5.0 topropes for 2½ year old in Yos?

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Mr_T

Trad climber

Northern California

Topic Author's Original Post - Sep 9, 2014 - 01:26pm PT

I have a 2½ that likes to climb. At that age, things need to be low angle face. Something like the 4th class apron slabs on Pywack would be perfect. Does anyone happen to know of a low angle boulder (maybe even just 20-30') that's in the Valley? I can't recall if there's something along these lines near Swan Slab or the Arches base.

Thanks

Edit: maybe base of the Nose might have something.

Srbphoto

climber

Kennewick wa

Sep 9, 2014 - 01:31pm PT

the face below penthouse cracks at swan slab

mouse from merced

Trad climber

The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.

Sep 9, 2014 - 01:46pm PT

I just had a belly laugh when read this. It's priceless. You can't make this stuff up.

Who remembers Face from the A-Team, or Faceman, as he also was known?

From Wiki-land:

Lieutenant Templeton Peck (Dirk Benedict; Tim Dunigan appeared as Templeton Peck in the pilot), usually called "Face" or "Faceman", is a smooth-talking con man who serves as the team's appropriator of vehicles and other useful items, as well as the team's second-in-command.

Have fun and don't run out of ammo, Mr_T.

Jaybro

Social climber

Wolf City, Wyoming

Sep 9, 2014 - 01:50pm PT

Oh yeah! Wasn't he in the original battle star galactic a after that?

climbski2

Mountain climber

Anchorage AK, Reno NV

Sep 9, 2014 - 02:43pm PT

Before that. Galactica was in the 70's A-team was 80's. Lt. Starbuck. I laughed the first time I heard of a "Starbucks"

And for the OP..That first corner you come to on swan slab from Camp 4. Easy to set a toprope. As mentioned above. Kid will have a blast super easy access and there is other stuff to do in the area.

Mr_T

Trad climber

Northern California

Topic Author's Reply - Sep 9, 2014 - 05:26pm PT

Thanks so much! Will check out Swan Slabs.

the Fet

climber

Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La

Sep 9, 2014 - 06:48pm PT

the face below penthouse cracks at swan slab

There is a gully on the right side of that which may work for a 2.5 year old but may still be too tough. On the plus side it's very convenient.

I think anything 5.0 may be too steep. Especially when you are talking about face climbs which are reachy for a little one. I'd be on the lookout for LOW angle slabs that aren't in any guide book and setup an anchor with cams.

Srbphoto

climber

Kennewick wa

Sep 9, 2014 - 06:55pm PT

right next to the gulley, a little tension on the rope, Mom waiting on top and you got yourself a little honemaster.

bluering

Trad climber

Santa Clara, CA

Sep 9, 2014 - 07:23pm PT

Puppy Crack (Tuolumne) or Sunnyside Reg. Route.

Kalimon

Social climber

Ridgway, CO

Sep 9, 2014 - 07:23pm PT

All children love to climb but 2 1/2 yrs. old is a little young for such a potentially dangerous activity . . . what is wrong with the playground?

Mr_T

Trad climber

Northern California

Topic Author's Reply - Sep 10, 2014 - 09:47am PT

This is a short side activity, not the focus of the weekend (we're camped out, there are no play grounds in the valley). I could have titled this "20 mins on 3rd/4th class slabs with an experienced 2½ year old". Our little one has climbed outside a few times already. They love to put on their shoes and cruise around on slabby stuff. We've never taken them the gym - too much production and yes a park would be a better option. At places like Castle Rock, we've ended up exploring caves almost the whole time. It's more letting them explore vertically. Maybe scrambling up to the base of South Seas might be fun, esp if the rope swing is up and it's safe to do.

JEleazarian

Trad climber

Fresno CA

Sep 10, 2014 - 11:22am PT

the face below penthouse cracks at swan slab

That's where my daughters started. The gully on the right may be too difficult for a 2 1/2-year-old, though, depending on height. The Goblet, left of Monday Morning Slab is also nice, but has a much longer approach and some rockfall issues.

