What's the top of St. Alfonso's at Phantasia look like?

Placing a cam? Slotting a nut? Slinging a tree?
knooper
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What's the top of St. Alfonso's at Phantasia look like?

Post by knooper »

My friends and I were out at Phantasia this weekend scoping out some trad climbs we hadn't done before and had a question about St. Alfonso's over by Attack of the Sand Shark: What does the top look like? The guidebook says rap from a tree, but are there enough places up there to build an anchor for a toprope? I'm fine with rapping down from a tree, but I'd rather use it as only 1 of 2 or 3 points for a toprope anchor, especially with inexperienced climbers with us. Has anyone been up there recently? If there's webbing up there, how does it look? Thanks!
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ynot
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Post by ynot »

I remember doing it and toproping,but I don't remember whats up there.
Build a good anchor to TR then clean it and rap. Shouldnt be a problem. The problem I had at the time was not having multiple big pro. Fist sized .Sometimes the top is wet.
"Everyone should have a plan for the zombie apocolipse" Courtney
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Jeff
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Post by Jeff »

Last time up, sometime last year, there was new webbing.
If you plan on TR'ing it, you may want a couple of runners to extend the anchors a bit so they hang over the edge.
As far as how it looks...it is good sized ledge, a little sloped and dirty.

Watch for wasps/hornets.
Never have seen any up there myself, but ran into a guy at Seneca who said he got nailed on St Alfonsos.
That was around Labor Day of last year.
Stewy911
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Post by Stewy911 »

Last thing I heard about this climb was that it is infested with "killer" hornets at the top.
Who Me? I gotta hitch hike god damn 18 miles to get a god damn beer......that's bullshit.
matt
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Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2003 8:27 pm

alfonzo's

Post by matt »

The tree mentioned in description is about 10 feet back off the top of the climb if I remember right. Because of this, the anchor requires a fair amount of webbing/extension if you are planning on toproping. As of about 1 year ago, the webbing was all there and in fairly good shape. When I did this route, we were also setting up a toprope for new climbers. I would recommend belaying from the top if you are going to do this. I think the route is a bit longer than the descriptions states. Its probably about 80 feet if my memory serves me right (caution...it rarely does). Have fun. Its a good route and probably in the shade which is even more important now.
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