Get Shorty starts 15 feet right of Bolt Cola. Climb up a nice clean section of rock past two bolts. Angle up and slightly right to a horizontal crack (#1 friend). Climb up past a small, short left-facing corner passing two bolts to a good ledge. Place a 2 1/2 friend, then angle up and a little right to some short corners (gear), clip a high bolt a step left onto a slab, continue straight up past three more bolts to the anchor. This is a really nice pitch with a run out section getting to the last bolt and the anchor.
Protection
Eight bolts and some medium gear will get to anchor. Beware...it is exactly 100 feet to the ground from the anchor.
This is nice but short with one hard section. It's harder than Bolt Cola but less sustained. Clip the third bolt with a locking biner to minimize the chance of landing on the block below. Strenuous moves at the third bolt lead to a hard clip at the 4th bolt. This clip was the crux for me, but I may have positioned myself badly for the clip. Have a quick draw ready on your left side for this clip. After the 4th bolt the climbing is easy.
The locker was soothing, as Ivan suggests, and the clip isn't too bad with a draw on it (thanks Greg). Certainly the clip is the crux of the route. Most people connect up with Bolt Cola, but I noticed someone yesterday using Shorty as an indirect start to Where Eagles Dare.
Did this again. The clip is still hard and still dangerous. My partner fell leading at the 3rd bolt and hit the ledge. So you'd hit the ledge really hard if you fell clipping the 4th bolt, unless you had the presence of mind, and the time, to push out. Maybe have a draw plus long sling pre-clipped to the rope for the 4th bolt. You might want some trad gear for the runout to the 5th bolt (assuming you're joining Bolt Cola). It's a long way, but easy. If you're not joining Bolt Cola, then you definitely need trad gear.
I actually spied this route when Ray & I raped off Bolt Cola once and I told Bob to bolt it. By the time I got back to lead it, Ivan had made his initial post. Being in such bad shape, it had me quite scared. So I had my ED (Erection Device) with me. This is a foot long draw with a coathanger inside with a Genius caribiner on the top side (so you can reach up and clip hard to get at bolts). This allows you to do climbs without having to raise your ability level! So as I get to the 4th bolt, I pull off ED, and I am actually too close to the bolt, and it confuses me, so I clip the wrong end onto the bolt. Now I can't get my rope into the Genius which has shut on me. So I have to take it off the hanger and put on a regular draw. It actually is not that bad. It could be located a little lower and right. I too did this again not too long ago and it did not seem unreasonable. But then I did not fall. Sport climbing is supposed to be "sporty" isn't it?? (Or is that Spooty?)
By Ron Olsen Administrator From: Boulder, CO Jun 30, 2004
A committing and somewhat scary route. The moves past the third bolt are strenuous, and the handholds leading to the fourth bolt aren't very good. I felt there was a good chance I could blow the clip at the fourth bolt and land on the ledge below the third bolt, so I backed off. This move deserves an R rating.
Edit: On 11/18/05, Bob D. moved the third bolt up a foot higher and a little to the right. This provides better protection getting to the fourth bolt, and lessens the chance of hitting something if you blow the fourth clip. The move up to the fourth bolt no longer deserves an R rating.
By Tony Bubb From: Boulder, CO Sep 20, 2004 rating: 5.10a
10a for the crux. Maybe the climb cleaned up a little bit, but the narrow stemming (close smears in the corner) made this climb OK, though the clip still did seem awkward.If Bolt Cola is 10a, this is 10b, but if Simmer and Shimmer are 9/9+, this is 10a, and Bolt Cola is 9-.
I found the key to clipping the 4th bolt was to stand on a small edge with my left foot. So, after clipping the 3rd bolt, make the strenuous layback/undercling moves upward, keep the left hand on the undercling and move the right hand up to a pinch-type hold. At this point, your feet are maybe a little above the 3rd bolt. Just to the left of the 3rd bolt, there's a small edge for your left foot. Step over to that and stand up to clip the 4th bolt. I'm a little less than 5'5" and could do this pretty easily with a regular quickdraw. Don't fall while you're clipping or you'll land on that ledge! Once clipped at the 4th bolt, the next couple of moves up are fun.
Focus on footwork when you pull into the roof as the handholds above don't inspire confidence. I probably made the 4th clip worse than needed, I ended up clipping across my chest with my right hand, strange positioning... whatever works...
Thanks for all the beta on the route. We did put a locker on the 4rd bolt, but neither my partner Joe Chorny or I found the 4th bolt clip particularly bad or the bolt to be in that bad a spot. Perhaps the key is to get the feet well established a little higher on better holds before making the clip. True, the hand holds are the smallest on the route there but not too bad.
Greg Hand, Ken Cangi and I just added a direct finish that adds about 60 feet of new climbing to a new anchor. I rewrote the description to reflect this. I feel this is a much better route and upgraded it to two stars. It is exactly 100 feet to the ground from the anchor. Be careful when lowering.
To add to what Bob said, sometime in the past we also moved the 3rd bolt a foot higher so that it will keep you off the ledge (see many comments above). Because of this, you may want to place a red Alien size at the ledge (over right) if you feel uncomfortable making the reach, as it is a stretch. Then unclip the piece to reduce rope drag.