Has your child done any gym climbing? If he or she can get off the ground -- and enjoy it -- you should be in for a lot of fun.

John

GDavis

Social climber

SOL CAL

Sep 10, 2014 - 11:25am PT

tuolumne domes, like pothole. random bumpy featured slabs are best, having done that myself. I just anchored my nephew to me via swami and a sling, it ain't like he's tugging me off and we sure didn't go too high.

micronut

Trad climber

Fresno/Clovis, ca

Sep 10, 2014 - 11:44am PT

Steck Salathe

le_bruce

climber

Oakland, CA

Sep 10, 2014 - 11:51am PT

If you do go up to the Meadows, firing up the Stately Pleasure descent with your little one tied in (two adults needed, one to "lead" and one to "second" with the tyke, some traversing risk so little one can't just take indiscriminately without an adult alongside to keep things square) is a blast! Someone recommended that to me once, and our girl loved it. We had her first Nutella bagel on top. Hopefully that will forever embed in her a desire for summits.

Another slam dunk with young ones up in Tuolumne is the west end of Tenaya. Shallow water forever, sandy beach, bogs and stream to explore heading further west with all kinds of underwater bugs and creatures.

If no Meadows, there are some fun, big, slabby boulders over by the Indian caves, and off the paved path beneath the Five Open Books area. Not huge, but fun for the wee ones. I saw Lynn Hill playing with her toddler there years ago, played it cool though I wanted to tell her she was my hero, and filed it away in my brain, then took my girl there when I became a dad.

Felt close to Lynn while I was there. "Lynn spotted her kid on these very boulders!" Lynn if you're out there call me we'll take the kids to the park!

Mr_T

Trad climber

Northern California

Topic Author's Reply - Sep 10, 2014 - 01:13pm PT

It's a Valley only weekend. Otherwise the Pywack or Pothole slabs would be perfect.

I think scrambling up an approach like Nose or South Seas + Nutella bagels might work or maybe see how the boulders near the caves work. We do the 1 parent belay, one parent next to the little one system. I'd thought of putting them on a mini-trax but there's the finger in the mini-trax potential.

Ed Hartouni

Trad climber

Livermore, CA

Sep 10, 2014 - 01:32pm PT

they could chimney up Bad Ass Moma and make us all look bad...

Aunt Fanny is a possibility...

the walk down descent from the top of Church Bowl would be a possibility too... go around and up following the cliff base to the left, past Black is Brown and you'll see 4th class scrambling possibilities.

Similarly, at Manure Pile, walk the cliff base around to the left and spy gullies leading up to the top of pitch 1 of After Six, over where the start of God's Gift (?)... or if you were really interested you can diagonal up and left from the base of the original Nutcracker along "easy" rock which leads around to the ledge atop After Seven. Then you can continue up another pitch to the base of the chimney on After Six picking the 4th/easy 5th alternatives... (if you get that far).

Michael's Ledge on Lower Brother will let you get really far up and out, and is 4th class the whole way (though I'd tie the little suckers in good)...

Sunnyside Bench route could probably be negotiated with youngin's too.

Monday Morning Slab?

NutAgain!

Trad climber

South Pasadena, CA

Sep 10, 2014 - 02:25pm PT

I remembered Sunnyside Bench as an easy solo and thought it would be perfect for an intro kids climb. It's reachier for kids than you would think, and requires some awkward chimneyish technique. It took much longer than I would have thought to get my kids up P1, and we bailed after that because of time concerns. Plan an early start if you try Sunnyside Bench with kids unless they have done a lot of rock scrambling and had an intro to technical climbing.

HighTraverse

Trad climber

Bay Area

Sep 10, 2014 - 03:36pm PT

Anything on the base of Swan Slab with you spotting him.

I took my son up Aunt Fanny's Pantry (5.4) (Church Bowl) when he was about 5. He was hooked. You can belay from a tree on the big ledge at the top of the chimney. The whole route is likely too much for a 2 1/2.
The chimney off the deck may be too wide and strenuous for your son.

