Anyone been on Hotline this season?

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AllezAllez510

Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
Topic Author's Original Post - Apr 15, 2009 - 07:50pm PT
Thinking of giving this one a go. Anyone know of conditions? Gear? Would love to hear about the crux. Looks like a dyke traverse?
Clint Cummins

Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
Apr 15, 2009 - 08:04pm PT
Hotline is on the outside of a buttress, so it tends to be quite dry. It is easist to access in October/November when you can cross the Merced and hike up from below. The rest of the year you would have to hike down from [edit:] 41 and also return that way.

The crux is a 5.11+ left-leaning crack which narrows to fingers. You try to rest at the former pendulum point (sometimes a fixed wired nut is in place), then traverse right on the dike. I've been able to free climb the traverse after resting at the pendulum point, but I have never gotten the crack itself free. I can post some photos if you're interested. [edit: see post below]
shwilly

Trad climber
vegas
Apr 15, 2009 - 08:07pm PT
i'm interested

Alexey

Trad climber
San Jose, CA
Apr 15, 2009 - 08:27pm PT
Clint - what do you think about last 2 pitches -
a)10d flare how hard is it compare say to Ahab
b) last pitch 10a face - any pro there?
thaks
TradIsGood

Chalkless climber
the Gunks end of the country
Apr 15, 2009 - 08:42pm PT
"I can post some photos if you're interested"


Funny!
Clint Cummins

Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
Apr 15, 2009 - 08:45pm PT
Alexey,

> a)10d flare how hard is it compare say to Ahab
> b) last pitch 10a face - any pro there?

I have never done the last 2 pitches, or Ahab.
The 10d flare looks wild; it is an open bombay and not similar to Ahab. I've heard the pro is not bad.
I guess it's too wild for me, so I escape by traversing right on easy 5th class and rapping Nightmare / Pink Dream.
Another alternative to the 5.10d bombay is a 5.11+ roof just left - it looks more straightforward and protected.
AlexC

climber
Bay Area, CA
Apr 15, 2009 - 09:12pm PT
> a)10d flare how hard is it compare say to Ahab

Don't know. When I was there a year or two ago there was a pile of bird droppings about a foot tall at the base of the flare so we did the 11+ to the left. Nice climbing but hard moves past the lip.

> b) last pitch 10a face - any pro there?

There's a bolt or two, a long reach move, then easy climbing the rest of the way. Short pitch.
Clint Cummins

Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
Apr 15, 2009 - 09:15pm PT
Photos - climbing with Darko, 9/2006:

Darko on p1 - there are a couple of loose chockstones in the brown corner, then a fun roof on hand jams.

Darko following p2 (crux).
Some of these are tilted - I was trying to belay, give tension at times, etc.
Dike holds visible right of Darko.

Darko's feet are on the chalked holds where your hands go when you traverse the dike.

p3 - the all-time hand crack.
There is also a cool looking alternative [edit:] 5.12a crack on the right side of the brown rectangle (but I've never tried it - can't miss the hand crack!).

p4

p5

traversing off right, below the 5.10d bombay

Rapping off Nightmare

Pink Dream anchor

Right side of Worst Error, showing Pink Dream and Nightmare

Views of Hotline and Fatal Mistake on Worst Error from above the Cookie
Afternoon light - upper corners of Hotline getting some sun
ontheedgeandscaredtodeath

Trad climber
San Francisco, Ca
Apr 15, 2009 - 09:31pm PT
Thanks!
ß Î Ø T Ç H

Boulder climber
the greasewood ghetto
Apr 15, 2009 - 09:31pm PT
" The rest of the year you would have to hike down from 140 and also return that way. "
You mean 41 right ? Nice beta and pics Clint - as always .

Clint Cummins

Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
Apr 15, 2009 - 09:40pm PT
Oops - right - 41 - I'll edit that.
mooser

Trad climber
seattle
Apr 15, 2009 - 09:45pm PT
Great shots, Clint!
TradIsGood

Chalkless climber
the Gunks end of the country
Apr 15, 2009 - 11:09pm PT
I like the pose of the guy with the taped up hands scratching his ass.

(Because, of course, tape doesn't sweat, right?)
AllezAllez510

Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 16, 2009 - 12:01am PT
YES! Thank you! That was EXACTLY the motivation I needed. That route looks epic!
bachar

Gym climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
Apr 16, 2009 - 12:20am PT
Man that looks like a good climb.
Clint Cummins

Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
Apr 16, 2009 - 12:30am PT
:-) Thanks for putting it on the map.

Following a single crack up a mostly blank wall, with air all around - it doesn't get much better than that.
tom woods

Gym climber
Bishop, CA
Apr 16, 2009 - 12:33am PT
I'm with bachar on this one. That looks sweet.

I moved out here to the east side, so now I boulder a lot, but hoe leee smokes, I miss those yo se mite cracks.
WBraun

climber
Apr 16, 2009 - 01:02am PT
The 10d flare chimney always seemed hard as hell to me.

I always wanted to avoid that damn thing, and that's how I found the coz-grovel variation that me and coz did.

Only problem was the variation was harder than the damn chimney ....
Ihateplastic

Trad climber
Lake Oswego, Oregon
Apr 16, 2009 - 01:05am PT
Those are the first pictures I have ever seen on route. Nice work!
Jaybro

Social climber
wuz real!
Apr 16, 2009 - 03:52am PT
The 10d wide flare is a quality pitch! three letter grades or so harder than Ahab.
The 10a face pitch is runout, bring a ropegun, I did.

The descent (and return) from the top is no big deal, don't mess with the river, unless you have time on your hands.

I commented earlier today, not having seen this thread, that Hotline is one of the best routes on the planet. Haven't changed my mind.
Messages 1 - 20 of total 82 in this topic << First  |  < Previous  |  Show All  |  Next >  |  Last >>
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