Bloodletting 5.11+
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Laura standing below Bloodletting.
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Description For those not familiar with the term, bloodletting was a technique used back in the old days to cleanse a sick person of bad blood. The patient's forearms were cut and the blood would flow, many times for a bit too long. If you get on this route, you will quickly realize the validity of the name. I am not completely sure that this is an FA and would love to hear some feedback. It is a sustained, overhanging #3 to #4 Camalot crack for the first 40', then you get to a pod and the crack arcs right and pinches down to very flared, thin hands and fingers. I know Vedauwoo very well and I have never heard of this or seen any pictures, but it is very worthy. I won't lie, the rock quality is good in the fist crack section, but once you hit the pod and the finger crack starts the rock becomes very grainy, sharp and crystally. I think with a few more ascents it will clean up a lot. One reason I believe it to be an FA is the amount of cleaning I did. This is a good hard Vedauwoo route that should get good with some action. Get on it and let me know what you think.
Location This route is tough to find despite its vicinity to Reynolds. You can't see it until you are right under it. If you are at the climb and punishment area walk climber's right staying out of the rocks and on easy ground. You will basically continue around the base of Reynolds until it becomes a lot of smaller flake/pinnacle formations. Walk around a cool feature with some flares and a big conglomerate band that makes a roof. Once you walk around the corner of this formation which is basically the end of the Reynolds jumble walk about 100 feet still keeping the rock immediately on your left and keep looking left. Go up a slot between two boulders with a dead tree on the ground on the left side and Bloodletting will be right in front of you. It is directly across the valley from muscle and fitness, and if you are at end of the road rocks and looking at Reynolds you will see a right arcing crack low down, that's it. I will put in anchors soon, but for now downclimb the analog crack. Bloodletting is a splitter up an overhanging tombstone looking rock and the descent is only about 5.6.
Protection Mainly #3-old #4 Camalots with a fingers piece or two for the end.
By Handsome B. Wonderful
May 7, 2008
| Yeah Pablo, I think you are thinking of the same one. If you are looking at Reynolds just after the stream crossing on the approach, the route is on the farthest right fin. |
By Jim Brink
Oct 20, 2010
| Glad to see this crack has finally been climbed. Rob Kellman (Vedauwoo guide author) found it on a hike with his girlfriend now wife, Mary. Rob tentatively named the route Mary Queen of Cracks. He and I went to do it on Aug 20, 1993. Skip Harper may have been there, too. I was able to climb the crack with several falls. I went back two or three times more and got it down to the final move at the top which I could do but could never get in a single push. I thought it was 5.12. I have always meant to go back and work on it again but never got around to it. There is a picture of me on that last move in the first edition of Rob's guidebook.
I agree wholeheartedly with your assessment of the quality of this climb. This is a tremendous climb. Congratulations.
Jim Brink |
By Jim Brink
Oct 20, 2010
| Another thought. I'm not sure that a hard climb with an easy walkoff needs anchors.
Jim |
By Handsome B. Wonderful
Oct 21, 2010
| Thanks for your comment, Jim. I have been trying to track you down to see if you got this climb, but I have been unable to find any contact info for you. I would not be shocked if this climb was a .12 but hesitated to give it that grade, because a) I like to give tough grades and b) It might get easier once it cleans up a bit. I haven't heard of anyone making a second ascent-despite significant prodding- so I don't know. I thought about anchors only because this is definitely a rope eater, but I could not figure out where to put them with a good rope pull and still make the climber unable to clip before pulling the crux move. So, I will probably not put anchors in anytime soon. The downclimb is pretty easy. |
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