Trip Report
For Desert Rats only, a TR
Monday April 21, 2014 10:16pm
Aka Stairway to heaven and Jimmy's Chimney in Dessert rock III but for some reason (edit: it appears Stewart Green, friend of jimmy Dunn uses this name in His, guidebook; he prolly knows!) it's under the name I used in the title on Mountain Project. And, after climbing it, that name seems to me be the best fit.

It was 4/20 and desert rock III says it's 420'. And we ( Grug, myself & Laurent-surname unknown) are desert climbers who like the Wyde. Seemed like a good fit to us!
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Credit: Jaybro
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Credit: Jaybro
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For Desert Rats only, chimney on the right
For Desert Rats only, chimney on the right
Credit: Jaybro
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A bonus of this route is that it stays in the shade until mid afternoon, which worked with our crack of ten start.
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For a geologist/climber of the insight of Grug, the story of the past ...
For a geologist/climber of the insight of Grug, the story of the past can be peeled back from the rock itself
Credit: Jaybro
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The first lead was moderate with a five ten crux, but the rock did nothing to inspire confidence.
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Drug got pitch one
Drug got pitch one
Credit: Jaybro
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Craig led brilliantly, I was shaken if not stirred, Laurent was.. French.

Laurent got the next lead and I got to clean that one as well. All fun ( if not exactly following the book's description) until I came around a corner to a wild looking face climb, blind reach around a corner. The pitch ended with some knobby blobettes. Laurent said he could reach the top from some blobs. When I got there though the guide said, five ten, it looked like A0 to me as I stepped on the drilled pin and mantled the choss above.
Grug said, "5.11"
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Laurent settling his nerves
Laurent settling his nerves
Credit: Jaybro
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The next lead was mine, the second shortest, 50', and easiest 5.7, lead....Every move was a motile slide fest. A circuitess pitch, I placed a good cam, mantled a four foot wide pasted on flake, that I was sure would take me to the bottom. I was able to place two green cams in a good-ish crack above it. Then traverse left, on fairy dust, wipe the climb off my feet, place two more indifferent cams and follow a series of reasonable handcracks ( I wasn't trusting anything by then) onto a ledge festooned with creaky, feebly interlocked, irregularly shaped rocks.
"Off belay" at least we were still in the shade!

As I belayed G & L up I eyeballed the reason we were here, pitch four, the "five star five ten, Wyde pitch."
It looked promising, and the cleanest pitch on the route!
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Pitch four, Jimmy's chimney, five star!
Pitch four, Jimmy's chimney, five star!
Credit: Jaybro
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Go Grug!
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Coulda placed solid blues in that handcracks, but it seemed too like l...
Coulda placed solid blues in that handcracks, but it seemed too like lye the whole wedge might take a BASE jump
Credit: Jaybro
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Credit: Jaybro
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Grug disappeared into the chimney shortly after that, where the Real fun started! Tight in the back, bombaying outward in to a smooth, sandy flair. It was an essay on staying on the sweet spot where upward, not downward, progress was possible. Again, Grug's talent for reading rocks served him well!

Then it was Laurent's turn.
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Credit: Jaybro
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Credit: Jaybro
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As Laurent made his way up I trundled some death blocks as the ledge went in the sun, ugh!
Climbing into the shade of the crack was a joy, romping up the chimney, a pleasure. Mantling on to a death block at the end of the pitch, reminded me of where we were!


Laurent got the last lead. Short, five ten weirdness, to what was rattley fingers for us, a good fit for Grug.
Go Laurent!
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Credit: Jaybro
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Credit: Jaybro
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A green Camalot, stuck waiting for a rap retrieval....

Top out on 420
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Credit: Jaybro
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Twenty minutes with a nut tool on rappell and the green came clean!

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The view of Kane Creek and amasaback parking from Jimmy's Chimney
The view of Kane Creek and amasaback parking from Jimmy's Chimney
Credit: Jaybro
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  Trip Report Views: 4,235
Jaybro
About the Author
Jaybro is a social climber from Wolf City, Wyoming

Comments
Ed Hartouni

Trad climber
Livermore, CA
  Apr 21, 2014 - 10:21pm PT
good to see you guys out there!
kaholatingtong

Trad climber
The fake McCoy from nevernever land.
  Apr 21, 2014 - 10:33pm PT
good times.
Chazbro

Social climber
Gillette, Wyoming
  Apr 21, 2014 - 10:39pm PT
Sounds like a fun way to spend Easter! Great pics, too, Jaybro.
Magic Ed

Trad climber
Nuevo Leon, Mexico
  Apr 21, 2014 - 10:40pm PT
That is one motley looking crew.
Leggs

Sport climber
Made in California, living in The Old Pueblo
  Apr 21, 2014 - 10:45pm PT
Awesome TR, Jaybro!
skcreidc

Social climber
SD, CA
  Apr 21, 2014 - 10:49pm PT
A trip report!! GOOD stuff! That desert rat rock looks pretty nice.
bluering

Trad climber
Santa Clara, CA
  Apr 21, 2014 - 10:56pm PT
Laser-cut OW!!!

