Looking back on the Chockstone Traverse before the first squeeze
Credit: PellucidWombat
November 23, 2012
At long last Nutjob and I were able to meet up to check out this obscure mystery route. Some have dubbed it the DEER (Reed spelled backwards?), and it was a fun caving adventure. It was good that we weren't too bloated from Thanksgiving, as we needed every inch of space we could spare to fit through the tight passageways.
I spent an hour picking my way around on lead before finding the squeeze tunnel through, and I battled that crux for another 2 hours before giving up, 15 ft short of the top. Nutjob went up next and in an hour managed to follow my lead and navigate the final squeeze crux! I had the joy of climbing the route a second time to follow.
Our climbing pathways. When I climbed up the second time I followed the Reed's Direct Crack for its entirety.
Roughly the two best ways one can climb the DEER Route.
A Sunny Start
It was a warm, clear, sunny day at Reed Pinnacle. Strangely, we were the only ones there. For the entire day we never saw signs of anyone else climbing around Reed's Direct. Perhaps the crowds were kept at bay by the post-Thanksgiving food feast recovery?
Nutjob leading P1 of Reed's Direct. (5.9)
Following P1 of Reed's Direct (5.9). (by Nutjob)
We made short work up the first pitch of Reed's Direct and the prepared for the unknown. We had no idea what sort of gear (if any) the route would take, so we brought a lot with an emphasis on the wide stuff (it turned out the wide gear was completely useless).
Racked up and ready to go for the DEER. (by Nutjob)
What lies beyond? (by Nutjob)
Entering the REED Venturing forth. (by Nutjob)
We weren't sure where to go first, so we decided to go far left directly beneath where we'd expect to tunnel out, and chimney up from there. Also, I was curious to see if you could actually tunnel through and out the left side.
Exploring leftwards. (by Nutjob)
Exploring leftwards. Getting dark enough for the headlamp. (by Nutjob)
Exploring leftwards, facing the easier way. (by Nutjob)
Exploring leftwards, facing the easier way and looking up for where to go. (by Nutjob)
It was starting to get dark and spooky in here, so I broke out the secret weapons . . .
Glow sticks make any tunneling adventure more festive.
Exploring leftwards, looking out P1 of Reed's Left (5.8 chimney).
You can definitely traverse out the left side.
Exploring leftwards, looking back at Nutjob before launching off.
Chimneying up. (by Nutjob)
Chimneying up. (by Nutjob)
Chimneying up. (by Nutjob)
As I chimneyed straight up, there appeared to be no pro this way until I reached a roof above, and I couldn't see any way to go beyond the rood, so I decided to make a long traverse back to the backside of P2 of Reed's Direct to plug some pro in the crack and traverse along the underside of where the flake pinches off into chockstones.
Looking over to the light from P2 of Reed's Direct crack.
Looking up along the light from P2 of Reed's Direct crack. (by Nutjob)
I'm traversing up and over a long ways back to the Reed's Direct crack to try that line with pro. So much sideways chimneying . . . (by Nutjob)
Glow stick on first pro.
Looking at rope trailing up behind P2 of Reed's Direct where I placed my first piece of pro. You could sew this up by climbing straight up behind the crack. (by Nutjob)
A PellucidWombat seen in its natural habitat. (by Nutjob)
Looking back halfway through the traverse before the first squeeze passage.
Chockstone traverse from P2 of Reed's Direct to the squeeze passage. (by Nutjob)
Chockstone traverse from P2 of Reed's Direct to the squeeze passage. (by Nutjob)
Looking back at the end of the traverse before the first squeeze passage. This is the last place I bothered with pro.
The chimney is a little tighter up here than the start, but still pretty roomy. (by Nutjob)
The Squeeze Passage
I traversed along beneath the chockstones, plugging in two pieces as I went. Eventually I saw an opening that I could barely climb up and sideways into.
Last view of the wide chimney before entering the first squeeze passage.
I couldn't breath deeply, but with some hard sideways shuffling movements and a little foot stacking and I was able to pop through the first constriction and into a little pod.
Inside the first squeeze passage-traverse.
The ghost of 'ol Mr. Reed haunts this route. That or I've been in here for too long.
