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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Feb 24, 2018 - 09:21am PT
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You want quarrying? YOU CAN’T HANDLE QUARRYING! BITD, there was a yuge mine
east of the Red Rocks. We were on some chossy FA when they blew a half mile section
of that ridge top. We thought the Russians had just nuked Vegas.
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phylp
Trad climber
Upland, CA
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Feb 24, 2018 - 04:57pm PT
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I think the climbing there is about as good as it gets
Wow, that's an interesting opinion. I live 30 minutes away from there. One visit there was enough to convince me I never needed to go back.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Feb 25, 2018 - 07:13am PT
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Just like Indian Creek, California is climbed out!
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10b4me
Social climber
Janie's
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Feb 25, 2018 - 07:16am PT
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I think the climbing there is about as good as it gets
lol
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j-tree
Big Wall climber
Typewriters and Ledges
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Feb 25, 2018 - 07:45am PT
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One of the best places in SoCal to practice aid climbing (both clean and nailing) the nailing is surprising similar to El Cap (except a little worse so it makes the valley feel easier)
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caughtinside
Social climber
Oakland, CA
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Feb 25, 2018 - 08:25am PT
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Ha ha! Strong opinions about the place. It’s quite nice in the winter if you overlook the ambiance. Some of the best glued crimps around.
I thought the style was really fun, some techy moves. I like that angle. A friend described it as ‘the overhanging slabby area. ‘
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Feb 25, 2018 - 08:32am PT
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I went aid climbing there back in the early 80s with my then regular partner, Bob Cox, if anyone remembers him. We were just a couple of teens warming up for the Valley. We tried two routes. On the first, I was leading up a thin dihedral, I decided to make a free move out of my aiders and saw a nice edge/crack on the outside edge of the dihedral. Problem was when I pulled on it, a three foot crack shot across the rock and a large block of equal size started to slowly detach from the wall. I look down at Bob and he's looking off in the distance doing the usual distracted aid belayer thing. I push back on the block and scream at him to get out of the way and when he does I let the block pitch and it explodes on the ground right where he was siting. A little shaken we try another route, this time with Bob leading. About 40 ft. up, he tries hooking an edge, which shears off and cuts a gash in his shoulder. Good times.
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madbolter1
Big Wall climber
Denver, CO
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Feb 25, 2018 - 11:46am PT
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Mark and I put up about 30 aid routes there before it was "cleaned off" (LOL) and turned into a sport-climbing area. Now I literally cannot believe how many bullets we dodged, most without realizing how close they had come.
We named one of our early routes in the Roof Area "Stay of Execution." The second pitch nailed horizontally under a (what later turned out to be) detached block that was about 20 feet across (the section you nailed under), about 8 feet thick, and about 30 feet tall. The first anchor was a couple of bolts just below the right end/corner of this block.
One day I get up to this anchor to find that the hangers are smashed flat onto the rock, unusable. While trying to fathom this, I realize that there is no roof directly above, and my mind boggles trying to grasp this new data-point. Now I'm looking up a long slab instead of looking across at the nailing to come.
I am literally hanging there just clueless, trying to explain it to Mark on the ground, when Mark starts yelling, "Hey, you ought to get down here and look at this." I replace the anchor, rap out, and Mark shows me a huge boulder laying among other such boulders. We sure didn't catalog the boulders at the base, so we had paid no special attention. But Mark had just noticed what he then pointed out to me: Pin scars along one edge.
This was the monstrous, detached block that had been our oft-repeated nailing traverse.
Stay of Execution indeed.
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madbolter1
Big Wall climber
Denver, CO
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Feb 25, 2018 - 02:59pm PT
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We had a friend named Dave who could belch loud enough to hurt your ears. Seriously. One day we stood off from the wall and had Dave issue his most ear-shredding burbs at the wall. At least half the time, he could cause rockfall.
We were literally on the ground laughing.
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looking sketchy there...
Social climber
Lassitude 33
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Feb 25, 2018 - 03:25pm PT
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The Quarry is an easy place to dis. But, frankly as a sport area, it has a large concentration of some truly great routes, better than anything else within a 100 miles or so.
Its Ghetto vibe is not your typical outdoor climbing experience. One climber described it as an "Iraqi war zone" setting. But, it is close enough to a lot of people that you have to forgive the ambiance.
I learned to avoid it completely on weekends, as the risk of being hit by a dislodged block or subject to other incredibly stupid behavior is ever present with the large numbers of fresh from the gym types who are clueless about loose rock and general safety.
In more recent times, as the glue reinforcements weaken over time and general weathering takes its toll, it is risky enough that no one should consider bringing minors there or non-climbers unwilling to accept the risk.
Prior to being "re-developed" as a sport are, it had one good crack climb and some really dangerous aid climbs that have fortunately been relegated to history's dust bin.
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justthemaid
climber
Jim Henson's Basement
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Feb 25, 2018 - 04:51pm PT
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It's a happenin' place for this guy!
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Feb 25, 2018 - 05:05pm PT
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“Many loose holds need gluing” says it all.
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RURP_Belay
Big Wall climber
Bitter end of a bad anchor
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Feb 25, 2018 - 05:24pm PT
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Does the name "Gluey Anderson" ring a loose flake to anyone?
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madbolter1
Big Wall climber
Denver, CO
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Feb 25, 2018 - 06:23pm PT
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“Many loose holds need gluing” says it all.
Indeed it does.
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looking sketchy there...
Social climber
Lassitude 33
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Feb 26, 2018 - 11:27am PT
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Kevin, you are correct of course. There are some truly great sport routes in the San Diego backcountry.
Still, for what it is, the Quarry is a pretty amazing resource. Easy to get a 1/2 day hard climbing and 1/2 day back at the office.
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mooch
Trad climber
Tribal Base Camp (Riverkern Annex)
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Feb 26, 2018 - 11:49am PT
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Gluey Anderson's Mecca. Right up there with New Jack Sh*tty.
GAAAAAKKKK!! Much better places to crag.....PERIOD!
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j-tree
Big Wall climber
Typewriters and Ledges
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Feb 26, 2018 - 01:04pm PT
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some really dangerous aid climbs that have fortunately been relegated to history's dust bin.
Thanks to the Socal Aid Guide (http://www.bigwall.com/scag_rc.html) not all of the aid climbs have been relegated to history's dust bin.
I went there every weekend for a year when my girl worked on sets as a DP down in LA. Would drive down on a friday after work, solo aid all day Sat and head back up to SF Sunday night. Great for getting comfortable with questionable placements, questionable fixed gear, and questionable rock.
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Levy
Big Wall climber
Calabasas
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The Quarry is a fine place to climb and the naysayers can sling their negativity but the Quarry remains one of the best sport areas in the greater LA area.
The Quarry made me re-think distance and hiking time in regards to how close a given crag is. For example, Echo cliffs is only about 20 miles from my house but due to the mountain driving, it takes me about 45 minutes drive time minutes to get to the trailhead. Than you have to hike to the crag which depending on your destination, it takes 45 minutes to an hour to get to the rocks, so total time for what I like to call "Doorstep to Drop your pack at the base" is over 1 hour 30 minutes. Riverside Quarry is about 65 miles from my house but it takes about 60 minutes to drive there and only about 5 minutes to hike to the base so total time is 65 minutes, making the Quarry closer and more accessible. That is another reason for its popularity in addition to the generally excellent granite found there.
Another thing it has going for it is the long length of the climbs there. Many pitches are 150' long and there are several multi-pitch offerings there too.
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Roots
Mountain climber
Redmond, Oregon
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Mar 14, 2018 - 10:55am PT
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