Well executed, boys.
Ghost

climber
A long way from where I started
  Apr 21, 2014 - 11:01pm PT
You guys should seek help.

Just like meth addicts, cutters, and cave divers, you don't have to do this to yourselves. Modern psychiatric medicine can make you happy. You can learn to be happy clipping bolts and watching TV.
Studly

Trad climber
WA
  Apr 21, 2014 - 11:18pm PT
Rowdy boys!
The Larry

climber
  Apr 21, 2014 - 11:21pm PT
Nice one Jay!
Friend

climber
  Apr 21, 2014 - 11:36pm PT
Hahaha Ghost, nice.

Jaybro I knew I recognized you From somewhere. Ran into you between ice cream parlor crack and rp city. Cool TR and good vibes!
cheers
andrew
paganmonkeyboy

climber
mars...it's near nevada...
  Apr 21, 2014 - 11:36pm PT
sweeeeet !
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
  Apr 21, 2014 - 11:38pm PT
Sweet.....go wide or go home!
SC seagoat

Trad climber
Santa Cruz, Moab, Bozeman, the ocean, or ?
  Apr 21, 2014 - 11:41pm PT
Really nice....looks like a really wild group of men. Wild Wyde Boys

Miss you....climb on

Susan
Kalimon

Social climber
Ridgway, CO
  Apr 21, 2014 - 11:58pm PT
Thanks Jaybro of the American wide pantheon . . . that Grug guy is pretty good too.

Darwin

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
  Apr 22, 2014 - 12:01am PT
too effing awesome!
Thanks.
phylp

Trad climber
Upland, CA
  Apr 22, 2014 - 12:37am PT
And fun was had by all. But it was not good clean fun.
Thanks for the panoramic view from the top!
jonnyrig

climber
  Apr 22, 2014 - 01:21am PT
Very nice!
drljefe

climber
El Presidio San Augustin del Tucson
  Apr 22, 2014 - 01:34am PT
Well that chimney sure is an attractive feature, ain't it?
Nice work dudes.

Hey what's the story with the big corner to the left?
Ezra Ellis

Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
  Apr 22, 2014 - 06:20am PT
Love the summit shot!
Thank you!!!!!
yanqui

climber
Balcarce, Argentina
  Apr 22, 2014 - 06:42am PT
Burly!
mike m

Trad climber
black hills
  Apr 22, 2014 - 09:19am PT
Nice work Jay and friends. Prolly could find a lot moe like that I would imagine. I think just to the right there is one 422 feet tall.
MisterE

Gym climber
Small Town with a Big Back Yard
  Apr 22, 2014 - 10:09am PT
Great TR - thanks for the report!
philo

climber
  Apr 22, 2014 - 10:21am PT

.Every move was a motile slide fest. A circuitess pitch,

I placed a good cam, mantled a four foot wide pasted on flake, that I was sure would take me to the bottom. I was able to place two green cams in a good-ish crack above it. Then traverse left, on fairy dust, wipe the climb off my feet, place two more indifferent cams and follow a series of reasonable handcracks onto a ledge festooned with creaky, feebly interlocked, irregularly shaped rocks ..

"Off belay" at least we were still in the shade!

A most excellent adventure and enjoyable read. TFPU!
Grippa

Trad climber
Salt Lake City, UT
  Apr 22, 2014 - 10:47am PT
YES!!! A desert TR from Moab that isn't from castle valley. The corner route, and playin hooky are on my list from where ya'll were. There are some other gems in kane creek that don't get much love either. A bunch of Paul Ross routes that need to go free!
coolrockclimberguy69

climber
  Apr 22, 2014 - 10:52am PT
So that was you guys up there the other day. Don't see many folks make it past the first pitch. One of the prouder desert lines, nice work gentlemen.
Tork

climber
Yosemite
  Apr 22, 2014 - 10:55am PT
Looks like clean wide fun!
eeyonkee

Trad climber
Golden, CO
  Apr 22, 2014 - 12:52pm PT
The third member was Laurent Meillon (he's French). If I had to do this route again, I might take a lawn mower to the chest beforehand to fit in a bit better (it'll be back again in a month).
Jaybro

Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
Author's Reply  Apr 22, 2014 - 01:00pm PT
I actually knew he had a last name, but I thought it was funnier to riff on the Alf comment in the route description!
Thanks Grug! Thanks Laurent! Thx all!
Too funny, Andrew, I do remember!
jahil

Social climber
London, Paris, WV & CA
  Apr 22, 2014 - 01:19pm PT
Big up the Desert Rats:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3VZQArhd8g

We salute you.
mucci

Trad climber
The pitch of Bagalaar above you
  Apr 22, 2014 - 01:41pm PT
HeyHep!

Big green monsters...
eeyonkee

Trad climber
Golden, CO
  Apr 22, 2014 - 04:11pm PT
What's so interesting about the crux chimney pitch is that, after the first 40 feet, it's essentially a chimney sport climb. After the last picture you see of me leading the pitch, there is nothing to be had for protection save for 5 drilled angles starting about 100 feet up. So, let's see, that's 5 runners and 2 more for the belay so, 7 runners will do it. No need to bring the "just-in-case" rack that I did.

