Spectacular line in between the South and Central towers. This climb offers everything from RP sized crack climbing to an exposed arete to offwidth. Start on a ledge about 10ft. off the ground. Take the L-facing corner. The crack to the left is Captain Beyond (10c). Start with the crux, about 10ft into the climb. Place a No. 2 and/or 3 RP (quite bomber, actually), then stem and smear your way up to a rest. This pitch follows the dihedral system for about 115ft. to an obvious ledge.
For the second pitch, continue up the dihedral, pull a fun lieback bulge, then stay R in the dihedral through an offwidth section. A #4 Camalot could be used here, but it's easy going and a only a short offwidth section. Finish at a tree with some slings at another ledge. This pitch is about 110ft. also.
DESCENT: Option 1: Make a rap back to a ledge with an old sling around a flake and some pitons for an anchor, then make a DOUBLE rope rap down from here. Option 2: If you only have one rope, make 4 single rope raps from stations in between the North and Central towers. (You'll have to traverse around the back side of the Central tower to the West to get there.)
Protection
Full stoppers (incl. RPs) Friends from 0.5-3, and a 4 Camalot (optional). Twin ropes are preferrable. About 10 runners and 3 shoulder slings with biners for these long pitches.
I'm not sure about traversing around the back side of the Central tower, it was not obvious to me where to go...but you can make it down following the route with one rope instead of double ropes: at the pin/flake belay rap (this piece of work left me wanting for two sport-route-bomber-bolts and how!) down right (as you look down, toward the start of Captain Beyond) there is a third rap station around a massive horn. It's a little tricky to get to, a little spicey when pulling the rope (I hope your karma is good) and I would imagine very annoying if someone was actually trying to climb the route. Annoying to the climbers that is! Next time I want to go with someone who knows the way around the back side to the "traditional" rappel route.
By Leo Paik Administrator From: Westminster, Colorado Mar 12, 2002
Done the back side descent to the rappel stations. Not obvious, but more traversing and more down and more up climbing than you might expect does get you there. Use your instincts. It is never more than 5.5 to get off. I would recommend staying roped up. By the way, not all the rappel points of the RR are beautiful.
I think the rap station at the "massive horn" referred to in a previous comment seems more accurately described as a "man-sized detached flake swaddled in bleached webbing". That is, if it's the collection of manky old webbing round a leaning/perched 5 ft x 3 ft block, straight up from the crack that P1 of Cpt. Beyond climbs, to the left of P1 of Culp's. The flake ensemble _is_ "backed up" by a stopper and wedged webbing knot up higher (to hold the flake up?).We saw it from the ground, and figgered it would make an easy end for doing only p1 of Culp's Fault (not knowing what was at the top of P1). I don't recommend this course. The "horn" seems not long for the cliff. But that's just, like, my opinion, man. Anyway, the stopper has a biner, and the webbing-knot a rap ring, so we rapped off that. If we had had some webbing (duh!), we'd have placed another stopper, and made something a bit more inspiring. just a head's up.
Mickey Mouse Wall
RSS Feed
