Reno NV
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Nov 28, 2005 - 09:54pm PT
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aldude said:
> N.W. face Clouds Rest
Are you talking about coming from the Valley or Tuolumne? It's not all that bad coming from above, I think.
I didn't like the approach to Arrowhead Arete. There is one spot where you stop traversing and head up into a big huge chimney. You're rounding a corner with no handholds, and steep sandy ground. If you blow it, it's a 200' drop. I actually called it off then & there.
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aldude
climber
Monument Manor
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Nov 29, 2005 - 01:17am PT
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Valley of course - see title. But your right to come in from above is quite willow.
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Nov 29, 2005 - 01:34am PT
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Things generally don't get too far out of hand until I get lost.
Worst "lost" approaches:
Tried to approach Yosemite Point Buttress the wrong way once. Got stuck ascending all the way up West Arrowhead Chimney to the rim cause it was too sketchy to go down. We actually sat down and said formal prayers for our survival.
Chouinard-Herbert approach sucks when you get lost at the end.
The Descent from North Dome is pure torture if you try to hug the dome on the way down. Big, big mistakes.
The Descent from Sentinel is really, really, really bad if you go wrong, particularly in the dark. If you get the descent right, it only sucks a lot.
Peace
Karl
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Nov 29, 2005 - 02:33am PT
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I hate not knowing an approach... so what I usually do is take advantage of bad weather days to scope out approaches to climbs I want to do. The guidebooks usually have all sorts of abbreviated opinions on how to get to the base of a climb. As Werner said, you have to use your own sense to get there... and not worry too much about what is written. Frequently that information is out of date (trails change, trees come and go, bushes too) and the ability to fit the particular setting to what is in the book is almost as amazing as how wrong that fit can be occasionally.
Anyway, in order not to be scared I usually reherse the approaches without the pressure of getting up on a climb that day.
In the Valley, you've go to be ready to hang your ass out on a lot of the approaches where the technical ground is "easy" but the consequence of a mental lapse is serious.
Lots of places where I have roped up when the book said "fourth class", the approach to "Wise Crack" was one such place... the "Absolutely Free" area is another fun approach, especially in the spring when everything is wet.
There are other dramatic approaches, but scary is in the mind of the approacher...
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ablegabel
Trad climber
Livermore,Ca.
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Nov 29, 2005 - 12:58pm PT
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The approach to Middle Brothers South Face via Michaels Ledge. Hidiously exposed and loose.The part between lower and middle we call "The Ledges of Horror". 1500ft. strait down, old ratty ropes and tiny ledges and it's all loose!
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