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chrisnickjoy
Trad climber
Bakersfield, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jan 16, 2017 - 06:04pm PT
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Hey guys, I finally got my hands on the Stonesmasher Guide Book by E.C. (hoping it would have better info than the Greg Vernon The Needles, but the info is the same). I've found the wall with my bud Mickey Dunagan, but if you have any addition info on it, please let me know. There's potential for Mickey and myself to set new 3-4 pitch routes. Which is super exciting. :)
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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Jan 16, 2017 - 07:05pm PT
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Yer gonna
Die!
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Jan 16, 2017 - 07:05pm PT
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and you'll have a lot of fun doing it!
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mooch
Trad climber
Tribal Base Camp (Kernville Annex)
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Jan 17, 2017 - 10:16am PT
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Hmmm....better check with EC or Laeger. Thought I got the word that some recent stuff was put up. Validate and verify. Guyzo? Kris? Marco?
Hey Kris, did you ever put anything up on Spirit Rock?\
For what its worth, finally got over to Neanderthal Wall.....more potential there but you best have your smearing skills honed for most of the bottom sections before you can reach the goods!
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guyman
Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
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Jan 17, 2017 - 12:09pm PT
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Brown and I walked up to it once.... once was enuf. The Owls Anus... says it all.
Mooch... so did you do a new route at Neanderthal? I have never been but everyone who I know who has walked up there has done a FA up one of the many crack systems.
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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Jan 17, 2017 - 12:11pm PT
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Laeger's in a big hole in the ground in Mexico right now. Hopefully he'll come up for air and we can ask him...
I don't know sh+t about Owl Rock or Spirit Rock.
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mooch
Trad climber
Tribal Base Camp (Kernville Annex)
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Jan 17, 2017 - 01:29pm PT
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Guyzo and Kris -
Nah, I just went on a recon of it yesterday, via the "looooong" way (from Cannell trailhead, up to Cannell Point and then contoured south then east (I won't do that way EVER again! Uggg!). I talked to John Newman the day before in town to discuss the location of that "5.8" he and Herb established in the late 80's. Damn!! The start looks totally sb'd! More like solid .10 moves to get to the left facing corner 30' up. You might get in a few rp's before getting there. The right side looks hard to start. Kinda of grainy, with a dash of kitty litter. I spotted the start to the 5.10 route (EC?). Looks burly but doable. Decent gear. The Domelands guidebook only lists those two, unless some unnamed party in decades past has come to give several of those crack systems a go. But as far as I could see, I didn't see evidence of passage. I did find an old rusty Pepsi can near the left side, close to the 5.8 line. If you go there, be sure to bring LOADS of water. Was hoping to stumble upon water in a few of the drainages (since we just got a good dose of rain lately)......NADA.
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guyman
Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
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Jan 17, 2017 - 01:43pm PT
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Mooch... sprit rock... just off of Sherman Pass... right?
Is disappointing.. the stone is pretty chossie same thing with the big towers
Across the way... you can 4x4 up to the top of those, I did and we looked hard for some claimable stone. There is a formation up above Sherman Pass road that Jason and I hiked up to after one of the fires cleared the brush. It has two summits... we named it The Twin Towers... we climbed the North most one via a crack system on the east side it was 10b and after we cleaned a bunch of loose stuff out of the crack... I think we were the first to party on that one... the south tower looks like some hard aid to summit.
E me GuyKeesee at Gmail.com I have some qs for you as well.
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mooch
Trad climber
Tribal Base Camp (Kernville Annex)
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Jan 17, 2017 - 01:53pm PT
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Was curious about Spirit Rock. Funny, Marco seems to be a fan of it. Said there are about 25 routes on it. Emailing you now.
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Radish
Trad climber
SeKi, California
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Jan 17, 2017 - 02:47pm PT
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Got this from EC's 'Sweet Nothings' guide to climbs in the lower Kern and east Kern river.
Squeeze My Lemon, A2+ is a bronze colored cliff cut by several small roofs and split by a diagonal crack, located just west from the ‘big right turn’ before Owl Rock (2000 foot elevation sign), above the southeast side of the road; knifeblades and small wireds are required.
