On the lower South face of Rap Rock, the right hand edge forms a big slabby apron. The left side of this apron forms a huge dihedral with the main wall, which is Black Quacker. Just right of Black Quacker lie the following routes, from left-to right:P1 of The Standard Route (5.5 or 5.7, OK gear), Chiboni (5.9, pin + 3 bolts), Death Or Glory (5.10X, slab) Bender Axen (5.8 cracks) and Take To your Heals (5.9X, slab).
The standard Route is climbed as follows:P1: (5.6 *) Climb up and right across a few slab moves to reach a groove/crack. Place a piece and go up the crack for perhaps 60' to a nice ledge at the base of a big pine tree, and belay here. You can climb the rest of the route or escape now, by climbing to the right between two grooves (5.2?) to reach the escape slabs, and them climb up chickenheads and horns to the summit (5.2?)
P2: (5.7, *) Climb up and right from the ledge on a set of intermittent seams, for maybe 50 feet. Step left to a right facing corner, then climb up to a ledge. From this pevious corner, you can escape right onto the East Slabs and finish to the sumit from there, if you desire to do so, or else you can continue this pitch on past siad ledge and up to another left facing corner. Climb this for another 30 feet or so to a downward pointing flake. Maneuver to the righthand side of this and up to a belay on the ledge up and left of the top of the flake.
P3-5: Finish as for Black Quacker or choose a place to escape to the right and onto the East Slabs to the summit.
Protection
A standard set of stoppers, cams .5" to 4", small tricams + spare long slings for tying off chicken-heads and slinging horns.
By Bobby Hanson From: Salt Lake City, UT May 11, 2005 rating: 5.7
This is a two-star route IF you do the Bender-Axen start. I just did the Standard Route start, and it is not very interesting. B-A is much much better. The second pitch has a 1/4" SMC bolt on it right next to a flake that will easily take gear. Watch for all of the loose blocks on the leaning column on the lower part of the second pitch. Any one of them could completely ruin your belayer's day. If you happen to have a wrench, please tighten the anchor bolts at the top of pitch 3.
By James DeRoussel Administrator From: Tucson, AZ Jun 30, 2008
I actually like the wide crack Standard Route start. It is a little tenuous and not great pro, but fun climbing, to me anyway. I will however, second Bobby's warning. The stack of loose blocks above the pine tree ledge are scary and should be avoided. All in all a great route.
By Jerry Cagle From: Tucson, AZ Sep 14, 2008 rating: 5.7
Bobby, The Standard Route is a fine line. It has a lot of variety for a route in this part of the planet. And it may not be very difficult (start with Chiboni if you need more adrenaline), but it's in an outstanding location and offers nicely fractured cracks, face, slab, chicken-head hiking. It's one of the most "Sierra-Like" routes we've got down here... Those loose blocks are well-consolidated and easy to avoid if you need to. That's just the nature of climbing a big route (ok, it's not all that big) at altitude (or all that high - 9000'?).
I second James' assessment of the wide crack start. It doesn't offer a lot of pro down low, but it's not extremely hard either...
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