Type: Trad, Alpine, 500 ft (152 m), 6 pitches, Grade III
FA: George Lowe, Greg Cameron
Page Views: 9,890 total · 39/month
Shared By: Greg Cameron on Jul 26, 2003
Admins: Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC

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Description Suggest change

Cannonball Corner climbs the main, right-facing dihedral system that forms the right edge of Road Warrior Buttress. The route starts off in the second-to-left most dihedral in the system. The route will eventually merge with the leftmost dihedral at the end of the 3rd pitch. After having done it for the third time yesterday (8/4/2018), it’s particularly clear to me that this is almost certainly the loosest of the routes on the wall.  I love this kind of climbing, but it’s not for everybody. Parts of the first, third, and fifth pitches involve heads-up climbing with loose flakes ranging in size from dinner plates to maybe 10 times larger. The crux pitch, (4th) is the cleanest, for sure.

Because I did this (for the third time) just after a couple of reported other ascents, I think that I can say something about anticipation of wet conditions. The two parties that commented before me said they experienced dry conditions. Yesterday, we experienced wetness at the very start and also on the fifth pitch. It had rained in the mid-afternoon in Denver the day before. I remember thinking that maybe we should climb elsewhere, but we went for it, and I'm glad we did. The lesson, however, is that wetness on this climb is mainly due to seepage and can vary from day-to-day. The Black Wall has a broad flat top, perfect for retaining local, transient rainfall. Keep this in mind in your plans.

Pitch 1 (160 feet). The belay for the first pitch is not obvious. To get to it, don't stay too high. You need to descend a few discontinuous ledges from the start of Good Evans and Road Warrior before continuing north (climber's right). As you continue past Road Warrior, the huge dihedral system will come into view. I would think that a bolted anchor here would be a welcome addition. As it is, find anything you can in the scree beneath the start. The climb starts off in a short, right-facing, widish crack that leads up to a short, right-facing lieback to the base of a left leaning ramp. This is only a fifth of the way up the pitch, so watch for rope drag here. Climb the easy ramp, and near its top, do some face climbing to a short, right-facing dihedral, work up and bit right, past an old bolt, and then back left into the dihedral system again (5.9 heads-up). Continue up past an overhang (5.10a) to a nice ledge.

Pitch 2 (100 feet).  A perfect hand size crack goes up for 60 feet (5.9), leading to a lower-angle ramp trending left (with a bit of looseness at the transition). Belay near the top of the ramp and below a steep section of crack.

Pitch 3 (80 feet). Ascend the steep crack that widens to 4 inches and more to a 2-foot by 2-foor ledge that is of questionable stability underneath a huge roof (5.9, heads-up). There are some loose flakes in the crack that are difficult not to use (I jam them). A number 5 Camalot can be helpful on this pitch, although this is the first time that I used one here.

Pitch 4 (40 feet). To your right is a crack that turns a small roof and then continues through a bigger roof 35 feet out. The 5.10+ crux of the route is underclinging the bigger one. You actually have to climb down a bit to pull the undercling. You just have to suck it up and do it here. A number 5 can be used to help protect this, but I have always placed it after doing the actual crux. Smaller gear is to your left and above you.

Pitch 5 (90 feet). This pitch is often wet, but I’ve never experienced it as too wet to climb. Move a bit left and then up some loose flakes for maybe 30 feet (5.7 heads up), and then angle up and mostly right across a face to the obvious weakness in the overhangs  Place gear at the base of the overhangs above to protect this section. The last few feet are the crux (5.10b/c) as you ascend the short overhang. Belay at a spectacular stance (don't forget to look down here).

Pitch 6 (50 feet). Move a bit down and right for 15 feet and then up and left to the top (grassy).

Protection Suggest change

Two each to #3 Camalot, one 4, one #4.5 or #5 Camalot, 1 set medium-large nuts. TCUs are useful if you have them.

Photos

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