Bassi Falls crag (eldorado forest)

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Baggins

Boulder climber
Topic Author's Original Post - Jun 20, 2011 - 02:01am PT
Has any climbing been done up at the awesome looking crag next to bassi falls, east of union valley resevoir, eldorado forest?

Its very close to slick rock, which apprently has a few routes on it

Anyway this place is a mere 1/2 mile hike with a real path to boot for most of the way. Looks like a bunch of sweet trad routes, and some nice face climbs with a few phatom spire esque knob slinging adventures

Mungeclimber

Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
Jun 20, 2011 - 04:17am PT
clearly choss ;)


how does it climb? which lines did you try?
Baggins

Boulder climber
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 20, 2011 - 02:13pm PT
Was on a hike.. no climbing pour moi. But am keen to get back there, looks like a perfect crag with enough to keep you busy for a few visits. The main bullet shaped cliff in the center is actually a small pillar, in front of the wall, which should make for some interesting climbing

at 5500 ft should offer relatively early season climbing too. and the nearby waterfall isnt exactly disappointing, either

so whats the catch...? havent found out anything about previous exploits up here
Baggins

Boulder climber
Topic Author's Reply - Jun 20, 2011 - 05:31pm PT
GPS 38.89664,-120.33035

Really... no one knows anything about climbing here? Im astonished... it seems a lush crag
Baggins

Boulder climber
Topic Author's Reply - Jan 8, 2012 - 11:19pm PT
Ok so I got back there today. This place is surely the new sugarloaf! Just to recap: 80 min drive from sac, 5500ft alt. south facing crag with yosemite quality granite, 15 min approach hike from car (2wd access) and NO ONE has climbed here before??

The crag is a lot bigger than I thought. Has two tiers in the middle, each 1 rope length, also lots of stand alone dome-like formations.


The white dyke that can be seen center-left is actually a great feature - the start seems like a boulder problem move, then up to classic dyke hiking



Gnarly off width nearby, classic sierra quality splitter:


Face cracks:


Fracture lines:



Cool looking finish to chimney:


West towers:


I didnt see a single bolt, piton or piece of webbing or any evidence really of any climbing. If anyone knows any different let me know.

I estimate around 20-30 routes in the crag, potential. on average a little harder than your typical sugarloaf route.
bergbryce

Mountain climber
South Lake Tahoe, CA
Jan 8, 2012 - 11:24pm PT
Looks pretty sweet man.
PAUL SOUZA

Trad climber
Central Valley, CA
Jan 8, 2012 - 11:25pm PT
If you need a partner to put up some FAs....I'll be in Tahoe all this week. Hit me up.
ß Î Ø T Ç H

Boulder climber
bouldering
Jan 9, 2012 - 02:11am PT
I didnt see a single bolt, piton or piece of webbing ...
That's the last time anybody will be able to say that - thanks to you posting this. The place will be grid-bolted, raped and thrown aside by tomorrow morning.
Mungeclimber

Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
Jan 9, 2012 - 02:14am PT
Looks good.

Do it proud style!
Branscomb

Trad climber
Lander, WY
Jan 10, 2012 - 10:38am PT
Geex, how did we miss that place when we were stomping around up there back when?

Looks like the nicest rock in the Crystal Basin. Wow. Go for it, young man, looks like you got yourself a great place!
squishy

Mountain climber
Jan 10, 2012 - 11:28am PT
There is so much left untouched in the crystal basin and desolation wilderness, if you don't care about walking far there's a few walls I have found with beautiful lines, I am sure people have seen them and thought the same thing, but it's the exercise of carrying a rack out there that stops me. You really have to go out there and camp to make it worthwhile. My favorite established crags in the basin are loonie tunes and slick rock (but I am not a great climber, I hear basalt bluff has good hard routes)...thanks to Bob for putting that old guidebook together..every time I go climb out there I never see a soul...and it's pretty close to some of the most crowded crags in CA...I still need to get to the fortress and the lyons lake wall, I heard locally that batso use to teach classes out there and there's still some pins in his old lines, none of it was ever documented though so bob branscom and gang are the only ones who had documented and put it on paper. I think batso was near wrights lake and the lyons lake wall, there's also 4 or 5 quality multipitch routes on Pyramid peak's northwest face, with a 5 mile approach it will always keep the crowds away..
Branscomb

Trad climber
Lander, WY
Jan 10, 2012 - 11:49am PT
Warren did used to have some of his climbing classes up there. He put up the chimney/pinnacle climb on the left side of the Wrights Lake wall way long ago. We attempted a climb on a cliff north of the lake up stream from there. Ended up veering right and up off the direct line and found some old pins out there. Probably Warren again.

We put up 5 routes on the N side of Pyramid Peak in 1978. The descriptions are in the 1978 AAJ. I think the best of the bunch is Pete's Dihedrals in the center of the face. Three pitches if I remember right.