As I climbed higher, my gear and helmet became a problem, so I ditched everything except my headlamp onto a trailing line. For most of the passage I could barely turn my head, even without the helmet on, so things began to feel a tad claustrophobic. At least I hadn't seen any spiders yet.
Taking off the helmet to fit better.
I wriggled up a few more tight sections into slightly larger pods, zig-zagging, and at last I could see daylight from above, and blue sky!
View of the end. Alas I could not find a way to fit through. I spent close to 2 hours in this tight passage looking for a way through.
I worked for a long time, grid searching, rotating, but I couldn't find a way through. It was a tough balance, to work so hard, which makes you want to breath hard, but the rock restricts any deep and heavy breathing, leaving you seriously out of breath. It would be easy to panic as you get stuck and attempt to hyperventilate, which you can't, which would make the feeling of needing to do it even worse. Stay calm, think, and press on, or if stuck or giving up on a strategy, reverse carefully . . .
Looking towards P2 of Reed's Left from where I was attempting to exit. I tried moving this way to some larger pods that I thought I could link up, but it was still barely too tight.
After trying for a long time, I downclimbed through all of the squeeze passages to leave my gear and helmet clipped to my last piece of pro. I could tell there was no way to do such physical, tight climbing with so much bulk and weight dragging behind me. Unfortunately, by the time I made it back up, I was tired and worn out enough that I couldn't make much better progress, and eventually I downclimbed to let Nutjob try it out.
Nutjob Gives it a Try Nutjob photographing a future climb while waiting on belay. (by Nutjob)
I had no idea 3 hours had passed while I was climbing around in there! Fortunately Nutjob was a very patient belayer.
Downclimbing in defeat. I could have lowered, but grinding down the squeeze didn't seem too appealing in comparison.
3 hours on lead in the dark chimney, 2 of them spent confined to a space tight enough that I couldn't take full breaths because my diaphragm couldn't expand fully. Nothing spells defeat like this look. Fortunately Nutjob saved the day, figuring out a way through the last 20' of the crux squeeze! (BTW, I think the brown in my teeth and puffiness of the eyes was from dirt I knocked into my face when placing pro in a dirty chockstone) (by Nutjob)
Downclimbing in defeat. (by Nutjob)
After a run-in with the DEER. (by Nutjob)
Nutjob's duct tape patch job is ready to go. (by Nutjob)
Nutjob ready to try his hand finding a way through the final squeeze. He eventually did! (by Nutjob)
With the benefit of a top rope from my last piece, Nutjob took a minimum of tiny pieces (as per my recon findings) and set off, straight up to the last piece of pro and the squeeze. It was another hour, but in the end I heard a holler of success from above! He had solved the routefinding crux. Now I got to climb the route again to clean gear.
Looking out the crack of P2 of Reed's Direct.
Looking out the crack of P2 of Reed's Direct.
Looking out the crack of P2 of Reed's Direct.
Looking out the crack of P2 of Reed's Direct.
Looking up as I re-climbed the route to follow Nutjob up. Glow sticks are on pro.
Glow stick on pro.
Looking out towards Reed's Left as I make better headway through the squeeze crux.
Looking at Nutjob and the end!
A wombat emerges from the depths . . . (by Nutjob)
Finishing the final squeeze crux. (by Nutjob)
Finishing the final squeeze crux. (by Nutjob)
Finishing the final squeeze crux. (by Nutjob)
Finishing the final squeeze crux. (by Nutjob)
(Video) Finishing the final squeeze crux. (by Nutjob)
Freshly escaped from the final squeeze crux. (by Nutjob)
The DEER is done. (by Nutjob)
Pantomiming the DEER experience. (by Nutjob)
Heading towards the light! (by Nutjob)
After spending the sunny day in darkness, we emerged just in time to see the sun set behind the horizon as we rappelled. Although we had expected this climb to go quickly, this little recon turned out to be a full day, but what an exciting and tiring one it was!
Rack:
*Singles from #0.3-#3 C4 Camalots, or even just alternate sizes. 1 optional #4 & 1 very optional #5 C4 Camalot (smaller gear can be placed nearby). Slings.
*Kneepads
*No helmet!
*3-6 glow sticks & 1 headlamp each
*Small chest & torso. Ours kept getting stuck. Crux is VERY size dependent and some people just might not fit. At least it is easy to downclimb to retreat!
