BETA PHOTO: The Horse. The route is right of Wheel of Fortune...
Description
This is the second route from the right on Tarot Wall. Start about 8' right of Wheel of Fortune at the left end of the low roof band. Look for a lone bolt at the level of the first roof. You'll be so glad that bolt is there. Climb through the roof (crux) and follow a nice crack system to a big block at the top where it is easy to reach left and clip the ring anchors. This is the best gear route at Avalon.
Protection
There is a single bolt about 10 feet off the ground. Gear up to 2" can be used from there to a 2-bolt anchor with rings at the top. Six placements should be adequate for most leaders.
In retrospect, I think the route is probably about 5.11a. When you lead a new line for the first time it always seems more difficult than it actually is. The hardest move is probably getting stood up at the lip of the roof. Above this it is maybe 5.10a on killer jams and 5.9 after that. Climb all the way to a large (and stable) perched block at the level of the descending rings. Reach left and you have it. The Horse is fun. I can't wait to do it again.
The route is named for the Knight of Cups in the Tarot, who rides a great white stallion above the cresting waves of a vast sea and holds the Grail in his outreaching arms.
By Ron Olsen Administrator From: Boulder, CO Jul 22, 2005 rating: 5.11a
We top-roped the route from the anchor on Wheel of Fortune. The moves past the bolt at the initial overhang were pumpy and hard to figure out. The cracks above the overhang were much easier. They felt like 5.8, but we were top-roping, not leading.
By Tony Bubb From: Boulder, CO Jul 23, 2005 rating: 5.10c
Not a bad route, and really not too hard. I don't know about 5.11... this seemed no harder than the starting move of the roof to the right (rated 10c).
Tarot Wall
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