Trip Report
slates spire: hard core!
Saturday May 4, 2013 11:56pm
So this is a chossy spire on the big sur coast that me and my buddys have been wanting to do and the low tide was at 1 PM so we went up and did it! We had to go into thigh deep water to get on it which was super adventuras!
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driving up
driving up
Credit: whitemeat
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Bryce and Aaron running to the spire before low tide ends!
Bryce and Aaron running to the spire before low tide ends!
Credit: whitemeat
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there was some people on it but were not in the way!
there was some people on it but were not in the way!
Credit: whitemeat
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Bryce coming up
Bryce coming up
Credit: whitemeat
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getting there!
getting there!
Credit: whitemeat
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Aaron is stoked!
Aaron is stoked!
Credit: whitemeat
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me on top!
me on top!
Credit: whitemeat
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Credit: whitemeat
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salmon creek falls!
salmon creek falls!
Credit: whitemeat
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funny little banana slug
funny little banana slug
Credit: whitemeat
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and we stumbled upon some top rope anchors so figured what the hell!
and we stumbled upon some top rope anchors so figured what the hell!
Credit: whitemeat
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  Trip Report Views: 3,669
whitemeat
About the Author
whitemeat is a trad climber from San Luis Obispo, CA.

Comments
Dapper Dan

Trad climber
Redwood City
  May 5, 2013 - 12:01am PT
Super cool ! Did you sign the register on top ?
whitemeat

Trad climber
San Luis Obispo, CA
Author's Reply  May 5, 2013 - 12:04am PT
there was no register:(
Mungeclimber

Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
  May 5, 2013 - 12:11am PT
neat. Ever since I saw Jody's pic of this, I've wanted to check this out. Choss, spire, ocean, I mean what's not to like?
ß Î Ø T Ç H

Boulder climber
ne'er–do–well
  May 5, 2013 - 12:25am PT
At the risk of coz questioning my sexual orientation, where's Hunter?
whitemeat

Trad climber
San Luis Obispo, CA
Author's Reply  May 5, 2013 - 12:37am PT
haha good ?, he thought the drive would not be worth it! well it was!
enjoimx

Trad climber
Yosemite
  May 5, 2013 - 12:59am PT
Awesome!!nhey I'm in SLO for two more weeks before moving to the Valley. if you need a partner....you seem really psyched and I would love to climb with you!

Rob
Roxy

Trad climber
CA Central Coast
  May 5, 2013 - 01:08am PT
that looks like a good day out!

leading in wet shoes was prolly fun
Wayno

Big Wall climber
Republic, WA
  May 5, 2013 - 01:22am PT
Great stuff! I spent a lot of time exploring that part of the coast. One of the most truly magical places i have enjoyed. What is going at Gorda? There used to be a restaurant and some cabins there and I was offered a job there to run the kitchen. One of the few places where Elephant Seals still breed.
Trad is Rad

Trad climber
San Luis Obispo California
  May 5, 2013 - 02:31am PT
Choss, spire, ocean, I mean what's not to like?
That is my new favorite quote.
JEleazarian

Trad climber
Fresno CA
  May 5, 2013 - 03:31am PT
Just when I think there's nothing new under the sun, I get to read and look at a thread like this. Wonderful!

Thanks much.

John
Norwegian

Trad climber
dancin on the tip of god's middle finger
  May 5, 2013 - 07:22am PT
i was walking down the liquor isle,
and there was this girl with
a guilty smile.

she was from san luis obispo,
then i heard about her,
livin in new york.

she took her fine bone structure
and headed to a different port.

Bad Climber

Trad climber
The Lawless Border Regions
  May 5, 2013 - 08:51am PT
Love your reports, but please! put! the! brakes! on! the! exclamation! marks!

BAd
Eric Beck

Sport climber
Bishop, California
  May 5, 2013 - 01:02pm PT
More data? We see the anchor bolts. Any protection? How hard? More than one route? Looks very cool.
whitemeat

Trad climber
San Luis Obispo, CA
Author's Reply  May 5, 2013 - 05:39pm PT
2 bolts for 50' of climbing. Slater says 5.5 but I thought it was 5.3 in wet tennis shoes. there is no natural protection, "they" say it is very lose and very slippery due to the bird sh#t but it was suprisingly very solid and not slippery! we didn't look for other "lines" but in the book they only say 1 route which is the regular route.
Darwin

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
  May 6, 2013 - 01:18am PT
Bump for doing cool stuff. I can just imagine the smell of tide lands and sounds of surf breaking on rocks.
Mungeclimber

Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
  May 6, 2013 - 02:19am PT
better surf breaking on the rocks, than rocks breaking on the surf.
RP3

Big Wall climber
Newbury Park
  May 6, 2013 - 11:27am PT
Looks like fun!
Ezra Ellis

Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
  May 7, 2013 - 10:53pm PT
Nice job meat!!!
Slater

Trad climber
Central Coast
  May 7, 2013 - 11:40pm PT
Dude, that's my spire! and my route!


Hope you appreciated the titanium bolts.

5.3... 5.5... what's the difference? I call everything that is easy 5.5. Anything easier and you don't need a rope, right? But the crack start it for sure 5.5 for about 12 feet.

Bummed my high-tec register blew off. It was attached with a cable to the anchor! Probably in Mexico by now.

I remember on the First Ascent I was sketched 'cause I was on lead with a drill and knew that if I got to the top and the rock was just rubble and I couldn't get a bolt in... then what? Ah, pure adventure.

Back then I didn't know I could do it in wet sneakers and that it was only 5.3. From here on out forget ropes people! My buddy Brandon Thau did it barefoot as I remember. But he used a rope too. What a puss.

Glad to see it is getting traffic. Kind of a unique experience.

Climb on.
Clint Cummins

Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
  May 7, 2013 - 11:55pm PT
Nice!
Link to Tom Slater's previous trip report with photos:
http://www.supertopo.com/tr/California-Central-Coast-Pictorial-Part-1-Big-Sur/t10502n.html
Slater

Trad climber
Central Coast
  May 7, 2013 - 11:59pm PT
Clint... your mind is like a stainless steel trap man! Forgot that was even out there. And damn, that register looks even more bitchin' that I remember!
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