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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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SierraGoat
Trad climber
Quincy, Ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 21, 2011 - 12:05pm PT
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Rick,
Those all look really cool, and what a great area w/ out the norm yose hussle.
Overall so far I am very impressed with Lower Cathedral's rock quality.
Does anybody do Robbin's original Direct North Face route anymore?
A4 I think???
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Eric Beck
Sport climber
Bishop, California
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Jun 21, 2011 - 12:48pm PT
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Regarding the original Robbins NF route; I have been told that Bridwell and I did the last ascent, I think 1966. The Gong Flake which we chimneyed behind for two pitches apparently came off shortly after that.
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Jun 21, 2011 - 12:59pm PT
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I think the X rating and the general lack of info has relegated those three routes to Never-Never Land. The rock looks amazing--maybe with modern TCUs the routes can be protected.
The Gong Flake which we chimneyed behind for two pitches apparently came off shortly after that.
Yes, that might keep folks off that one! aldude showed me that rock scar. Two pitches of chimney behind the flake...yikes.
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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Jun 21, 2011 - 01:44pm PT
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User Beware:
I still remember Richard saying that on one of those pitches _ I think it was Shake and Bake - Ricky ran the rope a nautical mile out off a blade or some such thing and that Richard was fairly amazed. Few people understand that BITD, Ricky could run the rope like crazy.
I'm thinking you better have money for you embalmer if you plan on attempting that one in the same style with the same blades for pro. But perhaps with new TCU's and so forth . . .
JL
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mikeyschaefer
climber
Yosemite
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Jun 21, 2011 - 02:16pm PT
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Gerberding and Dimitri put up a route over there maybe 4 or 5 years ago called the Annihilator. Also 5.10 something with an R rating.
If I remember correctly the R rating is due to crossing one of the established routes and they didn't want to add a bolt to it.
While putting up Border Country I spent countless hours staring over at Lower, being amazed by the look of the rock. I bet it is good up there.
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Jun 21, 2011 - 04:59pm PT
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This thread is another example why these "selected guides" are bullcrap. Tons and tons of interesting important climbing, all nearly unknown.
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Jim Herson
climber
Emerald Hills, CA
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Jun 21, 2011 - 09:29pm PT
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SierraGoat, sounds like my daughter and I mistakenly climbed this on Saturday while looking for the East Butt. Couldn't reconcile the topo so we just followed your chalk. It was pretty good climbing. Especially the (6th?-last) off-fingers pitch to the pedestal. There was actually a new bolt just right of the prowl ~20' up/slightly right of the rock scar above the pedestal. I explored various alternatives and found two that would go. Unfortunately it was fairly adventurous climbing on dirt filled loose rock. Or at least adventurous while being belayed by a 65lb pipsqueak so we bailed. Would love to know what we were on and where the heck the East Butt goes. Come on Clint, clue me in.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Jun 21, 2011 - 10:59pm PT
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here's an interesting mystery, the Yosemite Guides I have going back to the Yellow Guide have the same topo for the E.Butt. of Lower... but the 1987 and 1994 guides have the routes drawn in two different places:
from the 1987 guide:
13. Mother Earth
14. East Buttress of Lower
15. North Face
16. Beggar's Buttress
from the 1994 guide:
13. Mother Earth
14. East Buttress of Lower
15. Beggar's Buttress
the topo doesn't make a whole lot of sense off these particular pictures, either..
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Rick A
climber
Boulder, Colorado
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Jun 22, 2011 - 11:01am PT
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John-My friend, I expect that the myth of these being death routes, like others of our era, will shrivel in the harsh glare of reality after some young climbers just go up there. After all, Honnold compared the truly dangerous Southern Belle to Snake Dike, and these routes on Lower are nowhere near as hard or committing as that. I find it difficult to comprehend these young guys' level of ability.
On an thread a few years ago, Meyers asked me to describe these routes and my vague recollection is here:
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=286995&msg=289581#msg289581
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Mr_T
Trad climber
Northern California
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Jun 22, 2011 - 12:42pm PT
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It looks like Sierra Goat tried the mystery route that a friend and I thought was the start to the East Butt (Clint posted a link to my TR above). On our first attempt at what we thought was the EB, we made our way as far as the ledge where Fissure Beck starts, realized we were off route, and turned back. There was fixed gear and tat at anchors we found. These folks seem to have continued on (woot!).
I was curious what the upper pitches of route to the right were like. Without aid gear or bolts we were concerned about not being able to bail without leaving a considerable chunk of gear behind. It sure looks like from their high point they were about 1 p from linking back into the Eat Butt.
Anyway, if you haven't done the EB, go hit that! It's great line. As well, I'd bet some of those lines out towards the Gunsight would be good fun. Wonder if the advent of things like hybrid aliens might bring the R/X factor down a bit.
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Rick A
climber
Boulder, Colorado
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Jun 23, 2011 - 09:17am PT
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Eric Beck- What is the story behind the "Fissure Beck?" Obviously a play on the Fissure Brown, the famous passage on the Aiguille de Blaitiere in Chamonix. Joe Brown climbed it with Whillans in 1954 and it is celebrated in Tom Patey's The Joe Brown Song:
He crossed the sea to Chamonix
And to show what he could do,
He knocked three days off the record time
For the West Face of the Dru-
On the unclimbed face of the Blaitiere,
The crux had tumbled down-
But he cracked the crux by the crucial crack
Now known as the fissure Brown.
