Author Topic: Dinkey Creek Road  (Read 30918 times)

DaveyTree

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Re: Dinkey Creek Road
« Reply #15 on: September 16, 2013, 08:55:48 am »
Had a chance to head up to Con Dome on Friday with Chris Racca. We didn't have a lot of time but we headed up after dropping our kids off at school. Drove up and got to base of dome by 10:30.

Decided to climb the first thing we came to, All Bards Hard 5.9. It is on the far left of the dome and just right of a right facing book.



The climb felt a little sand bagged with thin face moves. Topped out and belayed Chris up to the mid ledge and had a look around and enjoyed the great view of the area and Shaver Lake.





Some featured rock toward the top of the climbs to climbers right of ours.



We talked about rapping down and climbing another route when Chris and I spotted a nice crack about 3o'-50' going up from the ledge. We decided to climb it to see where it lead.



It was dirty and had to clean the crack with my nut tool to get pro in but was a fun 5.7 top out. Took a look around on top trying to find the registry but never found it.





We walked down the left side and traversed back to our top out ledge and rapped down.



Time got the best of us and we had to bail. Had enough time to stop on the road out to grab some elderberries to snack on while driving. Little sour....still need a week or two.

NateD

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Re: Dinkey Creek Road
« Reply #16 on: September 16, 2013, 10:45:52 am »
Cool stuff - thanks for sharing!
BTW, is that the top of Bald Mtn. that you can see in the view of Shaver?
Still haven't been to these places.

DaveyTree

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Re: Dinkey Creek Road
« Reply #17 on: September 16, 2013, 10:59:06 am »
No. Bald Mtn is almost due south of where the pic was taken. That dome is what I call Belly Dome. No routes on it yet...... Most of it is a walk up but the east side has a nice splitter 5"-6" wide and some face routes that would go.

Belly Dome is what I named it after my buddy, his son and I scouted it on motorcycles. His son was on a small bike and hit a sugar pine cone and slid about 20' on his stomach and face. He was fine since he had chest gear and helmet on. Good laughs....

YETI

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Re: Dinkey Creek Road
« Reply #18 on: September 16, 2013, 11:03:51 am »
Very cool Dave.

Nice to see those domes not often visited.

Cheers.

susan

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Re: Dinkey Creek Road
« Reply #19 on: September 16, 2013, 05:42:58 pm »
Nice! Looks like a lot of fun to be found out there along that road.

DaveyTree

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Re: Dinkey Creek Road
« Reply #20 on: June 15, 2015, 12:32:32 pm »
Got a chance to work on a project area this last Friday and Saturday. Left Thursday night for some beer and a camp fire. Up before sunrise and hit the 20 minute approach. Showed Fred Vermote around the area a bit and gave Athena (my pooch) a well deserved water break with a large ziplock and my climbing helmet, since I forgot her bowl.



We got on a line I have been anxious to send. Started a direct route up an arete only to be shut down. Found a crack system to the right which got me up on the top of the arete via a traverse left, using a good nut placement, onto a meat grinder of chickenheads. Worked up to the top on easy climbing to top out. Fred followed to make our 1st FA of the day. All gear and a walk off. Cat's Traverse 5.7, 110'.

We then moved to the other side that looked kinda of like another arete but ended up being a crack leading to another meat grinder. Some of the biggest chickenheads I have ever seen. A few were the size of a car door! The crack was 5.9 to easier meat grinder climbing with a little bit of hail while it was still sunny. All Fun! Fred followed to top out our second FA on all gear, Hail Chickenhead 5.9, 130'.





After a break and some eats we haeded to another wall. Fred imediately saw a left slanting crack and wanted a go. He led up to a shelf for p1 and then up a short book and over/side stepped the roof/book to top put. I followed for our 3rd FA of the day. We scouted on top some cool formations and bouldering as a light sprinkle started and lighting was hitting in the area. I was counting the distance of strikes and could tell it was getting closer. The next hit was really close and Fred's hair started standing up. Time to rap! We got to the bottom as lighting was echoing through our chests.



Major down poor in seconds and we saw the water runnels turn into water falls. We ran for cover in the rocks and hung out until it became a drizzels and were starting to shiver. Fred, who is a Belgian and loves mayonaise (They eat French Fries with mayo in Belgium) named the FA Belgian Rain Dance with Mayo, 5.5 & 5.6. 150'. We were done for the day and hiked out wet. We left all our wet gear and ropes free hanging in a cave via cams since we were returning in the morning.







We got back to camp and a cold beer was too sweet with dry clothes. Fred was introduced to the Fritto Boat which goes great with beer when it's cold. Since he was still getting over jet lag he went to bed early. I slept in my chair under the clearing skies and stars.



