Nightwatch

[John]

Finally climbed there. Fun, featured rock.



Wanted to do Left Ski Track but saw the crack start and figured we didn't have the rack..or correct shoes...etc.

Once we saw it we really, really wanted to do Arch-A-Poko but it wasn't very inviting to get to the base from where we were so we did what we thought was Kev's route,"Two Wounded Soldiers". It turned out to be "Get Into The Groove". Fun route. Two really long, mellow pitches on great rock and a leisurely and scenic walk off.

Crux bulge:



Old piton on the route(not on the topo)



Nice descent

[daniel banquo merrick]

Very good! I have driven by that thing a thousand times and never set foot on it. I need to do so.

[NateD]

Cool. Where on the route was the old pin?

[John]

About 50' below the bolted anchor, to the right of the groove. Old Chouinard KB.

[jeff]

Those Ski Tracks do look inviting but I tend to shy away from routes put up by Higgins.  What crack gear were you lacking John?


I have a note in my book,  Planet Granite 5.7  300' rt of Left Ski Track,  5 pitches  up water groves.


Didn't Matt S put a couple of routes up on that face?

[susan]

Hi Jeff - I know you asked John, but he might be a while responding bc of work. We brought mostly small single cams, except a #4 I snuck along. Not sure which size cams he eyeballed needing but more than 1 of same size would be better. We were looking for something more mellow anyway bc I had a freshly tweaked chest/lat muscle from the day before (getting better already).

[susan]

Also, there's an anchor at the top of another climb nearby that, unless I'm mistaken, could be used for this crack if a climber rather not continue to the ski track and just wants to climb that lower crack.

[jeff]

Glad to hear your getting better already,  must have been pulling hard the day before???

[NateD]

Jeff,
Spencer's Planet Granite is quite a bit right of Get in the Groove. It's pretty much a solo, with only anchors, and was used for guiding, if I'm not mistaken. Two Wounded Soldiers is likely closer to Get in the Groove, and Jerry has a route starting right of Planet Granite, and possibly shares the last few pitches. He would have to chime in and verify, as I haven't been up there. Kev could speak to the vicinity as well.

Matt has done quite a few routes all over the dome.

Here are Spencer's notes on routes he did after the guidebook was published.

[NateD]

We were looking for something more mellow anyway bc I had a freshly tweaked chest/lat muscle from the day before

Doesn't the crux of Get in the Groove have a .11d/.12a move, or did you do the alternate easy way that skirts around that part?

[John]

We were looking for something more mellow anyway bc I had a freshly tweaked chest/lat muscle from the day before

Doesn't the crux of Get in the Groove have a .11d/.12a move, or did you do the alternate easy way that skirts around that part?

We did the direct way and had a different experience with the difficulty than Matt did.

[jeff]

11d/12a=mellow?

[John]

11d/12a=mellow?

We did the direct way and had a different experience with the difficulty than Matt did.

[NateD]

We did the direct way and had a different experience with the difficulty than Matt did.

  Well that's about as political as it gets. So... what would you rate it? No answer is fine too. I reckon you have a different experience with the difficulty of many routes, most esp. mine. 
Rope soloing with a power drill in tow can be pretty hairball I reckon. Matt gets after it.

[jeff]

I know, I know....5.9

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