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Mike
climber
Orange County CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Nov 30, 2003 - 02:39pm PT
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Looking from 395 @ Cartago, there's an obvious row of Needles-esque towers, and a big slab behind those. Access looks like a hike of several miles due to DWP installations, and possibly a real bitch near their bases, but I can't believe they haven't been investigated if not climbed on.
Thanks for any info.
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Mike
climber
Orange County CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 1, 2003 - 09:31am PT
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That looks like it. Thanks climber.
Mike
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DEE
Trad climber
Orange County
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I believe that Greg Vernon and Scott....(?("the credit card lover")) told me that they had climbed up there. Sure looks good from 395.I'm sure Greg would be forthcoming with info.
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Mike
climber
Orange County CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 1, 2003 - 01:43pm PT
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Thanks DE. Any info is appreciated.
Mike
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Demented
climber
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DE- would Scott("the credit card lover") be perhaps Scott Loomis? Didn't those two used to make quite a notorious pair? (Would the credit card in question be Greg’s?) Care to elaborate on the origins of Scott’s nickname?. If ya do, I could add a Loomis story or two…………….
And yea- who hasn’t eyeballed the Cartago Crags like 50 times or 500 times. Literally every time I’ve driven up and down 395. The steep faces and ridges behind it also look spectacular . Heinous approach, I am sure.. .
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Russ Walling
Social climber
Bishop, Ca.
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What the hell is a "CREDIT CARD LOVER"????
(hehehehe)
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Russ Walling
Social climber
Bishop, Ca.
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here are some old posts about the crags:
Many times while driving to the Sierras I see these huge rock walls just
a few miles north of Olancha California. They are located about a mile
off of the west side of the 395. Does anyone know if there are any
routes there?
Thanks,
Ed Huckle
Message 2 in threadFrom: Bob Harrington
Subject: Re: Rock walls near Olancha California?
View this article onlyNewsgroups: rec.climbing
Date: 1999/04/26
In article ,
Ed Huckle wrote:
>Many times while driving to the Sierras I see these huge rock walls just
>a few miles north of Olancha California. They are located about a mile
>off of the west side of the 395. Does anyone know if there are any
>routes there?
I think Fred Beckey climbed up there.
Bob
Message 3 in threadFrom: Craig Adkins
Subject: Re: Rock walls near Olancha California?
View this article onlyNewsgroups: rec.climbing
Date: 1999/04/26
Get yourself a copy of EXPLORING THE SOUTHERN SIERRA
;EAST SIDE BY JENKINS and read the Olancha Peak by
NE ridge trip writeup. As for routes, find your own and
have at it.
http://members.tripod.com/~karar/index-9.html
Message 4 in threadFrom: Russ Walling
Subject: Re: Rock walls near Olancha California?
View this article onlyNewsgroups: rec.climbing
Date: 1999/04/26
These are the Crystal Geyser Crags, named after the nondescript blue metal
building that houses their bottling operation. The middle of the 4 "towers"
has the longest routes. There is a 9 pitch 5.7 with a very exposed crux
section comprised of crimping large feldspar knobs about 2 feet above a
bolt. Very serious lead. The guy who runs the shipping dock is known for
hiking up there on his lunch hour and solo-drilling new lines. Some of
these will be 10-34 pitches long (depending on rope length) and quite
exciting. The crags have an access lean put on them by Crystal Geyser Corp
so that only employees of Crystal Geyser can climb up there, unless you
have the necessary "poop-free" permit....only available by inspection at
the plant. Seems some roughneck redtag jumpers from Bakersfield were
bagging all the good lines and taking huge dumps in the rivulet that leads
directly to the bottling facility. Very unpleasant. Maybe this situation
will change in the future, but for now just suck it up, clean your pipes and
go on in for the inspection. Nurse Ralph is very gentle.
hope this helps,
Russ
http://www.fishproducts.com
Message 5 in threadFrom: oconnorj
Subject: Re: Rock walls near Olancha California?
View this article onlyNewsgroups: rec.climbing
Date: 1999/04/28
In 1994, two friends and I did a 5-pitch 5.10 trad route on the 'tower' on the
right.
