Meadows - Shambles, Bachar-Yerian, Hammer Dome  8/26-27/89

Subject:      Pencil Necks on the Bachar-Yerian

As we drove past Livermore, it hit me:  I had forgotten the rack.  I knew
Joel had some quick draws, but only about enough to *lead* the Bachar-Yerian.
Fortunately, we ran into old buds Mike Ruby and Jim Herson in the Meadows
Campground, who kindly lent me their spare rack.
We also got some Friends from Joel's friend Craig Reason,
so we were set with our original plan to go up Shambles
and down the Bachar-Yerian.  By the time we got to the base it was 1pm and I
mowed my way up the first pitch.  The chalked bushes looked dubious, but
there was no way around so I yarded on the creaking stems.  Rope drag was a
problem for the last few moves after the undercling, but I held enough rope
in my teeth to reach the belay.  Joel had a bit more trouble with the
classic second pitch when he realized he couldn't let go in the crux
lieback to place pro, so he downclimbed and put the pro in on aid.  The
knobs above were runout to a questionable bolt; slab moves led to the belay
ledge.  The roof looked tough and the hour was late, so I weazeled out of
the roof going down, right, and up the end of the third pitch of Shipoopi.
It was gorgeous golden knobs of 5.9, well protected by 3 5/16" bolts.

From this anchor we rappelled diagonally to a belay on the Bachar-Yerian
(using a TCU in the Sliderbanger flake).  I had first crack at the TR on the
classic second pitch, pretty much dead vertical knobs up the black streak.
Raving at the wild knobs and essentially only 3 bolts on the 120' pitch,
I managed to dog my way up with 4 falls.  Joel amused himself by asking how
far I would have flown if I were leading; all the falls would have been at
least 40 feet, and one was 60.  Footwork was important, with many high steps
and stems, sucking the hips in for pseudo-rests.  Very pumping; had to be at
least 5.11a (not 5.10c) -- like a really long version of P.O.D. at the
Pinnacles, hard to rate if you have enough technique to somehow rest up
there.  By the time I reached Joel, the light was fading badly and he didn't
get an honest try at it (he made it to the first crux but was having serious
trouble seeing the footholds).  Bummer -- we'll have to do Shipoopi and rap
over again to get another shot at it.  Down to the car by headlamp.

We also scoped the new projects on the 2 blacks streaks right -- a rope on
Bachar's ground-up project high point 40', and several ropes on the
Craig Reason/Dan Michael streak.  The latter route took them 5 toprope
days to do the move (up to 5.13c), then they bolted it (originally starting
from the top of Medlicott).  Now they're trying to lead it free in any
style (yoyo with rope in place overnight?) in this last week before they
have to leave.

On Sunday we walked out to Hammer Dome, where we all (Clint, Nancy, Joel)
did Shadow of Doubt 5.10c, and Joel TRd Mystery Achievement 5.10d (avoiding
the 5.12 start).  More knobby black streaks.