Too cool!!! looks way fun and very unique. I'd love to hide back there and scare people on lead lol...maybe grab their hand when they jam, or just stare at them from inside the crack.
The main thing about avoiding deep breaths was to just stay calm and make small moves!
The most serious part was actually the run-out start based on the way Mark went at first. Contrary to popular wisdom, it is possible to fall out of a chimney. Safer to stick to the protectable crack all the way until progress is impossible, then traverse straight over until it is barely possible.
If you're fat it is truly impossible. But if you're skinny enough to fit through (I'm 6'1" 165lbs), it's actually a pretty moderate adventure and I'm surprised more people don't do it.
It might be a good alternate rainy day objective, where the crux would be getting started on the wet P1 of Reed's Direct.
Too cool!!! looks way fun and very unique. I'd love to hide back there and scare people on lead lol...maybe grab their hand when they jam, or just stare at them from inside the crack.
That would literally scare the crap out of me haha
Once again you've given us a great TR. My climbing partner of 45 years has spent the past 45 years trying to get me to go caving. I think I now have a project for us, as soon as I lose weight (I'm a lot shorter than nutjob, but weight more at the moment).
For the record on size, in comparison to Scott, I'm about 5'9" and normally weigh about 165lbs (After a summer of climbing, I'm at 175 as of now, but my pant size has shrunken to 30). It was actually very helpful to tie the knots in long for the final squeeze, and don't even thing of trying to trail gear on it - there is enough sideways squeezing (i.e. you are not upright) that that would suck.
And as an addition to Nutjob's talk on breathing - this was my first time climbing a squeeze that was so tight for so long. This was about as hard as the tunnel-through behind the projecting flake on Generator Crack (though harder to find the correct route, and much longer). When I first got winded and found my breathing restrained, it was easy to panic a bit, but I quickly realized that when you get winded in there, since you can't take deep breaths, you should just slow down and rest until you catch your breath from lighter breathing.
Too cool!!! looks way fun and very unique. I'd love to hide back there and scare people on lead lol...maybe grab their hand when they jam, or just stare at them from inside the crack.
I was thinking it could be fun to leave little inspirational signs in there for one to see as they climb higher: "Come on man!" . . . "You've got this!" . . . "Almost there!" . . . "If you're tired by now, you're in trouble for the finish." Or wait until the leader has passed, then place some objects for the follower to find, maybe attached to the pro (troll dolls?).
The glow sticks were a great idea.
Take the leftover glowsticks to the Black Rock Desert next summer and give us an equally great TR from there.
If I had been more on top of it, I should have placed more pro for the glow sticks, and climbed with my headlamp on strobe mode, with the music box playing. Maybe more fun to do at night? Party at the DEER!
Burning Man is definitely on the to-do agenda. The crux is that it is during prime alpine trad time, and on a long weekend to boot!
Perhaps to preempt some other questions:
There was a little bit of wetness in there, but just a few small, narrow drips to cross, and one dripping chockstone. For the most part the rock was very clean, and the dirt not too bad and only found in a few places.
Also, I only saw one small spider and some other type of strange bug, but that was in the wider chimney where I could skirt away from them :-)
I tried to psych Mark out about the albino ants and some sticky substance that you better wash off right away before it burns. I don't think he was buying it, or too distracted to care much.
It might be a good alternate rainy day objective, where the crux would be getting started on the wet P1 of Reed's Direct.
Actually Scott, as you got me thinking about that - you can actually get to that same tree by climbing that 5.4 chimney to the left of Reed's Direct. Perhaps that would be more doable in the rain? Or another option is to start on P1 of Reed's, Left Side (fun 5.8, btw), and tunnel in from there. That side might be a bit more protected from the rain on the first mid-5th bit, and then you are definitely in dry territory if you tunnel right in there.
I don't think he was buying it, or too distracted to care much.
Hahaha! I was wondering what that was about. I think my reaction was a bit of both :-)
Oh, and for those who wonder about the photos, I gave Scott my DSLR to shoot with and he mostly shot with the natural light in the crack (i.e. no flash). I had forgotten to turn off the RAW recording mode on the camera, but that turned out to be a good thing. I was able to lighten up the photos considerably, bring out detail, flatten the high dynamic range, and clean up noise a lot from the RAW vs. if he had just been shooting with a JPEG recording. You'll notice that my photos with the point & shoot are much darker & grainer in comparison.
p = 9 / ( 10.5 - max( {chest/waist/hips/butt thickness in inches} ) )
In other words, it's about 5.8 or 5.9 if your thickest part is about 9.5 inches deep or less. It quickly becomes impossible as your thickness goes beyond about 9.5 inches *.