DON't push him!
Let him do his own thing as long as you're there for his safety.
When he says he's had enough, believe him.
Especially don't take him too high too early.
Take a couple of his favorite toys and snacks.
let him learn to love climbing and trust you as his partner. In 12 more years he'll be leading you.

tom woods

Gym climber

Bishop, CA

Sep 10, 2014 - 04:05pm PT

How about boulders?

We do this a lot. The 2.5 year old loves it, so does the 5 year old. Any old boulders will do. Find a way to get on top.

There is always a hard way if the easy way is too easy. They can do this for hours.

Spider Savage

Mountain climber

The shaggy fringe of Los Angeles

Sep 10, 2014 - 08:18pm PT

Fun stuff all over. This one up near Tammarack campground was perfect.

phylp

Trad climber

Millbrae, CA

Sep 10, 2014 - 08:24pm PT

Ed and HT, you read my mind - Aunt fannies. Go up about 20 feet, sling any tree , set up a T R and down walk ( it's not even down climbing). As long as she will let you lower her... That's usually the hardest part for beginners.

Coltino

Trad climber

Midpines, CA

Sep 10, 2014 - 08:26pm PT

The hike up to the alcove on El Cap is great. Plenty of boulders along the way. The talus feels like climbing to them and the last part into the alcove feels like climbing too. My 3 year old loves it. Have fun!

k-man

Gym climber

SCruz

Sep 10, 2014 - 10:32pm PT

There's a good Class 4/5.Easy at the Grack, if you want to hike that far. Great scenery and super fun.

If they really take to climbing, the might even be able to do the 5.7 right there, only adults would think it's hard because of the lack of holds, but a toddler might be able to scamper up on all fours ;-)

There's other super low-angle stuff right around there, you could set up a TR and have at it.

Other than that, I can't think of super-easy stuff right off the deck in the valley. A 2 1/2 year old ain't gonna love steep cracks, nor steep face. Unless you want to lower them into the notch of the Rostrum.

clinker

Trad climber

Santa Cruz, California

Sep 11, 2014 - 07:57am PT

Child endangerment builds character. By three kids should he working.

HighTraverse

Trad climber

Bay Area

Sep 11, 2014 - 08:56am PT

I second the Grack. Plenty of stuff for a 2 1/2 year old to scramble around on right at the base. Below the "adult" rope up point.
Then if he's ready for a belay, walk up to the rope up point and belay him up.
Only possible drawback is the rather long approach. But that's why we have kid carriers....eh??

I figured there'd be a few Nattering Nabobs of Negativism (see Sprio Agnew for reference) about the child's age.
No worries as long as you let him/her set the pace.
Kids naturally LOVE to scramble over stuff. Even better when Dad or Mum are along and not interfering.
You really can strike the balance between keeping your kids safe from Real Dangers and encouraging them to safely explore their limits. Adam was scrambling the boulders at our house and Castle Rock before he was 2. With an attentive spotter of course.

You might have them wear their bike helmets (and you wear your climbing helmet) to encourage good habits later.

Oh, and be sure to have a couple of toys in the pack for when they get bored. Snacks for when they get peckish.
The Merced River is really low right now. A cool off picnic in the water might be a good day's end.

Pete_N

Trad climber

Santa Cruz, CA

Sep 23, 2014 - 10:25am PT

I used to place jelly beans on key holds to get my kids to look for features and provide a little additional motivation...

honemasterT

Trad climber

Arizona

Sep 23, 2014 - 11:06am PT

Boulders at the end loop of pper Pines CG

survivalmademedoit

Trad climber

Grantham, New Hampshire

Sep 24, 2014 - 04:06am PT

Why get your poor kid all wrapped up in ratings. If it looks fun, it probably is, if it looks hard, it probably is.................

All sorts of stuff around Camp 4, or go to the base of Glacier Point. Go for an ice cream afterwards.

Enjoy!