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Smoke
Trad climber
Pasadena, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Apr 17, 2008 - 02:37pm PT
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Does anyone have any general beta on this route? I'm curious to how long/hard the run outs are. Also are most of the anchors bolted? Does the route see much traffic? Thanks!
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Smoke
Trad climber
Pasadena, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 17, 2008 - 04:25pm PT
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Bump! Anyone?
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Apr 17, 2008 - 04:42pm PT
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Doesn't see much traffic. Anchors are drilled.
The run-out on one of the pitches is forever. It's thin, continuous 5.7 after a few harder moves down lower when you're only 20 feet out. You have to choose the subtle right path of least resistance or you could be screwed hard and tumble.
Losing you cool, penalty of 200 footer!
There is a two pitch variation via new Galactic Hitchhiker that goes around this but there would still be a run-out and the second would face a swing too. Still, might be less heady
Peace
Karl
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Joe
Social climber
Santa Cruz Mountains/Los Gatos
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Apr 17, 2008 - 04:58pm PT
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did it about 2-3 years ago. while I don't remember a lot of details, I do remember it being stellar, with killer views. I thought it was chill, but I tend to like that kind of stuff. check out the supertopo for specifics.
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couchmaster
climber
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Apr 17, 2008 - 05:19pm PT
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Great route, don't do it if you don't like runouts. Karl should know it, but I thought that the straight up variation was 5.9, not 5.7.
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Joe
Social climber
Santa Cruz Mountains/Los Gatos
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Apr 17, 2008 - 06:00pm PT
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I'm actually surprised Karl wrote that it sees little traffic. I've seen parties on it a number of times when I've been over there.
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Apr 17, 2008 - 06:08pm PT
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Say Karl, I'm not so sure that the Galactic folks put in the "out right" variation. I seem to remember that in the topo long before the GH folks got their hands on it.
Great route. There's a hidden 5.8 crack down low, I went up straight once and was stymied, until I figured out I was off route.
Rapping off the left side was one of the more exciting raps I'd done. Cutting old slings out of the leeper anchor bolts while holding on to the tail of my rap lines--Fun!
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Apr 17, 2008 - 07:24pm PT
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Both the right side and the left side are very interesting routes. They are not tedious Apron microhold climbs. The right side is kind of crack-climbing-ish but still very Apronlike too. Really really beautiful rock by the way, some polish even. Never scary if you are up to this level. I did this side in 1971. The left side used to have a giant flake (about 70 ft below the big prominent roof) that you would handtraverse on to get down to the main apron surface from books that you had been climbing in above it. This flake is gone and you apparently follow books on the apron in a more straightforward and less flamboyant fashion, to get to the big improbable-looking roof. That roof is really really cool!! It has a couple of good holds and a thankgod bucket at its lip and is well protected. Really fun, 5.9. Higher up the books are slightly dirty but fun too. Watch out for old pins and anchors, they can be poor.... I did this route back in 1966 (when 18 yrs old) and had absolutely the best adventure on it. Really cool route still I have to think, even with the big flake gone, as the roof, the apron below it, are so fun.
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james Colborn
Trad climber
Truckee, Ca
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Apr 17, 2008 - 07:32pm PT
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It was one of the last routes in the valley I did last year. The climbing is stellar w/ a little bit of everything. I'm not sure why I didn't climb it in years past, somehow I just past it by. Don't make that mistake, do it. Stay focused and calm and you'll float the run out pitch. After the fixed pin I wandered out right towards the bolt out in the distance, either way you go it is a long way to the anchors, breath and keep moving following the path of least resistance. Before you know it youre belaying the second. The topo says something about a cam placement out right...there is none.
On our descent we watched someone lead the pitch and nearly peel a few times. A fall would not be prudent. The party behind him bailed after watching the scene.
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Jay Wood
Trad climber
Fairfax, CA
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Apr 17, 2008 - 07:40pm PT
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The first 3 pitches are fun and very moderate.
Tiny cam or two P4
The jog right variation is runout, but not intense.
Have fun.
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Smoke
Trad climber
Pasadena, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 17, 2008 - 08:05pm PT
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Thanks for the beta guys. Is the run out pitch on 5.7 terrain? How far of a run out are we talking.. 50ft, 100ft?
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Larry
Trad climber
Bisbee
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Apr 17, 2008 - 08:29pm PT
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I guess you already searched for, and found, this?
