An awesome crack route that is generally well-protected. Very memorable views and climbing. 3rd class up (about 150') to the base of the most obvious cracks on the NW Face and build a belay. p1- Climb a great crack to a 5.9 overlap. Pull the overlap. Book says to stop here. We continued through the next great 5.8 crack section and stopped on a roomy ledge. Right at the end of the 60m, but we could've third-classed in higher from the ground. 5.9, 200'. p2- Climb great 5.8 fingers to a .10a hands section. The book says to belay here at a small ledge. W/ a 60, it's easy to gun it through the .10c thin crack to a good ledge. Belay here where the crack peters out. Have some smaller nuts to back up the piton with. 5.10c, 170'. p3- Work up to the top of the flake off the belay ledge and piece together a route through the face to the crack above and right. 5.9, 50'. NOTE- w/ a 70, you might be able to link pitches two and three in a marathon pitch.
Location
Walk off the back side down the obvious low-angle route.
Protection
I took doubles from the .1 camalot to a #2 camalot, with a single three.
To echo everyone else...this thing was WAY easy for the grade, especially compared to something like Lunatic Fringe in the Valley (another 10c thin crack).
Actually it can be linked in two pitches with a 60m also. You are holding all the remaining slack in your hand when the leader finishes, so be careful if you have a shortened rope or expect to simul a couple feet.
Pitch one: After scrambling up to where the face steepens, build a belay. Lead up past the roof to the highest ledge with some shrubby trees on it, below the 5.8 fingers. Pitch two: Do the rest of the route and stop at a ledge just below where the angle of the face kicks way back. Scramble to the top from here.
the potential problem with linking the upper two pitches is that with a lot of rope out you are going to get a lot of stretch in the rope if you blow the crux, and there's a big flat ledge right beneath you.
i agree with n.stayner's pitch beta, with a 60. the trick is, as he says, to climb up as far as you are comfortable before belaying the first pitch.
The 10a hands section was more difficult and frightening to get out of than anything on the 10c crux. We did this in two full on 70 meter pitches. I was lucky enough to enjoy leading both of the hard parts.
By Andy Laakmann Site Landlord From: Jackson Hole, WY Jul 20, 2009 rating: 5.10c
Sweet stuff. We did it in three pitches, and I would do it again that way. The crux is right off a ledge - and although short - it is seemed stout in my opinion. With any rope stretch, you'd be guaranteed to hit the ledge. For P1, we belayed a little too low and had to simul climb about 25'.
The climbing is quite different between each pitch - P1 is delicate slabbing with pin scars, P2 is a sweet hand crack, and P3 is fingers with a bonus slab move.
Standard rack worked for us. Double set of cams + nuts.
Really fun route with mostly good pro. The .10a crux on P2 isn't too bad, it's long reaches to good hand jams. I fell once at the 5.10b finger crack and can verify that the pro is good and the fall is clean. The scariest part for me was actually the 5.9 slab move after the crux on pitch 3. While it's not the hardest of moves, you'd hit the ledge if you fell off . . .
As I stood below the crux pondering the moves above clad in a pair of full-length Levis [knee pads?], rugby shirt , wreath of 1" tubular webbing....and carrying a 30lb rack overflowing with biners , hexes , wireds , cams , figure eight etc....a climber suddenly appeared from below and politely asked if he could climb-through. Grateful for the delay and a chance to snatch the beta , I leaned my load to the right and watched as this man moved effortlessly towards the horizon....wearing only a pair of gym shorts , chalk bag , suntan , and a shock of blond hair.
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