Yosemite

  1. After Six 5.6, Manure Pile Buttress
    Approach:     Park at El Cap picnic area near the bathroom. N37 43' 41.7" W119 37' 11.9". Follow the faint tire marks up the dirt road. Manure Pile Buttress is less than 5 minutes away from the parking lot. 

    The climb: 
    After Six goes up a dihedral closest to the left edge of the formation. It's the first prominent feature if you start counting from the left. There is a dead tree trunk in the middle of the dihedral, and a big tree at the top of the formation. The guidebook topo is very accurate. If you follow the book, you'll do just fine. We combined a couple of pitches to save some time. 
    Pitch 1, the crux pitch (P1 and P2 in the guidebook): Go up the dihedral to the dead tree. Past the dead tree and continue up for another 30 feet or so, then traverse to the right. The book says belay here underneath the notch, but you can easily traverse back up to the right and belay from the ledge. You should be able to see 3 bolts on a flat terrace to the left. After the second comes up, it's best to take down the anchor, walk around to the left and start the next pitch directly under the climb. 

    Pitch 2, easy 3rd class pitch (P3 and P4 in the guidebook): Go up the easy crack to a relatively flat section, then up a short easy chimney section. Belay from the top of the pillar. 

    Pitch 3, easy 5.6 (P5 and P6 in the guidebook): Go up the 5.5 lieback wide crack, then pull some easy 5.4 or 5.3 moves to the next possible belay. If you have a 60-meter rope, continue up the easy face with a lot of features and belay from a ledge with a big tree that has 3 trunks. If you do combine P5 and P6, you should just about run out of rope, so don't use the rope in your anchor system. According to the guidebook, you may escape from here. After the second comes up, it's best to take down the anchor and walk around to the left and belay directly below the 5.5 face climb.

    Pitch 4, easy 5.5 ( P7 in the guidebook) Easy climbing past a few flat sections to a huge pine tree. 

    Pitch 5, easy 5.4 - 5.5 (P8 in the guidebook) go up then traverse to the right then up the easy 5.5 lieback. There are many variations to the last pitch. We did the standard After Six route. Enjoy the view after you top off. You should see El Cap, El Cap East Buttress to the West, and Half Dome on the other side of the Valley. 

    Descent: Find the Cairn and scramble over the rocks to get to the trail. 

    Pro:
      One set of nuts
      1 Blue Alien or .2 BD MiroCamalot
      0.3, 0.4 BD MicroCamalots 1 each
      Double up on 0.5, 0.75 and 1 BD Camalots (If you have TCU's, you may carry .5, .75 and 1 Camalots, and 3 TCU's in the same size range.)
      #2 and #3 BD Camalots
      Many slings to sling around trees
  2. After Seven 5.8, Manure Pile Buttress
    Approach:     Same as After Six

    The climb: 
    After Seven is the crack system 30 feet to the right of After Six. The bottom half has 2 cracks, the top half has one as the right crack thins out. Pretty true to the rating if you know how to jam, definitely not a sandbag. After Seven merges with After Six after the first pitch.
    Descent: If you continue on to climb After Six after the first pitch of After Seven, then walk off after you top off. If you only do the first pitch of After Seven, rap with 2 ropes. 

    Pro:
      0.3 to #2 BD Camalots. No need to double up on sizes.
       1 set of nuts although I only used a #11 Smiley nut
       Multiple slings for setting up the anchor.
  3. Nutcracker 5.8, Manure Pile Buttress
    Approach:     Park at El Cap picnic area near the bathroom. N37 43' 41.7" W119 37' 11.9". Follow the faint tire marks up the dirt road. Manure Pile Buttress is less than 5 minutes away from the parking lot. 

    The climb: It is about 50 feet to the right of After Six. There are many variations to the start. We did the 5.8 lieback. There are no place to bail once you are on the route. You might be able to rap by slinging some slings over flakes.

    Pitch 1, Crescent shaped lieback all the way up. Climbing gets tough after the tree. Big pro helpful right after the tree, but not necessary.

    Pitch 2, 5.4 ramp, can almost walk over. There is only one move that counts as climbing. 

    Pitch 3, 5.7 slippery lieback. Start the pitch by stepping over to the right into the crack. Lieback section is particularly slippery when it's wet or when there is grass in the crack. Step left at the end of the pitch and belay from a tree.

    Pitch 4,  5.8 roof crack. Use a #2 gold BD Camalot to protect crux. Place the cam deep in the crack, don't place it where you need to jam your hand.

