Tollhouse Face-off 2012

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Messages 1 - 47 of total 47 in this topic
Flydude

Trad climber
Prather, CA
Topic Author's Original Post - Aug 1, 2012 - 07:06pm PT
The votes are in. Tollhouse Face-off 2012 will be held on October 27 & 28 2012 at Tollhouse Rock, CA. This year's event will benifit the ASCA (American Safe Climbing Association).

If you would like to sponsor or provide items for the fund raising raffle, please email me @ dwightk@cityofclovis.com

Look forward to seeing your there....dwight.
this just in

climber
north fork
Aug 1, 2012 - 08:30pm PT
Planning on it, thanks for organizing it Dwight.
limpingcrab

Trad climber
the middle of CA
Aug 1, 2012 - 10:26pm PT
Never been, heard good things, just put it on the calendar. Thanks!
BooYah

Social climber
Ely, Nv
Aug 1, 2012 - 11:45pm PT
I might have to see these goings-on. Sounds fun.
And I'm not far, as the crow flies.
this just in

climber
north fork
Aug 2, 2012 - 12:30am PT
Yeah silver, Mark Haymond did that in the eighties.
P.Rob

Social climber
Pacomia, Ca - Y Que?
Aug 2, 2012 - 11:19pm PT
Wasn't Tollhouse climbed in X country skies at this event once
If you take a peek at the poster it is a picture that captures the moment - you can see Mark smiling in the background with his skies in the ready. This ascent predates the Face Off by about 8 years ……….
Bascuela

climber
Fresno, CA
Aug 4, 2012 - 04:29pm PT
I'm there!
toxo

Trad climber
Aug 4, 2012 - 04:38pm PT
Dammit, I got so excited when I read that as "Trollhouse Face-off 2012" at first.
Flydude

Trad climber
Prather, CA
Topic Author's Reply - Oct 8, 2012 - 08:02pm PT
Three weeks to the Tollhouse Faceoff 2012.So far a lot of great swag for the raffle to benifit the ASCA....and more to come.

For those of you that have been here before, you know that the event just kind'a happens with the raffle scheduled for late Saturday afternoon.

You can check it out on face book or email me with questions.

Look forward to seeing you there...dwight
tiki-jer

Trad climber
fresno/clovis
Oct 9, 2012 - 01:08am PT
Looking forward to it.....Thanks Dwight!
What time is the Barry Chambers DownHill Event scheduled?
crazy horse

Trad climber
fresno, ca
Oct 18, 2012 - 10:37am PT
gonna be a ton of fun!! Reel rock film tour going down at the gym in Fresno at 630 on Saturday. I'm wanting to do both and i'm thinking the raffle is usually timed to end by like 6?? Thanks for putting in all the time and effort to get it going Dwight!!
micronut

Trad climber
Oct 18, 2012 - 11:16am PT
Glad you got the Evolv Schwag! Linda, the rep, is a sweet gal and hooked me up. I'm glad Adam got it to ya.

I'm also throwing in three one pound bags of Mark Hudon's amazing Deschutes River Blend Coffee.
It'll be bagged in airtight coffee bags with a photo of Tollhouse on the front and a label that says TOLLHOUSE ROCK BLEND. Good stuff. I really hope I can make it up there, but my kid has an all day equestrian event. Maybe I can make it up for the evening sesh.

WHat time is the raffle?

Flydude

Trad climber
Prather, CA
Topic Author's Reply - Oct 19, 2012 - 08:21pm PT
One week to the Tollhouse Faceoff 2012!

Gonna be a great raffle which will be held around 4:30 on Saturday (so you can get those climbs in)

Thinking positive about no rain...Thnkas everyone who have helped to put this together and lookforward to seeing you all there, dwight
Flydude

Trad climber
Prather, CA
Topic Author's Reply - Oct 20, 2012 - 06:52pm PT
The lower gate on the old toll road is closed but the bypass is very passable with a 4X4 thanks to SCE. Made it to the Cap Rock and back today with no events in a standard 4X.

Looking forward to seeing you at the event...dwight
Ksolem

Trad climber
Monrovia, California
Oct 20, 2012 - 10:11pm PT

Hi Dwight,

I've never been, and am planning to come up. Do you guys camp up at the cap rock?

