Sherman Peak

Huckles on Sherman Peak, a photo by slampoud on Flickr.

This past weekend my goal was to spend some time hiking with my pooch, and to do it at altitude, so as to acclimate for an upcoming (I hope) high altitude ascent project a friend and I have in the works (wink wink!). Indeed Hucks and I made it up Sherman Peak, which is 9909 ft tall, via the 5 mile r.t., ~1000 ft elevation gain trail from Sherman Pass Rd. The trailhead was full of mountain bikers, so for a moment I was terrified it would be a very unpleasant experience, but they went downhill and we headed uphill and it all worked out! A big question in my mind was whether dogs feel altitude the same way humans do, and I think the answer is: yes. Huckles slowed down considerably as we progressed on the trail. I was huffing and puffing very badly myself. So now I have to think about acclimating the dog as well as myself for any future shenanigans.

Dome Rock & Kernville Slab

Jason at the top of Claustrophobia, a photo by slampoud on Flickr.

This past weekend my friend Jason, who now lives in the Bay area, and I were planning to spend some time plugging in gear. The original plan was to spend a day running up and down Tree Route on Dome Rock, then go down to Voodoo Dome and do Summer Sojourn, then further down to Kern Slab.

We met on Friday night at Quaking Aspen campground, which I'd always bypassed in years before. It turns out that campground is absolutely beautiful, and a great meeting spot if someone in the party has never been up in the Needles area before, and is arriving in the middle of the night.

The next morning we headed out to Dome Rock. I first led Tree Route, which is really as much fun as you can have at the 5.6 grade. We dilly dallied a bit on top, and then headed back down so that Jason could lead it, for his first trad lead. Unfortunately there was a slow party up ahead, who'd gotten some gear stuck at the first belay and were refusing to let it go, so we couldn't leave the ground. Eventually I yelled up at them that we'd bring their gear to them, if only they'd get going and let us climb! While hanging out at the base we met another party who started up right behind us and did Anti-Jello crack to our left, as Jason led Tree Route. He had no problems with the leading, except that the slab on the last pitch turned him off, so I finished that one.

We left for the low road around 4, I think, but when we got to about 5 miles before Needlerock creek, there was a sign on the road and a ranger in a truck, saying the road was closed due to a fire a few miles down. They could at least have put up a sign at Johnsondale, so we didn't have to drive the 15 windy miles to the road block!

At that point my mind was fried for dealing with logistics, so we headed down to my favorite brewing company in Kernville, for burgers, beer and internet access. We threw around a bunch of ideas -- Crystal Crag, Cathedral Peak -- but coming on the heels of driving to San Diego and back in a day, and the detour of Friday night (I-5 was closed), I was not really up for much more driving. We decided to bivy under Kern slab, and revisit the issue in the morning.

In the morning, since the slab was right there, and in shade, to boot, we decided to head up. I led the Lieback, which I'd followed twice before, but never led, with one take to rest up and make sure I don't blow the crux. It was one of the coolest leads I've done, even if, technically, it's the lowest rated one. That is the most ridiculous sandbag in the world! At the top of the Lieback we went right, and Jason led a little hand traverse + chimney to the anchors for Claustrophobia. Then we rapped down the slab. Then he led the 5.7 pillar section of the Chouinard Special, and we played a bit on the knife-thin crack below that anchor. Eventually it got really hot and we headed down to the river, stopped for Mexican food at K-ville and called it a trip, leaving a day early. My calves were killing me after 12 pitches! But, hey, this was an off-the-couch trip for both of us, and I'd call it a very successful one!

Kern Slabs

On the Kern Slabs, a photo by slampoud on Flickr.

This weekend Dima and I stopped for some wine tasting (at Blair Fox and Sanford) on the way to the Kern Slabs. On Saturday we climbed the first pitches of the Lieback and the Chouinard Special, and TRed the Thin Cracks and Initiation Crack (which I still can't even start!). On Sunday we climbed Claustrophobia and TRed Dirty Dishes. Lieback and Claustrophobia have to be two of my favorite climbs ever!

Playing around the Kern -- Friday

Ben on the Kernville slabs
Originally uploaded by slampoud

Last weekend's plan had been to head up to Voodoo Dome and Demon Dome, two domes just below the Needles, to climb some multi-pitch classics. We decided to approach via Kernville, but it turned out that the road to these Domes, as well as the road to Dome Rock, were closed. Rockfall for the former, big snowdrifts for the latter. So we ended up playing around the Kern river, on the Kernville slabs, a bit North, and then a bit down the canyon, for our three day weekend.

Everything started with an exhausted arrival on Thursday night at Remington Hot Spring. We camped up near the parking lot and didn't have the energy to head down and check out the hot spring that night. The next morning, of course, found us dashing downhill for a dip in what has to be one of the most scenic hot springs in all of CA. We then grabbed some breakfast at Kernville and spent half the day figuring out that we couldn't get anywhere from there -- all roads up into the mountains were closed. So on Friday midday we hit the Kernville slabs. We first got on a supposedly 5.3 crack just right of the lieback crack, which was phenomenally fun. That's when I started suspecting that some kind of revelation was impending. This rock was really interesting: bright white granite, with clean but not sharp edges, and not one crystal coming off when you touched it. From the top of the crack pitch, we lowered onto the slab on the right and climbed up the slab following a small seam. The friction was amazing!

Then we got off the rock and took a break, because it was hotter than hell, and after a little hesitation decided to get on the lieback crack to round out the day. This route is rated 5.5, but I think that's the very definition of a sandbag. If you're at all insecure on pure friction, or not used to the type of rock, or simply have never done the route before and have any doubts about quite how far you're supposed to stick with the dihedral, this thing is scaaaary. Ben led it, having climbed it a couple times in the past. I followed, and I was hungry so I was probably going a little too fast. Yep, lieback is the way. Initially you don't believe it and you try all sorts of stuff, friction, jamming, but lieback is the way. There are a couple sections where the crack runs out and then you are out on the most perfect, unfeatured granite in the world on friction alone. You put your feet down and sort out what angle will give you the most stick. Then you put the pads of your palms down and pray. The objective is to make upward progress, but it doesn't have to be exclusive, so long as you don't come off the rock. Let me tell you, I did not think this was possible. I thought, surely this violates several laws of physics. It's possible. It's fun. Make sure to not come off the rock when you get past those moves and your body wants to whiplash from being so tightly controlled for those few moments. It's absolutely exhilarating. Geckos must be the happiest little creatures on earth!