Kevin_Matlock

My kind of trip! Good job on the climbs.

Climb: [TR] Rooster Rock, columbia gorge-south side (easy) route Date of Climb: 10/14/2005 Trip Report: Fairly insignificant climb but wanted to post for those interested in finding the route. Once found it's an easy, enjoyable single pitch of exposed climbing (after the 1st pitch of class 4 boredom). Free the first pitch (not must protection anyway) and set the belay on the 2 bolt anchor. Head up the obvious gully toward the east. Solid rock and easy pro make this quick work. I read somewhere this was a 5.4, felt even easier than that. About the only real advice would be don't rap from the top mega rings. Rope drag is serious. Instead, roll the dice and rap off the single, rusty quicklink/chain setup hanging over the south face. Felt and looked ok, just sucks since I have no idea of how long that single chain has been up there. Two fast raps gets you back down to the approach trail. Edit: I was asked about the rope drag. The line up heads slanting east; the rap heads 15' or so to the west that line. I was solo so I had to clean on the descent. I could see the rope was getting snagged so I wasn't surprised that I couldn't pull it after the 1st rap. I reclimbed the line to free the rope. Once back on top I set the rope straight off the the south through the mass o' chains. Off the 2nd rap I tried to pull the rope and still no good. Fuck! Had to climb the line for the 3rd time (esentially free; getting frustrated at this point). Decided to try the single rap chain. It still had some drag but pulled through eventually. So the moral of the story is don't get taken in by all the heavy duty chains lying at the top of the formation. But why else would they be here if not for rapping... are these clip in points the vertically impaired or somthun'? Anyway, don't use them unless you feel like contributing your rope to the booty call. Gear Notes: Pro in the 1-2" range. Single 60M is plenty. Approach Notes: Park by the second to last bathroom toward the west. Walk toward freeway. Continue walking through the pet run area and look for an obvious grassy access road on your right. Follow this road to the small stream running under the freeway. Cross over the top and aim up toward the side of the freeway; start walking next to the guardrail. After about 100 yards (?) look on your right for a trail through the black berries. Follow trail up for 5 or 10 mins to the base of the 4th class start. If you get to a stance on the NE side of the rock with a snag covered in slings you are on the wrong route. I believe this is a 5.6; don't have any info on it though. Go back down the trail and veer south and west to the south side of the formation.

what's the rules on this anyway? you need a permit just to hike up to muir as a day hike? is the permit for overnighters/climbing? cost? is there a free/self-issued if you are just doing quick trip up and back? thanks

PVD - total FREAKIN' devistation, eh? Last week I was on the PCT and brush creek area... amazing. Only 2 yrs after the burn and at least some grass is growning back so that's better than nothin'. Climbed TFJ last year and the first few miles in I couldn't believe how dead everything was.

25' home wall??? Sweet! I've been up some .7 or .8 routes but that's about the hardest. Tried 5.10 once. I'm not so much new, more like beg/intermed. Trad - yes; sport - no. Have much of my own gear too, for what it's worth. Anyway, got your number... I'll prolly give you a shout tomorrow. You got a preference to time 'o day? Likely going to broughton tues or wed to do some TR aid practice.

Hey nice work and good TR! I've been debating on this exact same route solo (yes, dealing with parters oftens sucks). Hiked up south cinder peak a few days before your climb and got a decent view of the route and quickly decided 'fawk that!'. Your beta has changed my mind... thanks.

What level of climbing you after? Only been climbing for a couple of years and the TR solo aid bullshit is getting old! Not superman on the rock, but don't mind flailing on second. I've been told I belay 'bout as well as anyone. Let me know if you STILL want a call....

... oh yeah, camp at Arrowhead lake. It's on a buttress above Sunshine and offers good views and is pretty quiet. From Sunshine, just continue on the normal climbers trail gaining about 500' further up (you are climbing away from the cliff edge and toward the mountain). Once you gain the platue's elevation, cut back and start going toward the cliff. After about 1/3 mile you will see the small lake shaped like an arrowhead (wow, imagine that). Been there many times and it's always WAY quieter than Sunshine.

