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Thekitkatwalrus
Trad climber
west covina
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Topic Author's Original Post - Feb 12, 2016 - 11:13am PT
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Hello all,
I'm planning to attempt to climb Castle Rock Spire in June. I'm going to go check out the approach in two weeks, I know about the PO and snakes and hazards and all that good stuff just wondering if anyone has any tips or information that would be useful. Plan to do a few recon trips to get the best route.
Thanks.
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Feb 12, 2016 - 11:15am PT
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You forgot to include bears in the list of hazards. Otherwise, nothing useful to add.
John
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Radish
Trad climber
SeKi, California
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Feb 12, 2016 - 11:37am PT
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Cool! Depending on when you want to go, I'm up for a recon trip up there! Its perfect right now.......for hiking up there. Still a little wet otherwise. I'm assuming your thinking about the bottom approach?
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Levy
Big Wall climber
So Cal
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Feb 12, 2016 - 12:13pm PT
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Go from Atwell Ranger Station. Way less elevation gain and no poison oak.
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limpingcrab
Trad climber
the middle of CA
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Feb 12, 2016 - 12:17pm PT
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Agree with Levy, but if you want to do the lower approach take Radish up on his offer! Nobody knows it better than him.
Which route do you plan on climbing?
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guyman
Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
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Feb 12, 2016 - 01:58pm PT
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Recon.... hell- just grab your stuff and go....
You know there is a giant thread somewhere on the Taco....
Go get it!
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Thekitkatwalrus
Trad climber
west covina
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 12, 2016 - 04:49pm PT
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I was thinking about the top approach but I read you have to rap to the base of the spire? Also it may sound crazy but I like the adventure and bullshit that comes along with the approach, makes for an awesome experience.
Yeah radish! Bottom approach, I'm 100% going to go In two weeks the weekend of the 26th.
Wanting to do the east face route
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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Feb 12, 2016 - 05:51pm PT
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Ticks. Tuck your pant legs and shirt in.
Enjoy! Special place up there.
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Feb 13, 2016 - 04:01pm PT
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A friend did the regular route and the east face in one trip. Said he liked the climbing itself a lot more on the east face. Said they thought the cruxes were similar in difficulty. 11+. My initial 11b rating was a bit of a sandbag, not because I wanted to sandbag, but I was not confident I can onsight 11+ on a first free attempt of a route. Doing some time in indian creek before likely helped me have better fitness than usual. Easy to pull through the cruxes and things protect well in general. Got to go for it to free the crux sections free. Steep and exciting! Awesome route! Original Salathe bolts are just right of the 2nd pitch. Cool stuff all around.
Anyway, it is an awesome formation!!! Like visiting a museum.
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limpingcrab
Trad climber
the middle of CA
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Feb 13, 2016 - 10:01pm PT
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Updated the mountainproject page to include the free variation, I forgot to do that last year.
I'll give you $100 if you free the original second pitch of the east face :)
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limpingcrab
Trad climber
the middle of CA
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Feb 15, 2016 - 03:32pm PT
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Looked into the gulley on Saturday, if you go in two weeks bring something to get up some ice!
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ec
climber
ca
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Feb 20, 2016 - 06:06pm PT
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It is not required to rap to access the Spire via the upper approach. Just scramble down the gully from the top of the Fin. Been there, done it, plus exit.
 ec
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Feb 20, 2016 - 06:20pm PT
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+1 for what EC said. You will scramble out using that gully. It is 3rd class with good route finding. Rapping does make the descent go faster, I think. Be careful with a few spots of loose rock if you do rap. Pulling rope or rapelling above an unroped partner has to be done with caution. I was almost taken out there by a large rock.
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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Feb 20, 2016 - 10:04pm PT
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For the lower approach I found it very helpful to drive up to one of the higher lookouts on the way up to Moro Rock. Scope it with binocs. Of course you can't see the trail, but you will get the lay of the land and you can figure where the trail goes. It's good to have the big picture before you jump into the woods.
I did this and we nailed the approach with no missteps.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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Invalid two ascents without trip reports
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guyman
Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
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RF..... way to go.
