Following Spirit

Finally made it out to do Following Spirit III 5.11(r) on Castle Dome put up by Peter Chesko and Co. circa 1999. Thank you Peter for the beta and for this fine route. This was Peter's last big project in the Castle Crags Wilderness and it is one of the best routes there, 2nd only to The Dike Route, in my opinion, which Peter also had a hand in.

The route starts at the base of the Castle Dome Saddle on the left side of a 1oo' detached buttress/spire. A full rack, up to a 4"cam and a set of RP's/Micro Nuts, are useful. Don't forget your MACRO NUTS as well as this route is OLD SCHOOL!!!

P1 - 5.9 Climb chimney/offwidth for 1oo' past 1 bolt to a 2 bolt anchor on a small ledge.

P2 - 5.11 Climb up and right to a bolt then left to another bolt with a flattened hanger(I was able to thread a stopper through the hanger, but a new hanger is needed, add a 1/2"wrench and new hanger to your rack) climb past damaged hanger and 3 more bolts on sustained 5.11 climbing. A small crack is reached at about 100' where the pitch can broken up to avoid rope drag.

P2a - 510 Climb up and right on beautiful wavy wall with knobs past 3 more bolts placing gear when you can on 5.9 run out climbing until a small ledge with a 2 bolt anchor is reached ~ 80'.

P3 - 5.10+(r) Climb up and right past 2 bolts to a knobby arete and then left past another bolt, continue up incredibly featured rock with sparse gear on 5.8  runout climbing for ~ 150'. Belay on ledge below dirty looking steep dike.

P4 - 5.8(r) Climb up and right on steep dike(not as dirty as it looks) past a bolt then continue on more featured runout climbing passing 2 more bolts until a left leaning seam takes you up to a ledge with a tree/bush to belay from ~ 230' may need to have your belayer simule climb for 20' or so to reach the belay shrub.

P5 - 5.9 climb into amphitheater to a small shrub at the base of a 60' 4-6" crack/flake, climb up steep crack, past crumbly ledge then up dirty corner until a crack is reached to set the final belay.

Thanks again Peter and all others involved who I won't mention since they don't like to promote climbing at Castle Crags nor do they like to claim credit for their vandalism/route development.

If you are bold enough to go get the 3rd ascent on this route drop me a line I'd love to hear about it.

peace and blessings,

-iaN 

Crags Report 2009

Getting back up to Castle Crag's has been long overdue. It's been a busy year so far, Sheep Rock and Hunter's Point, earlier this year, thanks to the tireless efforts of Sean M., having stepped back into the local seen, have proven to be great additions to the local climbing seen. Followed by new routes and bouldering on Mount Shasta with no end to worthy projects as well as a revival of Sean's and some of the past generations efforts, could keep motivated developers busy fo many lifetimes. And then there's Lover's Leap Limestone which also keeps getting better with every day spent, and is now beginning to get some well deserved attention.

With all that said the last couple of weeks I've managed to get up to Castle Crags a few times and it's been great, did the Cosmic Wall, the West Ridge, 6 Toe Crack and some Crag'n at the Burly Buttress with my girlfreind Angela. And it's got me fired up for another great season of route Development and alpine adventures of a very unique flavor.

Approaching Beck's Tower

Angela snacking at the base of Beck's Tower

Angela jamming up the approach pitch of The Burly Buttress

Having a blast on the Right Crack 5.10, The Burly Buttress

Kin high on the West Ridge 5.8+, Castle Dome

The climbing has been great but the views have been less than great it seems California in an effort to keep our heads above water has been selling off our resources at an accelerated rate. Check out these fresh clear cuts above Dunsmuir visible from the Dome trail.

But that's just the beginning look what's going on right on State Park Property. The Park's official postion is that they are creating a "shaded fuel break". A shaded fuel break which has Castle Creek road, a man made fuel break and Castle Creek a 30' wide natural fuel break directly next to this newly needed fuel break. In my opinion this does nothing to protect Castle Crag's Park as it does not address the huge loads of fuel throughout the park. It simple widens an already existing fuel break.

This is We The People's property

It's just a little thinning

This is a full scale operation, expect 5-60 minute delays if traveling down Castle Creek Rd.

Fist Fight with a Sumo Wrestler

I've been a bit obsessed with the Marble Gully this summer, and as the season comes nearer to the end my anxiety about finishing projects increases. But somehow I let Styles talk me into venturing out of the Marble to hit this splitter crack that we'd been eying for months. What a nice treat for any self abusing climber, this 2 pitch climbs a nice lieback flake then scary steep climbing on hollow flakes followed by a splitter fist crack to an anchor. Pitch 2 continues up the splitter crack for another 90' to a decomposing ledge.
Another Crags Classic "Fist Fight with a Sumo Wrestler" 5.10+.

Marbelous!!!

5th times a charm!
Marbelous 5.13a(r)
jai sri krsna

Back to Business

Alright enough BS, time to climb. Marbelous!, 4 redpoint attempts so far. I'm feeling pretty confident that it'll go down this weekend. I've gotten pretty comfortable taking 20-30 footers on 1/4- 1/2" cams and it's given me a new confidence in trad gear. I'm just glad this route is as steep as it is. Thank you, Peter for coming out on Monday and confirming the quality of the climbing in the Marble Gully and being a 3rd body out there while I try to go big on Marbelous. I feel this is truly a mile stone route for the Crags and I'll be stoked to bag this FA.
Just to give you an idea of what we're working on. 110' of climbing on a slightly overhanging marbled granite wall, discontinuous flakes take you to 3 distinct cruxes, 2 of the cruxes come high on the route after the pump factor kicks in. I'm pictured here at the 2nd crux right before I blew it and dropped about 30 onto a yellow Alien. After making this crux you load up a flake with a green alien and a blue Metolius cam and then traverse left for about a body length, then lunge another 3' to a sloper, mantle up or take a 30 foot swinger. After pulling that crux plug in a black Alien and another shallow blue Metolius and pump up another 20' of 5.11 liebacking to the anchor.
Projected rating 13a R (this route has no bolts!).

Get Over It!

OK, time for my 2 cents. If anybody has anything to say about the way we are going about our business in the Crags they should come talk to me or write me some email, instead of secret recon's and other BS. We are putting up quality climbs(as confirmed by visiting climbers) and we're doing it with less bolts and less impact!
peace
-iaN

Step'n it up!

A MARBELOUS DAY! Thank You Dylan, Amy and Angela. For coming up to the Gully and supporting our projects. The stakes are getting higher as the numbers get bigger and your support has been a great inspiration for me to push to the next level, thanx.