Sandias, "Screwed" and Warpy Moople

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skykilo
olikyks
from Santa Fe
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Sandias, "Screwed" and Warpy Moople

Post by skykilo »

What do you do for "leisure"? I generally love to climb in the Sandia Mountains but lately there has been some ambivalence, even moments of disdain.

Nevermind last weekend's unfruitful sally. Let's start with this Saturday. Micah and I judiciously chose a route called "Splinted and Screwed". You can even see pictures of one of a first ascensionist's father's x rays on Mountain Project. Anyhow, the approach is a short thrash to a rappel station at the top of the formation.

Micah on rappel.
splinted-and-screwed, rappel

This is considered a good fixed anchor in the Sandias. Just push the piton into the crack again, all good.
splinted-and-screwed, piton

Micah leads the first pitch, a dang-near sport bolted 5.10d.
splinted-and-screwed, sands-p1
My hands were cold, fingers numb, I took a hang following it. Let's climb in the sun tomorrow.

Pitch 2 is the crux, 5.12a, and it looks like this from the belay.
Image

Here's how it looks from the top.
splinted-and-screwed, sands-p2a

The crux is near the bolt then there's a good sequence to make it to the ledge.
splinted-and-screwed, sands-p2b

I took a couple of pretty good whippers. Sometimes that feels like lots of fun. This time it didn't. I was glad to pull through the dirty slopers onto the ledge on my third go. Micah mostly cruised above the bolt while following.
splinted-and-screwed, sands-p2c

Pitch 3 is the special sauce. Some very thin dihedrals, all brassies and RPs (one uninspiring small cam in this photo).
splinted-and-screwed, sands-p3
After plenty of thin climbing and a strenuous mantle onto a ledge, there's a piton right there leading into strenuous overhanging moves (wouldn't protect you from the ledge, hopefully would protect you from very large fall). This pitch featured a nice sting in the tail to finish, too.

We had a late start, due to an errand I had to run in town and what not.

And the top of the cliff looked something like this....
Image

That was more epic than I wanted for the whole weekend in the first place. How about something easy next? A classic, Warpy Moople, 5.9, 7 pitches, 800 ft -- that should be good.

There's a huge magic puffball mushroom bringing good tidings to the top of the cliff.
Image

Pitch two is a fun 5.9 undercling to a roof.
warpy-moople, wmp2

Micah follows the runout part at the end of p2.
warpy-moople, wmp2follow

Micah is doing some leading now. Ooops, wrong way!
warpy-moople, wmp3wrong

This is the right way.
warpy-moople, wmp3right

Pitch 4 is very entertaining for 5.8.
warpy-moople, wmp4a

Micah pulls through the roof at the top of p4.
warpy-moople, wmp4b

Pitch 5 is the money pitch and it's a wild Sandias classic. 5.9 face climbing then significant runouts at a slightly easier level.
warpy-moople, wmp5a

More
warpy-moople, wmp5b

Due to delays, once again we were hiking to the car in the dark. Hmph.

naomig
naomig

Re: Sandias, "Screwed" and Warpy Moople

Post by naomig »

Nice pictures.

E_$
imminent whippage

Re: Sandias, "Screwed" and Warpy Moople

Post by E_$ »

yeah, purty pics.

why the whipping whinging? atypical for you.

day 2 looks like more fun.

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DonJuanPakistan
Trippin' travellin'.
from Seattle, Washington
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Re: Sandias, "Screwed" and Warpy Moople

Post by DonJuanPakistan »

An uncharacteristic lack of boundless positivity seems to pervade this post. What gives, Sky Doctor?

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huevón
are we there yet?
from el mundo
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Re: Sandias, "Screwed" and Warpy Moople

Post by huevón »

It must be the shutdown. Did they get you too man? WHYYY?!?!? :roll:

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skykilo
olikyks
from Santa Fe
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Re: Sandias, "Screwed" and Warpy Moople

Post by skykilo »

We are facing a shutdown if this situation in DC lasts for another week. But personall I see plenty of silver lining on that cloud....

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huevón
are we there yet?
from el mundo
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Re: Sandias, "Screwed" and Warpy Moople

Post by huevón »

A scintillating prospect, federal funding in decay. There certainly are plenty of things to do besides trying to serve federal taxpayers' interests... someone should write a Rand spoof about the federally-funded employee version of "John Galt"-ing :lol:

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