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NeverSurfaced
Trad climber
Soviet Monica, Ca.
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Apr 29, 2003 - 08:06pm PT
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Shut the F up! I lived in Carlsbad (aka Hooterville) for 1 1/2 years between 94-96. Moved there primarily for the caving but ended up putting up a few routes with some buddies in the Dark Canyon area on the way towards the Guads. Who'd you climb w/ out there?
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Brutus of Wyde
climber
Old Climbers' Home, Oakland CA
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Apr 29, 2003 - 08:45pm PT
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Re-reading this thread, I am reminded of a once quiet, pristine area where for more than 20 years climbers established routes on lead, ground-up. The routes and the style in which they were established were obvious to any climber who happened to stumble upon the area.
These routes (Reverse Osmosis, Shady Lane, etc.) have since been retrobolted and criscrossed with rap-established sport lines.
Then came a guidebook: Climbers Guide to New Jack City.
Brutus
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Dave
Mountain climber
Fresno, CA
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Apr 29, 2003 - 11:32pm PT
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Surfaced - that's hilarious! I was there 2000-2001. I climbed with Curtis and Michelle Perry some (GMO), Angel once or twice (he was probably active in 94-96), John and Carol Gogas, and a few of their Texas crowd. My main partner was new to the area, too. Gogas' introduced us to a bunch of the Hueco locals, but the park was in the height of Nazi-ism, so we didn't go out there much.
You ever make it up to Enchanted Tower? That place was a hoot.
Did you put up the routes on Black Wall, or the Forbidden Wall (closer to town)? A couple routes on Forbidden Wall fell down while I was there. 10 ton chunks came off the upper part of the wall.
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NeverSurfaced
Trad climber
Soviet Monica, Ca.
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Apr 30, 2003 - 09:18am PT
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I've known Curtis (aka cutis)& Michelle for years. We've caved together & partied even more. Do they still live south of town? Used to have jam sessions in the shop behind the house. Even woke up plastered in puke once next to that abandoned school bus in the back! I knew them before they owned Guad Mountain Outfitters, when they bought it from Harry & his wife. A lot of those old Metolius climbing holds in the back of their shop were hand me downs from me. Small world.
Never been out to enchanted tower, and to my knowledge the routes in Dark Canyon were never named (?) but I don’t doubt some have fallen apart. We had to clean a lot of those with crowbars before we could climb them.
If you talk to the Perry’s tell them Dually says Hi!
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Jody
Mountain climber
San Luis Obispo County, CA
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Apr 30, 2003 - 09:22pm PT
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Brutus, I lived in Barstow and Apple Valley from 89-92 and climbed quite a bit at New Jack City. I never saw any other climbers there. I moved away and was thinking of taking a trip back there recently and a friend told me not to bother, it was too trashed and crowded. Is this true?
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Brutus of Wyde
climber
Old Climbers' Home, Oakland CA
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I climbed at New Jack in 1984 - 1986, while living in Barstow and working at Fort Irwin. I climbed primarily with folks I taught how to belay, and the occasional friend willing to be terrified out there.
At that time, we established several climbs in ground-up style, but based on the nature of the rock (from iron hard to disintegrating choss) I felt its potential for this kind of climbing was limited to either few routes or the chronically suicidal. (After the FA of Reverse Osmosis, 5.11a R/X, my belayer gave up climbing, gained 60 pounds, and took up golf. He said he'd never been so terrified belaying a climb, me above shaking and weeping, he expecting my body at any moment to come hurtling to earth along with the pieces of rock I was dislodging)
I was there last about 2 years ago. Lots more climbers on the weekends, but didn't have to wait in line for any routes. And route development was proceeding full force. As far as the area being trashed, I think it is actually cleaner now then when I was living in Barstow. Less broken glass for sure, and the camping scene seems a lot safer with other climbers about.
The rock where sport routes are established has in some cases been heavily cleaned. More power to Jack and his circle, imho. I will happily visit the area again and again, as a side trip enroute to Red Rocks or Josh, from the Bay Area.
Brutus
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DE
Mountain climber
Tustin, Calif.
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Aug 10, 2004 - 06:18pm PT
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I can't believe you guys are talking about NJC, I thought you said "Paradise." There are other places to climb near there that aren't trashed.
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jfailing
Trad climber
Lone Pine
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This thread is an interesting read with the knowledge that the OP is talking about the Alabama Hills, not NJC.
Old post, when Supertopo was young apparently...
My thoughts - If it made you so mad Klimmer, why didn't you contact Strassman about the routes you put up?
Also, if there was already a bolt on the formation you're talking about (which turns out to be probably the most popular formation in the AL hills), is it possible that in fact people climbed the routes before you did?
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Spider Savage
Mountain climber
The shaggy fringe of Los Angeles
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Interesting history from 2003. Thanks for the bump.
I recall the Alabama hills with no bolts and finding a decent route to TR was tough without drilling.
Times change. The world is getting more crowded. An attitude of sharing and friendliness is going to make a happier life that anger and regret. Those who try to make a last stand over their own little private crag on public lands are doomed to be washed away by the tide.
Better to post your routes and route names on MountainProject.com and share with all the joy and art that you have created.
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