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superal
Jul 30, 2009, 4:32 PM
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Does anyone know of any really long 5.6 routes?
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kennoyce
Jul 30, 2009, 4:42 PM
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It seems like royal arches goes at about 5.6 if you aid the cruxes. I wouldn't get on it if i were just a noob though.
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kennoyce
Jul 30, 2009, 4:43 PM
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I also think prodigal sun goes at like 5.6 A2 and is mostly just bolt ladders.
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caughtinside
Jul 30, 2009, 4:58 PM
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There are many out there, but they tend to be alpine routes.
Royal arches is one close to the road in Yosemite.
The Sierra backcountry has many long 5.6s with long approaches.
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no_email_entered
Jul 30, 2009, 5:43 PM
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caughtinside wrote: The Sierra backcountry has many long 5.6s with long approaches.
but only if you sign the 'safety pledge'---
---donnie
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sgreer
Jul 30, 2009, 6:14 PM
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Royal Arches ~5.7
Snake Dike ~5.7 R
Cathedral Peak ~5.6
Mt Coness ~5.6
Charlotte Dome ~5.7
Some of the above are alpine climbs. There are many long moderate and challenging routes all over the Sierras that are just freaking classic.
I love a long hike and a long climb.
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superal
Jul 31, 2009, 5:46 PM
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Thank you for all your replies. A long approach is fine with me. Anyone know of any more?
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no_email_entered
Jul 31, 2009, 6:18 PM
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still a bit confused about what you're looking for. are you planning on aiding cruxes (gear? bolts?) or just want a long easy free route?---
---might help if you say what area of the globe you're in, too
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jkd159
Jul 31, 2009, 6:21 PM
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If you are actually looking for a grade V climb (a "big wall") that goes entirely free at 5.6 or less, then I don't know of one. Prodigal Son in Zion goes at around 5.6, but that's with plenty of aid climbing.
If you just want a long day of climbing at 5.6 or less, then there are plenty of climbs that meet your criteria. Take a look at:
Exum Ridge on the Grand Teton
East Ridge of Wolf's Head in the Wind River Range
Snowpatch in the Bugaboos
Flatirons in Boulder (several routes go at 5.6 or easier)
Margarine Ridge in the Blue Mountains, Australia
East Face of Mt. Whitney
All of those climbs are super classic.
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mar_leclerc
Jul 31, 2009, 10:16 PM
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Pacemaker, Mt Robbie Reid
Vanishing Point, Mt Baring
The Smoke Show, Mt Combatant
Belligerance, Mt Combatant
Golden Gate, El Cap
these should be up your alley
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rschap
Aug 1, 2009, 2:01 AM
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If you don’t mind approach and permit hassle, Fishhook Arête 5.9 III, Mt Russell CA and East Face 5.7 III , Mt Whitney CA. Fishhook Arête is still my most memorable route to date, even better then Royal Arches for me.
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dswink
Aug 1, 2009, 2:36 AM
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Mount Tenya is really fun. 10 - 14 pitches at mostly 5.2 with a few 5.5 sections. Awesome views.
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i_h8_choss
Aug 3, 2009, 6:37 PM
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-west arete Obelisk, Kings Canyon CA. 5.5 of "six pitches of excellent climbing on knobs & chickenheads lead to the summit"
-mt humphreys crux is at 5.4 with mostly 4/5. eastern sierras near Bishop, Ca
-Cathedral Peak's gotta be one of the best classics though, at least for the Sierras. along with the Eichorn Pinnacle link.
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lalamur
Aug 5, 2009, 12:33 AM
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I agree, Cathedral Peak is a solid 5.6 with great exposure in Yosemite's high country. If you like Cathedral, try Tenaya Peak just down the road.
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InsolentMinx
Feb 1, 2010, 12:07 AM
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Check out SuperTaco's website. He has a ton of info on big wall routes for training.
IM
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c4c
Feb 1, 2010, 1:49 AM
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Mount olympus outside of SLC?
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vegastradguy
Feb 1, 2010, 3:07 AM
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Solar Slab, 15 pitches if you pitch it out at 5.6. Beckey did it as a two day big wall back in the 70s and called it...something i forget at the moment, not realizing Herbst & Co had done it a few months prior in about 8 hours!
