A quick trip up the SPH...

Yesterday I went up for a day, though the situation was confused with a bunch of potential climbing partners... in the end the confusion resolved and I was headed up in 510OW for the pass.

It's always a cool place to climb, up on the crest, high alpine with this road running through it and unlimited cragging possibilities on virgin granite (read crusty...).

There are a group of climbers dedicated to putting up FAs along the SPH, I am sort of periphery of the activities of this tribe, I've trespassed on the privacy with which they engage in this development. But there are many well documented routes, you can see these at

http://www.sonorapassclimbing.com/

Our climbing party was less one, poor scuffy_b was at home sick... so it was me, spyork, and Jaybro, Nurse Ratchet and Pat Kingsbury.

Here Nurse Ratchet seconds up the chimney Wagon Train, 5.9, which Pat lead.
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no pro below 6" for this puppy...

The weather was interesting, with wonderful clouds rolling in from the south all day keeping us out of the sun. Here spyork munches down and checks the weather action
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Over on Penstemmon Pillar a nice little 5.10a sport route on wonderful knobs (wonderful because they didn't break off...)

Here Pat leads at the crux
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The Nurse fires it on toprope, no problem!
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with the peanut gallery looking on appreciatively.
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Here is the birthday boy basking in the sun
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and spyork clearing the gear in the setting sun
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What a great day, and such a beautiful place to climb.
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And as the sun sets, I get ready to make the run back to Livermore to make an appointment with a pond project in the backyard... so many things to do, so little time.

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No chipmunks were harmed in the making of this trip report