Southern Yosemite Climbing Discussions
Southern Yosemite Categories => Balls Area => Topic started by: mike a on May 14, 2018, 03:58:52 pm
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Been climbing and hanging out at the Ball the past week, and have done the by way loop a couple times, gates are all open and ready for the new climbing season, even had a yummy burger at the Jones Store :-) Happy climbing MikeA.
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Nice Mike. Have you had the Balls all to yourself or have you seen other climbers about?
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hi, all to my self :-)
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My buddy Marty got back from the Balls today. Climbed all weekend and didn't see a soul. Must have missed you all. lars
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We went to the Balls a couple days ago and it was beautiful... I’m not going to lie by omission.
Everywhere was streaming with snow melt, and you could hear the sound of bustling creeks feeding all variety of alpine flowers which are grown abundant, along with lots of cute coin sized frogs about.
While high up on a steep climb, saw a heroic stunt performed by a lizard climbing high, then suddenly falling to its death only to self arrest on a knob, then pause to look my way as if to ask did I see that? As if for a moment there was consciousness of the near miss, and then it leaped off once again safe like a cartoon. All this with the Sierra crest standing out more in relief and stunning than ever, being so covered in snow.
There is a lake in the Jackass meadow and a series of gleaming streams for the eyes to gaze along as if to follow their path as you wonder about driving along those backwoods from the Balls to Jackass Rock if you can see that in this picture.
(http://www.southernyosemiteclimbing.com/SMF/photo_album_resized/5DE8DC0D-E10A-4929-BA97-75DA33B15B0D_resized.jpg)
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Wow! Well said. CraY lizard!
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Tx! Imagine it's all the mosquito larvae that cray lizard must be feeding-on?! Mosquitos are gonna be a nightmare when everything stalls from streaming out there.
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Morning all, thanks everyone for letting me join you for John’s B-Day party at the Balls, I had an amazing time! Happy climbing Mike A.
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It was nice to see you too Mike. Also nice to see DaveyTree who we do wish had also joined.
Looking forward to the next big event out there - Lunesta Fiesta. Hopefully we can make that one. I think we have made it to all of them of recent years even though we didn’t do the night climbing last year. Good times all!
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Since we had gone up only for the day we didn’t have any gear with us for an overnight and had some obligations at home. Sorry to miss.
We were climbing some routes on No Name when Paul made a food run to the truck. When he returned he had Mike A. in tow a long with a beer for us. We gave Mike a few laps on our rope before we finished up and headed down. Mike recognized some cars and came and told us ya’ll were by the creek celebrating John’s Bday. It was good to see you both and I was finally graced with hand shake from the Munge himself. Also nice to meat Sean and Steve McCabe.
Looking forward to Lunesta and hope to see everyone. Paul has mastered a light lager so all the Coors, Miller, Budweiser and Keystone Light (me) fans will enjoy it. We are also looking at Shady Belay Brown, a cider and Rocky’s Rye IPA.
Currently trying to come up with ideas for the t-shirts. Since it is at the Balls the possibilities are endless but I want it to be something I could wear in public. I am not a good artist so if any of you have any good idea and can draw (Ger), let me see some options. I usually try to make it a 1-2 color print to keep the cost down for everyone.
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Pretty hard to take the high road for tshirts involving a balls theme. I also can't see myself walking around in public with a tshirt of what the low road may translate to......
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Just use the outline of the formations silhouette. No balls out drawing.
Text of Lunesta Fiesta across the bottom in script.
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Sounds like Munge has a clear creative vision and is the artist for this years t-shirt artwork. Get out yer crayons buddy!
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I always liked the climb name Havana Ball. The Latin reference works with the name Lunesta fiesta. Also there is such a great view of the balls formations from jack ass meadow that could also be used Somehow. We had a really nice cocktail hour/drinking a couple of beers after climbing hanging out in that meadow in the fall playing the music loud to the point of dancing - it would be fun to get a group of people pictured doing the same and cartooning it or something. I would really love to see what Ger comes up with because we all know the balls have a special place in his heart. He he Just always sounds so funny.