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roughster
Feb 1, 2010, 3:21 AM
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I'd agree Solar Slab Solar Gully is totally worth doing. Just be prepared. Getting down is the crux BY FAR! Though I heard recently that someone bolted a rap route in somewhere close by?
(This post was edited by roughster on Feb 1, 2010, 3:26 AM)
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vegastradguy
Feb 1, 2010, 6:04 AM
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roughster wrote: I'd agree Solar Slab Solar Gully is totally worth doing. Just be prepared. Getting down is the crux BY FAR! Though I heard recently that someone bolted a rap route in somewhere close by?
lol, something like that.
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ShibbyShane
Feb 1, 2010, 9:45 AM
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vegastradguy wrote: roughster wrote: I'd agree Solar Slab Solar Gully is totally worth doing. Just be prepared. Getting down is the crux BY FAR! Though I heard recently that someone bolted a rap route in somewhere close by? lol, something like that.
Clarify?
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johnwesely
Feb 1, 2010, 1:20 PM
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ShibbyShane wrote: vegastradguy wrote: roughster wrote: I'd agree Solar Slab Solar Gully is totally worth doing. Just be prepared. Getting down is the crux BY FAR! Though I heard recently that someone bolted a rap route in somewhere close by? lol, something like that. Clarify?
I think it would be more fun if he didn't.
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roughster
Feb 1, 2010, 4:02 PM
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From back in early 2000'ish time frame:
Started with the trip out to Ben's in Pomona again. We decided to head out Thursday at 10:00 PM, so we would get in to Vegas around 2:00 Am, sleep until 5:00 AM & hit the trail. Got to Vegas at 1:00 AM, I guess that late at night I wasn't to worry about getting a ticket.
Anyways, drove to the Oak Creek Campground and drove around with our heads up our butts until we figured out the cheapest way to stay there is $5.00, that sucks! Anyways, Ben stretched out in the back of my pickup, all comfy in his -20 Deg North Face Bag. Meanwhile, my sorry ass was freezing in the cab. Being not all there when we left, I didn't even bring a blanket to sleep with. Not to mention, my 6'1" frame trying to fit into a 4' Mitsubishi Pickup Deathtrap. Ah, nothing like a gearshift in your back all night!
After tossing and turning for about 2 hours, I got up at 4:00 AM to check the guidebook about the route we were thinking of doing, Solar Gully 5.3 5 pitches, mostly an approach to 5.6 Solar Slab 9 pitches. For a grand total of 14 pitches with only about 9 hours of daylight. We knew we would be pushing it for daylight. The book said the approach was an hour, SUCK, and the descent was LONG. Little did I know what the world LONG meant in this case! I'll just say, LONG, was an extreme understatement!
Anyways, After pretending to be asleep for another 1/2 hour, I woke Ben at 5:00 AM. We got our shit together and headed off towards the lurking cliffs of Mt Wilson. Man is that one impressive piece of rock! A couple of yards down from my truck, we were confronted with our first obstacle, a severely pissed off dog, growling, barred teeth, and all. After 5 minutes of trying to pass Cujo got us nowhere, when someone out in the dark shouted something like KILLER, and the dog took of back to his masters camp, probably had some little kids to feed on.
So we finally got on the trail. As we walked toward the Wilson Pimple, the sun started to crest the hills behind us, illuminating the banded red and tan sandstone walls of Mt Wilson. Took a couple of pictures that later didn’t turn out. Our climb was on the wall just cross the canyon from Mt Wilson. We got up to the climb about 1/2 hour after sunrise, the approach was an hour+.
Roped up on pitch 2. I led it without any problems, Kind of bad rock and hard to protect, but at 5.1 (I felt a little harder) it wasn't a problem! Ben took pitch 3, it wandered but was also easy 5.1. Me next, pitch 4 across the gully up to the left of a large block to a comfy and cushy belay stance in a corridor. A fun pitch at 5.1 or 5.3 or something. Ben took pitch 5 to the top, 5.3, up a waterfall and onto the large ledge below the Solar Slab 5.6. We topped out at 11:30. Took some time to relief that nagging pain in my bladder, snack on a powerbar, snap some photos, and check the guidebook about the upcoming 9 pitches.