I'll be driving a late model Tacoma full cab long bed (a long vehicle) with excellent clearance but 2WD with a limited slip rear. Tires are big and burly but not off road. Whadda ya think?

I don't think my better half and best partner can come. If I show up solo do you think anyone will tie in with me? I don't climb in skis or dresses, but I could dig up some red lycra...
Bascuela

climber
Fresno, CA
Oct 22, 2012 - 03:03pm PT
I'm rolling solo for the weekend, I'm sure we'll all find somebody. Should be all dried out by this weekend.
Flydude

Trad climber
Prather, CA
Topic Author's Reply - Oct 24, 2012 - 12:06am PT
Hey kris and friends...just show up. The road up is 4x but good thanks to SCE. Weather Is predicted to be sunny and 75+ both days. Lots of partnerless folks and folks from climbing gyms out to experience great western sierra granite slab. Need mentors to the granite experience...so come on out!
I'm spending the night with the expectation of doing the TT Traverse at midnight.

Gonna be a great event...dwight

BTW...great swag!
this just in

climber
north fork
Oct 26, 2012 - 03:52pm PT
Just saw the rock from the huge metropolis of Tollhouse. Perfect weather, should be fun.
micronut

Trad climber
Oct 26, 2012 - 04:11pm PT
Adam and I are gonna be rollin in mid afternoon on Saturday. We'll be there till dark, hang out for a while and win all the booty from the raffles. Then we'll downgrade a couple new routes and head on home.

See yall there.

JEleazarian

Trad climber
Fresno CA
Oct 26, 2012 - 04:16pm PT
I finally got off the disabled list on Wednesday. For the first time in 9 months, I have permission to climb. I'm booked elsewhere for Sunday, but I hope to get up there Saturday, if my (much deteriorated and massively weighted down) physical condition permits. A jaunt up the Traverse might be just what the doctor ordered, so to speak.

Thanks for all your effort, Dwight.

John
this just in

climber
north fork
Oct 29, 2012 - 12:42pm PT
Had a great time Saturday. Thanks Dwight for organizing it, big turn out and some awesome gear at the raffle. Love the shirts too. Thanks to all that helped.

Justin Ross
crazy horse

Trad climber
fresno, ca
Oct 29, 2012 - 10:25pm PT
I had a great time too y'all!! Anyone else going to post some shots of the action? It was a great turn out and the schwagfest was out of control sweet. Won myself a 60 M bluewater rope, a brush, a 6'er of draws, and some custom blend coffee. My buddy pictured below won a rope and a BD cam. Saw a few costumes, not nearly enough though.



Captain...or Skully

climber
Oct 29, 2012 - 10:29pm PT
Tollhouse!
tiki-jer

Trad climber
fresno/clovis
Oct 29, 2012 - 11:09pm PT
Saturday was a great event! Thanks all for putting it on!
Mark, always a pleasure to climb with you Sir!!
Matt, thank you! You do not owe me a beer.....however, Justin is another story. JK! LOl! I'm thinking third beer went to Cam??? Hmmmm?
A Torpedo on top of the Cap Rocks is special!
limpingcrab

Trad climber
the middle of CA
Oct 29, 2012 - 11:14pm PT
Bummed I missed it! Made other climbing plans before I realized the conflict. Won't happen again next year.

More pictures while we wait for the micronut TR anyone?
micronut

Trad climber
Oct 29, 2012 - 11:54pm PT
Raise yer hand if yer in this photo!

I count 13 climbers, including Blaine maybe up in the Cap Rocks.

Great day out, TR to come soon. Please e-mail me if you have any photos. Include captions and I'll make ya famous.

-Scott




LuckyNeck

Trad climber
the basement of Lou's Tavern
Oct 30, 2012 - 12:48am PT
Raisin' my hand right here Micronut. All done climbing and chillin' out on top of cap rocks waaaaaaaay up in the corner in my super green bowling shirt there.

Thanks Matt for the schweet photos and route choice.

Super thanks to the people and companies that donated the prizes (winning a rope and cam in one day is way cooler than anything else I did in October that's for sure).

And to all those who put in so much effort to make this happen, thanks again to you. I'll be there every year I'm allowed.

