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Eddie
Trad climber
San Francisco
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Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 25, 2008 - 09:51pm PT
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Going down to the southern tip of the sierras tomorrow (northeast of Bakersfield).
I got all excited about the needles, but I take it they are too cold , if the road is even open?
What else is around there?
Pete
I'm heading down from SF, so any fun stops along the way are also appreciated. We might even do a loop and head up the east side...
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Mar 25, 2008 - 10:05pm PT
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Tollhouse?
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Levy
Big Wall climber
So Cal
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Mar 25, 2008 - 10:06pm PT
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Pete,
I assure you the Needles are climbable this time of year. The trouble is that the upper road is gated & is usually locked until late May. If the lower Kern road is open( it may be!), you can go to Voodoo dome right now & have great temperatures. Standout routes there include:
The Emperor ~ 5.11 b/c fingers
White Punks On Dope ~ 5.9
The Light Side of the Force 5.11a/b stemming
Other Kern river areas include: Valhalla, Rincon, Book Rock, New Directions Cliff, & many more. Some of these areas are NOT in any guidebook but I can give you info if you desire. These are great Spring & Fall crags.
Levy
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ron gomez
Trad climber
fallbrook,ca
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Mar 25, 2008 - 10:06pm PT
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If yer going up the road from Kernville there is stuff all along the road, there is published stuff out there, I have a book on the area, maybe outa print now. But loads of great bouldering and lead stuff too.
Peace
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, Ca
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Mar 25, 2008 - 10:20pm PT
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Levy - I think it will be cooking hot at The Rincon these days.
Last time I was there was last January and Feb. when the daytime highs in Kernville were 50. It was perfect. Valhalla, on the other hand...
Cheers,
ks
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Eddie
Trad climber
San Francisco
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 25, 2008 - 10:51pm PT
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good call with Tollhouse.
Any locals have any important info (like the approach road is closed)?
Where is easy/cool to camp? Cap rock? Is the road gated off now? Can we hike up there?
What is currently the legit descent (that doesn't piss off the private land owner)?
thanks for all the beta,
last second planning...
pete
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Eddie
Trad climber
San Francisco
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 25, 2008 - 11:02pm PT
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Levy,
email sent to you
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rincon
Trad climber
SoCal
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Mar 25, 2008 - 11:38pm PT
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Parker Bluff would be good. Or the Limestone Crag. Probably still too soon for Voodoo Dome and the lower Needles approach, you can call the ranger station during the day to get road info, ask if 22S12 is open to Lloyd Meadow trailheads...(760) 376-3781.
For a non-climbing adventure, check out Pack Saddle cave or go kayaking!
FWIW, Tollhouse is nowhere near Kernville.
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Scott Wayland
climber
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Mar 25, 2008 - 11:39pm PT
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Lots of fantastic hiking, too. From Walker's Pass, you can head north or south along the PCT. For long hikes, north is better with great views of all the souther Sierra--Domelands, Langley, etc.
Also, the hike up Nicols Peak is fantastic. Check out the book about adventures in the Southern Sierra, East Side, by Jenkins. One cool adventure climb is Angel Walk on Scodie Spire. I took us a long time to hike up to the base, but we go two fantastic crack pitches with not a soul in sight and great views of the South Fork Valley--great days.
Cheers,
Scott
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crusher
climber
Santa Monica, CA
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Mar 26, 2008 - 12:12am PT
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Well if you windsurf or jet ski you can hang out at Lake Isabella. It's usually getting good right around this time of the year. Generally at the stroke of Noon the wind clocks around and starts rippin' out of the SW. Spent many Springs there myself.
Anyway if you're down that way (south end of the lake by the dam) it's fun to watch too.
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susan peplow
climber
www.joshuatreevacationhomes.com
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Mar 26, 2008 - 12:55am PT
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"some of the best climbing in North America.... to bad it's inaccessible" Russ Walling on the Needles
Have fun no matter where you land!
~Susan
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ec
climber
ca
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Mar 26, 2008 - 02:06am PT
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Dude, I was at Kernville Slabs with my kids on March 16 and it was snowing. Forget The Needles. However, if you don't mind hoofing it, go to Lamont Pinnacles, it is the time of year to go there. (Southeast of The Needles).
Oh yeah, we scrammed to JT by the way after the snow bit.
 ec
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popeye
Sport climber
baersfield
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Sep 16, 2011 - 12:38am PT
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ive been climbing at vallhalla in kernville , if anybody knows the route ratings here i would really appreciate it
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rnevius
Trad climber
San Luis Obispo, CA
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Apr 20, 2012 - 10:11pm PT
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Bump for Valhalla beta...any other source besides the out-of-print Needles guide?
