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Edge
Trad climber
New Durham, NH
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Aug 24, 2012 - 10:15am PT
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I climbed in Chamonix back in 1985, and it was a very dry year. As a result, there was a lot of snow melting and exposing hidden pockets that hadn't seen the light of day in decades.
During a run up the N Face of the Courtes, I was leading as we simul-climbed up a long snow slope high on the face. I spied a large boulder where I thought I could rest on top and bring up my partner. Under the boulder was a shallow pocket littered with smokey quartz crystals. I grabbed 7 largish ones and wrapped them in a spare jacket.
My partner snapped this pic of me at the collection site.
I met my wife to be a month later, and my Courtes partner was my best man; I gave him one of the biggest ones as a thank you. Several years later, I gifted two others to my daughter and son for Christmas. The four remaining ones stayed with me, and always bring me back to that amazing climb.
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phylp
Trad climber
Millbrae, CA
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Aug 24, 2012 - 01:00pm PT
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Em, ec, that could be the one, I just can't remember - it was more than 25 years ago and it was the one and only time I climbed there. I'm pretty sure I was with my friend Wags, who is deceased so unless he comes to me in a dream to remind me of the name of the route, it's lost. The crystals were huge though!
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Aug 24, 2012 - 01:01pm PT
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One of my first El Cap partners, Georges Bettembourge, was an avid crystal hunter who financed a himalayan trip in part by selling some. More than just a Chamonix guide, he was the grand-nephew of Armand Charlet.
Sadly, he was killed by rockfall on a crystal hunting climb.
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skamoto
Mountain climber
coalinga ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 24, 2012 - 03:49pm PT
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I keep hoping to fumble across a new benitoite location. That would be awesome
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skamoto
Mountain climber
coalinga ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 27, 2012 - 07:25am PT
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Here are a few things you can find outside coalinga.
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dee ee
Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
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Aug 27, 2012 - 12:18pm PT
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Yes we saw beautiful crystal pockets on Dark Star as well. I picked up an awesome loose crystal approx. 4"x1" and carried it for a few pitches. For some mysterious reason something told me to leave it. I left it on a ledge a few p's below the top.
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Jerry Dodrill
climber
Sebastopol
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Aug 27, 2012 - 12:56pm PT
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There are lots of crystals on Mt. St. Helena. One route has a nice open hand sloper that is textured with tiny ones. As you hike up the road you often find small crystals in the dirt. I've always called them Lake County Diamonds.
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guyman
Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
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Aug 27, 2012 - 01:20pm PT
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At the base of Little Baldy in Sequoia NP......
One would be a dick to break them off the stone.
Just look in the dirt downhill... everywhere.
And EC.... I was really bummed when that got stolen, made my faith in other rockclimbers drop a few peggs.
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jbaker
Trad climber
Redwood City, CA
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Aug 27, 2012 - 01:43pm PT
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There's a climb at Shaffer Rocks in Pennsylvania where one of the holds is a pocket full of really sharp crystals. Sort of like putting your hand in a geode.
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PRRose
climber
Boulder
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Aug 27, 2012 - 02:12pm PT
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At Suicide in SoCal theres an old route called Surprise whose crux is face climbing a line of crystals--at least the crystals used to be there.
Wonder how many other routes depend on crystal crimping.
Boulder Quartz System, Plotinus Wall, Boulder Canyon, 12a.
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kwit
climber
california
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Aug 27, 2012 - 03:20pm PT
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Anyone know the climb in Clear Creek Canyon--a 5.12a or 12b I think--where the crux is a huge powerful move from pulling on a big crystal blob? I was there so long ago I can't even remember the area but I remember vividly the quartz crystal almost obscured by panic chalk, and that it was a 12. I could never quite make the commitment on lead.
The wall requires an airy scramble up from the river near a bridge--no Tyrolean but maybe there could have been one at one time?
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Brian in SLC
Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
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Aug 27, 2012 - 04:01pm PT
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The route 'Crystal' on Crystal Wall at Chimney Rocks, Sequoia has some on the route. BITD, inside the largest pocket, was a nearly fist-sized, quartz crystal. It was lifted and later surrendered. However, it still resides away from its original home.
I remember hoping it would be there and then disappointed that it wasn't.
Neat history.
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