Edit: and micronut just use Crazy Horse's photos of me for the TR if you want, those were on the second pitch of "Hang 'Em High, 5.8R"
LuckyNeck

Trad climber
the basement of Lou's Tavern
Oct 30, 2012 - 01:10am PT
tiki-jer i think that third torpedo went to me. THANKS! btw
Fletcher

Trad climber
Fumbling towards stone
Oct 30, 2012 - 01:47am PT
Looks like it was an awesome and worthy event. One of these days gotta get me out there, kids willing. My bro-in-law lives in Clovis, so my excuses for not going are getting weak.

Eric
Byran

climber
Yosemite Valley, CA
Oct 30, 2012 - 11:09am PT
Raise yer hand if yer in this photo!


I'm sitting on the ledge above the black lichen, and belaying Megan up the final pitch of what I think is Parental Guidance. I didn't take many photos that trip, but I did get one of my buddy Kia circling the cliff in his paraglider.

this just in

climber
north fork
Oct 30, 2012 - 11:27am PT
Tiki- beers on me next time. Thanks, dem torpedos are good.
Paul Martzen

Trad climber
Fresno
Oct 30, 2012 - 01:50pm PT
Had a great time at Tollhouse this year. There are so many things to love about climbing there and meeting so many old and new friends. It was super cool to holler and talk to Kia as he floated back and forth on the updrafts in front of the rock. Bongo drums awoke me at 2 am, as celebration for the midnight Tollhouse Traverse ascent. Good to hear that tradition continuing. Many ate the great food that Holly provided. I saw a few costumes, but heard that more appeared for the midnight climb. Some trash left by unknowns was picked up and a new shadier trail was cut to the cap rocks. Authorities appeared to see if there was a special use permit and if money was being charged. Since it is a traditional impromptu event and no money is charged, they went on their way in search of other miscreants, but there may be some coordination with the forest service next year.
SafetyFirst!

Trad climber
Fresno, CA
Oct 30, 2012 - 06:36pm PT
Thanks to all the kitchen schlepping slaves! Figuring out what to bring is always an evolving process, and kudos to the brave souls who ascended the sketchy road up to get our stuff up there, would not have been the food party without it. The bongos were cool. More costumes next year! Thanks also to Paul for the belay which swung me OUT on Hang Left when I came off and not INTO the corner wall, think we decided it was the better of the two choices-and Randy, did you not say your 7 year old did Hang Left 20 years ago? Oh, well, I guess I set the bar for myself where it is appropriate. Free and Easy was lovely, and I am happy about the rapping I did. Onward to New Year's Day/Super Bowl climbs!
rockklimber

Trad climber
South Bend, IN
May 21, 2013 - 12:45pm PT
Figured this is probably the best place to notify climbers who frequent Tollhouse.

Large ROCKFALL event above Tollhouse Traverse pitch 3 and pitch 4 (4th class crack up to the large tree). Dangerous area that you won't realize until you reach the upper pitches.

We were there on Saturday morning. We were most likely the first one's on the route since the rock fall. Looks like it happened very recently.

A huge boulder broke loose from high above the last pitches of the Tollhouse Traverse and left a path of destruction.





Upper half of Pitch 2 crack is filled with large sandy gravel several inches thick. Nearly impossible not to knock sandy gravel down on followers. Wish I had taken pictures here, but was trying not to knock down more gravel on my partner. Even #3 cams were completely covered by the waterfall of sandy gravel being knocked down by the rope. Pitch 2 belay crack is full of this small gravel too.

The thin traverse on pitch 3 is covered with small gravel and the thin crack requires extensive digging to place any pro.

The ledges around the belay anchor bolts were covered with huge head size boulders and fist size rocks and the ledge was covered completely with small gravel. I had to move most of the large rocks to prevent the rope from knocking them down on my partner.

The bush to the left of the belay anchor at the base of the 4th class crack on the 4th pitch was almost completely taken out by rockfall (I will have to check old pictures).



The 4th pitch 4th class hand crack is completely filled with rock debris, large boulders and gravel. Pretty much impossible to use and dangerous for followers. I freesoloed that section trailing my ropes on my right side and placed a directional about 75ft up to keep the ropes away from the crack and then climbed up to the tree.



The slabs above and below pitch three have countless scars where large boulders bounced down the wall and it is a possibility that some of the bolt hangers on routes below could have been compromised.


