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Actually, a quicker approach would be to drive up 9a to the second bridge (after the initial split). Park at the bridge, hike up hill on the right before the bridge and you'll come out in the gap between Jazz Rock and the wall where Boogered is.

And as for anchors on LLT, I vote for them. I took the aforementioned whipper. The climbing was over and I fell while attempting to wallow out of the nasty groove at the summit.

Cool, I'll have to try that approach

Oh sure, take someone elses advice on approaching routes but don't take my advice on approaching women...

dude, how do you think I got with your girlfriend??

I agree with OW. Your head would have to be broken to give this route a grade of 5.12. Let's get some common sense out there and give it a true grade. Go team go.

sl@m.

Regarding all of these "shorter" approaches being thrown about... There is a reason that the prefered approach is described as starting out as if you are approaching Minas Tirith, following old logging roads, and they following deer trails just down hill of the cliff. The more "direct" approaches all involve very steep hillsides and we would rather not see the defacto developement of ugly climber trails like the one to Long Wall or the original trails to Fortress and Pebble Beach (for those who remember). It does not take much slipping and sliding on steep terrain to establish one of these ugly scars. Please consider taking the leisurely, less steep, longer approach and enjoy a fantastic (and probably easier) hike. The greatest attraction of these kind of obscure little trad crags is that they have an "untouched" feeling that begins when you leave the car. Please preserve this so that you can share it with others some day.

Regarding the topout of Long Live Trad... I'm not sure that there was ever a tree. I remember it being one of the scariest, most desperate gopher-finishes I've experienced. I'm not sure how you could have top anchors and preserve the integrity of the route. But I'm also not sure how much traffic that topout could sustain. Will this ever see enough traffic to really warrant anchors? On a related note, I did always intend to put anchors at the "top" of Bambi, Caught In the Headlights since that is a nice easy route (5.6**) that will catch new leaders in the headlights when they arrive in purgatory. The descent of the FA party consisted in a downlead.

Regarding the downgrade of Boogered... To quote the FAist moments after he sent Boogered, "I've climbed 5.12 trad before and THAT'S 5.12 trad!" I think that it just felt that hard to him for whatever reason in that moment. Perhaps he made it harder than it needed to be. He was someone who certainly did not what anyone downgrading one of his routes. Oops.

I sometimes had the opposite experience on FA's, climbing my way into more adventure than I expected and sandbagging them because I didn't think that I could possibly lead 5.whatever so it must be whatever my perceived limit was at the time. Of course, in the moment, many FA's feel one * better than they probably are...

Jerry Bargo wrote:There is a reason...The more "direct" approaches all involve very steep hillsides and we would rather not see the defacto developement of ugly climber trails...It does not take much slipping and sliding on steep terrain to establish one of these ugly scars. Please consider taking the leisurely, less steep, longer approach and enjoy a fantastic (and probably easier) hike.

Most people don't think when they are out in the woods. These days common sense is thrown out the window like an empty beverage container. It seems the gotta have it now socitety has spilled over into climbing, even obscure trad crags. I appreciate the long wandering walk in the woods past chossy rock, rhodo, and deer scat thanks for not running straight up the hill guys.

However, if you can't find it, because of the long, wandering approach, and end up bushwhacking all over the damn place, then what the hell is the point of it??????

Huh, smart guys????

It's about the journey, Grasshopper.