    Pitch 5,  5.8 mantle. Protect with a 0.3 BD Microcamalot before the crux and a small Alien after the crux. There is a jug for your right hand and bomber holder for your left hand. Pull yourself over the mantle, then reach for the thin crack with your lefthand. If you have a 60 meter rope, you can go up to the top. Last section is easy 5.6.

    Descent: Same as After Six

    Pro:
      One set of Nuts
      1 blue Alien
      Double up from 0.3 to 1 BD Camalots
      At least one #2 Camalot
      One #3 Camalot

  4. Munginella 5.6, Five Open Books
    Approach:     Park at Yosemite Falls parking lot. This is a very popular tourist spot. You can count on running into scores of tourists dropped off by big buses. Hike to the bridge and turn left right before the bridge. Hike up the steep climber’s trail to the wall. Munginella is the left most open book of Five Open Books. The last part of the approach is exposed 3rd class, might not be suitable for beginners. 

    The climb: 
         The route itself goes up the same crack system. Do not traverse to the right on the second pitch. Protection is very solid. Since you are climbing a crack system, you can place pro pretty much anywhere you want to. The climb can be done in two or three pitches. If you have a 60m rope, climb about 120 feet before setting up belay. The second pitch wonders a bit, watch out for rope drag. If you don't want to deal with rope drag, do it in three pitches. 

    There is a fixed nut at the beginning of the first pitch, and another one at the beginning of the second pitch. Don't trust them. If you do use them, back them up with your own pro. The second pitch is slightly harder than the first but not much. There are 2 fixed pitons in the crack. Use them with caution. There are a lot of loose rocks on top of the climb, be carefull especially if there are climbers down below. 
    Descent: Start from the trail at the top of the climb, turn left and walk for about 10 min until hitting an almost dried up waterfall. Turn left and walk down to the base of the wall. Continue along the wall until getting back to your packs. You may also walk down along the waterfall without turning left if you didn’t leave packs behind. I don’t know where you will end up, probably somewhere near Camp 4.

    Pro:     
      small to medium nuts
      BD microcamalots 0.2 - 0.4
      BD camalots #2, #3, #3.5 
      At least 4 double length slings: one for slinging around the tree, 3 for setting up anchor at the top.

  5. Swan Slab
        N37 44' 43.7"  W119 36' 00.9"
  6. Church Bowl
  7. Oopsie Poopsie 5.8 , Loggerhead Buttress
    Approach: Park at left side of the road about half a mile past El Cap picnic area. There is a meadow and small pond. Walk across the road and find the cairn that marked the beginning of the trail. Hike up for about 10 minutes to the base of Loggerhead. Walk about 100 feet to the right along the base of the wall. This is climb is close to a huge dead pine tree.

    The climb: Very hard 5.8 finger crack. Do not attempt this if 5.8 is your limit. Expect ratings of all climbs in this area to be stiff. The start is OK. The finger crack gets thin and shallow at the lip. Pulling over the lip on not so  positive hold is the crux of this climb. Place pro as close to the lip as possible, no real good pro after the lip until you get to the horizontal traverse. Traverse to the left then up to the two bolt anchor that can be backed with a #1 BD Camalot.

    Descent: Rap with one 60m rope

    Pro:
      Small Aliens: blue and green
      One set of BD cams from 0.2(yellow sling) to #2(gold)
      Double up on 0.3 and 0.4 cams
      One pink tricam to protect the traverse.
      Optional: #3.5 and #2 cams to anchor the belayer
  8.  

Eastern Sierras

  1. Tollhouse Rock
    Approach:     To get to Tollhouse Rock from Fresno, drive East on 168 for about 20 miles, past Tollhouse Road the first time you see the sign, drive for another 20 miles on 168, then turn right onto Tollhouse road. Tollhouse Road intersects 168 twice and is sort of like a shortcut, but it is much steeper and curvier than 168. Drive Southwest about 2.5 miles on Tollhouse Rd, turn left and pull into a dirt parking lot. Park here if you have a 2-wheel drive, continue on the dirt road if you have a 4-wheel drive. Drive about a mile on the dirt road and you'll come to a hairpin turn. Many people park their vehicle here and walk the rest of the way, but you CAN drive all the way to top of the rock if you have a 4X4 with high ground clearance. The bumpy and curvy dirt road will take you under the powerlines and to the top of a huge terrace. 

    GPS Coordinates:
        Dirt Parking lot     N37 02 13.3 W119 23 13.3
        Hairpin Turn         N37 01 41.0 W119 22 33.8 3489 ft
        Terrace, top          N37 01 42.0 W119 22 50.8 3704 ft
        Tollhouse Rock     N37 01 45.1 W119 23 10.1 3281 ft

     The climb: 
    The climb is located at the center of Tollhouse rock. Hike down the steep trail from the huge terrace, and walk along the base of the wall. The start of the climb has 2 cracks merging into one—looks like an inverted Y. There is a huge rock leaning against the wall that makes the first move almost like a chimney move. If you have to climb with a pack, clip it onto a long sling. You can put it back on once you squeeze through the chimney. The first belay station has 3 bolts, the rest of them only have 2, or 2 good ones with one rusty old bolt.

