Trip Report
►Batholith Bouldering Photo TR (Montucky)◄
Monday June 2, 2008 3:23pm
It was another beautiful weekend out here in the batholith. Sam and I headed over from the Bozone and met up with Mojede, to see what the bouldering and potential cragging around the Batholith Bash campsite was like. Don't tell me you haven't heard about the upcoming party?! Cause I'd love to have you there!

check out details here:
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.html?topic_id=491057

the view of the hillside above the camping:

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Turns out there is much bouldering, and room for some new routes on some cool looking fins/pins...


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Mojede gets high
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and then burns me offa this funky slab
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orange stone scrambling
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the longer you stay on this one, the weirder it feels...

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Sam finds another friendly wall

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Funny moves on this one...
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Then Mojede led me over to a problem I wanted to try that I'd seen in his pictures.(the constant explorer)
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my impression of the photo/problem was a finger crack on a vertical or maybe less than vertical face...

turns out it's a bit overhanging and seals off at the top...harder than I imagined...
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My high point...I'm gonna need some help with this one...

Overall I'm pretty happy with the immediate camping area/zone. I spaced out on taking pictures of the larger stuff, but it's up there, and looks like fun. Mojede took a hike up the east draw to check out that direction(right side of the first photo) on Sunday, and it looks like there is some stuff up that way to keep us busy as well...

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Hope to see you out there.

Cheers,

Tom









  Trip Report Views: 3,004
TKingsbury
About the Author
TKingsbury is a trad climber from MT.

Comments
mojede

Trad climber
Butte, America
  Jun 2, 2008 - 04:24pm PT
I hope the realmojede (or my mother) doesn't see those high-balling pics--I'd get railed on for sure.

Dam, that was a fun day. Y'all come out and play, eh ?
TKingsbury

Trad climber
MT
Author's Reply  Jun 2, 2008 - 07:23pm PT
Want me to omit those Hutch?
KP Ariza

climber
SCC
  Jun 2, 2008 - 07:34pm PT
Started to doze off until I saw the last three pics, looks like some cool potential
Jaybro

Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
  Jun 2, 2008 - 07:39pm PT
Where do you guys keep coming up with this stuff, time and time again? okay, I guess I know the answer to that one. But, it's really right there, all the time? ready to stumble upon?
TKingsbury

Trad climber
MT
Author's Reply  Jun 2, 2008 - 08:10pm PT
Jay,

I wouldn't necessarily use the word 'stumble', but when recons are (slightly) planned, the success rate is higher.

By planning I mean either:

-you can see the potential from the road or from another area
-looking for unexplored obvious concentrations in google earth
-using infrared imagery (the rock shows up pretty well) in a GIS program/google earth


Even then you have a chance of being skunked. Sometimes it's just a large flat slab of exposed rock, or sometimes you walk a half mile through the woods(or more) to look at a crumbling choss ridge...sweet. I usually don't write up a TR of those accounts, though they sometimes get interesting...

The best method is talking Mojede into going out for an initial scope...couldn't tell you how many solo/with the kids missions he's done. Pretty invaluable resource there. Though he usually picks some plumbs while he's out there...

Usually, considering those factors, you're spot on. I go to those areas, wander, or go the sweet looking rocks that Hutch has sent me photos of.

Saturday was mostly spent wandering around, getting acquainted with the area, and doing some fun & obvious moderates, as boring as that is...;)...I figured the people coming to the bash wouldn't mind seeing what could be done without leaving the camp...pretty sure I'll be spending a couple days/evenings there during the bash.

Bill Dockins, who grew up and climbed in Butte, after perusing many of the photos and beta for the zones, smiled and said to me, "and what people don't realize is that there are many more areas just like these waiting to be discovered."

So...what's the situ Jay? You buying those lottery tickets er what?!




mojede

Trad climber
Butte, America
  Jun 2, 2008 - 08:12pm PT
Tom,nah I was just kiddin'. As long as I come home in one piece and walking, Molly (and Mom) are cool with what I do.
Jaybro

Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
  Jun 2, 2008 - 08:16pm PT
My numbers just don't seem to come up.. medical benefits run dry July 1; but Damn if that ain't the sh#t. I might have stumbled on to something today that will change the course; waiting, pending, is!
TKingsbury

Trad climber
MT
Author's Reply  Jun 2, 2008 - 08:19pm PT
Well, we're keeping our fingers crossed!
Jingy

climber
Random Nobody
  Jun 2, 2008 - 08:26pm PT
TKingsbury - Looks like a really nice area. Most look to be fairly clean landings on flat ground. NICE!

Most looks to be solid, granite.... Balancey, tests of finger strength and skin callous builders for sure.

So, um.. Where is this again and more importantly, how many of the rocks shows have problems on them?

Have they been picked clean? Or as you report, room to grow the area?

I'd be up there in a minute if I had my young body with me (Getting old and purely lazy sure sucks).

Thanks for the TR, looks like quality rock.
TKingsbury

Trad climber
MT
Author's Reply  Jun 2, 2008 - 08:49pm PT
Jingy,

in general I'm referring to the Boulder Batholith, a masive uplifting stretching from Dillon, MT north all the way to Helena, MT. With Butte, America being located pretty much in the center.

http://www.firstascentpress.com/butte-guide.html
http://www.rockclimbing.com/routes/North_America/United_States/Montana/South_West/Spire_Rock/
http://www.rockclimbing.com/routes/North_America/United_States/Montana/South_West/Homestake_Pass/


This area pictured in the thread is the camping spot for the Batholith Bash. It has alot of room to grow, and realy hasn't been fully explored. The batholith in general is no where near picked clean. Bouldering wasn't too much of an interest to the 'old guard' there were many large obvious formations (King & Queen, Humbugs etc) to check out. The smaller crags and bouldering have yet to be fully explored. There just aren't to many folks out here doing it...

edited to add: more than welcome to come out, at any time or age! glad you enjoyed the TR...

Cheers


Jingy

climber
Random Nobody
  Jun 2, 2008 - 08:53pm PT
TK - Thanks

Still looks like a pretty cool area.
G_Gnome

Trad climber
Cali
  Jun 2, 2008 - 10:31pm PT
We have some rock that looks like that out here in Californikation land, but we tend to shoot at it and such as it generally is considered too chossy to climb on. It does look like you good old boys are having fun though.
TKingsbury

Trad climber
MT
Author's Reply  Jun 2, 2008 - 10:40pm PT
Fred Beckey liked it and said he wanted to return when he was here a couple months ago...but what does he know...;)

I should probably join the herd though...
mojede

Trad climber
Butte, America
  Jun 2, 2008 - 10:43pm PT
Yeah, G Gnome, that rock in Cali that is the same as the Batholith is called Monzonite, and resides in Joshua Tree and the Sierra.

Hope you enjoy climbing on it as much as we do, hehe.
Dirka

Trad climber
Hustle City
  Jun 3, 2008 - 12:57am PT
Always nice.
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