Trip Report
The Sensei - A tale of freeing What's Up Bubb
Thursday July 23, 2015 10:21am
The glow of sunset sprawled across the south face of Charlotte dome. It was a crazy and bittersweet moment. Charlotte Dome and the Bubbs Creek Wall are forgotten monsters hidden in the Sierra backcountry. This would be my fourth summit of Bubbs and I knew it would be my last for 2014.

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Charlotte Dome!
Charlotte Dome!
Credit: cultureshock
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There is something so sensational about the unknown, about exploring, that sucks me in so strongly and consumes all of my thoughts.  I don't know if it is a desire to understand myself or just to try and test myself. I do know that climbing new routes allows me to stop comparing myself to others and to climb just for me.


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Getting psyched!

I'm going to wax philosophically for a moment longer here. I have been struggling to understand the roles these big daunting goals play in my life. I've been putting off asking hard questions about my motivation. Maybe this lack of clarity is one of the the reasons it has taken almost a year to tell the story of What's Up Bubb.

I know there is a large part of me that needs the obsession of a big objective, a place to focus all of my energy. When I find a compelling line it's full commitment and I end up investing much more of myself  than I realize. Like the Incredible Hulk or Liberty Cap in years past, the Bubbs Creek Wall captivated me and took all of my focus during the summer of 2014.

I've come to see the dangers of such an obession and how it effects the people around me. Through the process of freeing Scarface I fed off of the energy of many different partners in my pursuit of freeing the line. Not many came back for multiple trips. Perhaps it was some of the drudgery of cleaning cracks or just the uncertainty  that the line would go or that doing new routes is even a good use of time. These were things that I asked myself. Time can be one of our most precious commodities and it's not always clear how to spend it.


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Ben and I near the summit of Bubbs

Throughout the many days and missions to Bubbs, I had the luck and good fortune of a few partners sticking with me, enduring the long hikes and the repeated failures that go into the process. This created a bond and solidarity between Casey, Aaron, Ben and I. I really appreciate the time and effort they put into climbing What's Up Bubb. Failure is a hard thing to work with. I think this saying from last year gets at my feelings.

Success has been a leaf blowing in the breeze. I see it dancing around in the air, and I jump like a child trying to catch it.  Failure is the ground that I return to after each try. Each time I do catch a piece of success, it is fleeting. Completing one challenge just makes me push harder for the next level. The cycle of more, better, faster, stronger is never ending.

Ben and I first "discovered" Bubbs together.  Bubbs had long been on my mind but I never knew what it was like. Climbing Ronan was like opening Pandora's box and King's Canyon was soon to consume all of my thoughts.


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Casey midway up the crux 7th pitch.

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The photo from the FA by Rob that enticed me to want to try the route.
The photo from the FA by Rob that enticed me to want to try the route.
Credit: cultureshock
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I don't know what makes certain area's popular, but I do understand that the price of entry for climbing in the Sierra backcountry is high. There are camping permits, long hikes, and lots of logistics. I thrive on these things and revel in the experience it affords me. I enjoy the solitude, the adventure.

On my second trip to the area Aaron, Casey and I blazed up What's Up Bubb. We were freeing pitches onsight or on follow that had been aided on the first ascent. Ambition and enthusiasm were high until we hit the 7th pitch.  Casey whipped off unable to figure out the crux or find anywhere to put in gear. We sent up hooks, but that only resulted in another nasty fall and a bunch of skin loss. We bailed down the route.

The routine of pushing the highpoint of the route would continue for another half dozen trips. After much effort Aaron, Casey, Ben and I would stand on the summit having figured out all of the pieces of the puzzle. By using fixed ropes we had completed the probable second ascent of the route but a proper one day lead of the route had yet to come.


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Aaron lost in a sea of granite on the crux 7th pitch.

With "The Sensei", as we are calling the free version of What's Up Bubb, I got to live out my dreams and unlock pitches that we thought impossible. The route came to be with a lot of work and drive from Casey who did the first lead of the crux 7th pitch.  I aided cleaned, and bolted this pitch over multiple visits. The movement was subtle yet still powerful and takes a spectacular path up the smoothest and steepest part of the wall. The exposure is stimulating and the sequences were just at our limit.

In September of 2014 on the last weekend before I left California, Casey and I put the project to rest and opened up a new way to free climb the Bubbs Creek Wall.


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Casey following the far out arete on the 8th pitch.

The Sensei comprises mainly of face and slab climbing connected by crack systems. The wall swoops to vertical at the seventh and eight pitches which are both the pinnacle of difficulty and aesthetic beauty of the climb.