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james Colborn
Trad climber
Truckee, Ca
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Apr 17, 2008 - 08:30pm PT
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Just as Karl said, a 5.9 move or two above the pin and then continuous moves to the anchors ledge- 50' sound about right.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Apr 17, 2008 - 09:31pm PT
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graphics to illustrate
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Smoke
Trad climber
Pasadena, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 17, 2008 - 09:40pm PT
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Cool, thanks a lot for the topo Clint.
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Trad
Trad climber
Northern California
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Apr 17, 2008 - 09:43pm PT
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I just climbed this route in 2006 and, as one who's much more comfortable in cracks than on face/slab, found it very character-building.
I led pitch #4 but even though the ST topo says "psychological crux" I guess I didn't think I was going to die or anything because I don't remember too much about it. On the 5th pitch, though, my partner led 20 or 30 feet out - not yet to the piton - and said she was too scared and coming back. (I think this is the pitch Karl referred to, where you can also go straight up on the 5.9 runout.) I thought she was joking and responded something like 'yeah, right, there's no way you're downclimbing that!' and then she glanced back and decided yes downclimbing DOES looked scarier than continuing, and continued via the rightward variation. I was happy to have seconded that pitch.
Then on the next pitch I started up the 3-bolt way and clipped the 2nd or 3rd bolt before chickening out and downclimbing a bit (albeit on top rope at that point). All that remained a traverse straight left but each time I tried my shoes would squeak and slip a few inches. Finally somehow I mentally resolved to ignore the slipping and went for it, and to my relief once I weighted each foot it would stop squeaking/slipping enough to step through onto my OTHER foot, which would temporarily slip and squeak but then stop. Since then I've felt a little more confident on slab (so far).
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HalHammer
Trad climber
CA
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Apr 17, 2008 - 09:55pm PT
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Yeah I linked those two runout slab pitches that was one of my brighter moves last summer pulling that 5.9 sh#t with way too much rope drag and nothing to hold on to and yelling at my bro to just pay out like 10 feet extra slack so the rope was as loose as possible. Fun times.
What was hot though was watching our 2 girl friends I had both taught to climb from the beginning leading up right behind us. And laughing at me for always linking pitches with my goofy 70m rope.
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rockermike
Mountain climber
Berkeley
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Apr 17, 2008 - 09:57pm PT
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I climbed it a few years back (right side). Loved it. But I led the 5.8 crux pitch (got my attention but NTB) but the next pitch (right moving variation) I followed and it felt like 10c to me. I guess I missed the Up/over/down bit as shown on topo. But I sure was glad I wasn't leading that bit.
anyway, do it. 4 1/2 out of 5 stars
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Apr 17, 2008 - 10:56pm PT
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I did the Left side years ago, and it was sort of cool at the time but it's pretty manky looking now.
As for the right, Highly recommend a screamer for the nested rusty pins that constitute the only pro for the straight up variation.
Peace
Karl
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Eddie
Trad climber
San Francisco
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Apr 18, 2008 - 12:20am PT
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I've done it twice in the last year. The first time I was sketched on the right variation on pitch 5, but I blamed it on the july heat.
I did it again in October and found that was I even more sketched.
--Both times I went right and then up at about 45 degrees straight to the bolt (the piton just didn't seem like the way to go). your choice of route here makes a big difference.
--Both times I linked the 5th and 6th pitches without a problem.
--Both times I found that the climbing after those 3 bolts was not easy, and just traversed left from the bottom of the bolts (very easy) after clipping one.
--Both times I found the 'psychological crux' (4th pitch) to be trivial.
If you don't mind the runout or can let someone else lead it, I think the climb is awesome.
