Book Of Revelations-Dirt Doctors and Lone Pine Crack

[John]

We recently went up to BOR to figure out Lars's climb, Dirt Doctors from his old photo scans from the FA and were very entertained. This route was a fantastic moderate at 5.7 and we highly recommend it. Now the approach, that is another thing...but still worth it.



What we learned was that about 4 lines plus a variation start pass through the same area, each with a wide range of moderate climbing choices of high quality. Basically Dirt Doctors and Lone Pine Crack start on the same buttress left of the main arch of the East end and splinter off into four variations; Dirt Doctors Left (the original line), Dirt Doctors Direct (what we ended up unintentionally doing), Lone Pine Extended Finish that Dan M. and Bob S. did a while back, and finally the Lone Pine Crack Original Line. 

The shared buttress start involves climbing a very attractive left-facing flake ending at an obvious tree perched above the arch. A beautiful pitch with perfect gear options at regular intervals. To the right of that is Close Shave, a mixed 5.9 pitch along the arete, also ending at the tree. That looked really cool but didn't get a chance to climb it.

All climbs funnel into a very wide "dish" with boulders strewn all around (beware of knocking anything off). From here we decided which path Dirt Doctors must have exited through the headwall, which is a wide corridor splitting the wall. We pretty much beelined straight up following a nice crack and blocky corners to the base of the headwall. After I got home, I realized from the old photos of the FA that Lars and Rainer took a path farther to the left. With our two choices this path was a little less logical to us but clearly would be nice climbing and would land you in the same spot as we did. At the base of the headwall is a sweet little ledge where one could escape out right if the chose to. The exit pitch was a highlight, I will leave it as "unexpected".

I could tell where Bob and Dan exited and it looked really wild. Once you stare at that headwall long enough you can see many ways to get through an otherwise incredibly steep wall.

We had a great time and look forward to more exploring of this wall.

The start of the climb(s)-


The pitch above the "bowl"-
The notch directly above is the fun exit pitch.

[mungeclimber]

Sweet

[daniel banquo merrick]

BOR is one of my faves. I once took some kids who had never climbed outside before up the central face. When I led the exit up the little headwall I was not visible to the others. The second up was a strong gym climbing kid and she praised my "incredibly difficult" lead. Anybody who has ever climbed with me knows that I don't even follow "incredibly difficult." I later figured out that she had face climbed next to the nice little finger crack that I climbed. They don't learn finger cracks in the gym.

[susan]

I wonder if that might have been Sam, Dan. Many gym climbers at Planet Granite get strong for cracks these days. PG gyms are excellent prep for outside because of their wide variety of cracks including OW. Wish we had a PG local to us, or if only Touchstone would install comparable cracks. Anyway, I think you should take the compliment as it rings genuine.

BOR was worth the hike for the views and the feeling of getting up so high - I enjoyed the slightly thinner air up there.

Lars, DD is classic - especially that first pitch! Enjoyed thinking of you guys out there. We did not have the topo with us but hoped we were doing your DD line even if by the 3rd pitch we went a bit more straight up.

[NateD]

That first pitch is a dandy indeed! Now I can't recall if Lars climbed that pitch before Hartmann. Need to revisit the dates - but I'm sure John will know off the top of his head. I want to go back and do Bruce and Leo's Close Shave - which looks exciting.

I don't recall the approach being that bad - did you guys skirt the right side/slab of JLT Dome and then up and traverse to the base? That didn't involve much bushwhacking. Easier hike than Grey Eagle, IMO.

[John]

Lars-91 Thomas-93 I believe

[daniel banquo merrick]

Susan,

No, it wasn't Sam. I've seen Sam climb a hard, steep crack. For such a slight build, she is strong and determined.

[susan]

I thought maybe it was long ago. She is not a kid... And Sam is definitely a talented climber.

[susan]

Nate, almost missed your question w/so many posts. jk. I was trying to post up a couple days ago just as we were losing reception.... Anyway, we took the shady forest diagonally left of the formation to eventually land at the far west end. I could feel that we were a lot higher in elevation than Gray Eagle. Let's see if I can get some photos posted. Our descent was much more direct along the lines of your ascent.

[susan]

[daniel banquo merrick]

Two approaches.

1) Go up past school rock on the right. Get though some manzanita and brush to the east end of BOR.

2) Go up the Jackass trail until you come to my cairn. Follow the watercourse up from there and end up left of LPC.



Where to head up the gully, I think this is the best way:

[NateD]

That does look reasonable, Dan.
Looks like Susu & John ended up in the open white dirt patch far left. Seem right, Susan?

[DaveyTree]

I got to get up on that thing. Thanks for sharing. Looks yummy!

[John]

Here is some additional notes added to your map with our experience, Dan.

Yellow- is the general path of the Jackass Lakes Trail.

Red-is the direct line off of the JLT up to the decent yet currently overgrown and steep narrow wash. The right red line is on my list of approaches to try.

Orange-is a game trail we took from the first wash we saw off of the JLT. The wash was faint and strewn with logs but easy to follow. We got pushed out of the wash to the right but crossed over it a little higher up and followed a faint game trail all the way across the hillside to the left. It worked out pretty good....until it didn't. We saw the first wash and passed on it to hold out for something better. The sandy and wide wash looked promising until you get to the top which is a literal 8' tall wall of weaponized Manzanita and scrub oak. Not awesome but glad we tried it anyway.

Green is the path we took down and I would take it going up next time. It landed us right back at the log-strewn wash and we were ecstatic to hit the JLT so quickly. There is a kind of ugly, dirty wide wash of sorts between the top of the first wash and the JLT Crag (School Rock as you mentioned before) and this wash has just enough exposed rock across it to form a reasonable path to the back of the JLT Crag. From there pretty much look for cairns and you will eventually be on a pleasant open hillside. This approach will likely be frustrating the first recon but the most direct I think.

[John]

One more thing, where did you hear the name School Rock, Dan? I think you are the only person who I have heard call it so but would like to hear about your first sources. I have only heard Jackass Lakes Trailhead Crag or JLT which doesn't really roll off the tongue. There are so many layers of names for the Balls formations over the years I can't keep up!