Genesis 

This is a spectacular line, with some of the best face climbing in the park. Don't let the funky 5.10c crack moves before the crux fluster you, just look around for small footholds on the face and get your feet on. I suggest pulling the crux moves around the corner before clipping the 2 pins in the horizontal seam, because there is a good rest when the moves are done where you can equalize the pins if you feel so inclined. The face climbing above is impecable and well protected, just tread lightly on the final 5.9 moves up the expanding flake and definitely don't place gear behind it!

We finished my third climbing day in Colorado with very good tour of Eldorado including The Naked Edge and Super Slab routes. Our last route was very nice climb of the Genesis. This route starts in cracks near to the ground and goes over a roof and up to a thick flake. We felt that it was incorrect to move too far right to set up for second pitch and so did whole route in one pitch. After the flake were many small edges of square shape and more thin holds requiring good hand strength and careful thinking over sequences. This route gave very satisfying flash for me after difficult struggle not to fall off above the flake.

Yesterday my climbing partner inadvertently ripped off a huge dinner plate flake just above the first pin--and nearly nailed me with it at the belay. The moves to get into the layback are now a bit more difficult and awkward.

The December 2003 issue of Fast Company magazine contains an article by Jim Collins, entitled "Leadership Lessons of a Rock Climber". One "lesson" in the article gives an interesting description of how Jim mentally prepared himself for the first ascent of Genesis.

Lots of fun, but I think you've been climbing in Eldo too long Patrick! First pitch feels a little harder than Rincon's Center Route to me. Background info: I've had a fever for a few days so I am rather weak right now. I sat just before turning the roof and wanted to sit almost every move afterwards. The sequence to gain the lieback after the roof is tough. Slot your hand in a hard-to-reach undercling and smear like it's your job to gain a 'decent' crimp. If you're leading, place a yellow cam before the roof, clip the pin, the just trust it and GO! Pump factor = two letters up from grade .10c. Still fun and I want to get on it as soon as I'm well. Pins and bolts are solid on P1.

Can anyone comment on the upper pitch of this? Is it an over rated choss pile like that Twitch route? Where is the major difficulity? Cheers!

The crux pitch is more of a short boulder problems with gear (bolts) at your waist. Crank hard off the flake to a small edge, press down almost turning into a mantle. There is a good size runout to good gear placements about 15-20 feet above the crux. This is not a choss-pitch (either is Twitch) and the amount of man hours spent trying to free it , is of almost legendary status!

Although there are no 11a moves, the continuous nature of the climbing and the pumpy lower half make this tough to onsight for an 11a climber. The _10c_ approach to the A-shaped ceiling is intimidating at first, but there is a good rest before, and good gear. There is a stem rest at the A-shaped roof, but it's not mentally relaxing. The _11a_ move at the bottom of the face felt easy to me when I didn't care if I made it, but felt quite hard when I was trying to redpoint and wanted to guarantee the move. Moving left near the top is scary for me. Clipping that pin with the 2 chain links out to the left is hard_you have to rock onto your left foot on a shiny slanting hold, a ways above the previous bolt. I desperately and blindly placed a yellow Alien in the flake to protect the move left to clip. My partner Chuck thinks the upper half is 5.9, a bit of an exaggeration, but he's real good on his feet, and I'm not.

This is a great pitch (p.1) good rock, good pro fun moves - the whole shabang!!! I thought the move out of the A-frame was the most difficult part for me. It reminded me [a lot] of the crux of The Northcutt Start to the Bastille, and I had a hard time with that as well. I'm just not that great at that type of move [around] bulges and such. The face section above was too fun. It seems to me that the distance to the next bolt made it even more fun!! Classic line with adequate pro, hop on it if you haven't already!!

[I don't know if anyone cares, but there is a knee bar with a no hands rest about half way up the lieback to the A-frame roof. It takes some courage, because you're above a shiesty pin, but a good way to rest for that move on to the face. Also, your friends will think you're cool hanging sideways on your knee....]

A good first 11 since it is well protected and after the roof the pump clock doesn't tick it's just technical.

You can sew up the 5.10c trad section by placing a #1 camalot above the pin and a small cam in the arching crack. ( 0.2 camalot ) This will give you a TR protection through the 10c section.Good footwork makes this section fairly easy.

It is probably not a good idea to try this one on a hot sunny day. The smears on the upper slab are a little tough to trust.

What's the beef? According to the comments on this site, 5.9 in Eldo is really 5.10, while most 5.11a is really only 5.10 (but could be 5.12 in Dream Canyon). I'm curious what grade 5.10 in Eldo really is? Oh yeah, Genesis is a great route and definitely 5.11a if you dive into the offwidth instead laybacking.

I red pointed the 1st pitch of this route the other day. Waht a great pitch. It is very well protected. I had a #1 Camalot below the pin, then the pin, and then I placed a blue Alien and purple TCU (0) in the arching crack to gain the face. Sewed up would be an understatement. There is a giant jug at the lip of the roof off which that you can clip the pins. Great route.

I am amazed that more people don't do the second pitch of this route. I remember living back East and seeing photos of this pitch, thinking that I couldn't wait to get on it. When I redpointed this pitch, I linked it and the first pitch together. The crux is a short, technical sequence, and the protection isn't that bad at all. In retrospect, I wish that I had done the last pitch. I just wasn't familiar with it at the time. This route is a bona fide classic.

I'm calling this route 12d because I don't feel comfortable with debating the grade of such an established route, although I don't think that it is as hard as The Monument. Maybe I was just used to this type of climbing, having come from the East.

Just a thought for those of you who are rating routes by individual pitches: Genesis is a multi-pitch route, with its crux pitch logging in at 12+, not 5.11.

I'm referring to doing the whole pitch, 5.12, in this post & not just up to the chains as most parties do. I have done this route many times in the past in the late 80s & early 90s. But I was up there the other day and this route appears to have lost a good, key, left foothold that used to be there on the initial undercling, stem, layback, mantle sequence.(5.12 Crux) You used to be able to get a pretty good, wide stem with it before doing an opposition/mantle layback move up to the pin scar. I'm curious has anyone done this recently? If anyone has done this recently, how hard do they think it is now. Is it harder? It would sure appear so.

In response to Ken's comment, doing this as a single pitch is the standard way to do the 12 crux.

Can you really ask for more in such a short pitch (only did pitch 1)? Hand crack, lieback, foot work, stemming, a roof/bulge, and thin face moves. Excellent. If you work your feet well and move quickly the roof isn't that bad...and then you can rest forever before starting the face.