[TR] City of Rocks and Smith, moderates - many 9/20/2010

[markwebster]

Trip: City of Rocks and Smith, moderates - many

 

Date: 9/20/2010

 

Trip Report:

I had two weeks off and spent a week at smith and a week at City of Rocks. I've always thought Yosemite had the best climbing on the west coast, but after 6 days at the City, I'm a convert.

[img:left]http://www.websterart.com/slideshowpro/gallery/album1/lg/IMG_2962.jpg[/img]

 

Compared to Yosemite, City of Rocks has uncrowded camping, fewer crowds, cooler weather, better maintained trails and outhouses, signs to the crags, closer bolts on moderate climbing, and stickier rock. Oh, and it's only 11 hours from Tacoma on better roads, instead of 16.

 

I did miss the long clean splitters in the valley, but considering the whole picture...I think I may spend the next couple vacations exploring The City. This line from the guide book to City of Rocks pretty much says it all: *The route called Theater of Shadows, 4 pitches of 5.7, has so many bolts your grandmother could lead it.*

 

There are also many great crack climbs, in 6 days we were just cherry picking. I can't wait to go back.

 

This link has the 34 pictures in a flash slideshow, set to the song: Fields of G*old. Rollover the images for the description. The first 9 pictures are from week 1 spent at Smith where we did Zebra Zion, among others.

 

smith and City of Rocks

 

Gear Notes:

Bloody fingers, bring all the little cams you can beg borrow or steal. Up to 18 quick draws for some of the sport routes. We used a 5 camalot, and a green big bro, but only on a couple routes, and we could have done without them.

 

Approach Notes:

nothing longer than 40 minutes to get to Theater of Shadows, mostly no longer than 10 minutes.

[stevetimetravlr]

Great slideshow, music, and photography. Sweet!

[pink]

right on mark, good to see ur still getting out there

[Lodestone]

Wow, I gotta get out there. City of Rocks that is. How hard on the skin is this rock?

 

 

Chad

[kevbone]

I love the city!

[pink]

I love the city!

 

you mean the couv?

[Crillz]

Nice Mark!!!

[Andy_Davis]

Yeah Mark!!! I thought you might be off doing something more fun than me. City looks pretty sweet. Nice pics as usual and way to get after it.

[genepires]

I think the theatre of shadows used to be called cruel shoes in older guidebooks. The first time I went there, tied to a tree branch at the base was a pair of baby shoes with a crossed pair of small bones (mice?) in the laces. I will never forget that. The second time I went there it was gone and never went back to that crag. If they are the same route, then both names are not really good for a description. Maybe "Grandma's lead".

 

Yes the city is my fave cragging place, hair width better than squamish only due to the wilderness like ambiance.

Edited September 21, 2010 by genepires

[Off_White]

Theatre of Shadows is a relatively recent Kevin Pogue route on that thumb of rock adjacent to Steinfell's dome out across the valley from the City proper. Mark's got a shot of the classic shadow play a climber creates on the adjacent wall in the late afternoon (hence the name of the route).

 

Cruel Shoes is the three pitch Pogue 5.7 on Stripe Rock, down in the valley bottom. Does that thing still have open cold shuts for anchors?

[markwebster]

thanks. I can't wait to return. The rock is easier on the skin than jtree, but rougher than Yosemite. Definitely better, stronger rock than jtree...wish it was warm in winter, I'll have to wait for spring to return. My wife is going to love those mellow slab climbs.

[faster_than_you]

Love the city too, but that Sting song accompanying the cool images sucks!