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Apr 21, 2012 - 12:28pm PT
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Is Vahalla even mentioned in the Moser guide? I didn't think it was.
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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Apr 21, 2012 - 12:56pm PT
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I don't think you'll find Valhalla in any guidebooks.
rnevius if you email me I'll send you some rough beta. It won't be 'till next week, I'm hitting the road in a quick minute here.
Do be careful to knot your rope ends or tie in there, many of the routes are longer than 60M.
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CaliGirlClimber
Trad climber
bakersfield, ca
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Jul 30, 2012 - 04:02pm PT
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I would love info on Vallhalla, Rincon, Eagle Peak, Owl Rock, Harley Rock, Book Rock, Parker Bluffs or any Kern River Area climb. Mainly looking for gps coordinates or directions so we can get to these places, any additional beta on the actual routes would just be icing on the cake. I have the info on roadside crag, the mouth, dome rock, kernville dome/slab, new directions, needles, kern canyon dome, roadkill.
Thanks guys!
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guyman
Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
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Jul 30, 2012 - 04:17pm PT
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The secret spots.....
PM Me....
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ec
climber
ca
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Jul 30, 2012 - 07:29pm PT
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You don't need a GPS to find most all of those! Otherwise, Sierra South may have an old guidebook there for reference...
ec
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guyman
Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
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Jul 30, 2012 - 10:26pm PT
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OK....
So you say you know where ROAD KILL is...
Going north, go past ROAD KILL about 1/4 mile or so, looking for a small bridge (a bridge has a guardrail) over a creek. If you get to a small sign marked "Salmon" you have gone to far.-go back. Just past the bridge turn right on a dirt road. Some of the reflectors have climbing decals on them. Drive up this dirt road for about 1/4 mile intill you get to a "Turnaround area" .... if you had a dirt bike you could just make the super-sharp left hairpin... but you dont- so you do a 360 and go back the way you came, except don't go down hill and hang to the right. This dirt road does a few twist and turns but after a short ways you get to a 3 way fork in the road. The right fork has a sign that says "RINCON"... remember this for later. Take the middle fork... drive uphill till the road ends/peters out.
Face EAST (sorry no GPS for me)... Salmon creek will be downhill on your left- don't go down into the PO infested creekbed.
Vahalla is in a canyon about 15 min up Salmon creek. The dirt road becomes a trail leading into this canyon. One needs to do some scrambling over rocks but its not to hard.... very stoned hippies on LSD have been hiking this trail for 50 years so its EZ to stay on.
When you get to the mouth of this canyon you find a good climb on the right side... I say its 10A, mostly bolts but a few cams/nuts help... esp #4 ROCK, and Yellow TCU for the top. There are more climbs on the RIGHT side but I have only ever seen one climber ever get a real red point on them.... Erik Eriksson worked it over a period of years.... and finally got one.
These roots are a mystery to me... I think Ron Carson and Herb put em up on RAP ... I maybe wrong... after TRing the SH%T out of them and then making them HARD RUNOUT sport climbs....
If you go back to the start of the pool/waterfall and look right you will find "The Flight of The Valkyries" ..... 11c ish ..... this is a doable climb but it was still rap bolted after rehearsal and then made "TO BE BOLD" .... so you can't hang and rest before the cruxes, you just gotta be ready to log some air time.... I did.
Valhalla is really nice when its hot cause the waterfall makes it air conditioned. If the falls are raging the climbs can be wet from all the spray and mist.... the first climb i talked about sometimes is dry when the rest are wet so you never know.
The sun only shines into the canyon after june 10th and by late july it only gets shade...... Yes the falls do freeze during very rare cold episodes.....
Herb L has also developed "SUNNY VAHALLA" its located on the cliffs directly above the canyon....(north side) these are really good in the winter cause they are south facing.
To find these ... do not enter the canyon, but cross the creek and hump up the short-but steep dirt hill. The lower SUNNY spot is on a ledge looking down about 300 feet to the creek, you will find 4 climbs here .... if you walk uphill for about 100 feet another short cliff is found- upper SUNNY... there are about 5-6 climbs here.
You do need a small rack cause Herb and the rest of the crew that climbs around those parts don't place bolts next to good cracks.... we are old school Californians.
Have fun.
Don't miss the Kern Limestone by the way, its hard and steep.
Maybe if my buds will still speak to me after this, I will see if I can give up the info for the RINCON. The RINCON is the best climbing in the cold winter time.... south facing, hemi-shaped sun bowl.... about 35 four star climbs... none are EZ.
