Xanadu 

Led this today as my first 5.10 trad lead...fun climbing but didn't feel as hard as Emerald City...go figure...recommended.

It's interesting how different folks gravitate towards different styles of climbing....my partner wanted to lead Whiplash (10c roof crack left and up from the top of Xanadu) but after scoping Xanadu he said he didn't want to lead it, so I volunteered to lead Xanadu so he could lead Whiplash.....I love those balancy dihedrals (this one reminded me of Green Spur's crux) with THIN cracks, my buddy doesn but he likes overhanging hand/fist/offwidth cracks......needless to say we compliment each others "style" well....after I led Xanadu, Erik led Whiplash and I followed only to get to the lip of the roof and a cam twisted in the crack and pinched the rope stuck, spent an hour getting this mess undone (cool pitch though). My next 5.10 lead? Probably Over the Hill (looks quite balancy).....variety is the spice of life :_)....thanks for the compliment, Charles......

Well Matt, we obviously do not have similar experiences on climbs...I thought this was the hardest .10a in Eldo (possibly excepting P1 of Rosy)! Very sustained...nice lead!

Matt! Yeah whiplash would have been better without the rope getting stuck. We need to do it again (as long as you will lead Xanadu again). Definitely nice lead! I agree with Charles, this is probably the hardest 10a I have done in Eldo. Thought it was harder than the 10a on Over the Hill, and way harder than Emerald City.

Excellent stemming problem, sustained, great moves. Felt harder then Over the Hill. Only downside was that I slipped near the top. Great climb if you like corners. Joe Lee.

Great Route. To get in on the discussion, maybe this climbs fits me well, but I felt it was a solid 10a, but nothing more. Definitely easier, or at least less pumpy than Rosy. I would note that the start is pretty easy, but doesn't have a lot of pro and the belay is on a broken up ledge with lots of loose rock and hard to find gear. You can walk (scramble) off to the climbers right, or there are rappel slings around a tree a little down and to the right.

I can not understand why the outstanding and popular Xanadu has not been fitted with a decent rap/anchor, considering the loose, rotten and potentially dangerous downclimb. Other routes have bolted anchors does'nt this classic deserve as much. Tech hint; belay right after the dihedral ends on a good foot ledge, otherwise just loose flakes or worse belay opportunities higher. P.S.Looking for the toughest 5.10a on the West Ridge? Friends In High Places, S.Kimball.

The most "natural" way to do Xanadu is to stay right until nea rthe top, then stem left and walk up the stems, using the left side for a move or two. This "deviation" from the right crack, or lack thereof, may account for the difference in how people feel about the grade. The first time I did it, I did "pop left" because it was all within reach. I obviously can't comment on how the FA and grade were established, but I figure it was done that way.
If you want more length and Variety, finish by doing "Whiplash" up and left of the top- a thin hands crack through a roof.

Fun finger jams. I found Chockstone to be a bit harder than Xanadu. Rotten rock at the top. Rap down. Stoppers and small cams. Fixed cam about half way up.

I've always climbed the crux section of Xanadu with my hands in the left corner, right leg stemmed in the right corner, left foot on the face. Feels like solid 10a this way. I'll have to try it staying in the right corner next time...

An onsight lead of this, staying to the right is 10a for sure. The beginning of this dihedral only takes very thing gear - RP or ballnut type stuff, but it is easier than it looks. After that little tree, the rest of the gear is totally bomber and you have good stances to place it if you climb to them.

IMO the business in the last 10' is more like (10c) staying right, and (10a) working up over & left....

Did this climb on 3/7/2004

Although the dihedral at the top of this climb is certainly the most exciting part, I felt that the hardest move was about half way up the climb in a small left facing dihedral. There were three small thin finger ledges on the face with thin footing. A grunting pull on the two lower ledges gained a higher precarious footing, then a reach for the third finger ledge, stand up and jam your hand into a beauty of a crack that opens up in the dihedral. I liked that move so much that I fell the first time so I could do it again (of course that's what they all say).

Appearently, at the top of the climb, the right facing, overhung, much larger dihedral that is left of the main route is supposed to be 5.9. It gave my climbing buddy such fits that he backed down and then cleaned the standard 5.10a. Goes to show that when faced with a fork in the road, choose the more difficult path.

Have fun on the down climb. It's a little spicy.

Climbed this again yesterday and discovered a new rap station above and to the left of the finish that will put you on the ground with a 60 m rope.

Classic!!!!!!! Combine it with [Whiplash] and you've got two great pitches.

Fun route! Much nicer than it looks from the ground. This definitely felt easier to me than Chockstone, but was a bit 'spicier' lead.

Climbed Xanadu yesterday, stayed right through the top with only a palm smear on the left wall as it neared. The pro is solid, a good #1 Camalot about 10 ft. up, a bit scarce over some easy ground, then a number of good stopper placements to the tree and plentiful spots for TCUs the rest of the way. Beautiful, technical climb.

I was wondering how most folks do this climb. I led it today and chose to keep my right foot pressed in the crack, stemming my left foot on the face features, and right hip up against the rock. My buddy seconded it and keep to the arete, working his left foot in the crack with his right hand and foot on the arete. Seemed easier, but my way was more fun I think.

There ARE bolts at the top of this route now. 60m rope required.
Awesome route!

I led this today for the first time, and I thought it was one of the harder 10a's in Eldo that I've led. Although the upper dihedral takes a lot of really good gear, the route has kind of a serious feel to it on the moves getting up to the tree stump (the small tree broke off, apparently recently).

Great Climb. Good onsite for today. Left an Offset dmm nut#4 at the beginning of the crux.

Great route, my first .10a lead in Eldo, it felt so good. Secure stems the whole way up w/ good gear every 6-8 feet once in the cruxy section of the climb, bottom is a bit less frequent for gear. Great climb that I'll repeat many times. Heavy on .4 and .5 camalots once into the upper section of the climb.

Fun route. Really cool moves in the r-facing dihedral above the tree is the crux. Right side crack (l-facing, mini-dihedral) seemed a bit easier than the left side of that box. Either way a really fun route worth doing.