Pete
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Roger Brown
climber
Oceano, California
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Oct 21, 2008 - 08:25pm PT
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Looked up Goodrich Right and found this thread. I penji'd over from our high point and set an anchor one pitch above and started down replacing the first ascent bolts and found many newer bolts not shown on the topo. Two were at an anchor just a few feet above the fifth pitch anchor I was going to replace. It had many slings and rap rings so I just assumed it was a new rap anchor. I had just replaced a bolt a little above this and saw many of this same type bolt/hanger higher up that were not on my topo (my topo was from an old Myers guide) Well now I was going to use this anchor to lower another rope from, and I was curious so I pulled one of the bolts to make sure I could trust it. It was a Petzl hanger with a non-removable type bolt. The bolt had a round head, was 5/16 and around 3/4" long. It was in some kind of a sleeve that I just drove in deeper and patched. I reused the hanger with a new SS 3/8 Five Piece in a new hole. I lowered off this down to the next original anchor and replaced it. A little strange this new ASCA anchor just a few feet below this rap anchor, but I just figured "it is what it is" and went on my way. Now it gets stranger. At the next anchor, the same thing just a couple feet below another original anchor. Now what? Do I replace all the original and leave the newer stuff? Go against my no chopping rule and replace the original and chop? Well that was that really cold day a couple weeks ago and the wind was blowing hard so I took the easy way out and left it for next season. Today I found a topo for "Galactic Hitch-hiker" and it seems like maybe that was what I saw. Did this route kinda walk on the Goodrich Right Side Route by accident or something. I am glad I did nothing more without some clarification. I hope I am not opening an old wound here but I know some of you folks have the answer. Oh yea, what kind of bolts are those, I can't find anything on the Petzl web site.
O.K. new stuff.. The left side was just as the Topo showed. All the bolts were where they were supposed to be, just at the anchors. They were replaced with ASCA double ring hangers and 3/8"SS five-piece bolts. All fixed pins found were reseated except one 3/4 angle. That was pulled by hand, placement cleaned out and accepted bomber yellow alien. I am home now and will get a list out of everything that the team got fixed sometime this winter.
Roger Brown
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Oct 21, 2008 - 09:08pm PT
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Hi Roger
Thanks for replacing that left side route. I remember the anchors sucked.
I've done hitchhiker and also Goodrich Right, both before and after Hitchhiker was put up.
The Hitchhiker folks didn't add any pro bolts except on their variation on the Runout 5.9 pitch, which jogs out right and returns left to the anchors below the chimney.
Not sure about which areas you are talking about. There's always been an anchor at the top of the chimney just below the summit block which does have two sets of anchors (one i think is for rappelling off to the left side)
Peace
Karl
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mongrel
Trad climber
Truckee, CA
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Oct 21, 2008 - 09:32pm PT
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Good route, definitely fun and, if you follow the easiest possible way, practically no runouts on 5.9, and totally reasonable on 5.7 to 5.8 (only about 15-20 ft) except on very very easy ground. Clint's edits to Supertopo are EXACTLY correct. You can also get a textbook bomber small wire where both indicate ".75 inch cam." Some of the double bolt belays are, in reality, one new bolt and one unknown quality (probably reset) pin, or sometimes a second bolt that appears worthless. We rapped the right side, not left, and this worked out great. Route is quite popular, there were three or four parties when we did it in Sept. Grack Marginal is also excellent at this grade, and there's something new just right of it, with several bolts. Probably 5.10 but maybe only .9.
Another good one is Monday Morning to Patio to Coonyard, possibly rebolted by Roger (thanks from all of us legions of slab lovers!), but that one may have some runouts on 5.9 to 10a. Safe, though, very smooth rock. Enjoy!
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Oct 21, 2008 - 09:48pm PT
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"Good route, definitely fun and, if you follow the easiest possible way, practically no runouts on 5.9, and totally reasonable on 5.7 to 5.8 (only about 15-20 ft) except on very very easy ground."
I'd have to disagree on this one. Not sure about that right hand hitchhiker variation, but that last face pitch seems to require 5.6 to 5.7 moves, 60-100 feet led-out and that's if you are properly on route! If you keep a cool head, you probably won't fall but...
Peace
Karl
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August West
Trad climber
Where the wind blows strange
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Oct 22, 2008 - 12:15pm PT
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I did the right side early in my career and went straight up from the pin on pitch 5 and found it pretty intimidating. I was too scared to stop climbing because I was afraid that if I stopped, I woundn't want to start up again (and I sure wasn't going to try and downclimb it).
Climbing over to the bolts on the right hand side, I thought was pretty mellow. Free climbing above the third bolt seemed a bit of a sandbag, but from the top bolt you can pendi back toward the main pinnacle and this is also pretty mellow.
So if climbing the right hand variation, I do agree with the supertopo topo that the 5.8 runnout on p 4 is the "psychological crux".
I did the left side [not quit to the top] many years ago also. Interesting, but I remember it as a more adventerous climb.
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