* I measured by wedging a door shut on me until it felt the right tightness, then using a tape measure determined about 9" - 9.5" depending on door flex.
Hmm, another idea for DEER fun. Bring up a water pistol, and shoot water out of the cracks, just one or two jams above a climber's head. I wonder what they'd think, seeing that jet of water squirting out of the next jam :-)
Hmm, another idea for DEER fun. Bring up a water pistol, and shoot water out of the cracks, just one or two jams above a climber's head. I wonder what they'd think, seeing that jet of water squirting out of the next jam :-)
ONCE I ripped open one of those glo-sticks, thinking I'd pour the green glowing juice into a martini glass on Halloween nite
turns out that shitt is packed into the glo-stick under high pressure so when I pierced it the stuff spurted all over my coat and pants...I looked like one of those cheap motel rooms under a UV Inspection Light that glows with disgusting body fluids sperm and glowing green smegma
and that glo-juice is not made of flower petals and faerie juice, ...its like some sort of foul-smelling diesel oil with a little luminescnet shizz mixed in
Is the "deer" route the route called the regular route in the super topo guide
Nope. The Regular route climbs outside for P1 & P2, to the right of the Direct, then tunnels sideways through the "pinnacle" part of Reed's Pinnacle for P3 (P2 is the feint, wandering white streak that goes through the "'s D" writing in the 2nd photo of this TR). The DEER exits into P3 of the RR. If one were so inclined, after the DEER they could continue to the top via P3 & P4 of the RR (5.8 & 5.9), or P3 of the direct (5.10a).
It's not "spelunking", dammmit - it's "caving". CAVING!!
And that was one pretty nasty passage, that's for sure. I just returned from the Mammoth System, after trying to negotiate an 8.5" squeeze followed by a tight bend just after it. I couldn't do it, no how, no way. However 30 years and 40 pounds ago, it'd been a cakewalk. But not for us 5'9" 165lb lard-asses.
Stefano made it. Skinny little bastard. The question is, had anyone ever been there before us, and does this nasty squeeze really lead to the legendary Lost Walking Passage?
To take the squeezes we did last weekend, and rotate them into the vertical? Geeez.... no thanks!
I like the idea of hiding in there and skering the shait out of monkeys not expecting it. Grabbin someones hand, oh haha.
(Not a leader though, and better if its an unsuspecting pal)
Nice work, Lunatic Lads. Surprisingly clean stone in there, and some great photos.
How 'bout getting up there on the Steck Salathe and reporting back as to how far into the bowels of Sentinel you can tunnel from The Narrows?
Also, there are the massive bottomless pits in the forest above the Elephant's Graveyard to explore. Few have seen those, I'd wager, none know what lies within.
I know someone who got stuck doing the pinnacle tunnel -- inside the tunnel -- and had to take her harness off to get out of it. Now I shudder thinking about where she might have ended up had she slipped.
Regarding the bivy questions . . . well, the widest part of the chimney is where Nutjob is standing here:
It only gets narrower as you go higher or traverse left, and there are loose blocks in the base (it is not flat inside but slopes up immediately). Iota Chimney or backside of Iota Flake might be a better contender there.
On another note, at the start of the DEER, on the outside of the main flake, you can traverse heading right behind a smaller flake, to intersect the RR at the top of P1. That part might be a bit wider and flatter at the top (I've belayed from inside of that, looking down on a party on Reed's Direct).
So many hiding places! :-)
An SS spelunking adventure - now THAT would be epic!
Temperature? Well, I overheated so badly that my glasses kept fogging up, so I hung them off a piece of pro to get back later. Even after 3 hrs in there, I was working hard enough that I never got cold - just less steamy. It was just cool enough to keep long sleeves on, though. Probably more for the abrasion protection than cold . . .
Kevin is correct in suspecting that I had done this in the early 70s. I wonder if anyone else has ever climbed all the way to the exit?
