Fish Creek Wall south of Devils Postpile

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dee

Novice climber

Topic Author's Original Post - Oct 28, 2002 - 05:30pm PT

Has anyone climbed something on this insane back country wall, looks like good free routes and good big wall action.

Demented

Novice climber

Topic Author's Reply - Oct 28, 2002 - 06:14pm PT

Only route I know of (but I am old.. so ..)..
17 pitches up the middle.. done by Matt Cox.. a So Cal face climbng mid-70's stud... 5.10+ face bold run out drilled on lead, etc..

The thing is HUGE. There must be more routes? Sure is room for a few more.

Also- check Fish Creek Wall's east/ right side. Golden yellow wall looks 800' of more? No free climbing there, but... steep fun to be had?

Only downside- what's that approach? 10- 12 miles? More?

Upside. Hot springs 3 miles away.

D'ment

Novice climber

Topic Author's Reply - Oct 28, 2002 - 06:29pm PT

Satan,

The thing is a Freakin gem. We are all just too lazy to walk to it.

P.S. You music is getting REALLY OLD, REAALY FAST.
Edit your posts for quality of content and reduce the number of posts and maybe we'll all better enjoy your mindless drivel stinking up the Supertopo Forum.

dee

Novice climber

Topic Author's Reply - Oct 30, 2002 - 12:14pm PT

Where did you hear of this route? I climbed with Cox years ago and had heard he did a route on the wall.

dement

Novice climber

Topic Author's Reply - Oct 30, 2002 - 01:15pm PT

The route got written up in Mountain Magazine in '77 or so.. ..then couple months later, I was in some long-defunct climbing shop in orange county, and there was this cool photo framed hanging on the wall… some guy climbing on granite…. so I ask the supercilious prickhead shop dweep (get this, the cat smoked a tobacco pipe!?! Wore a beard, sweater with pocket patches… the whole pretentious rig……thought he was cultured?.. still remember his name.. Gary Ruell..

so I ask him “where is the photo was from.. what crag? etc…”

and supercilious prickhead shop dweep gets all self-important and says, “can’t tell you~ it’s a secret crag in the Sierras”. But he does let on that the route is a 5.10, and it’s 1700’ long. Well, having just read the write up in the mag, 2+ 2 = Fish Creek Wall. So I popped his balloon with my correct guess.

Was not until ’85 … I went and did a 30 mile trail run one day… … Mammoth Lakes, over Duck pass, south on the Muir Trial and over to the Silver Divide. Soaked a couple in Fish Creek Hot Springs, then out to Devil’s Postpile~~ that’s when I finally laid eyes on Fish Creek Wall. And yea~~ it’s HUGE.. I am pretty far removed from things these days, so I cannot tell you if other routes have been done (isn’t Alan Bartlett still as well informed about these things as anybody?). But there is room for lots- including the extra steep golden yellow east wall that I guess is 800' or so?

d'ment

Novice climber

Topic Author's Reply - Oct 30, 2002 - 02:32pm PT

p.s. did not mean to spew about my running exploits. 'cept to say i never could and still don't climb all that well. but i could manage to put one foot in front of another.

dee

Novice climber

Topic Author's Reply - Oct 31, 2002 - 02:39pm PT

Still seeking info, will contact Big Al.

Wayno

Big Wall climber

Seattle, WA

Apr 23, 2018 - 02:21pm PT

I don't know anything about the climbing there but I have backpacked through there and saw it up close. I was just a teen and barely knowledgeable about climbing. There is good fishing nearby so on an extended stay one could eat well.

Tarbuster

climber

right here, right now

Apr 23, 2018 - 02:27pm PT

This is pretty funny:

get this, the cat smoked a tobacco pipe!?! Wore a beard, sweater with pocket patches… the whole pretentious rig……thought he was cultured?.. still remember his name.. Gary Ruell..

That name is vaguely familiar.

Rats, just looked through MOUNTAIN issues 76-79, and didn't find any entries for Matt Cox and Fish Creek Wall.

Did hike in there, summer of '84, with Mike Paul and that guy who used to run a ski touring operation out of Old Mammoth, IIRC his name was David (?) Beck. Cantankerous old guy, he hired Mike and I to do some contract trail work with him. What a grunt! Beck carried a wheel barrel strapped to a pack frame. We carried shovels, axes and etc., of course along with our full backpacking retinue. It drizzled the whole time as well, and we worked right through it.

When it wasn't occluded by clouds, which lasted only a few minutes just as we first got beneath it, enjoyed a good view of Fish Creek Wall and didn't really have the opportunity to scope lines or anything and never went back. Big old hunk of silver granite with a green tint of lichen.

Ace bump there, Jeff!

Scole

Trad climber

Zapopan

Apr 23, 2018 - 02:38pm PT

Wow Buster

You worked for Dave Beck! I used to guide for his operation, but was smart enough to avoid trail work.

Tarbuster

climber

right here, right now

Apr 23, 2018 - 02:40pm PT

I have a spotted employment history, Scott.
And not the good kind, you know, like polkadots or something.

Barbarian

climber

Apr 23, 2018 - 02:49pm PT

still remember his name.. Gary Ruell

Gary was/is a good guy. I spent a lot of time in that shop - Far West Ski & Sport (later Mountain High). He wasn't just a shop clerk, he was a climber.
Not sure why a sweater and pipe were such an issue that you remember them 40 years later.

Reilly

Mountain climber

The Other Monrovia- CA

Apr 23, 2018 - 02:53pm PT

Not sure why a sweater and pipe were such an issue

I guess you haven’t been traumatized by sociology profs. 😐

Tarbuster

climber

right here, right now

Apr 23, 2018 - 02:56pm PT

And Barbarian, it wasn't 40 years later either (not that it matters either way) ... because this thread is 16 years old! Ha!

Tarbuster

climber

right here, right now

Apr 23, 2018 - 03:49pm PT

Maybe someone else will show better search skills than I, but I didn't find anything on Fish Creek Wall, either on Mountain Project or Summit Post.

I remember a time when Bubb's Creek Wall remained a mystery.
Apparently Fish Creek Wall is still much the same? Hard to believe at this late date.

missjr

Trad climber

Apr 23, 2018 - 04:21pm PT

I know of a couple of guys who went in there and gave it a go a few years ago. I don't think that they topped out but they did have an adventure. The left side has a nice steep looking wall that stays shaded. Never actually hiked up to it but have walked under it numerous times and always wondered.....