Favorite world famous choss piles you love to hate

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Messages 1 - 68 of total 68 in this topic
mechrist

Gym climber
South of Heaven
Topic Author's Original Post - Dec 27, 2012 - 12:41pm PT
My closest world famous choss pile is Pie Shop. I'll boulder there on occasion and maybe do that 5.10 thing up to the right exit of that roof thing once every year or two... but it certainly ain't my favorite. Topping my list is:

1) Big Cottonwood
2) American Fork
3) Smith Rocks
4) The Horn
mechrist

Gym climber
South of Heaven
Topic Author's Reply - Dec 27, 2012 - 12:53pm PT
Oh yeah, h8 climbing at Chossua Tree... but it is fun to be there.
RyanD

climber
Squamish
Dec 27, 2012 - 12:58pm PT
ORG
Smith
mechrist

Gym climber
South of Heaven
Topic Author's Reply - Dec 27, 2012 - 12:59pm PT
I don't love to hate ORG... I just hate it.
philo

Trad climber
Is that light the end of the tunnel or a train?
Dec 27, 2012 - 01:10pm PT
What's the name of that big nasty ditch over by Montrose, Colorado? Oh yeah The Black (Choss Pile) Canyon.
Texplorer

Trad climber
Sacramento
Dec 27, 2012 - 01:28pm PT
I never thought of Smith as a choss pile. I guess if you were climbing there back before the 10 millionth ascent of a route there was choss that would come off maybe.

I would say the Auburn Cliffs are a huge choss pile however not famous.
mechrist

Gym climber
South of Heaven
Topic Author's Reply - Dec 27, 2012 - 01:50pm PT
I looked over the edge of the Black Canyon once. It was really cool as a geologist. Never once thought it was worth climbing.
Brandon-

climber
The Granite State.
Dec 27, 2012 - 01:51pm PT
Ibex.
philo

Trad climber
Is that light the end of the tunnel or a train?
Dec 27, 2012 - 03:45pm PT
I looked over the edge of the Black Canyon once.

Choss pile alert. Nothin' to see here. Move along.
mechrist

Gym climber
South of Heaven
Topic Author's Reply - Dec 27, 2012 - 03:49pm PT
Brandon's trying to start a fight!
LuckyPink

climber
the last bivy
Dec 27, 2012 - 03:53pm PT
Smith rocks
Joshua Tree
Black Canyon
Pinnacles

definitely choss.. oh yeah, home crag St Helena especially Table rock
Brandon-

climber
The Granite State.
Dec 27, 2012 - 03:53pm PT
Haha, just seeing if anyone was paying attention.
ruppell

climber
Dec 27, 2012 - 03:53pm PT
Mt Minsi and Mt Tammany of Delaware Water Gap fame. You wouldn't understand unless you've climbed there. LOL
mechrist

Gym climber
South of Heaven
Topic Author's Reply - Dec 27, 2012 - 04:13pm PT
Flashing one of my hardest on the funnest chossy choss around.

Michelle

Trad climber
Toshi's Station, picking up power converters.
Dec 27, 2012 - 04:59pm PT
Yosemite Valley.
bvb

Social climber
flagstaff arizona
Dec 27, 2012 - 05:02pm PT
Font
Mission Gorge
Pinnacles
Josh
The Horn
weezy

climber
Dec 27, 2012 - 05:02pm PT
rifle

or any crag with a "scene"
The Larry

climber
Moab, UT
Dec 27, 2012 - 05:05pm PT
The Horn?

Worst approach drive but chossy?
mechrist

Gym climber
South of Heaven
Topic Author's Reply - Dec 27, 2012 - 05:06pm PT
Total choss pile... if you've never been, don't go.
bvb

Social climber
flagstaff arizona
Dec 27, 2012 - 05:08pm PT
Work with us here, Larry. The Horn is a truly woeful chossheap that you would not wish upon you very worst enemies. It's where LEB should be sent to learn how to climb.

Just sayin'.
The Larry

climber
Moab, UT
Dec 27, 2012 - 05:15pm PT
BVB, I'm digging what yer laying down, just saying if the drive to the valley was as bad, it would be empty. Plus the fire f*#ked up some killer camping and fried the boulders. Terrible place. Stay away.
philo

Trad climber
Is that light the end of the tunnel or a train?
Dec 27, 2012 - 05:15pm PT
What about Camelback Mountain in Phoenix?
mechrist

Gym climber
South of Heaven
Topic Author's Reply - Dec 27, 2012 - 05:19pm PT
I stashed some zoom zooms at the horn back in 2000? Thought I'd be back... but then it burned, so no point really.
bvb

Social climber
flagstaff arizona
Dec 27, 2012 - 05:23pm PT
If more people knew the whole story, that fire would go down in history as the most profound tragedy in American climbing since Hetch Hetchy.
Gary

Social climber
Right outside of Delacroix
Dec 27, 2012 - 06:28pm PT
The Black Kaweah, but I don't hate it.

donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
Dec 27, 2012 - 06:33pm PT
The king of choss piles has to be the road cut on the Seward highway outside of Anchorage.
t-bone

climber
Bishop
Dec 27, 2012 - 07:23pm PT
ORG
who thought guano-covered choss could be so much fun...