What did you climb on the Fin?
EDIT: Oh I see.
go in the Bottom or the Top?
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guyman
Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
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Where did you guys Bivi??
And for the record, Mark Powell said he climbed CRS in a 3 day weekend.... hike in, set some fixed lines, climb it on day 2, hike out-drive home day 3.
Once you know the way, its pretty straight forward.
So with V moving to Visalia, when are we going to get a C to C?????
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Send
Trad climber
Central Sierra
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Me and a buddy were the other party to ascend CRS in 2017. Did it a couple weeks ago. 7 hrs in, didn't find old trail. Swimming in some shwack!
Climbed day 2 and a kinda cruiser 3.5 hrs on the old trail/way out. Posted some porn pics on mtnproj.
Go suffer, be rewarded.
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Radish
Trad climber
SeKi, California
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Two Parties in Two Weeks! Getting busy up there. Interesting to hear that the Spire only had One Ascent all last year and the party climbed the Spire Twice by 2 different routes....Regular Route and the East Face. Its a Most Heinous Approach that keeps things wild out there!
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micronut
Trad climber
Fresno/Clovis, ca
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Yeah boyz! Way to send! Tis the season apparently.
Scott
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guyman
Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
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Send... where did you put PICs on MP??? Trip report? CRS page? I looked but could not locate.
THX
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mooch
Trad climber
Tribal Base Camp (Kernville Annex)
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Just because Munge likes to look at himself in his old "blue jump suit".....
https://vimeo.com/36141941
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Radish
Trad climber
SeKi, California
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Record to CtoC on the Spire is 27 hours by D.Hickey and A. Degoode
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mooch
Trad climber
Tribal Base Camp (Kernville Annex)
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Hey Rene, what's David up to these days? Need to find time to get out with you, Bruce and David.
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Send
Trad climber
Central Sierra
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Guy, yeah the pics are on the mp Reg Rt page.
Photos by Chad N.
And that approach kicked my ass like no other.
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Levy
Big Wall climber
Calabasas
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A worthy summit. I dare sau that CRS may be the hardest summit in California.
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aldude
climber
Monument Manor
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Lost Arrow....?
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Ok, so reading Vitaliy's earlier TR, did he do it in a day? Upper or lower? He makes the approach sound casual. I get one good climbing with the dudes weekend a year, and perhaps sooner is better than later.
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Radish
Trad climber
SeKi, California
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According to Secor....Its the Hardest Summit in the Sierra by the easiest route.
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limpingcrab
Trad climber
the middle of CA
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Booya!
And I hear Vitaliy still has part of a tick in him from this weekend so you guys got the full lower approach experience!
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mooch
Trad climber
Tribal Base Camp (Kernville Annex)
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Lost Arrow....?
Guessing you haven't tackled the CRS/Fin lower approach. Get back with me when you combine the approach to the actual climbing. Most say the crux of the whole deal is the approach!
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aldude
climber
Monument Manor
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As a freeclimb the Arrow is 12b....approach is arbitrary.
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mooch
Trad climber
Tribal Base Camp (Kernville Annex)
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Someone hasn't been humbled yet. :) Again, let me know when you do Castle Rock Spire.
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Levy
Big Wall climber
Calabasas
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Lost Arrow is 5.9 A1 with a relatively easy approach, CRS is 5.9 A2 with a strenuous approach.
Enuf said.
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aldude
climber
Monument Manor
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MountainProject says A2.
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Levy
Big Wall climber
Calabasas
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Ha! Well then MP must be correct, in an alternate universe. Lost Arrow is almost A0. But what do I know, I have only climbed it 5 or 6 times. Surely the folks on MP know better. 🤣
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guido
Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
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"You gotta get a lotion, a Calamine lotion"
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limpingcrab
Trad climber
the middle of CA
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Lost Arrow counts as a summit? I'm admittedly bias because I love CRS but I never really thought of something as a summit if the most popular route is a tyrolean from the main (and higher) formation.
Lost Arrow is 5.9 A1 with a relatively easy approach, CRS is 5.9 A2 with a strenuous approach.