The Gymnasium (10.8mi.)
This area sports a variety of 35 foot climbs rated from 5.2 - 5.12. It is situated on the north side the river across and west of Owl Rock (2000 foot elevation sign).
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jeff constine
Trad climber
Ao Namao
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Jan 17, 2017 - 06:47pm PT
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Spirit Rock is a deteriorating rock tower! I drive up to it every time I go to Church Dome.
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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Jan 17, 2017 - 07:10pm PT
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Gymnasium offers a few really good short climbs on good granite. Carson's rounded arete there is a testpiece. If the river is up don't fall in or you'll drown.
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Radish
Trad climber
SeKi, California
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Jan 17, 2017 - 07:28pm PT
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Here's the whole guide. Its a little dated but still relative. Not too long. I am pretty sure that it was done by EC Joe. He can chime in if he see's this and since it was given to me I'm giving it to YOU.........
SWEET NOTHINGS, a guide to trivial rockclimbing pursuits in the lower & east Kern River Canyon. The distances, etc. are not verified. Sorry!
Disclaimer: Don’t blame anyone but yourself for getting into trouble...
Climbs in this list are arranged from west to east from the mouth of the canyon towards Lake Isabella. They are all listed under a specific area name. The mileages listed are approximate distances from the mouth of the canyon.
The Mouth UTM337189
1. Patty Wolfe, 5.6 is situated on the north side of the river from climb #3; the rock resembles the palm of a hand at a distance. Beware of water being purged from the aquifer above!
2. Aid Crack, A2 is situated just west around the corner from #3.
3. Dish Pan Hands, 5.10a is located on the south side of the river below the road and near the base of the approach path; a fierce overhanging hand / fist problem.
4. Lady Fingers, 5.9 is located a few yards east of #3; a small roof cuts the lower right side of the vertical face.
5. Wide Body, 5.9 is east of the previous routes, approx. 200 yards; an off-width problem.
Forbidden Wall is the area adjacent to the wall just west of the #2 powerhouse. It is illegal to climb on the wall next to the road!
1. A Shear Bolt Surprise, A1, 5.7 is a huge roof far above the Forbidden Wall.
2. Squeeze Chimney, 5.6 is to the east of the roof, but on the same rock.
3. Aid Route (project), is OFF LIMITS! due to reasons mentioned above.
4. Crack Abraham, 5.9 is a short splitter crack above the road and across from powerhouse #2; warning, this is in an active rockfall area.
Three Mile Mark (3.6mi.) UTM340725
1. Roadside Attraction, Various Cracks & Face 5.0 - 5.7 is next to the south side of road; two to three crags.
2. The Block, 5.10 is visible while driving east, approaching #1, high on the hill across the river; an overhanging fist to off-width to squeeze chimney affair.
3. Joe Brown, 5.9 is a short wide crack on a bronze colored boulder situated almost directly across in the riverbed from #1.
4. Joe Brown Arete, 5.10 is left of #3.
5. Ten Foot Hand Crack, 5.10 is just to the east of #3; an overhanging hand to fingertip problem)
6. Half Jam, 5.10 is the shallow crack just east of #5.
Spider’s Corner, 5.7 (4.5mi.) is on the south side of road; 35’ long.
School House Rock UTM341132
1. West Side, 5.7 w/variations.
2. North Side, 5.10 w/variations.
Willy Willy (9.9mi.) is on the north side of river; caution when crossing!
1. Bolts, 5.11
2. Top Rope Face, 5.8
Squeeze My Lemon, A2+ is a bronze colored cliff cut by several small roofs and split by a diagonal crack, located just west from the ‘big right turn’ before Owl Rock (2000 foot elevation sign), above the southeast side of the road; knifeblades and small wireds are required.
The Gymnasium (10.8mi.)
This area sports a variety of 35 foot climbs rated from 5.2 - 5.12. It is situated on the north side the river across and west of Owl Rock (2000 foot elevation sign).