Once we reached the top we could clearly tell where the large boulder was originally resting on a slight downhill slope and apparently just broke free, slid or rolled down a little way and hit some other large boulders and broke into large chunks and appeared to just tumble and break into smaller and smaller boulders as it took out anything in its path. There are still several large chunks at rest above.





Just a word of warning to anybody who heads up there. I think a major cleanup effort may be needed to make that climb "safe" for the unsuspecting. Those upper pitches could be pretty scary for a beginner leader.


Sent emails to Tom Slater and Dwight, but haven't heard back from them so thought I'd try this forum.

Side not: I met Dwight Kroll and Mark Haymond a few years back on Tollhouse Traverse when I helped them get one of their friends who was puking off the route.
LuckyNeck

Trad climber
the basement of Lou's Tavern
May 21, 2013 - 02:55pm PT
This rockfall info deserves its own thread. The loose rocks on top in that area of tollhouse are going to create a hazard for some time to come. May need to org a cleanin effort?
crazy horse

Trad climber
fresno, ca
May 21, 2013 - 03:51pm PT
I rebolted parts of elephant walk years ago because a few of the hangers had obviously been hit at least once if not multiple times with rockfall. I would suspect it's happened again given the size of this one.
Paul Martzen

Trad climber
Fresno
May 21, 2013 - 08:50pm PT
Remarkable that the boulder moved from that particular spot. Thanks so much for the photos. I don't see slide marks in the photo, so it appears that the boulder rolled from that spot? Have to look at old photos and try to identify the boulder that moved.
Flydude

Trad climber
Prather, CA
Topic Author's Reply - May 21, 2013 - 10:28pm PT
Thanks for the heads-up. Luckily this looks like an isolated boulder with a lot of debris below...that's pretty amazing!
Looks like it would be good to stay clear of that area so I'll post it tomorrow. Then perhaps a clean up effort from the top down.
Luckily no one got hurt or worse when this happened.
Thanks for the warning...dwight
limpingcrab

Trad climber
the middle of CA
May 21, 2013 - 11:43pm PT
Thanks for sharing, Dwight mentioned it earlier

http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=2143501&msg=2143514#msg2143514



I suspect a car jack and some bored dudes may understand how it started...
Flydude

Trad climber
Prather, CA
Topic Author's Reply - May 22, 2013 - 12:09am PT
Hey Paul...let's talk about organizing a clean up effort.
I think that it is extremely poetic that this boulder that has stood alone for big years took a long awaited roll with no one there to see...let's talk..d.
Flydude

Trad climber
Prather, CA
Topic Author's Reply - May 22, 2013 - 12:18am PT
Hopefully it wasn't A car jack and bored dudes...d.
Slater

Trad climber
Central Coast
May 22, 2013 - 12:19am PT
TFPU Rockklimber

This popular route will surely see some action, so I hope climbers see this.

I'd put up a separate thread, maybe not with all the photos and details, but just a warning about the loose rock etc.

Dwight, was the boulder leaning off towards space? or did some jackass trundle the thing?!

Flydude

Trad climber
Prather, CA
Topic Author's Reply - May 22, 2013 - 01:22am PT
It was very large...maybe 8'x8'x10', no freezing, rain etc. but who knows. Wasn't a particularly steep stance. The good news is this is an isolated event...not like the Cap Rock is exfoliating. Anyway, I'll be posting Tollhouse to warn of the area and providing numbers to report a human inspired event. I ::think it is a possibility.
Will be putting together a Clean up event with localsin the near future...come join and bring a helmet!
Hope all's good with you...dwight
micronut

Trad climber
May 22, 2013 - 11:08am PT
Its the big meatball to the left of the square caprock I believe.


micronut

Trad climber
May 22, 2013 - 11:10am PT
I was thinking we could clear the area below, and on rappel trundle small stuff. But take a haulbag and lower it off with us from the big tree, then fill it with the bigger blocks and use a 2:1 big wall haul to bring it back up, so we don't damage hardware below. Let me know if a crew takes shape.
Flydude

Trad climber
Prather, CA
Topic Author's Reply - May 22, 2013 - 11:32am PT
kev

climber
A pile of dirt.
May 22, 2013 - 12:29pm PT
Hopefully it wasn't A car jack and bored dudes...d.

I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. That boulder has been there for a long time and it wasn't steep at all there.
Messages 1 - 47 of total 47 in this topic
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