You get a full package after the dome rounds out with some adventure climbing to the summit. Over 1500 feet of beautiful white sierra granite, with very little dirt or poor quality rock.


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Photo by Vitaliy M.

Routes from left to right. Crystal Bonzai, Samurai Warrior, The Emperor, What's Up Bubb, Becky Route

Go enjoy!

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The Sensei Topo - Bubbs Creek Wall
The Sensei Topo - Bubbs Creek Wall
Credit: cultureshock
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Luke

  Trip Report Views: 3,280
cultureshock
About the Author
Luke is a trad climber and occasional runner from Seattle, WA.

Comments
this just in

climber
Justin Ross from North Fork
  Jul 23, 2015 - 10:33am PT
Badass Luke. Damn, that pitch 7 looks so good. Solid climbing man, topo looks like no gimmie pitches. Thanks.
Reeotch

climber
4 Corners Area
  Jul 23, 2015 - 10:38am PT
TFPU
Beeootiful rock on that there Bubbs Wall . . .
JEleazarian

Trad climber
Fresno CA
  Jul 23, 2015 - 10:40am PT
Outstanding! One of my measures of a great trip report is that it makes want to be there climbing, even if it's quite clear that the climb's demands exceed my abilities. You succeeded beyong measure. Thanks you for the great pictures, text, philosophical discussions, and recounting of a daunting climb.

John
Gnome Ofthe Diabase

climber
Out Of Bed
  Jul 23, 2015 - 10:44am PT
If only my ankles would carry me home after. Thanx for including all the important
Beta.
Cool pics and topo!
Tarbuster

climber
right here, right now
  Jul 23, 2015 - 11:12am PT
Sustained climbing and an inspiring adventure!
Texplorer

Trad climber
Sacramento
  Jul 23, 2015 - 11:46am PT
Wonderful achievement and appears to be a grand adventure on an another amazing Sierra route.
limpingcrab

Gym climber
Minkler, CA
  Jul 23, 2015 - 11:58am PT
Bubb's Creek Wall, so hot right now!


Awesome job with the topo, kinda pissed you just learned that program and are already way better than me!!!
NutAgain!

Trad climber
https://nutagain.org
  Jul 23, 2015 - 04:27pm PT
Wonderful looking stuff, you trendsetters making SEKI all the rage these days!
Ezra Ellis

Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
  Jul 25, 2015 - 06:36pm PT
Stellar writing and rock!
Nice!
MH2

Boulder climber
Andy Cairns
  Jul 25, 2015 - 07:48pm PT
Yes!
Studly

Trad climber
WA
  Jul 25, 2015 - 07:51pm PT
Impressive!
Vitaliy M.

Mountain climber
San Francisco
  Jul 27, 2015 - 09:16pm PT
Badass route in a stunning location! Deserves traffic just like other routes on that wall. Thank you for sharing with the world Luke, reading your reports is awesome...BUT CLIMBERS WITH YOU IS MUCH BETTER! We got to send some more shiet together brah!!! :)
Luke forgot to mention he was the one who topped out the first ascent of the Emperor with me as well!
crankster

Trad climber
No. Tahoe
  Jul 27, 2015 - 09:33pm PT
Excellent route in a fabulous location.
Roxy

Trad climber
CA Central Coast
  Jul 28, 2015 - 06:25am PT

right on!! there's more stoke here
than in my coffee cup!


Excellent effort!!

donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
  Jul 28, 2015 - 06:55am PT
Nice job!
mucci

Trad climber
The pitch of Bagalaar above you
  Jul 28, 2015 - 08:09am PT
Very cool line.

Pretty consistent in grade, no fluff!
johntp

Trad climber
Punter, Little Rock
  Jul 28, 2015 - 10:04am PT
Just what we need. More climbing content.

BBST
guyman

Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
  Jul 28, 2015 - 10:23am PT
Great, Job.

Thank you for posting this TR. Rob and Gene had a fun time putting this up, BITD.

rincon

climber
Coarsegold
  Jul 28, 2015 - 09:41pm PT
Way to go Luke! Nice write up, and topo. By the way Gene's full name is Gene Mayo.
cultureshock

Trad climber
Mountain View
Author's Reply  Sep 3, 2015 - 09:48pm PT
Thanks for the comments! WOt was a great experience. Good to meet ya Rob back in July! It must have been so wild up there on the FA questing into the unknown.

Even with much of the work already done it was an adventure. A few friends have tried it but I think it is still waiting a full repeat.

The weather is prime! Go get after it!
thebravecowboy

climber
The Good Places
  Sep 3, 2015 - 09:51pm PT
Giggity-gig-gigaroonie!

YOWZA!
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