Just attempted this for the first time this past weekend and went with 3 people who had all done this multiple times before. According to them, this pitch has all been recently rebolted but the lowest (bottom) bolt is now removed or missing. So there is about 6 or 7 feet of unprotected climbing above Bohn Street to the first bolt. There was one decent handhold along a groove about 4 feet up all chalked up that looked like a popular hold to get to that first bolt.
I am not sure how many anchor bolts there were on Bohn Street before but there are 4 there now spaced nicely apart along the ledge.
Wouldn't A0 basically be the equivalent of French Free, i.e. stepping/pulling on gear/bolts/pins? If one uses aiders (as the great majority does) it seems like A1 would be a more appropriate rating for the climb (isn't that what the guidebook calls it?). I guess most of the bolts are so closely spaced that it might be possible to just climb pulling on them, but it also seems that that would still be a pretty extraordinary pain-in-the-ass.
There is currently an overabundance of bolts on Bohn St (well, everywhere on the formation- maybe not the .13/.14 routes). Indeed, if this formation were in Tuolumne Meadows, probably 80% of those bolts would be chopped within 3 days or so. Then again, I guess we're not talking Tuolumne Granite either...
How did you like Monkey? How did the 3-sisters marathon go? Are you posting from back home or still in Oregon?
The rating is keeping with Watts' guidebook. He basically calls anything with solid bolts "A0"; something that is a bolt ladder but with ancient pro gets an "A1" rating etc... (he does not make the "A" vs. "C" distinction also).
To be even more accurate, an "F" would be even more accurate than the "C." Guess it doesn't matter- most reading the route description will quickly figure out they need aiders.
Monkey Face was a lot of fun (started too late to try the variation)! Aiding was interesting- quite a departure from free climbing. Did the aptly-named Panic Pt. in the dark- 5.7 or not, it scared the s&$t out of me! The deep, sucking void down below, as well as noticing a sharp edge over which the rope ran from the belay cave had me clinging to those buckets for dear life! Free rappel in the dark was great too!
3 Sisters Marathon became a 1 Sister Marathon when we started late, didn't get to Ugly Sister as fast as we would have liked, & decided to rope up for a few pitches (as well as not having a car at the other end of the traverse). Just didn't feel like continuing would be worth it. Definitely felt like I'd accomplished something that day regardless upon getting to the top of Ugly, however. Gotta be the worst 'rock' I've ever climbed on! :P
Brian Jenkins - Feb 20, 2003 9:28 am - Hasn't voted
Route CommentJust attempted this for the first time this past weekend and went with 3 people who had all done this multiple times before. According to them, this pitch has all been recently rebolted but the lowest (bottom) bolt is now removed or missing. So there is about 6 or 7 feet of unprotected climbing above Bohn Street to the first bolt. There was one decent handhold along a groove about 4 feet up all chalked up that looked like a popular hold to get to that first bolt.
I am not sure how many anchor bolts there were on Bohn Street before but there are 4 there now spaced nicely apart along the ledge.
Diggler - Sep 6, 2005 1:24 pm - Hasn't voted
Route CommentWouldn't A0 basically be the equivalent of French Free, i.e. stepping/pulling on gear/bolts/pins? If one uses aiders (as the great majority does) it seems like A1 would be a more appropriate rating for the climb (isn't that what the guidebook calls it?). I guess most of the bolts are so closely spaced that it might be possible to just climb pulling on them, but it also seems that that would still be a pretty extraordinary pain-in-the-ass.
There is currently an overabundance of bolts on Bohn St (well, everywhere on the formation- maybe not the .13/.14 routes). Indeed, if this formation were in Tuolumne Meadows, probably 80% of those bolts would be chopped within 3 days or so. Then again, I guess we're not talking Tuolumne Granite either...
rpc - Sep 6, 2005 2:32 pm - Hasn't voted
Route CommentHi Dirk,
How did you like Monkey? How did the 3-sisters marathon go? Are you posting from back home or still in Oregon?
The rating is keeping with Watts' guidebook. He basically calls anything with solid bolts "A0"; something that is a bolt ladder but with ancient pro gets an "A1" rating etc... (he does not make the "A" vs. "C" distinction also).
Diggler - Sep 6, 2005 4:40 pm - Hasn't voted
Route CommentGotcha, Radek. Back in the Golden State again.
To be even more accurate, an "F" would be even more accurate than the "C." Guess it doesn't matter- most reading the route description will quickly figure out they need aiders.
Monkey Face was a lot of fun (started too late to try the variation)! Aiding was interesting- quite a departure from free climbing. Did the aptly-named Panic Pt. in the dark- 5.7 or not, it scared the s&$t out of me! The deep, sucking void down below, as well as noticing a sharp edge over which the rope ran from the belay cave had me clinging to those buckets for dear life! Free rappel in the dark was great too!
3 Sisters Marathon became a 1 Sister Marathon when we started late, didn't get to Ugly Sister as fast as we would have liked, & decided to rope up for a few pitches (as well as not having a car at the other end of the traverse). Just didn't feel like continuing would be worth it. Definitely felt like I'd accomplished something that day regardless upon getting to the top of Ugly, however. Gotta be the worst 'rock' I've ever climbed on! :P
rpc - Sep 7, 2005 12:58 pm - Hasn't voted
Route CommentHeh, heh :)
Nice job Dirk!
Free rappel in the dark was great too! NOW that's fun stuff! Cool summit - isn't it?
If you got the taste for bad volcanic rock, you should definitely visit OR more often ;)