Appropriately named, You'll feel like a Bird On A Wire on this one. Maybe the best route on this wall.
Pitch-1 Climb or 3rd class up to the ledge about half way between, The Swift and Dappled Mare. Set up a belay anchor in the left facing corner a few feet right of a vertical crack.
Pitch-2 Climb the ever thining crack system past a couple of bolts. Place a thin pice and tip-toe past it, Crux. The crack eases of and breaks right. Pick a convinient scoop to belay in. Note: Avoid seting up the belay where the route crosses Dappled Mare, (traffic jam). Some parties belay at the bolts just before the crux. This may not be a good idea. If the leader blows out the thin pro at the crux, they'll end up on top of you from high enough to do real damage to both.
Pitch-3 Continue right and up crossing Dappled Mare to the top.
With a long rope and a high tolerance for rope drag, pitches 2-3 could be combined, but why bother?
Protection
Small TCU's or nuts at crux, Trad rack to #3 Camalot
The first time I did this route was in the late 70's, early 80's and there was only one 1/4" bolt.The doubled bolts that are there now are in about the same vicinity, thus the comment on not belaying there.
Climbed last Sunday...my first 10a...awesome route! The bomber hold at the end of the runout crux made me giddy. highly recommended. I used lots of passive vs. cams.
Well I did place a wire shortly after the belay, which I assumed as i climbed - and you so brilliantly pointed out - was the "wire." I would also posit that one would not be a "Bird" unless one were at risk of taking flight (or to put it more clearly, a long fall, aka a runout).
Hence the name "Bird on a Wire," an appropriate tribute to a long fall on a small stopper. Thank you for sharing your keen insights with me. I can now climb in confidence knowing I've benefitted from your wise confirmation of my suspiscions regarding the name of the climb.
Climbed this last week - stellar route but we kept on checking the guide to see if we were actually on the route since we couldn't find anything near a 10a section.
Belayed at the bolts - did it in 2 pitches and couldn't quite decide between 5.7 and 5.8 and figured a good bit of overgrading kept the route avalable for the locals.
Maybe with plastic boots the short slabby bit after the bolts might feel like 10a. And yes, it is perfectly well protected at this point.
I did it again for the umpteenth time last week; and, as usual, I fiddled with the crux to find truely good pro. This time I put in the smallest tri-cams in a couple of spots that seemed appropriate. I think they might actually work. Of course, I didn't jump off to test them. Does anyone know who put in the bolts and why they weren't set side by side? This has always seemed a bit strange to me--one of the great mysteries of life.
I always short the first pitch at the bolts; if I fall on the crux, I may be lucky and my belayer will be a crashpad.Thanks for the info Murf.
By Adam Stackhouse Administrator From: Escondido, Ca Jan 28, 2006 rating: 5.10a
Only one dinker bolt when we did it in 98(?)
By Bill Olszewski From: San Diego, CA Apr 8, 2007 rating: 5.9
I agree with AC - couldn't find a 10a move. I thought the crux was supposed to be passing the bolt just above the first belay - did I miss something? One 5.9 slab move in an otherwise nice 5.7 line.
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