Tony Bubb leads just above the wide crux of On-Slo...
Description
On-Slot is the obvious, continuous crack line running up the right side of the Far Right Buttress of Continental Crag. Head up to the bottom of the overhanging offwidth slot, clip a bolt, and work up into the slot (crux). The Rossiter guide calls it 11c, but that seems a bit soft for Eldo (or for Vedauwoo for that matter), and it's a fairly short crux section as well; 11b is probably closer to the grade.
A few feet of squeeze chimney leads to easier fists and wide hands, then into a nice section of steep hands (10a/b). Follow the crack up to a left-leaning, flared offwidth slot (save one med. cam to protect this section). Grovel through the awkward slot, which looks easier than it is (5.10). Climb up past the bush and belay on a large ledge near the top of the formation. It's a fairly steep and sustained climb, fun if you like hand and wide cracks!
We descended by 4th-classing down a steep gully to the right (south), which is fairly loose in places, but rumor has it that there's a rap anchor somewhere along the ridge to the north... we didn't see it while traversing the ridge earlier?
Protection
Assorted camming devices covering 1 inch to 4 inches with doubles in hand size, a few nuts, and a 4.5 and/or 5 Camalot. There's also a bolt right at the crux.
By Tony Bubb From: Boulder, CO Jun 15, 2006 rating: 5.11b
Decent route with a fun and improbably crux. Hard to commit to, but not so hard to do once committed. The climb is 5.11 and does have O.W. on it, but it's not 5.11 O.W. Or at least that's not how I did the crux. The rack is "up to a #4 Camalot" with wide gear optional before or instead of the bolt. The route goes without the bolt on a #4.5 Camalot... but recall that those were not on the market in 1986 when this route was FA'd.
By Jason Haas From: Westminster, CO Jul 20, 2006 rating: 5.11a
I climbed this route for the second time today and never had to pull an offwidth move despite what it looks like from the ground. Some lucky bastard did retrieve the stuck cam Tony and I left awhile ago.
Continental Crag
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