Fresno Dome Mystery Climbs-Seeking Names and FA Information

[John]

I know, kinda keeps sounding more and more so. I think the 5.8 "Plan B" is actually "Blue Connection" since it matches perfectly in every way including the runnel. Hard to confirm though without being able to contact all involved.

[DaveyTree]

What about Water Music? Show to be II 5.8 FA 8/78 by Kammerlander and Higgins on the west face of FD.It is listed before Kammerlander in the first ascent section of the Southern Yosemite Rock Climbs by Spencer's.From the order is would seem to be left of Kammerlander but it is not shown on any of the tops and no description is given.

Any ideas?

The 3 most right routes on Echo Wall have a water theme going. Prob between Pipeline and Kammerlander?

[John]

Water Music was reported as "a little left of the dead tree leaning against the West Face", is left of Kammerlander and has one bolt. There still is a dead tree that was probably leaning against the face right in front of Kammerlander and to the left of that is a flared crack with two pins and an anchor on it. Might have a bolt if I remember correctly (a rarely reliable method). This could be Water Music but looks very un-Higgins-like due to how Higgins told me he would rarely leave pins as gear and the pitch is really short. I also know exceptions to the first statement like the pin anchor of "Havana Ball" on Tempest Dome. I never tried to climb it (the climb immediately left of Kammerlander) but it looks more devious than most 5.8's I have seen. Put it on the list of obscurities someone needs to climb!
Jerry Anderson said he thinks his climb "Are You A Virgin" is a Higgins "solo" as he called it and is a little left of Kammerlander and also left of Jerry's other route "Time Lapse". This is the most likely line of Water Music in my opinion. Jerry also called his line 5.8 but I don't know if he found or replaced/integrated an old bolt.

[mike a]

Yesterday was at Hawk Dome and I added bolts to, My Pissy Hurts, since climbers have said its was a little run out, it has 10 bolts on it now to the anchors I am hoping more people will climb it and enjoy it 😊, and I started putting lead bolts on the tr to the right of My Pissy Hurts, OB/GYN and worked on a new route at the bottom of the ramp at Hawk Dome, still a little bit of snow blocking the trainhead so I hiked up from the Hawk Dome trail to get to the Dome, hope some of you climbers out there start climbing My Pissy Hurts this season, happy climbing Mike A.

[DaveyTree]

John, I spied that crack with the pins. The crack looks about 5.8 but the face getting up to it definitely looks harder. That seems about the right spot. Haven't climbed it yet.

Mike, I figured the road would still be blocked. That one area on that curve holds snow so much longer than the rest. Thanks for the updates. Look forward to trying your hurt pissy.

[John]

After a closer search this last weekend I have a new theory on Water Music. I believe that the Jerry A. route, "Are You A Virgin" is probably the retro-bolted version of Water Music. There are two old bolts as reported by Higgins still in the current version, one at the start and one chopped stud below Jerry's anchor, possibly the original one-bolt anchor. It is 5.8, left of the old dead tree, and Jerry specifically said he thinks his line is "an old Higgins "solo"", or in other words, underbolted by his own standards. The name suggests he has the same suspicion too.

Also, there is an uncharacteristic runout to the anchor where I am pretty sure Jerry probably found a bolt, replaced it and ceased bolting for the rest of the way. This last bolt is pretty much the crux of the pitch and the best point to protect if there were one. The rest of the route to the summit could have been easily done without bolting.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[John]

After re-reading the AAJ reporting of Water Music and Kammerlander I noticed I was off on the bolt count. I thought there was two but there was only one. Here is the AAJ report for issue 1 for 1979:

“Kammerlander” and “Water Music,” Fresno Dome. Ruprecht Kammerlander and I made two new routes on Fresno Dome on August 14 and 15, neither of which represents the culmination of Ruprecht’s climbing, yet they were his last first ascents before his recent death in a motorcycle accident. I have named the better after him and the other after the music we talked about on the climb. Kammerlander begins just right of a dead tree which has fallen against the west face. It is F10 on the second pitch if the most direct line is taken up the headwalls protected by bolts. NCCS II, F10. Water Music starts a little left of the dead tree. One bolt protects the first pitch. NCCS II, F8. Both climbs range over colorful, undulating rock.

Thomas Higgins

[DaveyTree]

Going to have to look at them closer now.

[wingnut]

Reply to an old thread - I was climbing Time Lapse today on the West Face-- to the right of Time Lapse there is a very old bolt partially pulled out, - right next to it someone added a  "newer" bolt beside it (the newer bolt looks at least 10-15 years old). This bolt leads into a crack with a pin and then up a pretty obvious weakness in the rock. Could this be Water Music? Seems like an obvious route. The bolt would match the age of the Water music FA.

[John]

The crack you are describing has two pins and an anchor higher up too. I haven't figured that one out either but I am confident it isn't Water Music, it is a little further right of that and still has it's original bolt in it.

Water Music also has what I am calling an "alternate start" which is a dozen feet or so to the right and runs you right into WM very quickly. It also added a single bolt belay to WM higher up. I say added because the bolt of the single bolt belay matches the alt start bolt.

[wingnut]

Very interesting. I like a good mystery!

[DaveyTree]

Anyone climbed or know anything about this route?

To the left of South Pillar about 20'-30' is a left facing book about 100' tall that melts into the pillar. Left of that another 15'-20' is a single bolt protecting a couple face moves into a crack. The crack peters out about 60'-70' up into a ramp with a block on the left. Possibly a second bolt about 100' up (saw some bling) toward the top of the ramp but couldn't be sure it wasn't a glare off the rock. Above this is a sea of chicken heads which would head up 20'-30' left of South Pillar line and most likely belay with P1 of South Pillar.

[wr_mizzard]

Hi DaveyTree,

Are you maybe talking about Buzzard Book (left facing book) and Dr. No (the block on the left of the ramp)?

I have climbed Dr. No but nothing else over there, if that's what you're describing.

-James

There's a photo in MikeA's guidebook, don't know if it's kosher to share a squizz of it.

[DaveyTree]

T's for the reply but not same area. Buzzard Book is further left. From this bolt you could toss a water bottle to people at the base of South Pillar.