    The second pitch is pretty straightforward. The third pitch is a bit deceiving with one bolt directly above the belay and one to the far right. Start the third pitch by traversing to the right. Do not use the bolt that is directly above unless you can climb 5.9 slab comfortably. The third pitch has less features so you really need to trust your feet. I think the crux of the whole climb was reaching for the belay bolts on top of the 4th pitch. They were placed far to the right. You should be able to see two new bolts with quicklinks 20 feet to your left and a gully leading up to a huge tree. There is one bolt directly above the belay. Do not go up to the bolt. Traverse to the left and up the gully.

    Descent: Walk off. After topping off past the huge pine tree, walk over to the right. You should be able to find the faint trail that takes you back to the huge terrace where people park their 4X4’s.

    Pro:
      10 quickdraws, one set of nuts and 4 or 5 cams should be plenty for this climb.
      1st Pitch: It’s a crack pitch. Gear that I remember I used: Smiley nuts from size 6 to 11, 0.4, 0.5, and #2 BD Camalots. One or two smallest Aliens.
      2nd Pitch: quickdraws only
      3rd Pitch: one cam size 0.4 or 0.5 to supplement the bolts.
      Rest of the climb: quickdraws only.
  2.  

Mt. St. Helena

  1. Bubble Rock
    Approach:     The formation is on Mt. St. Helena in Robert Louis Stevenson State Park about 10 miles North of Calistoga on Highway 29.  Park at the dirt parking lot next to the park sign and hike up the trail to Stevenson Monument. Past the Monument and continue on the trail which eventually joins the fire road. Hike up for about another 20 minutes and you should see Bubble Rock next to an obvious hairpin turn in the fire road. Total approach time is about 40 minutes for someone going at a slow/moderate pace.

    GPS reading for the parking lot: N38 39.165 W122 35.983 

    The climb:     All routes can be top-roped. There are 2 or three bolted routes, but I didn't lead them. To access the top anchors, go up the steep dirt trail to the left of the formation. All climbs have at least 2 bolts at the top. Routes from left to right:

    5.9(maybe 5.9+): on the far left slab, shares the same anchor with the 5.8. Short but cool climb. A lot of deep small pockets just big enough for one or 2 fingers.
    5.8: easier then the 5.9, great for warm up.
    5.11(or 5.11-): Left most bolted route. Requires a lot of finger strength
    5.10+?? The next bolted route, left of the obvious arete. Slightly overhung.
    5.10 The arete
    5.10+ Right of the arete, a lot of big pockets, overhang.
    5.10-5.10+  There are several overhung routes on the main face of the rock.

    Pro:

      Some slings and locking biners for setting up topropes using bolt.
      One 40 or 60 foot webbing to backup the anchor to trees that sit way back from the edge.
    Related Websites:
  2.  

South Lake Tahoe Area

  1. Pie Shop
    Approach:     .

    GPS reading for the parking: N38 52.495 W120 00.652 
    Lunch Rock at the base of Pie Shop: N38 52.735 W120 00.768

    The climb: 

    Pro:


    Related Websites:

  2. Phantom Spires
    3. Approach: If you are going East on Highway 50, at approximately 4 miles past the town of Kyburz, turn left onto Wright Lake Road (N38 47.112 W120 12.823). Drive up the windy steep road and turn left (N38 47.112 W120 12.823 ) onto a dirt road. 4X4 is not required for the last stretch, but you probably don't want to take your brand new sports car up there. 

    GPS reading for the parking lot: N38 47.415 W120 14.503 

    The climb: We did only 3 routes: 

    Tyro's Test Piece 5.5: Easy climb, perfect for warm up. Gear up to #1 BD Cam. 
    ?? 5.8: An awkward wide crack. Jam with your arm if you have small hands. Gear: Large cams: 1 each from .5 to #1 BD cams, 2 #2, 2 #3 and 1 #3.5 BD cams. You may need less gear if you are good at jamming. 
    Cornflake 5.9: Strenuous flake to start, then it turns into a crack. Pull on the chicken heads to get to the rap bolts to the far right of the climb. Do not go up the roof. Gear: One large cam to protect the first move, then small to medium piece for the rest of the climb.

    Pro:

    Related Websites:
  3.  

 

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