Muir Valley or Sandy's ass - as good as they say?
Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 11:54 pm
I've been a climber in the gorge for a long time, but have never posted on this site before, although I do check it periodically for beta on specific routes. I posted the comment about Little T-bone in the online guide before I created this account, sorry.
No disrespect to those who have put up the routes in Muir, I just want to know if the routes are going to get realistic quality ratings when the updated edition to Ray's wonderful guidebook eventually comes out in the far far future. I am well aware that Muir Valley has it's own grading scale for difficulty, but is it fair to trick climbers into coming there, expecting routes such as Little T-bone to be the best 5.10a trad route in the Red? Routes like Rock Wars, Excalibur, and Headstone Surfer come to mind as better 5.10a. And what about Tradisfaction!? you have to scramble up ledges for half the route before the dihedral even begins. Great route, but not classic! Go check out the route Data Dump for a much better, continuous dihedral. Other routes I question include
The Offering is better than C Sharp B Flat?
Dynomite is better than Creature Feature?
International Route of Pancakes actually gets 2 stars!? And Subatomic Fingerlock only gets one? Hmmm... I didn't think anything under 40ft. got 2 stars, and it was discouraged to bolt things only 3 bolts long.
First Fall is better than Africa?
Kentucky Waterfall, a variation to an already overlyhyped climb that is constantly wet is as good as Synchronicity, Thunder Chicken, and Rebar?
Buddha Slept is a 5 star, must do classic? The crux climbs the opening moves to another route, a sport route that only gets 4 stars, yet is a much better route. After branching from the sport route, you continue through some easy, bad rock before a good move or two near the end. A classic should be pretty sustained in my opinion.
The list of appauling overgraded quality ratings goes on and on. I don't mind that Muir is laughably soft, it makes the gumbies feel all warm and fuzzy about themselves when they spray at Miguel's, but shouldn't the quality ratings be fair? This only sandbags other climbers looking for classics to come to Muir when they could be getting on real classics elsewhere in the Gorge. I've climbed the routes mentioned above, but I'm sure there are many more like them that I have overlooked or not been on, so please feel free to add to my list.
No disrespect to those who have put up the routes in Muir, I just want to know if the routes are going to get realistic quality ratings when the updated edition to Ray's wonderful guidebook eventually comes out in the far far future. I am well aware that Muir Valley has it's own grading scale for difficulty, but is it fair to trick climbers into coming there, expecting routes such as Little T-bone to be the best 5.10a trad route in the Red? Routes like Rock Wars, Excalibur, and Headstone Surfer come to mind as better 5.10a. And what about Tradisfaction!? you have to scramble up ledges for half the route before the dihedral even begins. Great route, but not classic! Go check out the route Data Dump for a much better, continuous dihedral. Other routes I question include
The Offering is better than C Sharp B Flat?
Dynomite is better than Creature Feature?
International Route of Pancakes actually gets 2 stars!? And Subatomic Fingerlock only gets one? Hmmm... I didn't think anything under 40ft. got 2 stars, and it was discouraged to bolt things only 3 bolts long.
First Fall is better than Africa?
Kentucky Waterfall, a variation to an already overlyhyped climb that is constantly wet is as good as Synchronicity, Thunder Chicken, and Rebar?
Buddha Slept is a 5 star, must do classic? The crux climbs the opening moves to another route, a sport route that only gets 4 stars, yet is a much better route. After branching from the sport route, you continue through some easy, bad rock before a good move or two near the end. A classic should be pretty sustained in my opinion.
The list of appauling overgraded quality ratings goes on and on. I don't mind that Muir is laughably soft, it makes the gumbies feel all warm and fuzzy about themselves when they spray at Miguel's, but shouldn't the quality ratings be fair? This only sandbags other climbers looking for classics to come to Muir when they could be getting on real classics elsewhere in the Gorge. I've climbed the routes mentioned above, but I'm sure there are many more like them that I have overlooked or not been on, so please feel free to add to my list.