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Scole

Trad climber
Joshua Tree
Dec 28, 2012 - 07:26pm PT
The Tetons
wilbeer

Mountain climber
honeoye falls,ny.greeneck alleghenys
Dec 28, 2012 - 07:51pm PT
hey ruppell,i hear you,....philo,the black canyon of the gunnison,good mountain biking though.choss near me ,what a waste of vertical
RyanD

climber
Squamish
Dec 28, 2012 - 07:53pm PT
Did BVB say font?!? Haha the most endless supply of perfectly sculpted rock on the planet? Awesome, others perceptions are!
climbski2

Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
Dec 28, 2012 - 07:55pm PT
The king of choss piles has to be the road cut on the Seward highway outside of Anchorage. Donini

Beat me to it.

stolen off the internetz example of some of the best the highway has to offer
Stewart Johnson

climber
lake forest
Dec 28, 2012 - 09:10pm PT
maybe not world famous but for east siders it tops the list.
bvb

Social climber
flagstaff arizona
Dec 28, 2012 - 09:25pm PT
Did BVB say font?!? Haha the most endless supply of perfectly sculpted rock on the planet? Awesome, others perceptions are!

Every single time I went back to Font it just seemed to get chossier and chossier and chossier. What a pile. I'd way rather go to Stony.
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
Dec 28, 2012 - 09:31pm PT
BITD it never remotely crossed my mind that anyone would climb that crap
on the Seward Hwy. Way way BITD we were heading for Whitney (from Seattle)
and saw these cliffs outside Bend. We pulled over for a few minutes.

"What a sh!t pile. Let's go."
grover

climber
Northern Mexico
Dec 28, 2012 - 09:43pm PT
Yam(nuska) in the Canadian Rockies has been known to shed its 'skin' from time to time.
karodrinker

Trad climber
San Jose, CA
Dec 28, 2012 - 09:47pm PT
Sick photo of Morrison Stewart! That thing looks so bad ass from the east.
climbski2

Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
Dec 28, 2012 - 10:34pm PT
Is there always a pretty girl halfway up?
DanaB

climber
CT
Dec 28, 2012 - 10:48pm PT
Supertopo
tradmanclimbs

Ice climber
Pomfert VT
Dec 28, 2012 - 10:54pm PT
Cannon NH. total choss but pretty darn fun.
Fluid

Trad climber
San Diego, CA
Dec 29, 2012 - 11:48pm PT

Pinnacles.
schwortz

Social climber
"close to everything = not at anything", ca
Dec 29, 2012 - 11:52pm PT
owens for sure.
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
Dec 29, 2012 - 11:55pm PT
I saw a proposed choss pile with very chalked up holds. A real choss pile dose not have holds with the permanence required to accumulate chalk.
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
Dec 30, 2012 - 12:03am PT
OK....how about the Rotwand Wall in Eldo and Notch Peak. I absolutely loved Notch Peak.
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
Dec 30, 2012 - 12:16am PT
But the Rotwand is in Eldo which is world famous....Steve Wunsch loved it.
justthemaid

climber
Jim Henson's Basement
Dec 30, 2012 - 01:20am PT
Bump for choss!


Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
Dec 30, 2012 - 02:53am PT
Bruce, isn't the 800 pound gorilla in the room usually studiously ignored?
RyanD

climber
Squamish
Dec 30, 2012 - 03:51am PT
Hankster, those Riglos shots are awesome!
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
Dec 30, 2012 - 10:12am PT
Right you are Bruce Kay with the exception of "Back of the Lake" near Lake Louise where the rock is bullet proof.
Gilroy

Social climber
Boulderado
Dec 30, 2012 - 10:32am PT
El Potrero Chico

Gilroy

Social climber
Boulderado
Dec 30, 2012 - 10:37am PT
Good thing there's not a scene there.

justthemaid

climber
Jim Henson's Basement
Dec 30, 2012 - 11:52am PT
I CAN hear the musica blaring.. ;)

Oh.. Not exactly "world famous" but I'll throw Echo Cliffs in the mix as favorite local choss-pile.

