Hitonmi struggles at the Pwerful Crux of "Karl's G...
Description
Karl's Gym begins as a clean fist crack through the first roof. Higher up, the crack becomes thinner and more fractured as you pull through the second crux.
Protection
Gear to 2.5", there are three rap bolts shared by "Hanz and Franz" at the top. To top rope, either hike all the way around the rock, (which is pretty far either way you chose) or first climb one of the easier climbs to the right, then reach the bolts from above. About a 20' sling will help reduce rope drag.
By Aron Quiter Administrator From: Berkeley, CA Oct 9, 2002 rating: 5.10d
The initial crack section of this route is a great overhanging workout.
Lotsa work for a 5.10d!
By Tony B From: Boulder, CO Sep 29, 2003 rating: 5.10d
The climb as described seems off. I jammed a few flakes with handjams to reach the first roof, whereupon I had a hard time getting anything larger than my second knuckle in. I'd call it a slanting fingercrack through a roof, really, with a few "super secret" hidden jugs and a few thin hands jams here and there, after the first crux (10d). The upper crack is a wide stem area with nice layback holds (10b). The 3-bolt anchor up top goes fine with a cordalette or a few 2' slings. Short people (_ 5'5") can pull through the roof into a funky leaning sloper lieback which gets "good" when you paste a foot out right onto the flake just below the lip and reach for the good hold/crack.
Fun, but not a classic. There are better lines at the cliff.
A fair 10d where I am from, but might be harder than other climbs of the same grade at this cliff. Very hard for shorter people.
physical roof pull down low. I didn't find the hidden jugs and went with my old standby, the desperation lunge.
upper crux is a little easier, but the stem is pretty slick.
I followed this. My partner led it, and took a couple falls on the low crux. He only had a yellow alien, and a top piece red alien in. Every time he fell, the lead end clipped back into the yellow alien, 3x in a row, so we had to throw a locker on there to keep it out!
I too disagree with the official description of the climb. The lower part consists of a couple of face moves up to a roof with a leaning off fingers crack above it it. This aint no fist crack.
By tallmark515 From: San Francisco Jul 20, 2009 rating: 5.10d
Onsight. Great route! As mentioned above, pulling the first roof is definitely the crux of the route. Easy face climbing for 10' leads to the first roof (.10d), finger sized cracks in the bottom of the roof will help you leverage yourself while seeking good locks above the roof. Seek out the hand jam (and hidden jug... if this is what the above poster is referencing), get your right foot up and work the crack (I liebacked it) until you hit the solid hand jam. Short but sweet.
Second section, .10c, involves a few lieback moves on a great (yet polished) vertical lip of a crack. Work the crack with a few jams until you hit the jugs up high.
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