This my-be my last transmission, I did a blood oath but that was 15 years ago....
GK
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guyman
Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
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Jul 31, 2012 - 11:58am PT
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The best thing about Valhalla is this....
The waterfall makes so much noise you can't hear your leader yelling "TAKE".......
So CaliGirl... are you making a GB?
Your list has some different names. When you say Eagle Mt. Do you mean "Bald Eagle Pk"?
And What/where is the Mouth?
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ec
climber
ca
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Jul 31, 2012 - 02:52pm PT
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The Mouth of the Canyon.
'Dish Pan Hands'
ec
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guyman
Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
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Jul 31, 2012 - 03:05pm PT
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ec....
Vahalla AKA Mouth????
Dish pan Hands = 10a?
gime a clue
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ec
climber
ca
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Jul 31, 2012 - 04:01pm PT
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Valhalla is below/near Salmon Creek Falls.
Dish Pan is .10- @ the actual western mouth of the Kern Canyon.
As a jam, layback jam is easier than merely jamming the distance.
Inside the crack is ROUGH and will make you an advocate of tape.
About a .25 mile upstream on the roadside, there's a good short OW.
3 miles in, accessible when the water's low down, facing the road is the 10 foot hand crack (.10+); short & steep. High on the hill facing the road (across the river) is a huge blockish formation with an overhanging OW, The Block (.10-).
ec
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guyman
Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
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Jul 31, 2012 - 04:58pm PT
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Cool, Thanks for the info.
Have bouldered/climbed at a spot down in the river. I think it was named "The Gym" ....
Tons of great and unknown climbing in "The Kern River Dranage".
I go to the Rincon in the winter. I like to compair notes with my friends who went to Josh. Its warmer and less stormy than Josh about 90% of the time.
ec.... do you know that "The Fortress" is becoming quite popular now and all the boulders over by "Burnt Granola" are a new hot spot.
Amazing
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ec
climber
ca
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Jul 31, 2012 - 06:08pm PT
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Yeah, Levy told me a while back. Tons of good stone up there! BITD, I suppose I spread myself thin with so much unclimbed stuff. Lamont has some good stuff too. They are steeper & more difficult than they look. Real steep in the corridors. The approach is steep. The Fortress can be traversed to.
LOL! Burnt Granola...that second pitch scared the sh*t outta me on the FA. I got past the crux, but was run out on the granular slab above the steep headwall. I decided that I HAD to drill...no stance; I literally laid on the rock like a snake to keep from 'crumbling' off. On subsequent ascents, (sh*t! I actually went back) I caught a couple of partners who didn't keep it together, fell before the last bolt and whipped over the headwall.
EDIT:
'climbed many of those boulders out there too.
ec
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CaliGirlClimber
Trad climber
bakersfield, ca
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Thanks guys, really helpful. I'm not doing a GB, just need new places to climb.I found a recreation map that has most of all the climbs I'm looking for plus some.
I am totally going to Vallhalla, climbing in the summer limits us to early mornings and evenings only unless there is shade. I am sooo excited.
Let me know if we can ever meet up, I'd love to be around experienced climbers that are local.
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CaliGirlClimber
Trad climber
bakersfield, ca
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E.C.
...as in EC Joe? You wrote the Stonemashers Guide?
So cool.
Bald Eagle Peak, do you access it from the back dirt road or HW178. I tried to find it the other day and couldn't before it got dark. I went about 3.5 miles down the dirt trail. Any better directions?
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ec
climber
ca
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That's me...
From HWY 178 exti at Bodfish and go south on County Road 483/Caliente-Bodfish Road.
Near the 'summit' there is a secondary road that veers off to the southeast; Piute Mountain Road-Saddle Springs Road-FS Road #27S02.
You'll eventually see the peak at the end of a switchback where you park and traverse over to it. Caution: ticks are prolific on the approach.
EDIT: Sky Blue is a 4 pitch route on this formation, face & crack and a short aid bolt ladder...
ec
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CaliGirlClimber
Trad climber
bakersfield, ca
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Cool, I needed those directions and I love your pics but I meant to say Owl Rock though and not Bald Eagle Peak. Guess I was star struck, lol.
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ec
climber
ca
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Hwy 178, just west of the Borel Powerhouse. Turn-out just west of the bridge and walk towards the river east, southeast:
The Fortress, mentioned up-thread:
Now off limits, as it was on private property and the old guy's son freaked-out that his dad let us climb there. The place has big 75-foot boulder-cracks like this overhanging hand to finger to fist to chimney...the 'rainbow' in the name is for a petrograph on the formation of a medicine man under a rainbow...
