Monday, February 27, 2012

Right Side Routes

Here's a quick post to highlight four new routes that went up on the far right of the Tick Farm and Tiger Stripe the second half of last year.

Photo courtesy Tim Karst (click to enlarge)



Tick On, 5.10c. Bolts. Tim Karst, Dave Jones, Kurt Krueger. June 2011.

Jonesin' for a Tick, 5.10a. Bolts. Jones, Karst. September 2011. FA Megan Mahoney.

Tick or Treat, 5.10a. Gear. October 2011. Kurt Krueger. Shares rap anchors with the face climb to the right.

In his usual style of thinking outside the box, Kurt proposes a t.r. first pitch and has provided the following description of his concept, "First go up Tim's or Dave's route. Move right on the ledge to the anchor. Then rap. Then toprope the first pitch on the face thru the overhang (move to the side with the belay rope so the rope doesn't pinch). Bring up your second, then climb the shallow open book/crack (10a) a few feet to the right of the anchor you rapped/tr'd from. You might call the 1st pitch a project waiting for bolts..."

The less inventive among us will likely climb Tick On or Jonesin' and then gear climb Tick or Treat to the rim for a nice 10a trad pitch.

Unnamed Face Climb Tick on Top, 5.10b. Bolts. October 2011. Karst, Jones. (Route name now shown. Still appears as "Unnamed" in the topo image.) This is a nice face climb that will take you to rap anchors at the rim. This is a fun way to get up and out of the amphitheater and explore the ground above, or haul up your packs and walk down the ridge back to the main trail. (If you do this, be sure to go a couple hundred yards up to the crest of the ridge then follow that down for the easiest descent. There's a faint trail if you can find it.)

Here's Tim's description of the climb, "Start on furthest right of upper ledge at belay anchors. Climb through blocky ledges heading left to flake. Climb up flake to undercling flake. Leave undercling using downward-sloping ledges to gain 8th bolt crux. Move left to arete and finish climb. An alternative [toprope] start at the base of Kurt's gear climb needs 2 bolts to pull a layback roof to finger flake to gain access to 3rd bolt."


Megan Mahoney - Jonesin' for a Tick First Ascent



Megan Mahoney - Jonesin'