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| Mountain Impulse | Me to | |
Voted 10/10 | Steve, Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this intriguing place. Every time I've hiked, run or biked around the north face of Strawberry, I've stopped to gawk up the cliff sometimes daring to move up on the big talus at the bottom for a ways. But that always makes me nervous because you sense the instability of that big rubble at the bottom. Augie | |
| Posted Jan 17, 2009 12:23 pm | ||
| Steve1215 | ...sorry for the delay | |
Hasn't voted | Facing the cliff, if you approach its extreme right edge, my guess is that you can completely avoid that talus slog. I figure this cliff will also be wet until mid April(2009)--not that it really matters, no one will be lining up to climb it! A belated thanks for your comments, Augie. It's always nice when someone bothers to post more than five or six words online. | |
| Posted Feb 9, 2009 1:37 pm | ||
| fatdad | Thanks for the recon | |
Hasn't voted | I can't tell you how many times I've been tempted to hike to the base of that and check it out. Many thanks for the trip report. One of these days I may get out there with a rope, rack and some huevos to deal with the choss factor. But until then, thanks for scratching that itch. Steve | |
| Posted Feb 17, 2009 7:14 pm | ||
| Steve1215 | ...just do it | |
Hasn't voted | Going up there on "recon" is a treat...though it's weird to be alone in that meadow at daybreak while staring at fresh bear tracks in the snow. I'll stick to my guns and predict that someday this crag will produce a difficult and highly-photogenic route. Get to the base of that center face, Steve, and I'm sure you'll say, "Whoa, that looks GOOD." It's not too chossy, after all. (SM) | |
| Posted Feb 19, 2009 11:23 pm | ||
| TacoDelRio | Awesome | |
Voted 10/10 | Didn't know how I missed this. I've been thinking of this cliff for a while now. Good stuff. Looks like something I'd get hurt on and smile at the end. | |
| Posted Feb 27, 2009 3:06 pm | ||
| Steve1215 | pure rubble?...naaah | |
Hasn't voted | Thanks for commenting, Jeff, but this crag is not quite in that category. Pure rubble is where half the holds pop off in your hands, or the rock crumbles like compacted kitty-litter. I've read 3 accounts of people climbing this cliff, and all were positive; none mentioned real poor quality. On the Main Face, I think the quality could be akin to Tahquitz--Tahquitz as it was 70 years ago! The issue would be mostly superficial grit and sand, not 500lb. flakes coming off. But I could be wrong, of course. To finally settle the issue, should a massive SummitPost Exploratory Expedition travel there, on a warm Summer day? Because of his youthful energy, I nominate TacoDelRio to coordinate this expedition...and I nominate fatdad as expedition Technical Adviser--the guy's done the P.O. Wall, for God's sake. As for myself? Last time I used a chalkbag was 7 years ago, on Etude and Obscured By Clouds, at Suicide. But I might go along as a porter, or high-altitude Sherpa... (I think the MAIN reason this crag doesn't draw people is obvious--it's 4.5 miles from the parking lot!) | |
| Posted Mar 4, 2009 2:18 pm | ||
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| TacoDelRio | Re: pure rubble?...naaah | |
Voted 10/10 | Glucosamine and Chondroitine = my youthful energy. | |
| Posted May 27, 2009 5:53 pm | ||
| Steve1215 | okay... | |
Hasn't voted | Yes, John, you're right...I judged your route without climbing it first. But my "mouthing off" amounted to this: I said that if anyone could stick pro into any available cracks there, then clipping the bolts is "probably" optional. That was "mouthing off"? In any case, I'll let people judge this for themselves--the "editorial" comments have been removed from the photo. As far as adding bolts to a 60-year-old route, which you call a f--king dangerous chosspile, better to add two bolts 70ft apart than to have people getting killed retreating off of tree roots. A couple of added protection points in a grungy, crackless area might encourage an occasional ascent here, or safe descent. You get points for your dangerous ascent you mentioned, but who is going to repeat a dangerous f--king chosspile? | |
| Posted May 25, 2009 2:35 pm | ||
| JohnL | Tip-toe Traverse | |
Hasn't voted | Steve, From the photos it looks like your route is the begining of Tip-toes traverse, one of the original Mendenahll routes. This is per John Mendenhall's 'An Impromtpu Climbing Guide' (1943). Also, about 20ft left of the 'tree root death rap' is a rap station. Put in place to protect climbers from said 'Chosspile'..as are the four bolts lower on our project. We climbed the TT Traverse a couple of times while exploring for a route to put up and decided the crux section required as much protection as could reasonably be afforded. I appreciate the route you put on Mt. Markham, and I believe the issue is that John and I were taken back by your criticism having not climbed the route (although it is in progress), and ask that you remember we are all after the same thing ultimately. I am fairly certain we all see the same potential on the north face of Strawberry. John Luck | |
| Posted May 25, 2009 5:14 pm | ||
| Steve1215 | mea culpa | |
Hasn't voted | Thanks John and John for getting back with your comments. This page will probably come to be known as The Official Website of The Chosspile, making me look rather ridiculous. But here are some more thoughts-- After doing a little belated homework on the crag, it seems that the North Cliff every decade or so puts a spell on someone like me, who then starts to imagine that it's actually Tahquitz, just under a layer of gravel. Over 22 years, I've visited this area 8 times, and I've never seen a soul on the cliff; I came to imagine that it was "almost" a virgin, or that's what I wanted to imagine. I still think it has potential; maybe those finger cracks way up high...they look good through binoculars. Also a 5.8 crack system on the far right... As for my own effort: I didn't think it through too thoroughly, I just went up there to...re-establish an old route? Make it popular? Pretty convinced that 99.9999% of SoCal climbers never intended to visit, they considered it junk, etc. I had this vision of increased climber traffic, on a natural line that modern climbers never tread; if I added a few bolts in the worst garbage areas, suddenly it becomes a wilderness classic that's FUN, not a fool's errand on choss. That was a self-delusion. I added those 2 bolts for my own safety as well--yes, so that might qualify as cowardice! Somehow, selective thinking no doubt, I didn't see it as retro-bolting. So now here is this page which is popularizing an area that is fundamentally unsafe. There seems to be a long band of rotten rock on top that often sheds falling junk. Everytime I've visited there's been a near-miss. Last time, something the size of a softball exploded 2 feet behind me. I've put this cliff into a mountaineering category, not fun-in-the-sun rock climbing stuff, and maybe that was part of my bolting rationalization. Very casual climbers might think twice about visiting here. I should also mention that JM Canby sent me a very friendly e-mail months ago, this after I questioned his new route. He described the initial hard moves to me. But I didn't have the good grace or sense just to wish him luck, then mind my own business. Encroaching senility? --Steve | |
| Posted May 27, 2009 4:52 pm | ||
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| JohnL | Re: Embrace the choss | |
Hasn't voted | All, Agreed on the Brain Bashing potential. John and I have both had numerous near misses, and we incorporated doning a helmet once we get within 100 feet or so. Once there it pays to keep an ear and eye tuned to the sky, and stay close into the wall when belaying from the ground. Definitely not a relaxing environment, but I am transfixed by it none the less. There are several potentially good lines. Too many to ignore. So I guess this puts us all in the mind set of working to create something there. Good luck & be careful. | |
| Posted May 28, 2009 2:15 pm | ||
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