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CaliGirlClimber
Trad climber
bakersfield, ca
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These pics are priceless. Thanks for sharing.
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ec
climber
ca
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Owl Rock is above the 2000ft elevation sign on Hwy 178. There's a turnout there on the westbound side.
ec
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ec
climber
ca
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Owl Rock
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guyman
Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
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I think the 2,000 foot sign is gone.
The OWL has the steepest dirt approch .....
IMHO... not the best place.
CALI.... Vahalla might be OK, you might get chased out by the sun in the late afternoon.
I recomend a cool little climb that to me is the essence of Kern river climbing. Im sorry I dont know the name of the root, may be EC will.
Go to "NEW DIRECTIONS" parking. You will see a large pine tree growing in-front of a rock just a short ways up. It dosent look like any sort of climb. Go up to tree and you will see that a crack goes out left....
some really cool underclinging - great pro- going left puts you on a stance on a face and your looking up a corner. A bolt protects a weird/hard move... now your going up the corner - some more good pro- to top. I think this is about 10a/b. This is in the shade till about 10-11 am.
let us know.
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CaliGirlClimber
Trad climber
Bakersfield,, CA
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Thanks guyman. Have you climbed owl rock? So you did access it from 178 climbing up? I just thought it might be easier to access from the dirt road in the back, I saw some of the rock from 178 and it looked good but when I tried to get to it from behind I couldn't see it anymore.
I'm definately going to Valhalla. I think I am going to backpack there next Friday evening and get up bright and early on Saturday. I am dying for the heat to go away so I can spend all day climbing.
Thanks for the pic, I love seeing people's pics of these climbs, it is really great.
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CaliGirlClimber
Trad climber
Bakersfield,, CA
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Guyman, what do you climb over in the LA area. I lived in Cerritos (Orange county/LA county border)but moved to Bakersfield last year. What brings you to this area?
I think I may have climbed that route you were describing, we camped across the street a couple months ago and wanted to climb new directions but it was too hot and sunny and we found a small crack climb that was shaded by a tree, off to the left in the parking area.
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guyman
Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
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You going to backpack from B-Field!!!
I like to drive.... :>)
We hiked up to OWL Rock. Pretty steep stuff, good training for CRS.
Good camping across the street from Kern Slab.
do a TR
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CaliGirlClimber
Trad climber
Bakersfield,, CA
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Yeah, I have camped at Thunderbird campground several times, I like it down by the water, lots of shade.
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rincon
Trad climber
SoCal
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Valhalla is at Lower Salmon Creek falls. Here's a good video I found on youtube...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjBOpObnn8M
Hey Guy! Check out this: "Less than a mile up the trail, a rough and bushy use-trail veers off to the right. This leads to the difficult scramble up to the south-facing granite walls towering above the trail, known to some rock climbers as "The Rincon." :)
http://kernriversierra.com/hike/rincon_trail.html
Also, this is kinda funny, the Kern River Collective in Bakersfield, has a strain called..."Salmon Creek Kush"!!!
http://budgenius.com/Salmon-Creek-Kush-Kern-River-Collective-BG0010001E314.html
I wonder if it's grown up there?
Caligirl, I'd have to say that climbing anywhere near Kernville in the summer is just too hot! The Needles, Church Dome, Quality Cliff, and others, are nice when it's too hot lower down.
BTW, take Harley Rock off your list, it's covered with lichen and nobody ever goes there, because there's better spots.
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rincon
Trad climber
SoCal
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I think I may have climbed that route you were describing, we camped across the street a couple months ago and wanted to climb new directions but it was too hot and sunny and we found a small crack climb that was shaded by a tree, off to the left in the parking area.
Sounds like you did "Crank start crack"
http://www.mountainproject.com/v/crank-start-crack/107413958
The route Guy is talking about is a 10b called "Unnamed Sources".
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CaliGirlClimber
Trad climber
Bakersfield,, CA
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Oh yeah Rincon. That was the one. I had to give my partner a boost to get past the start. LOL
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E
Social climber
Tujunga CA.
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Sep 18, 2012 - 08:44pm PT
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my route at the valhall is called Where Silent Gods Stand Guard 12b
put up hanging off of hooks ground up and flawless style by myself and Bill Leventhal 200?
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rincon
Trad climber
SoCal
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Nov 21, 2012 - 11:47am PT
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Kernville!
Flawless granite!
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ec
climber
ca
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Nov 21, 2012 - 02:17pm PT
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Lots o' memories there!
ec
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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Nov 21, 2012 - 04:22pm PT
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I was just looking through this and saw Guys post about Valhalla...
