Beast of Burden 

This route is a variation start to Jordy Morgan's route "The Beast" aka "The Gong Show" which starts up the steep crack. I bolted the Beast of Burden variation in 1996 or 1997. The upper bolts of The Beast/GongShow with spinning SMC hangers are originals.

NOTE: In 2005 several key holds broke on this sequential route. The start has been rebolted. There are now five bolts in total. The killer handlebar hold is gone, and a key crimp just above and left of it. I'd call the route .11c now and more sustained, which makes it better.

One of the best routes at the crag, continuous and fun with an athletic crux. There are now 5 bolts on the route, not 4.

Hrmm... I onsighted this last year. I don't think it's an 11c. 10d/11a max for the short, but funky crux sequence.

Or you were feeling strong and read the sequence well? It was a consensus .11b until two holds broke. Definitely harder now. Enough to bump a letter grade? I thought so. Maybe not. Needs more consensus.

Climbed this on Sunday 9/20/09. There is a jug hold right below the fourth bolt at the end of the crack (end of the traverse in from the left on Beast of Burden) that is very loose now and poised to break off in the hand of the next person who yards on it. The portion of the flake above this hold appears solid still.

In hindsight It's so loose I should have ripped it off when lowering but I don't think breaking it off poses a dangerous fall for a leader even if only the third bolt is clipped at that point. Heads up to your belayer though.

It's official, one of the jugs on the crux is no longer in place. When I first approached it today, it was wiggling around, so I thought it better just to work it out, rather than have it drop unexpectedly on a belayer at some point in the future. The crux is conceivably still doable, as the higher jug is still in place, but as the now gone jug marked a "rest" before at the start of the crux, things might be more interesting. This route is amazing, but definitely not easier than 11c, with or without the fallen jug.

There seems to be a bit of a discussion on the grade, so I thought I would add my two cents. I was up there yesterday with 4 others, three of which got on this route. Here are my observations. First, this is a really nice route and the movement through the crux is quite enjoyable. Second, there is no way that this route is 10d/11a. I did the crux a second time as I lowered out, just to make sure that I could evaluate the grade. All of my partners and I came to the same consensus. We all thought this route was about 11b/c. We all thought that it was a bit stout for 11b, but not on the solid side of 11c either. If I were forced to choose, I would push it towards 'c', but just to let a potential leader know (particularly if you are short) that they should be able to pull a move or two harder than 11-. Hope this helps.
Cheers.