powderhound Posted August 28, 2006 Share Posted August 28, 2006 (edited) No pics of the trip sry guys. Just want to let everyone know that there are some great routes at Castle Rocks. Spent two days there and had a blast. The routes grades are a bit more modern then at the city of rocks. Climbed at the crack house there are some awesome moderate routes there, I think we did 5 pitches in like two hours. Go to the hostess gully and climb "between heaven and earth" one of the best 5.9's I have ever done. 200 feet of stellar patina pulling. “Shock & Awe” was fabulous and the “southern rock opera” is stout bring lots of yellow aliens. The Dufree hot springs right as you come into Elmo are $5 and is open until 10pm on Friday and 11pmon Saturday. Fill your water bottle with your drink of choice and enjoy. Some notes on The City Columbia crack on the back side of elephant rock is open and is a super duper 5.7. Go to "The Gull" (right behind elephant) and climb the 5.8 great beginning lead route sorry forget the name. If you are looking fro some great climbs in the 5.10-5.11 range and wanting to get away from the crowds look at the building blocks. Edited August 28, 2006 by powderhound Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billcoe Posted August 28, 2006 Share Posted August 28, 2006 Thanks for the heads up Bryan. Maybe John will roadtrip there next and invite me along? Sounds great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCash Posted August 28, 2006 Share Posted August 28, 2006 Sounds like a great trip! Colombia Crack is a nasty flared groove and seemed more like a 1 star route to me. Compare that to a true 4 star crack at The City like Bloody Fingers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hemp22 Posted August 28, 2006 Share Posted August 28, 2006 I tend to agree. Columbian crack didn't seem to warrant the 4 stars. Other climbs on the Elephant, and other 5.7 cracks in the city, were much more fun. i was wondering if anyone who's been to city recently has had a chance to check out the pizza & beer at Rock City repairs. they were set to open at the beginning of this summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powderhound Posted August 29, 2006 Author Share Posted August 29, 2006 Sounds like a great trip! Colombia Crack is a nasty flared groove and seemed more like a 1 star route to me. Compare that to a true 4 star crack at The City like Bloody Fingers. dude that thing is sweet, it is not bad and flared it is great hands most of the way. It is not flared we soled that shit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrogdortheBurninator Posted August 29, 2006 Share Posted August 29, 2006 I agree, columbia crack is awesome. That crack is totally parallel bomber splitter. It is gorgeous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCash Posted August 29, 2006 Share Posted August 29, 2006 Sounds like a great trip! Colombia Crack is a nasty flared groove and seemed more like a 1 star route to me. Compare that to a true 4 star crack at The City like Bloody Fingers. dude that thing is sweet, it is not bad and flared it is great hands most of the way. It is not flared we soled that shit. The crack itself is shaped like a pig's water trough with a rounded bottom and the right side flares at about a 45 degree angle. That crack sucks! Here is a photo I took of a friend following it. As you can see the crack is exactly as I described it. Did you guys even climb it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCash Posted August 29, 2006 Share Posted August 29, 2006 Sorry man, didn't mean to crap on your thread. City of Rocks is a fun place to climb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpinfox Posted August 29, 2006 Share Posted August 29, 2006 Bloody fingers is greasy, overused, overchalked, and over-gaped. ** Columbian has a bit of everything. Chimney, fingers, hands, OW, slab. *** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powderhound Posted August 29, 2006 Author Share Posted August 29, 2006 I climbed it sans rope, just shoes and chalk bag. Now pay attention to this beta; I kept my left hand in the crack the whole time, just sliding it up. Right hand on the edge and the climb went smooth like butter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobra_Commander Posted August 29, 2006 Share Posted August 29, 2006 thank god I have the key beta for columbia crack, I've been projecting it for 3 seasons. I hope my draws didn't get in your way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyHarry Posted August 29, 2006 Share Posted August 29, 2006 Wow that's almost as proprietary as (the sprayer formerly known as) DFA's beta for Chain Reaction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCash Posted August 30, 2006 Share Posted August 30, 2006 I hope my draws didn't get in your way Thank god Colombian has been retrobolted. That 4th class section would be heinous if I had to place my #4 friend up there. Though the friend placement was bomber, I was supersketched and was happy to just Clip-N-Go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powderhound Posted August 30, 2006 Author Share Posted August 30, 2006 thank god I have the key beta for columbia crack, I've been projecting it for 3 seasons. I hope my draws didn't get in your way draws? what draws? do you mean the ones that I kept as booty and the hangers they were atached too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobra_Commander Posted August 30, 2006 Share Posted August 30, 2006 I'm sure you left the one lonely bolt at the top of the climb. that one's not mine. Not that I've seen it with my own eyes since I've never made it up to the top. Until I got the beta, that is. Climb up the crack until you top out, it all makes sense now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Frieh Posted August 30, 2006 Share Posted August 30, 2006 Thanks for the heads up Bryan. Maybe John will roadtrip there next and invite me along? Sounds great. Good idea! Anybody interested? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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