Leading up to the first drilled angle I would rate 5.9 R. It's full-on chimney climbing. If it was on granite, it would not be R. On this Navajo Sandstone, there is a thin film of fine silt that covers everything and it's a little unnerving to trust smearing with your feet on the opposite wall, especially as the wall flares leading up to the first pin.

After that, it's squeeze-chimney-technique-time. Mostly, you're doing heel-toes with your feet and shallow chicken wings or palm-down with your arms and hands. The harder bits are where it flares so much that you can't get heel-toe jams. Pretty amazing that Dunn drilled those angles on the lead and without hanging. The climbing is no harder than 5.10+, but it's pretty scary and unrelenting, even now.

By the way, that grimace I have in that belay picture is because I'm downwind of my shoe.

Edit: I know it's me in that belay picture and all, but, I gotta say, nice composition and texture on that one, Jaybro.
HighTraverse

Trad climber
Bay Area
  Apr 22, 2014 - 04:07pm PT
Excellent.
5.9R for 100'??
But I thought Euros can't do wyde!
eeyonkee

Trad climber
Golden, CO
  Apr 22, 2014 - 04:18pm PT
They can't (sorry, Laurent). On the other hand, they probably haven't learned my secret of putting walnuts in my oatmeal on a day when I need extra energy (I hope not too many of them are reading this).
thebravecowboy

climber
The Good Places
  Apr 22, 2014 - 04:20pm PT
nice work fellows and great write-up jay! I dig yer prosies.
scuffy b

climber
heading slowly NNW
  Apr 22, 2014 - 04:34pm PT
"wipe the climb off my feet"

Yahoooo!
AP

Trad climber
Calgary
  Apr 22, 2014 - 04:53pm PT
Did you celebrate with some 4:20 on top?
skcreidc

Social climber
SD, CA
  Apr 22, 2014 - 04:59pm PT
Walnuts in your oatmeal...what's next? Chia Seed? If walnuts in the oatmeal was the secret to clmbing the wide, You'ed all be singing my praises in the wide instead of how "regular" I am.


Again, looks like a kick ass outing guys!
eeyonkee

Trad climber
Golden, CO
  Apr 22, 2014 - 05:13pm PT
Come to think of it, that cigarette you saw Laurent smoking WAS his breakfast. So, let's go over this. I had walnuts and oatmeal for breakfast and rather handily, albeit with significant effort, led the pitch. Laurent had a cigarette for breakfast and struggled mightily on the follow. Make your own conclusions. Frankly, deciding between the deleterious effects of the cigarette and the beneficial effects of the walnuts is still eluding me. Still, I'd like to think that my little secret makes a difference.

Now I know what some of you are thinking, "Didn't you just 'spill the beans' to the French and possibly, to Europeans in general? What if they catch up to us overnight?"

Well settle down. It turns out, Laurent doesn't believe anything I say, or anything just about any other American says, particularly someone in authority. I've learned to use this to my advantage.
drljefe

climber
El Presidio San Augustin del Tucson
  Apr 22, 2014 - 05:10pm PT
He ain't Stout

edit:
yet
F10

Trad climber
Bishop
  Apr 22, 2014 - 07:43pm PT
Glad to see you guys out doing it !!
Great photos, thanks for posting.
Actually headed in that direction tomorrow checking out the sights, I'll have to give it a scope.
john bald

climber
  Apr 22, 2014 - 08:36pm PT
Love those climbs that swallow you up. Nice TR, Jaybro!
nature

climber
Boulder, CO
  Apr 22, 2014 - 08:40pm PT
nice work Jay. Looking forward to seeing you and your bro next week!
Jaybro

Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
Author's Reply  Apr 22, 2014 - 10:26pm PT
Looking forward to it!

For the record I had yogurt with cereal and a semi lethal dose of aero pressed Peet's for breakfast
Jingy

climber
Random Nobody
  Apr 22, 2014 - 10:33pm PT
is it safe to say you all were at your highest of the day at 4:20?

Kick ass, guys.

Thank you for the photos. Looks great
RyanD

climber
  Apr 22, 2014 - 10:57pm PT
Yeah 420' climb on 4/20 day, who brought the P.R.?


Fess up.




Great TR.
Mungeclimber

Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
  Apr 23, 2014 - 02:35am PT
full value

TFPU
Daphne

Trad climber
Northern California
  Apr 23, 2014 - 12:10pm PT
Great TR as usual. So good to see you having your version of fun. :)
mhay

climber
Bishop, CA
  Apr 23, 2014 - 12:40pm PT
And what could be better than old guys doing burly fat cracks in sandstone?
em kn0t

Trad climber
isle of wyde
  Apr 23, 2014 - 11:02pm PT
P4 looks so beautiful (and the view from the top doesn't suck, either)
4 thumbs up for a great TR with lots of gritty details
;-)
crunch

Social climber
CO
  Apr 24, 2014 - 12:34am PT
Looks like a very fun climb! Woohoo!
Reeotch

climber
4 Corners Area
  Apr 24, 2014 - 06:08am PT
Desert Rats Unite!
Go