Hike to the QOB Pinnacle. Just left of the pinnacle are two quite decent lines up black stone. The left of these is Enchanted Porkfist. Chase the bolts on good pockets interspersed with edgy horrizontal seams. Enchanted is a good warm up for the harder lines at The Dark Side. It seems as though we do this line each time we climb here. Moderate climbing, good stone, nice moves.
I can't even remember how many times I've done this route! Absolutely the funnest route in the Dark Side and the perfect introduction into "technical" climbing. It's a little harder now since a foothold broke a couple of years ago, (maybe 10d now), but I do this route every time I visit the Dark Side. All it takes is "balance" :)!
This is a great route and if you do it right, it doesn't require the kind of power or endurance that a lot of the other 10s and 11s at Shelf do. There is also a good 10c or 10d just to the left of it that's worth doing if you're there, along with the .9 to the right. None of these three routes are particularly pumpy, so as a group they make a good long warmup if you're a slow starter.
You're right Matt, power and endurance isn't worth shite at the "Dark Side" it's all about finese aka "technique and balance", a form of climbing that has all but disappeared from the sport climbing scene. That's why this is my favorite climb at Shelf.
The Dark Side
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