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Frogjamm
Trad climber
San Francisco
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Topic Author's Original Post - Aug 29, 2009 - 05:02pm PT
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So after my first topic on the taco (A vain attempt to retrieve a lost portion of my Minny Mouse costume) didn't go over so well, I felt the need to redeem myself a little. Since the discussion here occasionally trends towards climbing, I figured a TR might do the trick, so here's one from a romp up the Merle Alley route on Mt Hoffman a few weeks ago:
(It is highly likely that I will fail to embed or resize the photos properly and will hence completely fail to redeem myself. If that happens please laugh at me. (not that i had to ask))
After a late night drive from Tahoe to Tuolumne I arose reasonable early and found my friends Sam and Megan in the Meadows campground. They invited me along on the Merle Alley route, which we immediately (of course) rechristened the Merle Haggard route.
We got a fashionably late start (maybe 11:00) and made the hike in from May Lake trail head in reasonable time.
A couple pics from the approach:
You hike up endless slabs above May lake, and eventually come over a saddle and are greeted by:
After finding only mediocre climbing on the route, Sam declared that the best part of the day had been the first view of this north face.
After stashing our packs and having lunch at the saddle we continued up.
After spending waaaay to long at the base debating which chimney/gully system was our intended route, we finally just picked one and started up. (We're pretty sure we chose correctly.) The climbing was decent, alternating chimneying and scrambling up extremely loose gullies. I got tagged in the arm with a smallish rock on the first pitch. It smarted for a while but no damage was done.
The crux of the route came on the second pitch. After chimneying up maybe 15 feet, you turned around and pulled an awkward, reachy undercling lieback move around a block. After watching Sam and Megan pull it, and figuring that it had to be like 5.9+ I decided that there must be an easier way. I face climbed up right of the large block on 5.6/5.7
Megan on the crux lieback:
At the top of the second pitch you grabbed jugs right where the ropes disappear in this photo and mantled up onto the ledge. Pretty cool.
The third pitch offered little difficulty, a few feet of easy 5.5 or so stemming and a bunch of 3rd class. After that we unroped and scrambled to the top.
Summit (or nearby at least) shots:
Gratuitous phallic imagery:
And a few from the descent:
[img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3483/3868681934_e455645da0_b.jpg[img]
Hope you enjoyed.
cheers,
Sean
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Mike Bolte
Trad climber
Planet Earth
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Aug 29, 2009 - 05:14pm PT
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Very nice, if a little froggy. You know, if you hike all the way up there with the ropes and stuff, you have to climb The Thumb. It is a more-exciting-than-average 5.6 including the rappel.
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Aug 29, 2009 - 05:20pm PT
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Since the discussion here occasionally trends towards climbing, I figured a TR might do the trick,
Good effort, lots of fresh air in those pictures.
You deserve to get your Minnie Mouse costume back.
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Aug 29, 2009 - 05:28pm PT
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Neat TR!
Thanks for sharing.
I love to see Half Dome in that perspective!
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Zander
Trad climber
Berkeley
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Aug 29, 2009 - 05:28pm PT
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Thanks for the cool TR,
Those are some beautiful views.
Zander
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Fletcher
Trad climber
Shivasana
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Aug 29, 2009 - 06:20pm PT
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Thanks... I enjoyed your photos!
Eric
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rhyang
climber
SJC
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Aug 31, 2009 - 01:20pm PT
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Nice work getting it done !
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Aug 31, 2009 - 01:27pm PT
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more sweet
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Aug 31, 2009 - 01:44pm PT
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Thanks for the enjoyable tr. I lugged up a rope to do the Thumb 40 years ago, but never made the time to explore the north side. Looks like fun.
John
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