I decided to take a differrent approach to see if it would be easier the next morning. It might have been had we not over shot the turn. Found some great new formations and finally got to our spot and beatuiful flowers.



We were both excited to get on lines we had seen the day before. I went first and headed up friction face that met a grove with some solution pockets. Placed one bolt to save a ground fall. Pockets were a little flaring but a purple BD worked. Up to chicken heads and ledge for p1. Decided to do the head wall behind it which was thin crimps to a roof and took 2x. Suprisingly it was a fun 5.8 move over the roof with a huge side pull on a runnel. Topped out and Fred followed for our first route of the day. The pitches can go in one. Ty it Together 5.8 150'.



Fred had an eye for black runnel that turned white on top. He headed up and found it was a lot of fristion and stemming with palms down. Fun climb which took 3x to the ledge. Stemming for Stella 5.7 150'.



It was my turn and I spotted a cool looking flake that looked easy with an interesting start and two head walls higher up. The opening moves were an off balance hug of a bulge on the flake. Easy up the flake ending in a couple face moves to the ledge. Mantles on chickeheads got me to 2nd ledge and then up over second head wall to another meat grinder to top out. Ran out of rope as I reached the top. Fred followed to finish our 6th climb, Hugging Zed 5.8, 180' all gear.

We enjoyed the sights on top and decided we had our fill, not to mention sore feet and blisters on couple of my toes. While scouting and scrambling on top one of my slings caught a chicken head and snapped my left front gear loop which I found has a stamped rating of 0 kn. I was just able to catch the gear before it trundled down.

The hike out we took a different route and found more amazing climbs for future visits. We over shot our return by just a bit and added some return steps. That beer never tasted so good.

Couldn't ask for a better couple of days in the hills.


susan

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Re: Dinkey Creek Road
« Reply #21 on: June 15, 2015, 02:14:00 pm »
Great TR - what a full value couple of days - I get overly amped with the approaching buzz of lightening and resonate with what you write, "We got to the bottom as lighting was echoing through our chests." Whew! You guys sound like a fun productive team, and I love the route names! 

NateD

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Re: Dinkey Creek Road
« Reply #22 on: June 15, 2015, 02:18:35 pm »
Sheesh, what a horrible few days you experienced! Sorry it was such a drag. Hope you don't give up on this climbing game after all that.




 ;D Thanks for sharing! Good looking finds! Finger-licking good chickenheads.

susan

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Re: Dinkey Creek Road
« Reply #23 on: June 15, 2015, 02:23:59 pm »
Dang, and chicken heads the size of a car door?!

mungeclimber

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Re: Dinkey Creek Road
« Reply #24 on: June 15, 2015, 02:31:02 pm »
fricking magic right there! That flower shot is real nice. Sounds perfect!

larsj

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Re: Dinkey Creek Road
« Reply #25 on: June 15, 2015, 03:58:12 pm »
Love those pics Daveytree! Haven't been back there in a long time, TFPU-lars

Gerard(Jerry)Jessurun

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Re: Dinkey Creek Road
« Reply #26 on: June 15, 2015, 04:28:09 pm »
Good work Davey!
Looks like a cool area.
See ya at the gym.

John

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Re: Dinkey Creek Road
« Reply #27 on: June 15, 2015, 05:58:42 pm »
Looks like you guys were kids in a candy store! A little crappy weather here and there surely adds to the adventure and makes for a better story later on, eh? (only after you are dried and defrosted and got over how much it sucked)

Thanks for sharing the TR!!

Sorry to hear you were attacked by a chickenhead.

DaveyTree

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Re: Dinkey Creek Road
« Reply #28 on: June 15, 2015, 11:46:01 pm »
Nothing about it sucked. It was a great time in the hills. Kinda boring if it just sunny all the time. Don't think I could have wanted much else for a two day trip.

Lars, I doubt you have ever been to this place. Found it by chance with Matty when the gate to another project spot was locked. Figure I have atleast a couple years of FAs at this spot before I let it out of the bag. Def shuteye-esque with clean solid featured granite.

I should have taken more pics. With all the sudden showers of late there was a huge variety of flowers.

Here is a question off subject. Fred saw what he described as a small duck from the back waddling up hill, brown in color. He couldn't see the bill but claimed it had a long neck like a duck and was brown. He was sure it was a bird. The only thing I could Imagine was a small baby Merium turkey or the Lesser North American Chupacabra. Anyone else have an idea?

John

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Re: Dinkey Creek Road
« Reply #29 on: June 16, 2015, 07:25:09 am »
Chupacabra for sure, I saw one up at the Beaks so they're around. Perhaps they are mating with ducks now and we will have some crazy looking platypus/dog type creature. I am scaring myself.