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I need your Balls pics if I'm doing this. :o
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Just Google "photos of balls", that should do the trick.
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The pics are too bushy. :o
I need a clean image of the formations from air ideally. There has to be a shot from Piyau summit or even from the Meadow looking up at the rocks that would do the trick. Then we do some fancy photoshopping on it. viola!
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Look forward to seeing some designs and more ideas
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Joe has his pilot's license. Next time he goes up I will see if I can get an air shot.
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Nice!
Here are some recent cellphone captures at da Balls.
(http://www.southernyosemiteclimbing.com/SMF/photo_album_resized/5C3D06ED-C9D3-4C63-B825-6D7CAD1F09F4_resized.jpg)
Stephen being belayed by Ed on a kickass pitch at No Name
Sean with Sierra at Jackass Meadow
(http://www.southernyosemiteclimbing.com/SMF/photo_album_resized/1C2A9F77-6A18-4BA3-8041-294326294140_resized.jpg)
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Sue, where on that rock is the route you and John put up you guys were trying to describe the other day? The farthest left we got was the 10a/b featured line to a crack with a bulging dike crux which in this picture would be just right of the white patch of rock below the under cling looking book.
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It's hard to tell from this angle on that photo, but we think it's possibly the next indent over left of the white scar. Name? We'll have to look it up. One pitch, mixed climbing, has anchor, but don't have record of bolt count with right now. We should let you know the bolt count, and also the name and rating of the steep mixed route being climbed in the photo which is very recommendable if you didn't do it yet.
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Actually from your description of what you did do, right of the white scar, sounds just like the one (not ours) shown in the photo being climbed.
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I can never describe things right, even when I am looking at the pic, according to my wife.
The route we climbed actually started on the ledge directly above where the climber is. On the wall above and the ledge and a little left of the climber is a "L" shaped area of white rock below a underflake. We climbed just on the right side of the underflake.
John and you mentioned a route you guys put in a recess area or kind of a corner. Is that route visible from this photo? My understanding is the routes to the left of the tree were Jerry A. routes.
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I think it is just a little left of the white "L" spot in the photo. It's kind of a corner, more like an indent? Looks more featured with cracks compared to the next features there. However, there in a crack left of that with an old bolt way up on the face above it. I couldn't describe the start of that route from memory.
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Cool. Thanks John.
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I was climbing around at the Balls yesterday and saw John and Sue's truck at the parking area for the Tempest, wish I get a chance to say hi. hope they make it to the full moon party Sept 13. happy climbing Mike A.
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Hey Mike
Yeah, looking forward to the big group going up to the Sphinx for Lunesta, right? Gonna be a blast.
Especially looking forward to Paul's version of Budweiser!!!
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I had a chance to check out the Sphinx on Sunday, I was blown away by the number of sport routes there. Is that all Graham Doe's work? Has anyone been in touch with him and obtained a topo of all the routes he has put up? I would love to know the names of what I climbed if anyone can share a route list.
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Morning, yes all his work, he is there every Saturday, I have topos with rating but no names of the routes, if you want a couple topos pm me and i will hook you up, if you have not been to the back side of the Night Witch tons of bolted routes there as well. I (Flash Drive Publisher) has a new climbers select guide book to the balls as well. Happy climbing Mike A.
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Thanks Mike, PM sent! I'll have to check out Nightwatch next time
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Heard there are a lot of routes there now, but how many are we talking about?
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There are a lot, one end of the crag to the other is bolted.Z Looks like almost every climbable feature has a sport on it. I am guessing in the range of 35-50 routes?
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Morning all, off the top of my head more like 70 to 90 routes up there, plus the new ones Davey Tree put in a could weeks ago lol :-) It's an outdoor climbing gym up there!!!