Rob Kepley catches while Rob Woolf narrowly misses...
Description
This is one of Boulder Canyon's longest and finest crack climbs, a shorter, steeper version of Country Club Crack without the annoying mantle at the bottom. It is on the smooth buttress right (west) of the gully which splits Bell Buttress in two, about 100 feet past Cosmosis along the ledge system.
Begin just right of Epiphany. Step up over a small roof, clip a bolt and move past poor holds. Move right under the lip of the hanging roof (be sure to arrange protection before you step out right), crank a burly move to a finger lock, then race the pump clock up the perfect layback/crack above. A final thin seam takes you to a nice belay ledge with double bolts. 20 meter pitch.
A direct finish (Cameron's Finish 5.12 s/vs, rehearsed on toprope) steps right from the top of the crack onto the slabby headwall and climbs up an ever-diminishing seam to a butt-clenching exit crux. Bring two #0 TCUs to protect low in the seam.
Protection
Bring a set of medium stoppers and double TCUs and cams up to #2 Camalot size, as well as small TCUs or RPs for the exit crack.
This route is awesome and high quality. Being a real crack and very sustained, it's uncharacteristic of the Boulder area. I think the "s" refers to the start, where you need to do some 5.10 climbing with bad ground fall potential before getting to the first pro (a bolt) about 20 feet up or so. But the pro from there, although pumpy to place, seems pretty good.
This is such a good route. As long as you're careful getting to that first clip, the rest of the route protects beautifully. A 1-1/2 Friend with a looong sling on the left protects the move out to the roof, then a 2 Friend just over the lip is bomber for the next few moves. I tried a .75 Camalot and a 1 Camalot both just above the roof and neither one fit as nicely as the 2 Friend -- where I placed it also left room for the one, good, handjam. Milk the pod-rest above the roof, then get psyched and punch it!
I think the route is .11d because of two reasons, 1.) that's what it was rated in an earlier guide, pre-sport grade inflation, and 2.) I've never climbed a .12 before, or since )-: and I was able to do this route with some strategy - definitely not the first try.
By Joseph P. Crotty From: Westminster, CO Sep 7, 2006 rating: 5.12a R
Great line with a slight emphasis on power. I'll forgo the blow by blow gear beta, but suffice to say, if you don't properly sew up the low crux gear can rip and you will crater. On a fall from the lower roof crux two weeks ago I pulled two cams and decked from 35'. Be careful and make sure your gear is totally dialed.
By adam brink From: Boulder, CO Sep 8, 2006 rating: 5.12a
Joseph- I would cosider asking your belayer what he or she was doing when you fell, because I fell off the lower roof crux, ripped all my gear, and my belayer (who is a pretty damn good one!) kept me safely off the ground.
By Rob Kepley From: Westminster,CO Sep 9, 2006 rating: 5.12a R
The climbing gods must have been smiling on me today. What an amazing line. Yes, Try to place good gear before committing to the crux. It's a bit heady up there.
Bell Buttress - Main Crag
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