So what is the motherlode anyways?

I figured that not everyone has been to the lode - so I'll talk about it..

Basically - "The Lode" consists of a few walls - The undertoe wall - which is short(er) - about 25? degree overhanging routes - lots of slopers and crimps, with jugs.

The wall gets progressively taller as you go left (actually the ground drops...)

On the far left is Leave it to Beavis (12d) and Tuna Town (5.12d) - Tuna Town is the classic endurance route. Its about 60? feet of say 11+ or 12- jugs to a rest (60 percent rest I'd say)

The next sequence is fairly hard - maybe a V3 or V4 with a clip in the middle to a rest jug that tend's to be wet (about a 70 or 80 percent rest).

Another hard - sequential boulder problem follows - the finishing move goes to what looks like a horizontal, but its a bumpy kinda crimper thing...you match that up then hit a "rest" jug - get a quick shake here, clip, heel hook and do a move to a really really good rest.

This rest is probably a 85 or 90 percent rest - with heal hooks - you can kinda get your wrist on the jug too...its really nice to rest on.

Then its a V3/V4 to the anchors.

You get maybe 5 good crimpers - then two crappy weird crimpers - there's not real edge on them - kinda bumpy...then you get a good "tooth" crimp - a jug crimp, then a sloper jug to the left of the anchors to clip.

Most people just jump here. You skip the first two clips on the route as a matter of course - to save your belayer (who gets pulled almost to the third) - then you take the 50 footer.

Its pretty casual when you're used to it.

Here's a shot of the undertoe wall - Elodie on Resurrection - a really bouldery 12c....

As you continue on, you hit the madness cave - which is just plain madness - no - its really really steep - its pretty much the reason that a lot of people come to the lode...

the routes grades are as follows (left to right) (not counting extensions)

14a, `13b, 13b, 14a, 13c, 13a - For a lot of the routes - you need a 70m rope - the madness cave essentially climbs a somewhat vertical (for the red) wall to a break - then the wall tips back to REALLY steep for a while - then rounds up to a headwall...here's a photo:

There is the GNC Wall (or something like that) - which has several god, classic routes, including 8-ball (12d), Snooker (13a), Cut Throat (13b?) and Thanatopsis (14b)...its baller...

There's some other walls, but they suck (not really - I'm just done typing)