Impatient Hand Crack, 5.8 is located along side a gully on the north side of road, up hill above the first big right curve east of Delonegha Hot Springs; a splitter hand crack.
Garden Spot (18mi.) is a keen bouldering spot; north side of road.
Silent, But Deadly, 5.9 can be seen approx. 3.5mi east of the start of the four-lane highway on the south side of the river; approach by driving back down the old highway from Borel Road; hands to squeeze to face, 60 feet.
The Scorpion UTM359706 is approx. 4.6mi east of the four-lane highway along the north side of the road.
1. The Scorpion Crack, 5.10 is an overhanging, curving, wide, reverse ‘J’ shaped crack on bronze colored rock.
2. Hand Crack, 5.7 is a warm-up just east and on the approach to #1.
Roadside Crack, 5.8 (23.2mi.) is an obvious 20’ hand crack next to the north side of the highway?
EC Hand Parking: UTM 361301 Crack:UTM 361702 is approx. 6mi. east from the start of the four-lane highway, walk towards river until across from the #3 powerhouse.
1. EC Hand Crack, 5.11 a slightly overhanging ‘inch & one eighth blues’ crack.
2. Various other cracks and problems.
Secret Spot (24.7mi.) is located below some boulders that border the south side of the road; 60+ feet.
1. Genesis, 5.7 fingers.
2. Ray’s Direct, 5.8 hands.
3. Keller’s Traverse, 5.7 curving hand crack.
Bridge Benefit is .25mi. east of Borel Road, a boulder with a knobby face is obvious landmark on the north side of the road, on the left curve past the second to the last bridge before town of Bodfish.
1. Scott’s Knob Face, 5.6
2. Crack Under the Bridge Direct, 5.7
3. Crack South Under the Bridge, 5.7
Bat Kiss is 2mi. east of Borel Road, park at the bridge just before Bodfish on the north side of the road and walk to the largest rocks NNW.
1. Goldilocks, 5.9+ fingers to hand.
2. Face, 5.8
3. Bat Kiss, 5.8 undercling, jam.
4. Crack, 5.8
5. Pigs in Space, 5.11+(?) is a prominent tips crack through a roof northeast of the Bat Kiss above the river visible from the road; climbing on this is not recommended due to ancient pictographs on the rock.
Isabella Motel is to the west and above the motel & church.
1. No Vacancy, 5.9 fists.
Keysville Boulders along Keysville Road has acres of boulder problems.
Boulder Gulch
1. Camp Crack, 5.7 is the crack on the boulder in the middle of the campground.
2. Finger Crack, 5.10 is on the west side of road, high up on the south facing slopes on the left of a steep slab across from the ‘Sawmill Road’ sign.
French Gulch when water level of the lake is down there are various boulder problem possibilities here.
James Store area is a short walk up the road just north of the store.
1. Phoscheck Pinnacle, 5.7 this crack route starts on left side of arete of the pink spire; follow good rock and cracks to top; avoid the rotten chimney; 60 feet.
2. Late for an Engagement, 5.9+ is a remarkable short, steep, wide hand crack.
Kernville Slabs has various boulder problems at the roadside parking are area.
1. Hardside, north side of main parking lot boulder.
2. The Edge, the edge of a smooth faced boulder up the hill.
3. The Sloping Mantle, across the road.
4. Animal Crackers, 5.10 fingers to fist is north of New Directions Cliff & east of Chico Flat.
Kelso Valley these are climbs east of Lake Isabella, ‘East of the Lake.’
1. Porky’s Revenge, 5.9 splitter handcrack at the southwest corner of the Hwy 178 / Kelso intersection.
2. Jailhouse Rock is a crag on west side of valley up the Kelso Road; there are also various boulder problems here.
Cholla Gardens there are many boulder problems along Chimney Peak Road just past the crag ‘Burnt Granola.’
1. Split Decision, 5.7 is a 25 foot finger crack on boulder 50 yards from the road.
2. Buckeye Beaver, 5.9 are a choice of one of two wide cracks on a huge boulder on the hill above, of course, split by twin cracks.
The Fortress is the crag a 45 min. hike up near the top of the hill above Cholla Gardens; 85 - 100 feet.
