Very South in Red Rock NV: Eye Test

Pics by Harlan W S
Oct 23, 2020

I've certainly been harder places lately, but this loop fits in the "sentimental" category.  I came across a gpx file for a hypothetical trip we would take on Dec  1, 2017; we never finished the trip, and I wondered how practical it would be. So today I went for the full loop. In Feb. 2018, I had an accident that changed my life, and today was a test of a condition that still nags me. This condition is known as visual aura, scintilating scotoma, or fortification spectra.  The condition hit me hard today, and proved to be manageable; it's a lot worse when I am driving, and I haven't driven more than 150 miles one way since the accident.

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This little loop, just
east of Mountain Springs,
is just 6.5 miles and about
3000'accumulated gain.
Only the first peak has
significant prominence.
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I have suffered fortification
spectra since the brain
surgery went awry. The
center of my visual field
breaks up. This figure is
from the front cover of
an old edition of
Oliver Sacks' book
on migraines.
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View E over the cliffy side
of Gap Peak, to the South
Peak ridge beyond. There is
actually a class 1-class 2
route over the top of Gap,
with convenient breaks in
the cliffs.
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Hollow Rock Ridge at L
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Windy Peak in distance.
The top of Gap; there
  is a little knife edge that
one can walk onto, but
it ends at a very big cliff.
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Potosi to SSW.
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Desert 4-o'clocks
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As you walk east along
the N edge of the
cliffs on Gap, you
will hit this outcrop.
Head on the right side
and you will find a class
1-2 route east.
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View back W to
the gap in cliffs.
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The real test was
cutting diagonally E
up to South Point.
My fortification
spectra hit with a
vengeance,
because I was
looking up.
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There were several deep
gullies to cross, and my eyes
were definitely screwy; but I
was little disturbed (it's
a lot scarier when this hits as
I am driving, and I haven't
driven more than ~150
miles -in a day- since the
surgery).
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South Point is a bit hard
to reach, and doesn't get
many visitors. The green
ink signatures are from
our LVMC group that
was here...
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...back in Nov 2017. Erica,
Susie and Kevin
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From South Point, view
of Monument and
East Peak
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...and view of Hollow
Rock across canyon.
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View of Pa's Rump
to SW.
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View back on South
Point as I head W
on ridge
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Hollow Rock in
distance at R
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View back at
South Point
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Hollow Rock across
canyon
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Now I'm on South Peak,
the highpoint of that
ridge
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Hollow Rock to E.
There are two easy routes,
both initially look scary.
At top is a 5000 lbs
 galvanized cable with
  a 5000 lb (breaking
strength) quicklink*;
 through which one can
 thread a doubled
20 meter 15mm webbing
strap for "protection."
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The L route from
previous picture
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More detail. I usually go
up on the very R; lots of
subtle, good holds.
Occasionally this stretch
sprouts handlines.
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Ways back E on ridge.
*The quicklink is designated 1000 lbs working limit (WL),
but the breaking strength is 5x the WL.  I bought a batch
of these, and randomly selected 3, which I brought to 1500lbs
with a Hi-lift jack and crane scale; I could unscrew
them by hand after the test. "Bad" quicklinks-- typically
bought on-line from Asia -- have one typical failure mode:
the screw-on pulls off the nose at forces well below the WL.
I don't have a set-up to pull the quicklinks to breaking,
nor do I want to.   That anchor is unlikely to see forces
much above body weight.