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SierraGoat
Trad climber
Quincy, Ca
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jun 16, 2011 - 02:11pm PT
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Yesterday we climbed up a route that was on the right side of the East Buttress of Lower Cathedral Rock (100 feet to the right of the East Butt route). The route basically started at the toe of the buttress and was characterized by discontinuous cracks and corners linked by face moves, pendulums or easy ramps. Overall the rock was very good and very splitter in nature. After 7 pitches, the final of which was quite difficult/steep, we ended atop a small pedestal with a fairly blank wall/scar above. We potentially could have pendied out to the right to gain a crack, but were concerned not having our aid gear that we might get stuck somewhere where it would be difficult or costly to retreat. We bailed from the top of the pedestal and worked our way down the many well spaced trees. There was rap tat every where and even two bail anchors equipped with fixed gear up high.
Does anybody know anything about this route; name, grade, does it top out or link with the standard East butt route?
Cheers
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le_bruce
climber
Oakland, CA
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Jun 16, 2011 - 02:54pm PT
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No guess here, but got any pics? Sounds like a cool climb. What grade do you guess?
We also once climbed something bizarre to the top of LCR, but it started way over by Return to Stone Age and linked up to the Bypass. There was tat on it too, but looked like it hadn't had passage in a long while.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Jun 16, 2011 - 03:49pm PT
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Did you start left or right of Soul Sacrifice?
Is the route visible in this photo, or hidden further to the right?
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SierraGoat
Trad climber
Quincy, Ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 16, 2011 - 04:53pm PT
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I guess it would be grade IV, and I'm not sure about the free rating as we did aid/french through the business. We believe it to be right of soul sacrafice by a distance of approx 100' to 150'
Here is a pic of the first pitch; it was a short 5.9 OW followed by 180' of beautiful 5.10 fingers in a corner to the top of a pillar.
From the pillar we climbed a difficult corner for 30' before penduluming left and then up to a tree (100' total).
Clint: the route down low is on the skyline of your pic and then moves into the sun/shade border on the arete...and then out of view to the right
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Jun 16, 2011 - 05:04pm PT
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I don't have any good photos with light to the right of the NE buttress - maybe because I'm not usually awake at that hour? :-)
Here is a very fuzzy one.
Is your climb mostly in the shaded corner on the right side of the NE buttress?
Or out on the buttress, left of the shaded corner?
If you can download this and draw in the approximate line, that would help.
Or you can try to describe it relative to visible things on the photo.
I could also add markers to the photo.
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SierraGoat
Trad climber
Quincy, Ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 16, 2011 - 05:25pm PT
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The yellow circles are the approx belays, most of which were at trees w/ ledges.
The first two purple squares are fixed pins. The first of which was in the left facing dihedral of the first pitch, the second was out on the face on the 6th pitch.
The upper blue square is a fixed anchor (orange metolius and bd nut)
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Jun 16, 2011 - 05:58pm PT
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Wow, thanks - that gives a pretty precise description of where you climbed!
As for what exactly has been done there before, not much is recorded that I know of, but others may know more.
The original East Buttress nailed straight over a big bulge, right of where the free version goes on p3+ now. But it sounds like that may be left of where you climbed.
There is a climb called The New North Face, but it starts atop a bolted route in Mecca and is well to the right.
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Critter
Trad climber
State of Jefferson
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Jun 16, 2011 - 10:24pm PT
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Hey, I just did that route yesterday too. O wait, I was attached to the other end of your rope.
Saylor
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Zander
Trad climber
Berkeley
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Jun 17, 2011 - 12:18am PT
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Can somebody draw in the standard North East Buttress route on the pic? Just curious. thanks.
Zander
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Jun 17, 2011 - 12:38am PT
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SierraGoat
Trad climber
Quincy, Ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 17, 2011 - 11:52pm PT
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Ed, nice photo, this is much easier to pick out some details.
Using this photo I realized that we did 6 pitches, although the first pitch and the last pitch were 180 footers. The green corner labeled is unbelievable looking! and appears to never have been climbed. The upper three pitches of the line we did were fantastically wild and soooo splitter. I was sure posting this would have turned up something from the obscure artists....
Edit: You may have to click on the photo to see the drawn elements. Also the blue arrow is my guess where it could go. Some direct aid may be needed....
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aldude
climber
Monument Manor
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Jun 18, 2011 - 11:22am PT
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Looks like the first 5.8 pitch of East Buttress. New North Face is way right on the....north face starting off Pilgrimage V+ 11c A4. Unrepeated. Stanley & Jimmy Hayden did a long crack route 11c? @ the far left side of Mecca. Cmon Clint - let's see the goods!
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SierraGoat
Trad climber
Quincy, Ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 18, 2011 - 11:28am PT
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nice al, hey its brett from quincy, i used to post as youngblood...
when you gonna be in plumas?
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aldude
climber
Monument Manor
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Jun 18, 2011 - 11:32am PT
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On my way - cya there!
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Rick A
climber
Boulder, Colorado
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Jun 18, 2011 - 01:29pm PT
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Kevin,
Richard H. and I did two routes on that face, but they are way to the left in the gold colored rock. If you look at Clint's photo in post 3, Shake and Bake, the first one we did, goes straight up in the area of the second tree from the left in the foreground. Starfire starts a ways left of that. Richard and Yabo then did a third route, Spooky Tooth, which is left of Starfire and near the common rappel route for all three. All are on the same beautiful rock one finds on the Middle apron, but are a bit steeper.
I have never heard of anyone repeating any of them and would enjoy hearing if anyone has.
All three end on the obvious big ledge.
Rick
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Zander
Trad climber
Berkeley
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Jun 18, 2011 - 01:35pm PT
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Hey SierraGoat,
Thanks for the link.
Z
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nutjob
Gym climber
Berkeley, CA
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Jun 18, 2011 - 01:50pm PT
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Nice thread!
Here's a different perspective photo:
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SierraGoat
Trad climber
Quincy, Ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 19, 2011 - 12:17pm PT
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Rick,
Do all those routes you speak of start far left of the east butt then? I had a hard time referencing them from the description.
Sound really great though....grades?
Nice pic nutjob.
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Rick A
climber
Boulder, Colorado
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Jun 20, 2011 - 10:31am PT
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Kevin-Never mind! I checked the yellow Meyers guide and don't see the one you're thinking of. Would love to get Richard to join in here, but he's still too hard core: only wants to climb, not talk about it.
SG-here is an approximation of where they go.
All were rated old school 5.10
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SuperTopo on the Web
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Let us know!