Trip Report
FA: "Diamond in the Tuff" with Supertopians MisterT & W.L.
Saturday May 21, 2016 7:32pm
This is no Vitaliy TR, so don't set your bar too high...

There are a lot of rope-stretching routes in the Owens River Gorge, but there are very few (comparatively) multi-pitch routes.

Most of the multi's are up-stream from the Lower Gorge, the exception being "Titty Twister" (5.8 A3+ - the 5.8 gets a bomb, the A3+ gets 3 stars), pretty much insuring no-one will do it ever...

So when I spotted a line that looked like two "free" pitches in the Lower, I had to check it out.

It is like a unicorn down there - it can't be true...

Rapping in from the rim:

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BOMBER!!!
BOMBER!!!
Credit: MisterE
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I set an anchor, but on the rappel down, the ends of the 70-meter rope were WELL off the ground.
I cleaned the route and put in a second anchor, then recruited MisterT to help with the send. At the last minute, W.L. contacted me to join us - which is sweet for pics. Thanks for the help and camaraderie, you guys!

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Diamond in the Tuff - 5.11a
Diamond in the Tuff - 5.11a
Credit: MisterE
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W.L. working through the steep slopers of pitch 1.
W.L. working through the steep slopers of pitch 1.
Credit: MisterE
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MisterT starting up pitch 2.
MisterT starting up pitch 2.
Credit: MisterE
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W.L. making the transition to the steep bit of pitch 2.
W.L. making the transition to the steep bit of pitch 2.
Credit: MisterT
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W.L. moving through the .11 crux.
W.L. moving through the .11 crux.
Credit: MisterT
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MisterT just after the hard bit.
MisterT just after the hard bit.
Credit: MisterE
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W.L. past the crux and happy to find a jug!
W.L. past the crux and happy to find a jug!
Credit: MisterT
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W.L. on the excitingly exposed final arete.
W.L. on the excitingly exposed final arete.
Credit: MisterT
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MisterT selfie from the top of the second pitch with MisterE & W.L. be...
MisterT selfie from the top of the second pitch with MisterE & W.L. below.
Credit: MisterT
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http://www.mountainproject.com/v/diamond-in-the-tuff/111867667




  Trip Report Views: 2,100
MisterE
About the Author

Comments
phylp

Trad climber
Upland, CA
  May 21, 2016 - 08:09pm PT
You know why I like this TR? Partly because you are all wearing helmets. Bravo. And thanks for sharing a good time.
Dan McDevitt

Social climber
tioga cliff or fifi buttress
  May 21, 2016 - 08:53pm PT
good job guys! looks like quality. clever route name too
nice to have a few multipitch routes down there!
keep up the good work
jeff constine

Trad climber
Ao Namao
  May 22, 2016 - 08:39am PT
Rap music, i can here is from here.
yanqui

climber
Balcarce, Argentina
  May 22, 2016 - 08:47am PT
Nice
bluering

Trad climber
Santa Clara, CA
  May 22, 2016 - 08:52am PT
Nice looking route, well done!

Is the first clip as far off the 2nd belay as it looks? Looks spicy.

EDIT: I looked again and it looks like there's pro pretty soon off the belay, before the clip I was talking about.
Ezra Ellis

Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
  May 22, 2016 - 09:58am PT
Good job boyz, looks like a great day out!
SC seagoat

Trad climber
Santa Cruz, Moab, Bozeman, the ocean, or ?
  May 22, 2016 - 10:02am PT
Very nice...and what Phyl said!

Enjoy..
Susan and Michael
BLUEBLOCR

Social climber
joshua tree
  May 22, 2016 - 10:24am PT
Looks like an obviously delicious line and location :)

MisterE it seems like you've found a great niche there in Bishop and reeping some nice rewards!
kaholatingtong

Trad climber
The fake McCoy from nevernever land.
  May 22, 2016 - 11:05am PT
Good show fellas, good show
Ghost

climber
A long way from where I started
  May 22, 2016 - 11:21am PT
I don't understand. Where is the moss? The dirt? the trees growing out of the crack that you had to saw off and then dig out the roots?

How can it be a first ascent if you didn't have to spend weeks working on cleaning?
Reeotch

climber
4 Corners Area
  May 22, 2016 - 11:29am PT
Way Cool!

New routing is where its at . . .
limpingcrab

Gym climber
Minkler, CA
  May 22, 2016 - 10:43pm PT
Route looks fun and I like the name. Woot!
mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
  May 23, 2016 - 06:39am PT
Nicely-told, Eric, with some real fine pix, too!
W.L., T. & E., you men could have named it Alphabet Stew.
guyman

Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
  May 23, 2016 - 08:51am PT
Nice.... keep it up.
Vitaliy M.

Mountain climber
San Francisco
  May 23, 2016 - 10:12am PT
So sick it was liked on facebook!

Love the photos from the top too. Thanks for adding more routes to ORG, love that place. Feel sad that I have not climbed there in 2 years...been too long.
Ed H

Trad climber
Santa Rosa, CA
  May 23, 2016 - 10:55am PT
Nice - always great to have a camera man above you! Never been to ORG, but looking forward to it!
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