Starts about 3m to the right of the right tree, at a flake which is fun to mantel as a first move. After the mantel, move up and right towards a bolt (1/4 inch, I think) then follow a left/up leaning crack. Climb straight up the slab to a crack which will take pro, and leads to the bolts.
Protection
Pretty much nonexisting for the first 20 feet or so. Then a 1/4 inch bolt for the next 20 feet(!). Then a crack which will supposedly take small pieces. TR can be set from the bolts (see Ludwig Dude), or from a tree further to the right.
No way is this an X route. There are actually quite a few natural placements after the bolt, and even one below the bolt as I recall. I even question a PG rating.
By Tony Bubb From: Boulder, CO May 28, 2002 rating: 5.9- R
I think the VS rating is wrong as well. I agree with the S, however. If you are leading at your limit, you may find it frightening. Another thing is that Rossiter's book shows it starting at two different points.
If started from the right as in the book, near the right-leaning features at the right-hand side of a well-vegetated block, and then up to a good flake, there is plenty of pro and the route is probably only 5.8+ or 5.9-.
If started at the seam to the left, from the left-most of the two blocks, you will have a short boulder problem to some gear and then a bolt. This is S not VS, the fall would not be too bad, get a spotter and you won't break your skull or spine.
This was my first (or maybe 2nd) 5.9 lead. I remember placing a brass nut in a small crack on the left side of a flake right at the top which, if it pulled, would have meant a ground fall. In fact, it did pull, but I did not hit the ground! As I moved left, the nut popped out, leaving me with essentially no pro. Fortunately the climbing must have been only 5.2 ish or so, but I still think it deserves the s rating. Not sure about vs - although it was vs the way I did it, I was also a very inexperienced leader at the time. Anyway, I wouldn't recommend it as a first 5.9 lead, but in retrospect it was kind of a cool experience anyway.
Another in a series of "diagonal top ropes". You can climb up the right variation, place gear, down climb, and then climb the crux with a diagonal top rope. The way we did it we climbed up from the left side of the horizontal flake on good holds to end up about 6 feet left of the bolt, and then traversed right using good holds and a thin creaky flake to the bolt. The Rossiter guide sounds like the "real" route is a bit right of where we climbed (i.e., the real route is not the natural line). Above the bolt, the gear is good, and the climbing is much easier but interesting.
Blob Slab
RSS Feed
