Battle of the Bulge 5.11
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Battling the Bulge
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Description This route follows an obvious right-facing corner through a slight bulge (hence the name). It is easy to identify as you walk along the base of the wall, and can be picked out from the Donnelly Canyon parking lot. Look for a right-facing corner that starts atop a block. It is vertical for a bit, then goes to less than vertical before it heads through the slight bulge. The route has two sets of anchors: climbing to the upper set is less contrived but the upper part of the route is slightly lower quality. I listed the rack for climbing to the lower anchors.
The crack is a perfect #0.75 Camalot or #2 Friend size all the way through the bulge. Get in the lieback and SPRINT! The clock is ticking, just plug in the next cam and go go go. I'm sure those with superior techinique or smaller hands will be able to jam more than I could. Once over the bulge, the crack widens slightly. For the liebackers, just pretend the bulge isn't there and you'll be fine.
This is a great first 5.11 lead as minimal thought and technique is required. After you get this route dialed, head to Black Corner or Three Strikes You're Out and go for the onsight.
Protection 3 #0.75 Camalots, 7 #2 Friends, 2 #1 Camalots, 1 #2.5 Friend
Rob Kepley on his battle up the bulge
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Chad smoothly ascends Battle of the Bulge while Ia...
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If you're limited to BD gear, rack up with only th...
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| Comments on Battle of the Bulge |
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By Max Schon
Dec 3, 2003
| I recommend going to the second set of anchors. The climbing is only .10+ but adds another fifty feet of fun climbing. |
By Anonymous Coward
Mar 28, 2004
| Regarding the description above, this is a bad first 5.11 lead, since its probably the hardest of the 5.11 corners at Battle of the Bulge. I actually found Quarter of a Man to be easier. For a first 5.11 lead, do Crack Attack, Cave Route, Black Corner, or even 3 Strikes or Jane Fonda's. Also, I would recommend fewer #2 friends and more 0.75 camalots... the crack is too tight for #2 friends until the bulge. I go with 11+ for the lead, though it will feel substantially easier on TR. |
By d-know
From: electric lady land
Jan 26, 2006
rating: 5.11
| black metolious fat cams are nice on this one |
By andy patterson
Administrator
From: Santa Barbara, CA
Apr 11, 2007
| Big hands beware... that's all I have to say. |
By Michael Sokoloff
From: Spokane, WA
Apr 12, 2007
| I don't understand why this crack is so commonly laybacked. I have average sized hands and feet and never fell into a layback once. It took my feet very well, so aside from being a bit painful the stress level was not too high (i.e. not a bunch of weight on the arms). Laybacking is strenuous, stressful and can create unpredictable falls. Why do it if you don't have to? I concur with the last poster that large hands and more importantly, large feet would make this climb quite difficult. |
By caitlin haring
Dec 8, 2009
| the IC book says to bring a #2 camalot however i was able to do the whole climb with just .75 and # 1 camalots. this is a great climb for people with small hands especially girls! if you have small hands you can climb the crack straight in from top to bottom! great climb! |
By Brian Alexander
Jan 25, 2012
rating: 5.11
| I only used #0.75 and #1 Camalots. I have very fat hands and it was ring locks most of the way for me. |
By Deniz
From: Boise
Jul 5, 2012
| I thought this was one of the harder 5.11s I have gotten on around here. I definitely wouldn't have liked it as my first 5.11 lead but then I am not much of a crack climber... |
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