These roots are a mystery to me... I think Ron Carson and Herb put em up on RAP ... I maybe wrong... after TRing the SH%T out of them and then making them HARD RUNOUT sport climbs....
Laeger and Carson rap bolting?? Those guys are two of the most skilled and dedicated ground up climbers ever. I don't know where you got that one. Or did I just fall for a troll..?
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ec
climber
ca
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Nov 21, 2012 - 05:32pm PT
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Kris,
He's just unfamiliar with major ground up skills...especially Carson.
ec
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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Nov 21, 2012 - 07:50pm PT
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Yeah Jan watched Ron stance drill the bolts on Skid Row and he still gets all animated about that if it comes up today. I've seen Herb stance drill with his darned Bosch in places I just could not believe. He's very good at that.
To his credit though, Guy - who is a friend of mine - does have more than just a clue about ground up skills. That's why I'm thinking (hoping) it was a troll, what he said. I know for a fact that there is absolutely no way Carson or Laeger rap bolted anything ever anywhere.
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rincon
Trad climber
SoCal
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Nov 27, 2012 - 03:04pm PT
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There is some good bouldering around Kernville.
These rocks are located below the Kern Slab, right next to the road. Another good bouldering area is at Boulder Gulch campground by the lake, just south of Wofford Heights.
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guyman
Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
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Nov 27, 2012 - 04:29pm PT
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These roots are a mystery to me... I think Ron Carson and Herb put em up on RAP ... I maybe wrong... after TRing the SH%T out of them and then making them HARD RUNOUT sport climbs....
OK I withdraw my previous statement....
But the climbs in there are really weird (bolt placements) ...... and they are not the best... IMHO.
The one Erik and Bill did is a good one, I belayed Erik on some of the others and even he said "They are choad"
So does anyone claim to have done the FA of the climbs?
I would love to know.
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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Nov 27, 2012 - 04:36pm PT
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Brian Jonas would know.
I heard that Ron Carson "discovered" the place while hiking somewhere across the river. He looked across and saw the deep slot canyon.
I'm quite sure that Ron did a lot of the routes in there, some with Herb.
I think it was Greg Haverstock who told me that he and Carson hiked up to the "Wake Up Call" expecting to do an FA, and were amazed to find our bolts there.
edit: The 11+ "Ride of The Valkyries" in Valhalla is a mega classic.
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guyman
Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
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Nov 27, 2012 - 04:59pm PT
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""The 11+ "Ride of The Valkyries" in Valhalla is a mega classic.""
True.
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Greg Haverstock
Trad climber
Bishop, CA
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Jun 13, 2013 - 03:25am PT
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Kris- You have a great memory. Ron Carson and I hiked a ton of gear, hooks, Bosch, and two ropes up only to find brand new bolts and chalk residue. I would guess that we got the (sadly) third and forth ascents. Great line!
Carson found Valhalla during one of his scouting adventures. He and Jonas established Valkyrie, put one bolt on a project, then Ron took a sabbatical from climbing. Jonas recruited the next generation of trad punks and cleaned up. Ben Laverty, Craig Lamond, and myself were his main posse and established many of the lines. All routes were done ground up, off natural placements, with no artificial breaks in the climbing. I still dream about the fifty-footer I took off the top of Tourag.
I have heard rumor that some "locals" have abandoned the trad standard and are squeezing lines using rap-bolting. Too bad that now the "ends" have more significance than the "means" I sure used a ton of energy trying to work out how to get high enough up those faces so that Jonas would allow me to stop and place a bolt. He would not allow us to haul the drill until we were where he felt the bolt should go. Tackle the run-out 5.8 on top of the main wall and you will understand our mentality. No need for a bolt if you won't hit the ground in the event of a fall.
Good memories...and I haven't even mentioned the week Rikke Ishoy visited. She brought her charm and European views on nudity!
Anybody climb at the Limestone these days?
Cheers
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ß Î Ø T Ç H
climber
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Jun 13, 2013 - 04:37am PT
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Welcome Greg.
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Sam E
Boulder climber
Malibu
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Checked out Valhalla last Saturday. only had enough time to climb one route. A short bolted affair with tricky moves to a big ledge. Started in a shady alcove on the climbers right. Is there any info to be had about the route names and grades, FA, etc?
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Sam E
Boulder climber
Malibu
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EP
Trad climber
Way Out There
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Bumparoonio!
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guyman
Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
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Greg.... hi, I just saw that you posted. Thanks for filling in the blanks about this place.
Didn't mean to disparage anybody with the rap bolting claim. It just something I was told.
Kern Limestone.... I went and looked for the trail last winter... it appears to be gone/overgrown. I wonder how the bees are doing?
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