1. Tradewinds, 5.9 hands to face.
2. Heavy Weather, 5.10 hands to chimney.
3. Endorphin Crack (AKA:Return of the Beta Endorphins), 5.10 fingers to hands.
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ec
climber
ca
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Jan 17, 2017 - 07:46pm PT
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Cro Magnon Man on Neanderthal Wall was freed by Thau in 2016 at 12a (first 40+ feet of face climbing.
Owl Rock is only (by today's rope std), one pitch high...The Owl's Revenge, 5.9 is totally worth doing; layback/jam & steep. Ha, Ha...do it with nuts (no SLCD's) and see how hard it is! Truthfully, it is probably the ONLY climb worth doing there, at least twice.
This time of year the Fortress or Lamont Pinnacles have 'longer' route potential. You gotta like to trudge. Hey, if you went to Owl Rock, you won't be bothered.
 ec
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mooch
Trad climber
Tribal Base Camp (Kernville Annex)
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Jan 18, 2017 - 08:09am PT
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Cro Magnon Man on Neanderthal Wall was freed by Thau in 2016 at 12a (first 40+ feet of face climbing.
I thought I heard that Brandon sent that rig but wasn't sure. Yah, that bottom section looks wicked! Other lines there but the same hard sections below. Hey, EC.....anything else you guys did in close proximity to NW? Curious. Also, any gouge on that crag about a mile from the Cannell TH, to the east?
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ec
climber
ca
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Jan 18, 2017 - 08:30pm PT
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'Started a Route on the eastern part of NW. My partner wasn't too inclined. Other than that, no; I supposed I spread myself a bit thin BITD with all the route potential I saw. I tried to pick-off the best ones and move-on.
ec
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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Jan 18, 2017 - 10:45pm PT
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Did a route around here on the east end with Laeger and Thau in 2007. Three pitches about .11c. Lots of mazanita so we rapped in and climbed out. Great rock.
Edit: our route is just in from the skyline.
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mooch
Trad climber
Tribal Base Camp (Kernville Annex)
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Jan 19, 2017 - 08:51am PT
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Yah, I was looking at that second alcove/roof, right of the skyline. Looked good! Burly hands. Soooooo.....you did a line to the left of that feature, Kris?
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guyman
Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
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Jan 19, 2017 - 09:19am PT
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To up date.... The 2,000 ft elevation sign is no longer below Owl Rock.
EC.... across the road from Owl, maybe a bit up river, to the north is a large formation, up a hill. The stone looks large enuf to have climbs on it. I recall a slanting crack being the most visible thing... looks like you could cross Kern River at "Democrat" and walk (MT Bike) up hill for a longish way to get there.
If you know the one I'm speaking about, have you ever made the trek?
So much good climbing in the watershed of the Kern River, its almost untapped.
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ec
climber
ca
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Jan 19, 2017 - 09:55am PT
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The small dome split by the huge vert crack is 'Bud Rock' the crack is a huge chimney.
ec
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Cragar
climber
MSLA - MT
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Jan 19, 2017 - 10:18am PT
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Hey Ksolem, where is that rock? Specifically, how do you get there from K-ville?
Looks pretty frikkin cool!!!
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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Jan 19, 2017 - 11:00am PT
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That's Neanderthal, the one discussed upthread. It's plainly visible over Lake Isabella. It's to the north of the lake facing south.
The approach involves driving north from Kernville, going east up towards Sherman Pass, turning south below the pass on Cherry Hill road, and following dirt roads for about 30 miles back south until you're up on the plateau above and east of Kernville. From there it's a good hike out to the crag, which hopefully you come to from above.
If you email me at kristian underscore solem at verizondotnet and give me a few daze I'll scan the relevant pages of the old Domelands guide and send them along. I'll pen in the corrections I can remember, then yer on your own...
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Cragar
climber
MSLA - MT
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Jan 19, 2017 - 11:08am PT
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Thanks Ksolem, I'll get you an email out shortly..
