Any route or boulder problem that starts out of or near an occupied campsite may not be done without first obtaining the campsite occupant's permission.
BETA PHOTO: Count Dracula, 5.10d
Description
This is the first route to the right of a slanting chimney/crack on the midsection of the Northwest face.
Boulder up fairly high past some stiff moves to a bolt and continue up past two more to the top. Gear needed for anchor and walk off right (climber's).
An interesting bit of trivia - On the first ascent the resourceful climbers dragged a picnic table over to the base of the wall, stood it on end, and drilled the first bolt standing off it!
The holds on this were slick and polished. Agreed on the edging shoes- edging power will beat sensitivity on this climb. The technical crux is just before the first bolt and the security crux just after it. For the technical crux, I had my right hand in the upper right "circle crimp" and my left hand in the lower left one. I smeared up on the left toe (as I couldn't hold the available edge with what I was wearing) and matched my right foot to my right hand, then stood up on it off of a sidepull in that circle. The "security crux" above was a mantle off of a tiny crimp and a gaston. Several people in my party either tried or attempted to TR this afterwards and nobody made the first crux without the match described. The question is, did we miss something, or is this thing more like a 5.11 these days? (Broken holds & It needs a good brushing too.)
Aside of this, FYI- you can load a flake way up above it with a down-pointing horizontal crack with a load of small cams for a directional to keep your partner from swinging if they follow you. Take up a set of TCUs or Aliens and a piece of cord.
I thought this was a typical "old school" Josh 5.10d face climb on crimpers when I lead it a few months ago. I don't remember any potential pendulum problems for someone following the route if they came off.
By Kevin Powell From: Joshua Tree, Ca. Mar 3, 2006
Just wanted to clarify the comment about the picnic table. It is true, that is how the first bolt was eventually drilled. But, first Hensel and I spent about an hour climbing up and down, taking turns standing on the holds that you clip the first bolt off of now and hand drilling. Back then the drill bits we were using were brittle and if you hit the drill handle a little off center the bits would sometimes break. Just as I was finishing the hole that is exactly what happened. Rather than repeat that whole process over, we brought the picnic table over stood on it and redrilled the hole. KP
Castle Rock
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