The Fortress at Lyons Lake is pretty cool. Routes are all around 100' long, clean cracks and great rock. There is a band of rock above the east shore of the lake that has some nice routes, including what we considered was the best route in the area, Monet 5.9. Don Garrett did the FA, a beautiful finger crack on a steep slab. Several other worthy routes here too.

This Bassi Falls looks great, man. I'm pretty envious.
Baggins

Boulder climber
Topic Author's Reply - Jan 10, 2012 - 12:14pm PT
Great to hear a bit of history on the crystal basin area. Slick rock looks good for afar but never made the hike. Ive been up to loon lake more times than I can count for the bouldering, but never really worked out where the Looney Tunes wall is. Can anyone help orient me?

Another overlooked area is Chipmunk Bluff. Very good quality welded tuff near basalt bluff, at the west shore of loon lake. Roadside. There's an overhanging shield and a few adjacent walls that would give a small number of high quality, hard sport routes. There's also some very good bouldering here too.



As for bouldeirng at bassi falls, it isnt bad, tho not a scratch on loon lake - but it is less of a drive I guess. It looks like the best stash is on a slab area 0.5 miles further up river from the falls though.

Hope to get back soon and give that dike a test drive...
Branscomb

Trad climber
Lander, WY
Jan 10, 2012 - 12:30pm PT
Looney Tunes is glimpsed briefly from the Loon Lake road as you top the long grade from Basalt Bluff, just before you get into the trees and the road levels out into the Lake.

There's a road cut there and through the gap on the north side, you'll see a cliff out there with a white dihedral on it. That's it. Room to park by the road cut, go over the top of the cut and past a nice tall boulder that has some good top roping, then drop into the creek and a bit of bushwhacking to the cliff. Not far.

The route Looney Tunes goes up the prow on the right side. Okay route, maybe 5.8 or 9, some locked in small blocks up top. I think the best route is Anvil of the Sun, 10c. Starts at lower right toe of buttress, moves out past a bolt into a thin crack (RPs and thin cams and stoppers), up to the ledge beneath White Corner. Follow the bolts on the face left of the corner to the top. Rappell anchor up there.

Some 5.4-5.6 routes on the lower angle face to the left of these. White Corner about 5.7/8.
Baggins

Boulder climber
Topic Author's Reply - Jan 10, 2012 - 02:20pm PT
Do you park on the pullout on the big corner that swings left? or after that where the road is straight and youre away from the cliff edge? the cliff is on the right side of the road?

Thanks, I'd be keen to find this, Im headin out to loon on sat.
squishy

Mountain climber
Jan 10, 2012 - 07:00pm PT
I found a better approach last year, no bushwhacking. Drive beyond the big pullout that Bob is describing and find a smaller pullout in a few hundred feet. You can simply walk up to the top of the white corner and drop a line off. I really liked that white corner route, it may change with traffic though. DMT was playing around and climbed in the area just left of the bolts and the corner, looked like the hardest section, no name or rating though. The "looney tunes" route, I think it was like 5.6, was super dirty and I cleaned it out, I imagine others are in the same boat. I checked out the basalt bluff and the easier routes (the ones I can do) were super sketchy and loose, maybe I wasn't in the right place.

Slick rock approach is less than one mile of hiking if you know how to drive out there, that's some of the best slab I have ever climbed. Still needs bolt replacement though, there is a bunch of old scary spinning button heads up there on the second and third pitches.
squishy

Mountain climber
Jan 10, 2012 - 07:10pm PT
DMT getting some at looney tunes
atchafalaya

Boulder climber
Jan 10, 2012 - 07:13pm PT
Bassi falls has great potential, but its short. I have been bouldering out there a few times and the rock is great. There are some boulders on the road in worth stopping for as well, and a few you can;t see from the road, but a short hike gets you there.

Is the falls running or is it dry out there right now? The best areas are across the creek.


squishy

Mountain climber
Jan 10, 2012 - 07:41pm PT
desolation is frozen and the streams are trickles...
[Click to View YouTube Video]
Branscomb

Trad climber
Lander, WY
Jan 10, 2012 - 09:49pm PT
Yes, that is the corner where we used to park to get to Looney Tunes, the turnout on the left turn just before you get into the trees, although what squishy said about parking father up and going to the top of the cliff would be real nice to avoid the evil bushwhack activity.

Oh yes, Looney Tunes is right of the road going up hill towards Loon (east).

