Shaun Reed making the long reach on the lower crux...
Description
This climb is on what is described here as the Upper Animal Wall. If you approach from the Lower Animal Wall the climb comes into view right away as the left side of the bolted arete. A good winter or evening route which sees its share of sunshine. The route starts upon a ledge 20' off the ground. To reach the ledge, you can clip the first bolt of Sun Dog with a long runner, or scramble up 5.8ish. Thin liebacks will take you through the first 3 bolts, to the first 5.12 crux. A ledge is then reached, which provides little rest before more sustained climbing using the arete on the right. The climbing eases slightly in the last 15' to the 2 bolt anchor. 70' This sustained route is a hard to redpoint (I haven't). The position is excellent.
No one has commented on this fine route? If the grade and bolts aren't [controversial], I should say that I rated the route 12b, not 12c and feel that it should be a benchmark for that grade. Also, a bolt was added by a third party (I gave permission after getting tired discussing it). I just don't want people think I'm another overbolter/overgrader. It's just that I try to use the standards of Eldorado Canyon, Rifle or American Fork.
Geee, Fred, how could we have let this slip by? For what it is worth, here is my impression. First, Animal Instinct is a killer line and truly worth the three stars posted here (That was the stroke). Second, it's tricky and powerful, but well worth the trouble to solve. Initially easy moves gain the base of the arete which is followed by a few straight-forward moves to a powerful undercling off progressively worsening feet. Hunker up with the undercling in the right hand (sic!) and then make a very strenuous reach right with [left] hand to an initially sloping ledge. This move seemed hard. Once established right of the arete and on the ledge, a step around left puts you on the arete proper with holds coming from both sides. We found that a couple of heel hooks worked well for this sector. In fact, a heel hook seemed essential for the last clip on the arete. Move left at the top of the arete to another hard move on largely crisp edges. This is followed by a run up to the anchor on Sun Dog. Frankly, the final 5.9 run to the anchor seemed like a full blown crux in its own right, not difficult but spooky by the time you get here. Overall: great line, interesting and difficult moves, well protected but for the end, on excellent quality Boulder Canyon granite. (***)
We should all be so neglected. You didn't comment on the beta yourself, Fred, but was the left hand cross-through the way you had sussed out the first crux? This move seemed really powerful, has so far always stalled me, and may not even work if you don't have the ape index.
To jump in here, Richard... the beta I used for that section was to crank from the undercling straight up with the left to a well-ticked gaston edge. My partner used a four-pad micro-crimp just below and to the left of this. Then I would quickly slap the right hand onto the groper (the one you probably cross to). This might not work if you don't have the ape index. We both initially tried the cross-through to the groper, which went more staticly, but couldn't move up from that hold.
I could buy this as being a really hard Rifle-12b, but in B.C. or C.C.C this is solid 12c.
Joe - Thanks for another view. We had taken a look at the gaston and decided that the feet just got worse. The cross-through leaves your right foot well placed, but requires a great deal of flex in the hips, and it's powerful. Frankly, I'd prefer it without the cross-through since that makes the move even more powerful. Next time we are up there I'll give the gaston a try. In similar situations, I've found the trickier footwork to be more successful than the more powerful solution.
12b? I've heard this thing called a possible 13a (duck and run), not that I'd know. Perhaps solid, very solid 12, possibly +. On the first crux, it seemed best to go up with the left hand first to the sloping gaston, and then match before slapping for better holds. Feet are terrible. Not sure how you could do the upper section without heel hooks.
This is a stellar route; Kudos to Fred and Dan for putting it together.
If you don't step around the corner to the right after the first crux to rest (which drops the difficulty), but instead stay to the left for a more taxing rest, then it is a comparable red point to Latest Rage at Smith Rock in Oregon, although more moves. It is a notch harder than Easy Skankin in Rifle, but a notch easier than Pretty Hate Machine. So, call it standard solid 5.12. (Certainly, no-one will call it 12a.) It would be a difficult route to onsight--very beta intensive.
Yes, you have to use lots of heel hooks, especially on the upper arête (I count four). Using these heel hooks and slapping the arête_well, you are not going to get better pure arête climbing in the Front Range.
Jim, The added bolt when it below the bolt that protects the lower crux. It is designed to help if you blow the clip. I'm a cheapscate when it comes to bolting, at least by today's standards.
12cs at Rifle take me 5 or less tries. This one took me about 10. It is very [temperature-dependent], but I would say the crux move is as hard as any move on Vaso. It's much harder, for instance, than "Bovine Impact" at Rifle, another Fred Knapp route...It's a super good route, though, regardless of the grade. I also moved straight to the left-hand gaston from the right hand undercling, and then slapped the sloper.
FWIW, this may have a height dependent crux, as I did not think this was a hard-12c. I got this second try and have never sent Rifle 12c in fewer than 3 tries (Vasodilator took me about 10)
Animal World
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