The hillside labyrinth known as The Dark Side is the collection of boulders lying between Nook's Rock and the Cloud Shadow Wall. This blog entry will cover only a portion of the Dark Side's problems. Problems are numbered, beginning with problems that are just a few feet from Nook's Rock itself and ending 200 yards uphill with problems that are just a few feet from the guardrail at the hairpin turn near Capstan Rock. The entire area is very well shaded by trees and almost all of the problems face north/northeast, so conditions can sometimes be quite good when it is hot elsewhere on the mountain. Where: There are a myriad of ways to approach these boulders, but the best way - from a social trail and user impact perspective - is to head up Flagstaff Road and park on the left 1.2 miles after passing over the Armstrong Bridge at Capstan Rock. Walk up the road 50 yards to the guardrail at the hairpin turn, step over the guardrail and drop down to the southeast to Cloud Shadow Wall. Walk to the end of Cloud Shadow Wall, turn left and follow the obvious social trail for 5 minutes to the north/northeast, dropping downhill and passing a handful of established problems on the right (covered later). At the bottom of the hill, you will be deposited at Nook's Rock, which has a prominent northwest face with a number of tall moderate slab problems on it. That Flakes It Overhang is a mere 20 feet from Nook's Rock's southwest corner. Once you locate this, the remainder of the problems lie on the left side of a faint social trail that heads west ... directly up the hill to the hairpin turn. When you've reach the guardrail, look left and #14 will be right there.
THAT FLAKES IT OVERHANG
1. That Flakes It V1 sds ... FA: Unknown
From a sds around on the far left, hand traverse up and right up large holds to the corner, then pull over.
2. That Flakes It Direct V4 ... FA: Rob Candelaria, 1974/5
Start on good holds under the overhang. Keep your feet off the right wall as you do powerful moves out the overhanging face. A sds looks possible.
3. That Flakes It Super Direct V? sds ... FA: Dan Smith and Dan Howley, late 1990's
A sit start to #2 that begins on a thin LH hold and microcrimp for the RH. Move up and slightly right into the start for #2.
THAT FLAKES IT OVERHANG
1. That Flakes It V1 sds ... FA: Unknown
From a sds around on the far left, hand traverse up and right up large holds to the corner, then pull over.
2. That Flakes It Direct V4 ... FA: Rob Candelaria, 1974/5
Start on good holds under the overhang. Keep your feet off the right wall as you do powerful moves out the overhanging face. A sds looks possible.
3. That Flakes It Super Direct V? sds ... FA: Dan Smith and Dan Howley, late 1990's
A sit start to #2 that begins on a thin LH hold and microcrimp for the RH. Move up and slightly right into the start for #2.
MOSSY SLAB
4. Mossy Slab V0 ... FA: Unknown
Ten yards uphill from That Flakes It is a east-facing slab with a few clean holds. Avoid the moss clods on your way to the top.
NOW OR NEVER WALL
5. It Is Now V3 ... FA: Chip Phillips, 2002
Start up a slab, then veer right up a seam to a jug at 15+ feet, regroup and pull up and over the bulging 20+ foot top-out onto the slab. Not precleaning the topout could spell disaster.
CRYPTIC BOULDER
6. Cryptic Grips V6/7 ... FA: Chip Phillips, 2002
Begin on the two obvious matched starting holds. Move directly left to a incut LH sidepull, do some fancy footwork and go up with your RH to something bad (there are multiple options). Fight the barndoor and continue up and left directly behind the tree to a jug and reasonable topout ... assuming you brushed away the accumulating pine needles.
7. Cryptic Tips V5/6 ... FA: Stevie Damboise, 2006
Begin matched the same as Cryptic Grips, perch and head straight to the top, doing some harsh pebble-squeezing along the way. I took the liberty of naming this one for Stevie.
8. Cryptic Magician V7/8 ... FA: Justin Jaeger, 2002
Start squeezing at almost full wingspan using a LH crimp sidepull and a RH pinch on/near the rounded northeast corner. Bump your LH up, then go RH to a decent but hard-to-see undercling around the corner, then go RH hard to a better but sharper undercling. From here comes the crux. Do some fancy footwork and 2 LH moves followed by a RH crossover to a jug and you can regroup for the thin but reasonable topout. Tricky, balancey, footwork-intensive, sequential, unforgiving and frustrating. Cryptic indeed!
9. Cryptic Crimps V1 ... FA: Chip Phillips, 2001
4. Mossy Slab V0 ... FA: Unknown
Ten yards uphill from That Flakes It is a east-facing slab with a few clean holds. Avoid the moss clods on your way to the top.