The climbing on Basalt Bluff is on the east face. As you're driving up from the Gerle Creek junction, you'll first see the S side, which is hideous choss. Keep driving and keep looking uphill to your left and you'll see the nicer east face consisting of more defined basalt columns. Park barely off the road and go up. Mostly cracks with some routes mixed bolts and gear. Actually pretty decent rock on this side of the bluff, well, IMO.
squishy

Mountain climber
Jan 11, 2012 - 12:38am PT
I will have to go back and see if I was on the wrong side...what described is what I saw...a pile of choss..
Baggins

Boulder climber
Topic Author's Reply - Jan 11, 2012 - 12:48pm PT
Ok thx for directions. Will check it out this weekend hopefully. The top roping boulder also sounds interesting.. Agreed, basalt bluff looks like choss from road. Any bouldering potential on the east side?

I have some nice pics of frozen bassi falls. Will post soon! As for it being small, I was surprised actually how tall the cliff on the head wall is. Maybe I can find some pics to illustrate the height. For being a late fall/winter crag (5300 ft), amongst the limited number of other options, I think I would definitely consider this a good cragging destination.
squishy

Mountain climber
Jan 11, 2012 - 12:55pm PT
The drive is actually longer than going to say the leap. After you get on those smaller roads and leave hwy 50 things go slow. So even though it seems closer than Tahoe or Wooodfords, it's about the same amount of driving time. As for Slick Rock, plan at least 30 minutes on a dirt road, which takes even longer but it's so worth it to have such great climbing all to yourself...

bob hasn't mentioned it, but there is an unpublished guide book for the area, I'll trade one for some bolt replacement on slick rock.
Baggins

Boulder climber
Topic Author's Reply - Jan 12, 2012 - 12:19am PT
My driving time to bassi falls from sac is exactly the same as for the leap, just over 90 mins. loon is about 20 more mins drive. I guess if youre in some top heavy truck that cant take corners it would be longer, or stuck behind some fisherman in said vehicle. those 4 wheelers boot it though even when they have a trailer with a couple of crawlers in the back!

Pics of semi frozen bassi falls:





Scout 2

Trad climber
Placerville
Jan 12, 2012 - 08:30am PT
Well someone else finnaly showed an intrest in this place. I just saw this post.
Back in the 80's my buddies and I climbed most of the cracks and alot of the face features. like the Dyke and the flakey crack on the face around the corner with the wide crack and the overhanging 12a,b fingercrack on the Right in the pics. nasty fall onto wall but the locks are sharp and sweet. There are a few bolted Routes on the middle slab. but 20yr old 1/4" button heads and very run out. there should be a bolted anchor there too.to rap down insted for bushwhacking the manzanita will shred ya. we had it all trimed back at one pointaround the Base. we use to 4x4 in from the top. but they took out the road. The hike isnt bad.Fun Ice around the falls in winter.and a few short climbs there too.some of the rock is quite chossy more to the R looking up at it. but it dose have everything.

We use to camp up there. and play alot of weekends.There was a resident mountain lion in the area too. We would see it year round.
will have to dig out some old Pics FBITD.
Doug
Baggins

Boulder climber
Topic Author's Reply - Jan 12, 2012 - 11:40am PT
Doug, thanks so much for getting on this thread - I just couldnt believe no one had been here before. Maybe it would be good if we could make a rough topo for the crag? I heard that BITD you could 4 wheel all the way to the falls. But the hike now isnt so bad. The manzanita is non existant in the middle, (you remember the "lean to" cave that is made from a giant fallen down flake?) but kinda gnarly on the right side. Would be good to have it trimmed... sigh, work!

I will go back and hunt around for that anchor. The middle slab looked quite inviting from below for nice slab climbing.
Scout 2

Trad climber
Placerville
Jan 18, 2012 - 02:01am PT
we had a trail that went up to the left side of the slab i think there was a 3rd class section to get to top.following ledges to the left of the cool flake. but the brush is thick around the base. I tyhink the crack accross the top where the anchors were was pretty wide, and the rock kind chossy. it gets very decomposed on top.
squishy

Mountain climber
Feb 11, 2012 - 09:16pm PT
I went up there today to check it out.

Campsite on the top, next to the Six

campsite near the base, with some cut trail heading up to the base, then it was highly overgrown

We went up the right hand side, wasn't too bad, like a bushwack 3 (B3)

Summit was very nice some use on top outs.

went down the left hand side, shitty bushwack 4 (B4)

tried to get back up to the base, FAILED! The base seemed so close but the growth was just crazy.

that place is so overgrown. There's some ducks leaving the campsite and heading up to the base, we cut as much as we could but it needs a few more days of work. We could see the old trails, and the old beer cans and broken bottles on the summit..

I have lots of pics.
squishy

Mountain climber
Feb 11, 2012 - 09:55pm PT



I bet this brings back memories for someone..

hillrat

Trad climber
reno, nv
May 23, 2013 - 07:37pm PT
May be here this weekend, if I don't drink too much.
squishy

Mountain climber
Aug 5, 2016 - 10:54am PT
So what's the word?

Anyone get up there and cut anything to get to the base in the last few years?
Messages 1 - 31 of total 31 in this topic
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