The Fissure Beck even made Bachar pause when he soloed it onsight. Here is what Bachar said about it, from the Amazing Solos thread a few years back:
Yes I did on-sight solo the East Buttress of Lower Cathedral. It wasn't an amazing solo so there's not much of a story.
The Fissure Beck pitch was a bit of a surprise for sure. The exposure is drawer filling to say the least. I definitely wasn't expecting anything like this to pop up. I chose right side in because I couldn't fathom facing out and doing it left side in - although that appeared to be the easier way to do it. I also thought about laybacking it for a tenth of a second - the barn door off that still gives me weird nightmares.
There was another weird pitch - the left facing 10b/c corner. There's an undercling fingerlock reach at the top of the corner where you stem out against two glassy beads and reach for all your worth to a good fingerlock above. If your feet pop, you're going for a solid 600 foot airball straight to the deck. My cojones have never felt that vulnerable. That was also quite exciting.
The rest of the climb was pretty fun and had a couple moments but nothing like those previous two sections. When I got down to the Valley, the first guy I ran into was TM Herbert in Camp 4. He asked me what I did that day and I told him I on-sight soloed the East Butt of Lower. He turned white, then he laughed cuz he thought I was joking. Then he looked at me in the eyes and realized I wasn't. We talked about the 10b dihedral pitch - he thought it was a solid 10d. I agreed. We sat silent and looked at each other for a while. Then he asked me if I wanted a beer....
Edit: I was actually going to on-sight solo a route on each of the Cathedrals that day. After the East Butt of Lower I lost my steam.
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Eric Beck
Sport climber
Bishop, California
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Jun 23, 2011 - 12:51pm PT
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Frank Sacherer and I did the EB of Lower Cathedral Rock in early spring. The fissure was my pitch. I put a knife blade in the thin crack on the right wall. I rember right side in, but switching to a layback toward the top. This was one of the few times climbing with Frank that he was out of shape and he actually climbed the rope, not only here but lots higher up.
I could have been in better shape and used one pin of aid up in the left facing dihedral, almost a flared chimney and another a few pitches higher as I was getting tired. I believe it was Steve Thompson who did the ffa a few weeks later. I never had anything to do with the name "Fissure Beck".
Frank did return and do the route all free.
[edit:] We kicked off a huge amount of loose rock, something you could do with relative impunity back then.
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Rick Linkert
Trad climber
El Dorado Hills CA
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Jun 23, 2011 - 04:40pm PT
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Hi All-
I have been away from the Forum for many moons. I saw this post and re-established a password because mention of the climb brought back some great memories and wanted to relate an Allan Bard mini-adventure.
Allan wandered over one morning and suggested that we give the East Buttress of Lower Rock a go - at the time it had a reputation for being a bit stout for the grade but we felt we had a shot. Things went swimmingly through the Fissure Beck- my lead left side in. Allan laybacked most all of it- a great pitch and very airy either way. I was holed up in the tree above and looked across the Valley for the fist time in a while as I was pretty absorbed with the climb and was particularly interested in scoping out the crux just above. As Allan neared the belay, I observed a huge dark thunderhead quickly heading our way from the northeast and the booming of thunder began. A team from Mexico was high on the North Buttress of Middle. They apparently had a better view as I heard machine-gun rapid banter in Spanish that I suspected was related to the impending thrashing we were all about to receive. By the time Allan reached the belay the previously dry Horsetail Falls was in full bloom. Then came a rush of strong wind and it was like someone turned on a firehose. We quickly set up a rap and it felt like descending through a waterfall. We eventually hit the ground, muddy and soaked. Just as we touched down, the sun came out, birds began to twitter and it was summer again. We stood there looking at each other with these WTF? grins. Beer provided a remedy for out defeat. As was always the case climbing with Allan, we pretty much laughed our way up and down most everything. I still miss him and what he brought to the planet.
I never did go back to the climb as I thought that maybe, someday, Allan and I would return. Then life took us in different directions. My thoughts today are that you should do the climbs you want to do with the people you want to climb with as soon as you can.
Rick
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Zander
Trad climber
Berkeley
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Jun 23, 2011 - 06:00pm PT
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"My thoughts today are that you should do the climbs you want to do with the people you want to climb with as soon as you can."
I'll second that.
Z
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SierraGoat
Trad climber
Quincy, Ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 24, 2011 - 12:21pm PT
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Jim,
Thats cool and funny you followed our chalk up that fun climb... what great crack systems! I didnt see the bolt from the top of the pedestal! how was the climbing up to the bolt and did the relatively steep rock scar let up for easier passage above. I was thinking about busting left above the scar to gain easier ground and possible reaching the East Butt route, but of course bailed instead. I am sure you appreciated all the new tat on the way down:)
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Jun 29, 2011 - 02:47am PT
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Here are some more detailed photos of where Brett, and later Jim and Kara climbed.
I believe it is where the original East Buttress aid line went, before the separate free line was done to the left.
If you click on these, there is some pretty good detail.
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bob
climber
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Jun 29, 2011 - 07:22am PT
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Dang Jim, you're raising some adventurous climbers! Awesome.
Bob J.
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jfailing
Trad climber
Lone Pine
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Jun 29, 2011 - 11:27am PT
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The Quincy boys are gettin' after it!
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SierraGoat
Trad climber
Quincy, Ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 5, 2011 - 01:15am PT
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Great shots clint, hopefully I can use them as ammo on a return trip... You can really make out the top of the pedestal and the ground above it. still cant figure the best direction to head.
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