The north-facing walls behind the trees have the best rock quality, and
the potential for many sport routes.
In 1991, I climbed an old 5.7 2-pitch route in the entrance of the northern
(Cartago Creek) canyon, and improved the ancient rap station. If access isn't
an issue, the Cartago Creek canyon offers a multitude of single pitch crack
climbs (not visible from Hwy 395), and a much easier approach than the obvious
granite towers to the south.
John O'Connor
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Mike
climber
Orange County CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 2, 2003 - 02:53pm PT
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Thanks a ton for the rich post, Russ.
Mike
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DEE
Trad climber
Orange County
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Yes, Scott Loomis, however he deserves his own thread as the SL stories are numerous and colorful. If you contact one of those fellows I would advise it be Greg as his veracity is unquestioned.
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Batrock
Trad climber
Burbank
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Mar 22, 2015 - 07:50pm PT
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Had a friend spend some time up there in the late 80's, came back saying it was loose and gritty. Maybe he was just trying to scare folks off?
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limpingcrab
Trad climber
the middle of CA
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Mar 22, 2015 - 10:10pm PT
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Looked at those last week and would bet my left leg that Greg Vernon has been all over them. Sooo much rock there. Looks good from a distance at least?
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ß Î Ø T Ç H
Boulder climber
extraordinaire
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Mar 22, 2015 - 10:49pm PT
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Shades of Potrero Chico with all that vegetation on route.
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krahmes
Social climber
Stumptown
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Mar 23, 2015 - 10:47am PT
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We always called that thing the Fin when I lived in Olancha in the late 80s and early 90s. If I recall right the geocities report said they went up the big crack in the center of the photo above and said it was 5.4. I hiked up to that base of that same crack back in the day and it is loose, coarse and gritty. I remember being pissed at myself that I didn't go for it. I bailed and got to the top maybe by the next drainage over I don't remember.
When I was back in Coso in 2010 I had every attention of getting back up Cartago Creek, but I couldn't find the access that drops you to the start of the NE ridge of Olancha and access to Cartago Creek. But I didn't spend much time looking for it but getting across the aqueduct and being North of Olancha Creek is the key. I think I'd try coming from the north of Cartago Creek.
I will say that I don't think that face has much to offer in terms of stellar climbing given the weathering of the rock. The reason I wanted to get back into the area was what might be up Cartago Creek which I only have this one crappy old photograph from the top of Fin. So with all apologies this is the photograph:
Here's a couple of more old time photographs one showing the rock of Cartago Creek:
And finally as a hoot Cartago and Southern Owens Lake in 1990 before the reclamation efforts:
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guyman
Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
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Mar 23, 2015 - 01:06pm PT
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Cross aqueduct a bit to the north of town...
then drive to the mouth of the two canyons.... hike in and look around, grab the stone... I can describe it in one word:
Disappointing.
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ß Î Ø T Ç H
Boulder climber
ne'er–do–well
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Feb 23, 2017 - 09:52pm PT
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Drove by the other day - the boulder field looks really good.
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Bad Climber
Trad climber
The Lawless Border Regions
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Feb 24, 2017 - 06:58am PT
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Prolly stellar stone...by Canadian Rockies standards. Those hardcore Kanucks would have routes all over that place by now--classics!
BAd
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Gary
Social climber
Desolation Basin, Calif.
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Feb 24, 2017 - 01:06pm PT
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Kathy Brown told me that Vernon and the SCMA had investigated all that rock. Nothing came of it.
My guess is that it would be similar to the Easter Wall at Owens Peak.
A few of us trudged up Cartago Peak from Cartago. Had quite a bit of fun trying to figure out which spire out of the hundreds up there was the summit. They were all third class, the rock was OK.
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guyman
Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
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Feb 24, 2017 - 01:17pm PT
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It's all an optical illusion.... the boulders are like 10 feet tall.
When your looking at those bolders... just do this, turn yourself around 180 degrees... and think what might be over them hills to the east. Or in them hills.
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