If it's not a whole new climb (from holds breaking off) every time you climb it.. it's not quality choss.

philo

Trad climber
Is that light the end of the tunnel or a train?
Dec 30, 2012 - 12:33pm PT
If it's not a whole new climb (from holds breaking off) every time you climb it.. it's not quality choss.

Most excellent assessment.

For "quality Choss" may I recommend most anything in the West Elk Mountains of Colorado.
Just ask Paul Ryan I am sure he will regale you with foot notes from his World Class ass-sents.
Brandon-

climber
The Granite State.
Dec 30, 2012 - 12:43pm PT
I learned to climb on a railroad cut in NH. Well, Rumney really, but this cut is ten minutes from my house as opposed to an hour for Rumney.

Really bad climbing. There would be tons of positive edges if you flipped the whole crag upside down. As it is, there are lots of slopey holds and funky angles that are always trying to push you off.

It gets no direct sun and is infested with mosquitos and poison ivy.

But, I cut my teeth climbing there.
philo

Trad climber
Is that light the end of the tunnel or a train?
Dec 30, 2012 - 12:44pm PT
Sounds like a lovely vacation destination. :)
Brandon-

climber
The Granite State.
Dec 30, 2012 - 12:45pm PT
Free camping!!!

Edit; it's WAY better than the slag heap that is the Seward Highway road cut. We make wicked good road cuts 'round here.
drljefe

climber
El Presidio San Augustin del Tucson
Dec 30, 2012 - 02:19pm PT
Sedona!
Curt

climber
Gold Canyon, AZ
Dec 30, 2012 - 02:38pm PT
What about Camelback Mountain in Phoenix?

That's not even good choss.

Curt
weezy

climber
Dec 30, 2012 - 02:47pm PT
indian creek

"hey bro i need to borrow fifty cams so i can do the same move over and over for 150 feet"

heh, just kidding. but really if i never had to lead Supercrack again i wouldn't shed a single tear.
grover

climber
Northern Mexico
Dec 30, 2012 - 02:49pm PT
You said it Riley.

I've yet to find consistent choss like the Rockies has anywhere else.

Pitch 6 Windtower north-east face, you couldn't pay me enough to re-lead it.

Only time I've had all 4 holds slump at the same time.

Started smoking (again) on that climb......
DanaB

climber
CT
Dec 30, 2012 - 03:38pm PT
The old guide to the Canadian Rockies had something written (can't remember the exact words) that was " . . . the great majority of the routes in the Canadian Rockies are piles of crap with no redeeming qualities."

El Portrero, I agree. That place is like a shopping mall or the Jersey shore, but it just happens to have bolts.
Bowser

Social climber
Durango CO
Dec 30, 2012 - 05:22pm PT
Anything in the Superstitions, Phoenix, or The San Juans.

Roadie

Trad climber
Bishop, Ca
Dec 30, 2012 - 05:45pm PT
Arches NP
Josh
Alabama Hills
mechrist

Gym climber
South of Heaven
Topic Author's Reply - Dec 30, 2012 - 05:54pm PT
Every single time I went back to Font it just seemed to get chossier and chossier and chossier.

Should be ultra chossy this spring. You in? I'll teach you how to climb.
Gal

Trad climber
a semi lucid consciousness
Dec 30, 2012 - 05:57pm PT
The Superstitions, AZ ... or, that is, "The Odyssey" scared me bad...


haha, just saw your post Bowser, YES agree...

and Philo, Camelback... that is a mud pile choss fest, helmet required... climb fast & light as the foot and handholds are ever flexing ;-)


Then I must add my beloved Courthouse Rock in the Eagletails to this list of exfoliating, crumbly beauties!

I suppose these aren't world famous, but ultra chossy indeed...

DanaB... that was funny... yes, perhaps ;-)
justthemaid

climber
Jim Henson's Basement
Dec 30, 2012 - 07:47pm PT
Sedona!

The other elephant in the room.

John Duffield

Mountain climber
New York
Dec 30, 2012 - 08:26pm PT
Canadian Rockies - but i dont hate it i just love it

Yup. Nearly ate it on MT Edith Cavell 4 years ago.

AP

Trad climber
Calgary
Dec 31, 2012 - 12:28pm PT
Canadian Rockies are loads of fun IF you make the right decision on which route to climb. At least there are good guidebooks around now to help you make the right choices. It is still a good idea for first time visitors to talk to the locals.
The Larry

climber
Moab, UT
Dec 31, 2012 - 12:43pm PT
Fisher towers is pretty chossy but I kinda like it.




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