Enuf said.
Crap, I've also always argued that CRS is the most difficult summit to reach in the Sierra by its easiest route, but now there's the East Face that can be done at C1 (or free at 5.11). I know nothing about aid grades, is solid cams in a nice crack C1? I don't think anyone has actually aided it, just french freed it.
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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1. Darth Vader tower is a harder summit compared to CRS in my opinion. A more heinous bushwhacking, longer distance and mandatory 5.10a R (likely x). Go get the second ascent brajz!
2. Direct East Face is a more difficult route compared to the Regular Route. A lot harder and a lot better by quality if one is into difficult crack climbing. On the regular route there is one 5.11 pitch which is hard through a relatively short section. Aside from that 5.11 boulder problem that pitch is 5.10. Rest of the route is 5.9 and below. Direct east face on the other hand has one 5.10 pitch and two 5.11 pitches that are both more sustained compared to the crux of the regular route (which is C1 also by the way, if you use aid).
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limpingcrab
Trad climber
the middle of CA
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The bush whacking to darth Vader is only mandatory if you go the wrong way :)
Also, 5.11 is harder than 5.10a, at least at the gym.
Speaking of gym, you should be here already. I'm tired of "warming up" on the bouldering wall by this guy working on the v10. I bet he can't climb cracks :/
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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nice on Send and Rfshore!
thx Mooch, I love me the prison blues!
"I had a tick, carried it for miles. It left me. And took the dog and the house."
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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It's all subjective and route finding/strength depending. One thing for certain is that nothing on CRS is easy and the Castle Rocks are bad ass formations!
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mooch
Trad climber
Tribal Base Camp (Kernville Annex)
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Where's Clint when I need him! Wonder if Send and Richard got the 40th ascent.
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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So the underwear in the summit register belongs to Rachel? Should find her on Facebook and ask for a trip report, likely more fun than usual. ;)
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limpingcrab
Trad climber
the middle of CA
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Lol, Daniel injury on return hike/crawl. That brings back some memories!
Love your record keeping Clint, selfless service to us all. Thank you!
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Alois
Trad climber
Idyllwild, California
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Impressive Vit and Richard !
So 40 ascents in 67 years for the CRS ?
Less than 20 (?) for the Silver Lining
These formations bring back some memories, for sure.
Great to see how (now routinely) both the CRS and The Fin get done on two day weekend. We were so concerned with the approach BITD, we carried two sets of clothes, crampons and ice axe. The 60' run-outs and rather infrequent 1/4" bolts didn't help much either.
Fabulous back country climbing, (IMO) some of the best on the West side.
Congrats guys,
Alois.
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micronut
Trad climber
Fresno/Clovis, ca
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So the underwear in the summit register belongs to Rachel?
If they are ladies panties I also wouldn't rule out the option that they might belong to Limpingcrab.
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Nanobody
Trad climber
Fresno, CA
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I love this thread.
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limpingcrab
Trad climber
the middle of CA
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#climbinathong #everyouncecounts
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Radish
Trad climber
SeKi, California
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Not my seeds! LOL....Clint....There was an ascent by Brandon Thau and Derek Bumholt of Silver Lining in 2004, I think it was in April I'll check my records. We went in as a team of 4 and 2 of us had some serious issues and so they went up.
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Radish
Trad climber
SeKi, California
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Thanks Del Cross, My computer dumped and I can't access the pics right now.....though they are backed up. I noticed some ascents of Silver Lining so I thought I'd post up.
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Alois
Trad climber
Idyllwild, California
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Alois
Trad climber
Idyllwild, California
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Thanks del cross, I totally forgot that post. Good stuff. Glad someone had the presence to photo those entries.
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mooch
Trad climber
Tribal Base Camp (Kernville Annex)
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Hey Kris or Guyzo.......weren't those panties in the register when you guys did the Regular Route. I thought you guys told me they were there. Or Rachael placed them herself. That would obviously be before the FA of Spike Hairdo.
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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I can say with certainty that there were no panties in a bunch when I was up there in 1990.
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