Well, I started the 5,5 1st pitch. Great pitch, my favorite on the whole day. Up a sloping face to varnished hand crack, to a belay stance by a tree. Ben took the 5.5 chimney above and did some serious running it out. Only place about 3 pieces for a full 165'. I followed the chimney with the pack, damn I hate that! Pitch 3, traversed out from aledge up 2 hand cracks to a semi hanging belay 5.6. The first 5.6 pitch. I didn't have any probs on it. Ben came up and did pitch 4, another 5.6, up a hand crack, he actually over shot the belay and ended up at 1/2 way up pitch 5. I followed, I worked on 2 buried Friends for about 15 minutes each, always looking to score some booty, but the crack prevailed and I understood while they were still there! I passed up Ben and tried to make it to the top of pitch 7. It was comfy 5.4 - 5.5 and we had a 200' rope. As I just came into view of a nice belay edge, Ben said I had about 20 feet of rope left. I thought I was about 30-40 feet out. I also figured Ben probably was selling the rope short and I could make it. Well, 10 feet below the ledge Ben called up NO ROPE. I was so close, but I couldn't go any further! I had to set up a rinky dink belay since I had limited gear. I felt like McGyver, I have a bubble gum wrapper, a screwdriver, and a pile of shit, what do you do! Well, I yelled down to Ben "Don't Fall" but the canyon echo ate it up and spit out some reverb psychadelic blah.blah.blah. After yelling what, don't fall, what, don't fall, what, what, don't fall, I finally said FUCK IT, it's funny he heard that OK, and said On Belay.
He cruised up, and then by me to the ledge. I coiled up the rope and headed up. That ledge showed the great exposure of the climb and customary posing and photos were in full swing. An easy 4th class up to the base of pitch 9 for me, led to a nice lawn chair like belay for the final pitch. Ben smoked the 5.5 dihedral that led to the summit. Got a picture of me pulling the top, thinking about getting it blown up, it turned out so good! Topped out at 3:30 Pm.
Not good since it gets dark at 4:45 PM and that’s not to mention, we were in an already getting dark canyon. We hurried up 800 ft of easy slabs to the descent gully. As we started down the nightmare was upon us. The book said you MAY have 2 or 3 spots you need to rappel. Yeah right, maybe if your Ben Moon. We had to rap down about 10 different sections. The first being a 300 foot face. We reached it just as it was getting dark. I tossed both ends down and heard them hit some bushes, so I cruised off. Full 100 foot rappel. Next Ben came down. The rappel ledge was pretty scary with only a scrwany bush-tree like thing to go off of. I set up the rappel and off I went. Couldn't see the bottom, getting too dark, didn't hear the rope hit when I threw it, too far. I saw passed a rappel station at 60 feet, but hey I've got a 200 footer, I still had 40 feet left. As I kept going I could barely make out a ledge about 50 feet below. As I proceeded it was getting darker by the second, and as I got near the bottom, I saw the rope wasn't touching the ledge. One strand was about 5 feet short of the ledge. I lowered down as far as I could, and no joke grabbed both strands as hard as I could when I got as close to the ends as I dared, and started to let the end pull through. I lowered myself down till
my feet scraped the rock right before the short end pulled through. Thank God for rope stretch and seriously to this day one of the scariest climbing experiences I have had. After that, needless to say my heart was racing! Ben came down and I then
belayed him down a crack to a solid tree for one more 75 foot rap to the bottom of the wall.
I can only say one thing SCARY! Next it was a slog down a thorny tree infested steep gully. The rope got tangled, the gear got tangled, we got tangled. A week later, I still have tons of scratches up a down my arms and neck. A couple more rappels and a short scramble down a blind tunnel dumped us still about 600 feet above the base. Some serious rock scrambling (potentially deadly) dropped us at the bottom. We were both exhausted, scraped up, out of water, sweaty, thorns in boots, sun burnt, dazed, dehydrated, and just about out of hope. Just the way it should be on a true climbing EPIC! :)
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vegastradguy
Feb 1, 2010, 4:29 PM
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any idea what gully you went down? sounds like you might have gone down the gully system right of the route (just like i did my first time up)- which these days are commonly avoided for more reasonable descents...
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dolphja
Feb 1, 2010, 4:48 PM
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as you can see, there are a great deal of rather long 5.6 routes. where you live, or where you're going might narrow it down a little
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