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| Paul's Paradise   | 
| Page Type: Route Location: California, United States, North America Lat/Lon: 36.61470°N / 118.095°W Route Type: Sport and Trad Climbs Time Required: Less than two hours Difficulty: 5.7-5.9+
| Route Quality: | | | | Loading...
| Page By: Misha Created/Edited: Apr 2, 2005 / Apr 11, 2005 Object ID: 164546 Hits: 1853 Loading... Page Score: 86.63% - 3 Votes Loading... Vote: Log in to vote |
Approach
Turn north on Movie Flat Road from Whitney Portal Road and proceed about 1 mile to a dirt road that veers off to the left (west). This soon joins another road heading directly west towards some large rock formations. There is a small parking area near the distinct phallic formation (not Burnt Penis). Park here. Paul's Paradise is the bigger formation located next to the parking area.
Route Description
Paul's Paradise is a great introduction to the Hills and a fantastic place for moderate climbers. Routes are east-facing so it is recommended to climb them in the first part of the day if you want sun exposure. The rock is generally solid, but watch out for occasional loose flakes and exfoliations.
There are six known routes on the formation: three sport, two TRs and one trad. The two harder routes (5.9) are located right next to the parking area, across from the mentioned phallic formation. To reach the four remaining routes, follow the climbers trail for ~50 yards, skirting Paul's Paradise on its east side. For the shortest pass to the base of these routes, a couple of class 3 moves may be required.
There are anchors at the top of each route, so they can be top-roped if desired. As far as I know, there is no route that leads to the very top of Paul's Paradise, only to its shoulders.
For more detailed information about these routes, including a topo, please consult the Stassman's climbing guidebook to the area.
All routes are listed from south to north:
Sweet Pete 5.7 (in the guidebook, felt easier in person), 5 bolts. This is the easiest and most straight-forward route on Paul's Paradise. You can find it on the far left side of its east face.
De Ham Bone 5.7 (in the guidebook, felt easier in person), 5 bolts. Another casual and enjoyable route! It is located just right of Sweet Pete (few feet).
Frank (TR) 5.8. Pick your own way just right of De Ham Bone. The crux is at the start, the upper portion of the face is easier.
Frederick (TR) 5.8+. Same anchors as for Frank. The crux is getting off the ground and making several next moves.
Paul's Paradise 5.9+, 4 bolts. There is the distinct roof at the beginning of the route. It is located immediately to the left of Ted Shread. Evidently, there is a ground fall potential until you clip the second bolt. According to the guidebook, this is a high quality route. I haven't climbed that route yet.
Ted Shred 5.9, trad. This route is the closest to the parking area and easy to recognize by its continuous finger crack. Don't use abundant face holds around the crack if you want to preserve its 5.9 rating. I haven't climbed that route yet.
Essential Gear
Rope, harness, draws, TR setup, small to medium trad gear for Ted Shred
Miscellaneous Info
If you have information about this route that doesn't pertain to any of the other sections, please add it here.
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