| FLOYD HAYES |
| ROCK CLIMBING |
| BOULDERING AT MOSSY ROCK IN ANGWIN, NAPA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Mossy Rock is a 20' tall boulder located along the Mossy Rock Trail, one of many trails accessible to the public on property belonging to Pacific Union College (PUC). The boulder has a long but unpublished history of climbing by Tony Yaniro (climbed first 5.13 in North America), Mark Spencer (author of "Southern Yosemite Rock Climbs") and the late Jim Hanson (rock climbing instructor at PUC), among others. I first climbed at the boulder in September 2005 and, together with Chris Summit (author of "Wine Country Rocks"), we named and rated the problems and variations listed in the topo below but do not claim any first ascents (although Chris may have been the first to do some of the harder traverses and sit starts). Names are given as a convenience for the climbing community, but if anybody knows of names preceding ours (or objects to new names coined for old problems), we would happily rename (or delete) them. And we welcome feedback on ratings, which include both Vermin and Yosemite Decimal System. All climbs can be top-roped from tree anchors in combination with rusty bolt anchors for a directional (double bolts with a chain above main South Face, single hangerless bolts on each end). The best climbs are indicated with an asterisk. An additional topo and photos of climbs at Mossy Rock are posted at Chris Summit's website (click here). DIRECTIONS From either Rt. 29 or Silverado Trail in St. Helena, take Deer Park Road (which turns into Howell Mountain Road) northeast and wind uphill until the road levels and straightens out with athletic fields on the left. Turn right at Cold Springs Road and continue straight across the first intersection onto Las Posadas Road until Las Posadas turns sharply right. Park in the obvious parking spaces on the corner and hike along the middle trail, crossing a fence and another wider trail, then turn right at the first fork. The trail continues along Mossy Rock Creek (dry during summer and early fall) and the boulder is obvious on the left side of the trail about a half mile (10 minutes' walk) from the parking area. |
| WEST FACE 1. RELATIVITY* V0- / 5.9 (face) SOUTH FACE 2. MONKEY SEE MONKEY DO* V0 / 5.10b (arete) MONKEY POO V1 / 5.11a (sit start, finish on #2) or V0+ / 5.10c (sit start, finish on #1) TANGO V0+ / 5.10d (start on #2, hand traverse right, finish on #4) 3. FREEWILL* V5 / 5.12b (sit start on #2, traverse right below horizontal crack, finish on #14) 4. NO BRAIN NO PAIN* V2 / 5.11c (face) or V2 / 5.11b (finish on arete on right) NO PAIN NO GAIN V4 / 5.12a (sit start) 5. MOSSY MONSTER V0 / 5.10a (crack) MONSTER MAGNET V0+ / 5.10c (sit start) MANGO V0+ / 5.10d (start on #5, hand traverse left, finish on #2) 6. HUMPTY DUMPTY V0 / 5.10a (arete) DUMPTY HUMPTY V0+ / 5.10d (sit start) 7. SQUEAL IF YOU PEEL V1r / 5.11a TR (face and cracks; start at tree, climb up and left) 8. DREAMWEAVER* V0+r / 5.10d TR (face; start 1 foot right of tree, finish on left sidepulls left of bolts) 9. FOOTLOOSE* V1r / 5.11a TR (face; start 6 feet right of tree, finish on right arete right of bolts) 10. FANCY FREE* V3r / 5.11d TR (face, diagonal up and left to #9; avoid sloping ledge) SOUTH+EAST FACE 11. BOOTY V3 / 5.11d (sit start left of arete, traverse right, finish on #14) 12. DIRTY DANCIN V0+ / 5.10c (arete) or V1 / 5.11a (sit start from #11) EAST FACE 13. WING IT OR DING IT V0 / 5.10c (left side of face) 14. TEARS OF THE LORAX V0- / 5.10a (center of face) 15. HIGHLIGHT OF TWILIGHT 5.7 (right side of face) PILLAR OF DOOM 5.7 (arete) EAST+SOUTH+WEST FACES 16. MOSSY ROCK TRAVERSE* V4 / 5.12a (sit start #14, traverse left to MANGO variation, finish on #1) |
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