Wild route! Sustained. Walking right from George's Buttress you pass Mistaken Identity, Stoner's Boner, and then a large rectangular block against the base. Centerpiece climbs the obvious vertical crack system that starts from the right side of this block. A little further is a prominent left facing left leaning corner that starts a ways off the ground. The standard start goes up right then underclingd left and then traverses further left to reach the base of the corner. This is a bit runout, but not too hard. This also leads to rope drag. You might want to back clean the first few pieces after getting good gear in the corner. The direct start is up a thin crack in a slab. Gear looks good but fiddly. I did the standard start.
The corner is awkward and strenuous, but with good gear. Laybacks, jams and stems get you to the top. This was the physical crux for me. Stem right, and you're finally in balance. Step around to the right and climb a fun slab with mostly good footholds and great gear in a right angling crack. There is a runout bit near the top of this slab, not because there is no gear, but because it's hard to stop. Step left at the top of this section to a ledge system. The two chopped bolts will be at head level. You could place gear here and traveser way left on the ledge system (I almost did), but instead continue up the thin crack with funky gear (good at the bottom, shallow TCU, brass nut higher up). At the top I couldn't figure out what to do. It was windy, cold, and I was getting a bit gripped. Downclimbed 3 times, and finally decided to step left to some decent knobs and make a long reach to a good hold. It wasn't that hard (5.8?), but it was the head crux for me.
The belay on the large ledge is funky. You can get a couple of small cams directly above. I hiked left about 20-30 feet and placed a couple of large cams, then hiked back and belayed above the final moves. To get off, traverse left around an exposed corner to easy ground, then scramble down and climber's left to the base of George's Buttress.
Protection
Double cams from micro to gold Camalot. Single set nuts from brass to large. Long slings. WARNING: The 2-bolt anchor indicated on the top in Squeezing the Lemmon II is chopped as of this date. That guide also indicates mixed trad/bolts ("[B,G]"), but there are no protection bolts.
If you like plugging gear, this is a must do route. Rope drag was a concern so I did the traverse with no protection (don't rush it and don't look down). The corner is funky. The upper right angling crack is funky too and continues to steadily wear you down. The mental crux was the section above the chopped anchors. I had a serious pump in my left forearm by now and this section, although not the hardest, may be your undoing. Solid 10a.
The anchor requires finger size cams like a blue, green, and yellow alien. I only had one tiny cam left so I fiddled around with nuts. The more cams you have, the happier you will be.
By Tony Bubb From: Boulder, CO Jan 1, 2008 rating: 5.10
The best of the routes I have done on this wall. The chopped bolts were a blessing, I guess, because I just kept going, well above the blue alien in the thin crack and directly up a very thin crack and face with horizontals, continuing up to a very large sloping ledge with trees. The upper section above the missing anchor was the best part! From the ledge, scramble up and left to a 2-bolt anchor with my cordalette and a biner on it and rap twice from there, the first being back to the top of Mistaken Identity/New Year's Eve, then to the ground. No doubt, someone will take the biner and cord, but it can always be replaced if you get stuck up there... or figure out some other escape.
Chimney Rock
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