Starts in wide crack, intersects roof at 50 feet, then 35 feet of horizontal offwidth, and finally pulling through and emerging in daylight and fresh air.
Location
As approaching Painted Warrior wall, keep your eyes above for the edge of a massive roof. Let your pupils adjust, then realize the immense crack in the roof. Reverse your approach 50 feet, and skirt across low angle ledges to enter the cave. Dry occasionally.
Protection
Doubles to 4". the "R" is for the transition from vertical to horizontal. One trick is to turn away from the wall and to stem your way into finding pro. Spicy. Bolted anchors and a directional belay bolt at the lip of the roof.
this route is not intended for the claustrophibic, nor arachnaphobic. its best to find this one dry by searching in the late summer or early fall. if it is dry, its likely to be warm, humid, buggy, and filled with spiders- all of which qualify a quality southern roof crack. on the fa, we found thick webs and ninja spiders able to jump back and forth from one side of the crack to the other. these deadly creatures were most obviously trying to kill us. thankfully, a few quick swipes of the hand at timely moments, followed by a heavy thud as they hit the ground below, protected us from serious danger. be thankful for the added gear at the routes end. while it doesn't actually protect the climbing, it does make the belay more comfortable. enjoy this new-wave classic. -ben
Valley of The Blind
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