That sounds like the Bartolas plateau country? When I'd go on fires up there I was always rubbernekkin the rock/domes etc. Back then, I had just started climbing and had really only bouldered the pebbles from Rancheria up past K-ville, including the wonderfull Keyesville area.
So much fun to be had out there from a climbers perspective...eastern Kern county could be called Granitistan!
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drljefe
climber
El Presidio San Augustin del Tucson
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Jan 19, 2017 - 11:08am PT
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Can't believe none of you crusty old bushwhackers picked up on the wording in the OP....
set new 3-4 pitch routes
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ec
climber
ca
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Jan 19, 2017 - 11:12am PT
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Owl Rock is only (by today's rope std), one pitch high...
I can't believe that you didn't notice that I'd been there, done that...
ec
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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Jan 19, 2017 - 01:58pm PT
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Cragar, were you up there for the Manter Meadow fire? Man I can tell you a story about that. (No, I didn't start it.)
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Cragar
climber
MSLA - MT
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Jan 19, 2017 - 02:10pm PT
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Hey KS-
No I wasn't there for that one, at least i think...the last one on the Bartolas that I was on was in 89 or 90? Can't remember the name but I do remember the ride in a CH57 with the back door dropped. We landed on a micro mesa at a confluence of two dry river/creeks. After the ship split and the prop wash did its thing we found a lot of obdsidian in the form of points and tools. it was kinda surreal as you could make out some type of village in the area.
Anyway, what happened on this little flame event that you didn't start ;^) ?
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ec
climber
ca
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Jan 19, 2017 - 03:16pm PT
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That would be awesome to find a Tübatulabal settlement out there!
Out by Walker Pass is a huge boulder with petrographs that mark the solstice...
ec
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Cragar
climber
MSLA - MT
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Jan 19, 2017 - 03:38pm PT
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Hey EC, you jogged my memory and now I remember my sup mentioning that. Cool country up there
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guyman
Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
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Jan 19, 2017 - 05:55pm PT
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Any good bouldering around there?
Hi, Jeremy... to answer your question... Yes.
Up by the Church Domes.... one walks by a ton of knobby rocks... on the way to really good climbing.
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Send
Trad climber
Central Sierra
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link^^ man this is sad.
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mooch
Trad climber
Tribal Base Camp (Kernville Annex)
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Hey EC......aren't a ton of those lower Kern routes yours, along with Herb's??
Bolts next to crack at The Mouth area. Looks like Dishpan Hands and Ladyfinger got unwelcome additions......
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Bad Climber
Trad climber
The Lawless Border Regions
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Time to do some choppin'. Bolting weenies. Gah!
BAd
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ec
climber
ca
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sh*tty pics do not give much of what we're suppose to be looking at, except for a bunch of shiny bolts!
ec
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chrisnickjoy
Trad climber
Bakersfield, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 25, 2017 - 08:23pm PT
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A few of my friends and I (including Mickey Dunagan) did the long trek to Owl Rock today to check the crag out. We were highly disappointed, minus Owls Revenge. Way too much lichen and moss. Here are the photos I took. And YES, Owl's Anus says it all. We found a bunch of rodent skulls and bones directly below the route.
E.C. Joe, are you still in the area? We'd LOVE to meet up with you!
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chrisnickjoy
Trad climber
Bakersfield, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 25, 2017 - 08:45pm PT
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FYI, a bunch of those bolts at the Mouth got removed by some people. It's my backyard, and I'm glad it happened. I've trad climbed those routes for years until I ventured into Kernvile and beyond, and to see gym rats adding bolts inches from crack is really disappointing.
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mooch
Trad climber
Tribal Base Camp (Kernville Annex)
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Spirit Rock is a deteriorating rock tower! I drive up to it every time I go to Church Dome.
Ummm....not really a tower but more like a dome. And it's not on the way to Church and The Domelands. It's 5 miles up past Cherry Hill Rd, on Sherman Pass Rd. There is an obvious formation on the north side of the road called Ghost Rock. But on the opposite side of the road, down through the drainage of Alder Creek and back up is Spirit Rock. A little licheny but nothing that can't be cleaned up. Rock quality is pretty decent.
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