Karl brought is up in a thread a few years ago. This is my post: Reeds DEER Route
When I climbed it, I lucked out and had no problems finding a way to the top, so I wasn't behind there very long. I headed up and left to the exit. I think there is only one way to exit into the horizontal chimney connecting the right and left sides of Reeds. I remember being in one area, moving sideways, where I could not turn my head. As Wombat points out, the width varies--"pods"--where the chimney widens out. I was skinny and had no gear or rope, so it was easy to move around--relatively easy: it is tight.
Karl had just met a climber, John Bencic, who had soloed up Deer, and then downclimbed DEER to get back to the start. I suppose you could downclimb the regular route jam cracks or the left side chimneys. Backing down DEER is more secure.
Kevin, I always tell the truth! I just simplify, simplify, and simplify and then exaggerate. I might have owned my little Rollie 35, but there was no flash and glow sticks didn't exist.
I think there is only one way to exit in to the horizontal chimney connecting the right and left sides of Reeds.
Unless you are quite a bit smaller than me and Nutjob, this is definitely the case.
I'm not saying in the TR exactly how we managed the last little bit, to keep some fun for others that want to poke around in there. Let's just say you have to think outside the box a little on how to position yourself. :-)
So Wombat, what did you differently at the exit? It sounds like you tried all the different ways on your first try, but then found the way following Nutjob's rope.
We should find John Bencic and start a club for small chested adventurer climbers with no fear of tight places and an appreciation of the dark. Have you guys climbed the Harding Hole (or whatever it is called) in the Lost Arrow Chimney for comparison?
I also think you should name (rename) the route. Something with Glow Stick in the title.
So Wombat, what did you differently at the exit? It sounds like you tried all the different ways on your first try, but then found the way following Nutjob's rope.
Following the rope wouldn't have helped as the way out did not follow a straight line. Fortunately Nutjob could see me and tell me the beta. I dunno, Nutjob, should we spill the beans on this? ;-)
We should find John Bencic and start a club for small chested adventurer climbers with no fear of tight places and an appreciation of the dark.
I think my problem started back in middle school, when I fit myself into a closed locker just to see if I could do it. Fortunately I had trustworthy accomplices to let me out! Perhaps to join the club there should be initiation rites like this, or perhaps being packed inside of a suitcase or something of that nature.
Have you guys climbed the Harding Hole (or whatever it is called) in the Lost Arrow Chimney for comparison?
I haven't done the chimney yet, but I hope to some day! The tunnel through finish definitely has me curious . . .
I also think you should name (rename) the route.
Hmm, "Trial by Glow Stick"? I'm sure I can come up with a better one . . .
I love chimneys (the chimney on the nearby Iota is one of my favorites) so I was intrigued by Roger and Karl's earlier reports. This TR however, takes the cake! Congratulations! If I ever get into climbing shape again, this is on my list. And I will definitely bring memorial glosticks!
Yes, you can get to the inside of the long Direct crack.
These guys entered the chimney at the start of that crack.
Most of that long crack, perhaps not all of it, is accessible from
the back.
I have read of tricks which have been played on unsuspecting climbers.
Check the links in posts just above.
I have not gone up this chimney, but on numerous occasions I have
entered it from Reed's Left and exited at the belay alcove where
Nutjob and Wombat entered. There is a mound of talus, so the traverse
is a combination of squirmy hiking and actual chimneying, to get past
a few large chockstones.
Scuffy, I recall being startled by you at some point in the past, when I was on Reed's Direct, probably atop P1. You were just suddenly there by yourself with no rope. It was an unsettling, but oddly matter-of-fact experience. I think you had been slithering from Reed's Left over to that spot gathering booty? Maybe that added to my curiosity.
Actually unless duct tape counts (more of a handicap, really), then Nutjob did it sans kneepads.
I'm glad for the kneepads, though. Both of my knees have problems (left one is in need of a third surgery for the ACL & cartilage), and for the 3 hours I was leading, I could not get my knees off the wall! They were pretty tender after I came down, even with the pads. Now that I know where to go, though, I think I'd go up without since I wouldn't spend that long in there.
Most of that long crack, perhaps not all of it, is accessible from the back.
You can actually see some sucker light pouring in from the wider finish to the Direct. I think it pinches off too much to actually reach that light, but you can get pretty close.