Many on this site would call it "non-technical", but consider the source!!! After all, this is primarily a "climbing resource". What one considers non-tech, or easy, is another person's everest. Not at all trying to spark any sort of debate on this... just trying to keep you from getting in over your head. But, to answer your question, it's really just a hard hike. Since you don't have crampons, you will likely want to approach the saddle between middle and north (collier glacier??? sorry, can't think of the name off the top of my head). Taking this route you will very likely have to cross snow (the glacier, duh) but it should be low enough angle that it won't be a prob. Toward the top there are a few steep and loose spots that if you slipped/slid might really suck. Be aware of that. The route is easy to follow though... just look for the obvious line and boot track (practically a trail to the top). Have fun.

Just wondering, what was changed? I've got a real complaint - some lame asshole censor thought it would be PC to change my fucking signature. No notice; no PM; just noticed it was changed one day. Since when is this site PC? Tempted to change it back to spite whomever changed it!

Sounds like you need to spend some time at a crag first. It's not the best thing to learn rock skills like anchors and placements in the alpine. I'd suggest simply learning how to climb in a toprope-type environment first BEFORE trying to tackle an alpine summit much less leading it! Besides, you can learn more in a controlled environment and hone your skills more before taking them out into the wild. There are some easier technical climbs in OR (washington/jack/thielson) but these don't require much in the way of anchors, placements or whatever so you wouldn't be learning what you are after. And honestly, if you were to try and setup some complicated, multi-point anchor on one of the climbs I've mentioned, you are more than likely going to get a sarcastic comments or leers from others simply trying to quickly & safely cruise the summit.

check PM's

Hey, I'm interested, I'll shoot you a pm

Great TR and awesome pics! What a nice read and nice change of pace with your attitudes considering SOME of the other TRs around here! Good job.

Anybody got beta on the scramble route (suppose to be class 2/3-ish)? Wonder the mileage and if I should take up a non-climber friend. Sounds easy enough though and safe if I toss him on belay if need be.

I bet the alcohol dip is used more to remove "manufacturing goo" like oils and surface dirt... stuff of that nature. I wouldn't think that it would be as effective on "outdoor goo" (grit, dirt, vegetation, skin, blood, teeth... all the usual crap). Whatever the Metolius cleaning soap is appears to be active when you add it to the boiling water. Think scrubbing bubbles! Come to think of it, wonder how well boiling water by itself would work? You need something to actively remove the particulants.

'bout 15 bucks.

I just googled "3/64 swage", got lots of hits. Here's one - http://www.swage-ittools.com/page2.html

These guys have just about everything you'd need: Security Chain Co

Hardly a rock god so I want to do one of the lower grade, non-heroic routes on Ill-rock. Likely one of the south routes... anywhere from 5.easy to about 5.sorta-interesting from what I've read. Would like to do this tomorrow, Sat Aug 6, but could go on Sun if that works better for you. Have gear/wheels/motivation, just need the partner. PM me or post if interested.

Been to the butte much less often than I've gone to the bluff, but it IS a little quicker to get to (Bill, I feel your pain on the BeaverTown commute, I'm coming from Tualatin) and the TRs are much more plentiful and are way easier to set up, but it bothers me with all that crap there. Last time I was waiting at the bottom of one of the class 4's trying to leave and looked down; 6" from my foot was a needle. And I've almost put my forking hands right on a rubber. Sucks. And then Nolse... I read that your car got broken into. I can't afford one of the crackheads checking out all the goodies in my van. Broughton offers more peace of mind to me. Oh well, my own hang ups are my own hang ups. Thanks for your guys' points-O-view. We now return you to our regularly scheduled thread....

Guys, I feel compelled to ask... why Rocky, anyway? I mean, why the facination with the syringes, used condoms, broken glass, and traffic noise when 5 miles further out 84 there lies broughton (much cleaner, just as much climbing, etc). Not trying to invite thread creep by turing this into a "this crag Vs. that crag" spray, but it escapes me why the preference for going here. Is it just the central location? That would be a fair enough response, but I'm just wondering.

No shit. You're cheaping out by 13 bucks??? Fuck, I'll send you a check for the extra $$$ that your sorry ass can afford. I'll do this just so I don't have to step over your bloody corpse at the base of some wall because you didn't take care of your pro correctly. Kmart soap... choice of a new generation.

They can't be cleaned... simply mail them to me for proper disposal. Last year I used the metolius cam cleaning kit (less than $15 at rei) on my cams and some sticky binners. You put some sort of cleaning agent into boiling water and it fizzes. Work the device in the water. Crap comes out in droves (amazing how much was in there!). Once dry, put a little of the metolious wax-based lube on it and work it in. Done and done. Works really well!

Sunshine route on hood. Going up the 23rd. Interested?