Approach as per T2 or Genese. Just up and left of Jules Verne and T2, or just down and right of Genese is the lower terminus of the higher roof among the roof routes. The roof is some 40 off of the deck and runs parallel to the ground. A the terminus it bends upward as it rises to the right. Just to the left of the bend in the roof you will see a single both and 3 very well chalked holds. One is a bucket, the others are small.
P1. Start climbing a crack on the lower left, past a few good stopper placements (strongly advised to keep the rope out of your way). Continue up toward the left side of the bolted roof, clipping a fixed pin on the left as well. Again, this keeps you out of the rope when leading the roof. You can pop a red tricam in an old angle pin scar just above this. The squeamish can also place a cam in a hand jam with a long sling just before starting the roof. The crack is full of guano, however.
Start off across the roof, clip the good bolt, and shoot hard through small holds to a huge hold to the right of the roof. Establish yourself on the far side and go up to clip a pin- and back it up.
Make a few more tricky moves going up and right to reach chains on 2 good bolts. Most people do not climb further, although there are 2 more pitches (5.10b and 5.9?). I've seen this route rated anywhere between 5.11a and 5.11d. My own personal experience here leads me toward the harder end of that range. The crux is a big move from small holds. Reach and forearms are the keys to this 3-move wander. Bouldering fans might make short work of it, while short people with no forearms might flail helplessly. My experience was somewhere between.
P2. TBA Per B. Wright: "The second pitch is 10c and had some lichen on it and maybe a touch of water (this was a couple of years ago, but I suspect things are pretty much the same)."
P3. TBA Per B. Wright: "The third pitch is 5.9 S+. This is a great, exciting pitch that demands classic Eldo nut fiddling from semi-bad stances and a cool head."
Protection
For pitch 1: a few stoppers to get to the roof, a good red tricam in a pin-scar or hand-sized cam (if you spook easily) before the roof, a bolt at the roof. After the crux, there is a bad fixed pin with opportunity to back it up on a 1.5" cam and some nuts later on. The last few moves to the chain are easy, but if you don't place the right gear, somewhat runout. I know nothing of P2 or P3. Can someone post a correction to add the info? If not, I'll do it after climbing them...
I've read Barber in some places, Wunsch in others... and someone tried to convince me that it was Breashears, but I know the story on that one a bit better- it wasn't David Breashears... although he was the one to do it statically first. That's why I didn't specify on the FA on this one- frankly, I'm not sure what to believe.
Steve Wunsch did the FFA of the roof by some very contorted moves leading to a desperate lunge to the lip. He missed the intermediate crimps that are now used to set up for the crux move to the lip. Wunsch considered the moves top-level difficulty, although he did not call it 5.12. Later, Henry Barber was photographed on this route and these photos were included in the first edition of CLIMB!. He was failing on the route, by the way, a subtle put-down of Hot Henry by the Coloradans. Breashears flashed the route on an early (perhaps 2nd) ascent, statically, and became famous for it, earning the nickname "The Kloberdanz Kid". He discovered the intermediate crimps in the roof, and thus was able to utilize the left heel hook which allows one to reach the lip statically, and at 5.11-something and not the probable 5.12 sequence used by Wunsch.
And yes, the upper pitches are very worth doing, but nobody seems to anymore.
I can't believe there is even a question over who did this first ! Here's the photo from my archive of "Climbing" with Steve on an article about his first ascent. I used to go down there every week to gun for the 2-3 ascent until the "Kid" pulled the carpet from under our feet !!
I think this route is way hard. I couldn't do this move and didn't really even get close to doing it. This type of move isn't my strength, though. Fortunately, you can still lead the route by just swinging over on the bolt. My partner, a semi-famous local, solid 5.12 climber, fell off it while following, so I think the move is pretty dang hard.
The climbing above the lip is pretty dicey (but well protected) face climbing (10-) to the anchors.
We did the second and third pitches as well and I'd recommend them as a fun adventure. The second pitch is 10c and had some lichen on it and maybe a touch of water (this was a couple of years ago, but I suspect things are pretty much the same).
The third pitch is 5.9 S+. This is a great, exciting pitch that demands classic Eldo nut fiddling from semi-bad stances and a cool head.
Bill
I don't think this is a "great" route, so I can't give it two stars. This is a good route, though.
I've done this route several times, the first time in 1975 and the last in 1996. Maybe it's just my advancing age and a few extra pounds that made it feel harder, but I think that a piece of the crimper in the middle of the roof broke and is smaller than it used to be. It's definitely not as positive as it used to be.
Good idea to back up the pin after you clear the roof. Believe me.
In my opinion, the second and third pitches are the real reason to do this route, not the roof. They don't get done much and are a bit crusty in places. I think that the third pitch is a bit of a sandbag at 5.9, but you can decide that for yourself.
Other than the route of this Name in Eldo and also one in Yosemite, I believe, I can't find reference to what this word means. The one song by this title is an instrumental by Belcanto's White Out conditions LP. Can anyone shed light on the meaning?
Got it here Tony ,"Kloberdanz Construction Company", Kor was taking odd and end jobs to supply his climbing habit and at the time he did this route, was working for them.
There is a great article written by Steve Wunsch in Climbing magazine that asks that same question. Check out issue #25 May/June 1974. Dave, we are really getting old if we can remember that far back!
Advancing the historical discussion...I've posted the original photo of Steve Wunsch on the 1974 FFA below, next to Dave Bohn's scan from Climbing. Also, a second photo showing Jim Erickson following the crux (unsuccessfully) on the FFA.
Kor worked for the Kloberdanz family in the 60s. They owned a brick or cement company. He told me he liked the name and used it for this route. They may still be in the Yellow Pages.
I agree with Mike Storeim's comment that this route feels much harder today than it did in the mid 70s & 80s, and perhaps the crimper holds in the middle are not as positive as they used to be. But, for me, all routes feel harder now than they did back then. So, I'm not totally sure if it's the holds or just my advancing weight & declining strength. Any other Grey Hairs out there that have done this one lately care to comment on that? Chris A?
Redgarden - Roof Routes
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