NOW OR NEVER WALL
5. It Is Now V3 ... FA: Chip Phillips, 2002
Start up a slab, then veer right up a seam to a jug at 15+ feet, regroup and pull up and over the bulging 20+ foot top-out onto the slab. Not precleaning the topout could spell disaster.
CRYPTIC BOULDER
6. Cryptic Grips V6/7 ... FA: Chip Phillips, 2002
Begin on the two obvious matched starting holds. Move directly left to a incut LH sidepull, do some fancy footwork and go up with your RH to something bad (there are multiple options). Fight the barndoor and continue up and left directly behind the tree to a jug and reasonable topout ... assuming you brushed away the accumulating pine needles.
7. Cryptic Tips V5/6 ... FA: Stevie Damboise, 2006
Begin matched the same as Cryptic Grips, perch and head straight to the top, doing some harsh pebble-squeezing along the way. I took the liberty of naming this one for Stevie.
8. Cryptic Magician V7/8 ... FA: Justin Jaeger, 2002
Start squeezing at almost full wingspan using a LH crimp sidepull and a RH pinch on/near the rounded northeast corner. Bump your LH up, then go RH to a decent but hard-to-see undercling around the corner, then go RH hard to a better but sharper undercling. From here comes the crux. Do some fancy footwork and 2 LH moves followed by a RH crossover to a jug and you can regroup for the thin but reasonable topout. Tricky, balancey, footwork-intensive, sequential, unforgiving and frustrating. Cryptic indeed!
9. Cryptic Crimps V1 ... FA: Chip Phillips, 2001
About 10 feet right of #10 up at a perch on the ramp, find good crimps and head straight straight up on edges that get smaller as you approach the top. Don't fall.
CREEPING BOULDER
10. Creeping Death V3 sds ... FA: Chip Phillips, 2007
On the far left of the wall is a low sds on a horizontal incut and this tricky problem where the object is to pull around to the left and then topout.
11. Creeping in the Dark V2 sds ... FA: Chip Phillips, 2007
From a sds on the horizontal incut on the far left, go up and right to the nice rail, then use small features at the lip to move for a jug up and right over the lip.
12. Creep to Safety V0 ... FA: Unknown
Left of the start for #13 is a moderate up-problem that heads up to a ledge.
13. Creeping in the Dark Traverse V6 ... FA: Chip Phillips, 2007
This problem begins just down from the guardrail. Start on the far right and traverse left, staying low, about 40 feet to finish with #11.
CREEPING BOULDER
10. Creeping Death V3 sds ... FA: Chip Phillips, 2007
On the far left of the wall is a low sds on a horizontal incut and this tricky problem where the object is to pull around to the left and then topout.
11. Creeping in the Dark V2 sds ... FA: Chip Phillips, 2007
From a sds on the horizontal incut on the far left, go up and right to the nice rail, then use small features at the lip to move for a jug up and right over the lip.
12. Creep to Safety V0 ... FA: Unknown
Left of the start for #13 is a moderate up-problem that heads up to a ledge.
13. Creeping in the Dark Traverse V6 ... FA: Chip Phillips, 2007
This problem begins just down from the guardrail. Start on the far right and traverse left, staying low, about 40 feet to finish with #11.
14. Be Very Wary V2/3 ... FA: Andy Mann, 2006
Ascend the very chossy and lichen-infested spire feature above the start for #13. Maybe Andy's ascent wasn't an FA, but I doubt anyone else would trust the frozen mud the spire is composed of to support body weight.
PAWN BOULDER
15. Pawn V5 sds ... FA: Andy Mann, 2006
This surprisingly good problem was no doubt overlooked due to its close proximity to the road and short stature. Located just past the middle of the turn past Capstan Rock on the right, this short overhang faces the guardrail just left of a yellow reflector on a tree. Begin from a sds on the arête and move up and right past slopers to top out. Too short, yet really really nice.
PAWN BOULDER
15. Pawn V5 sds ... FA: Andy Mann, 2006
This surprisingly good problem was no doubt overlooked due to its close proximity to the road and short stature. Located just past the middle of the turn past Capstan Rock on the right, this short overhang faces the guardrail just left of a yellow reflector on a tree. Begin from a sds on the arête and move up and right past slopers to top out. Too short, yet really really nice.
2 comments:
In the Dark Side Northern #3 is listed as a project. This was done by either Dan Smith or Dan Howley in the late 90's. I forget which of us did it first.
This is exactly the kind of feedback I'm looking for. Thanks Dan ... next time you see the DH, ask him if he remembers who did it first. Also, how hard is it? I've had trouble doing that first move.
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