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tekewin Posts: 368
11/25/2019
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Elder North is a spiky peak with good prominence near Elder Benchmark in Collins Valley. From the jeep trail at Salvador Canyon, it's less than two miles away, but the terrain is a tough scramble. There were three ascents listed in peakbagger and lists of john, but none had attempted the class 5 summit block. I headed up Salvador Canyon, easy going at first. Scrambling and route finding were difficult and occasional bushwhacking necessary. Slight differences in route can magnify the effort. After picking my way up the lower ridge, I side hilled around a false summit. From the saddle below the summit, I followed a ledge system running SE to NW. Near the top of the ledge, there was one exposed move that I bypassed by going through a small tree. The final section is a short gully leading to the summit area.
Starting up the ridge
Passed false summit on the right
Views of the surrounding area were amazing. There are several house sized boulders littering the summit. The highest point was a 15' chossy block on top of an multi-story apartment sized boulder. It was well beyond my climbing ability. Before dealing with the block, I attended to other summit business. I located the register in a glass jar inside a small red can. It was signed by the party that placed it, Richard Carey and Shelley Rogers, and no one else. I signed it and placed the jar and can inside an upgraded ammo box I brought with me. I left a second register book I had prepared in case I could not find the original.
First view of the summit
Summit block
Upgrade the register container to an ammo box
I flaked out the 40m rope and got a good throw over the block on the first try, using most of it. There is a huge drop off on the far side. I went back down the gully and found a bomber anchor in the form of a 6" diameter tree. About 90' below the summit. Unsure what kind of tree it was. Back on top, I used two Prusiks to ascend the rope. I'm not sure this block can be climbed without aid because it is basically glued kitty litter, coming apart wherever it was touched. I was delighted to reach the summit and straddle the block. It was only about 2' wide where the rope went over and the weight of the rope on the far side exerted a small tug on me. I didn't want to stand up. The block got a little wider toward the pointy end. I took a few photos, then rappelled to safety. It was only a six hour effort, but probably my best solo mountaineering achievement. Note: this was my second attempt at Elder North. On my first try, I brought a rope that was too short and could not find a safe anchor. 3.7 miles round trip, 2063' gain.
Anchor
Summit far above
On the summit block
Long drop to the anchor
Ascent side
This mountain has teeth
edited by tekewin on 11/25/2019
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Rocko1 Posts: 597
11/25/2019
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Wow great report! I love the more obscure 'peaks' of the desert. Looks like a great time.
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deborah Posts: 115
11/26/2019
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Nice job! It does sound like fun!
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rockhopper Posts: 668
11/26/2019
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Great expedition. Glad you made it to the summit!
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tekewin Posts: 368
11/26/2019
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Rocko1 wrote:
Wow great report! I love the more obscure 'peaks' of the desert. Looks like a great time.
These kinds of peaks are why I love Anza-Borrego so much. It is filled with awe inspiring stuff that most people will never see, and wouldn't appreciate if they did.
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Buford Posts: 456
11/27/2019
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Nice work. Must be a real adventure if the Monday Maniacs have not been there yet.
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Links to my photos: ABDSP photos, Bighorn sheep photos, ABDSP time lapse video, Wildlife photos (mainly birds)
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dsefcik Administrator Posts: 2622
11/29/2019
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Nice work....!
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http://www.sefcik.com
http://www.darensefcik.com
http://www.carrizogorge.com
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tekewin Posts: 368
11/29/2019
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Buford wrote:
Nice work. Must be a real adventure if the Monday Maniacs have not been there yet.
Pretty remote, but not that far from Salvador Canyon. Monday Maniacs turn up everywhere, so it's only a matter of time until they get there.
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tekewin Posts: 368
11/29/2019
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dsefcik wrote:
Nice work....!
Thanks, Darren.
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Buford Posts: 456
11/29/2019
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tekewin wrote:
Buford wrote:
Nice work. Must be a real adventure if the Monday Maniacs have not been there yet.
Pretty remote, but not that far from Salvador Canyon. Monday Maniacs turn up everywhere, so it's only a matter of time until they get there.
When I did Collins BM, we came down into the mouth of Salvador canyon to exit. The canyon itself looked some it was worth exploring too.
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Links to my photos: ABDSP photos, Bighorn sheep photos, ABDSP time lapse video, Wildlife photos (mainly birds)
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tekewin Posts: 368
12/2/2019
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Buford wrote:
When I did Collins BM, we came down into the mouth of Salvador canyon to exit. The canyon itself looked some it was worth exploring too.
Yes, Salvador looks interesting. If you go far enough, there is definitely a palm oasis and what looks like a lot of catclaw.
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