Head Cheese starts on the face to the right of the...
Description
Head Cheese lies to the right of the Crack of Dawn (the 10b bolted crack). It's a steep route for Shelf Road on mostly good pockets and crimpers. Facing mostly north, it doesn't get much sun. Trundle up 20 feet to the first bolt. The rock seems solid here but it's a little spooky soloing this far on Shelf Road rock. Move through two steep roof systems with a fairly good rest in between. There are 2 very closely spaced bolts midway up the route. I heard that a clipping jug fell off so a new bolt was added (the bottom of the 2, I think, because it looked different from the other bolts). I only clipped the bottom of the two to avoid a major mid-crux pump. A cool, gymnastic route, this thing deserves more traffic (I've only seen one other party ever try this route).
Colin Lantz got the FA on this route. There was a large clipping block that parted from the route and you are correct that the gold shut was added after this happend.
I occasionally see a party on this route when I'm out at the Gym but I think the intimidatingly steep nature of the climb scares some away. Definitely a must-do route.
Super Fun Line. Worthwhile. Considered skipping both clips Adam refers to, but took fun falls every time I tried this strategy. Sent after I had the psychological comfort of clipping the goldshut.
By Zed From: Gotham City Sep 8, 2007 rating: 5.12d
This route looks more intimidating than it really is. The climbing is worth the effort.
This is a terrific route! The clipping (and climbing!) is burly near the closely spaced bolts, but the fall is into clean air. Traversing above the lip of the roof on those 4 unlikely and amazingly huge pockets will make you smile! A very long draw on the lower of the 2 close bolts could make the redpoint feel less scary.
Also, Andy Wellman and I both felt the last bolt would be much better a few feet to the left. It would still be easy to clip, you have to move left anyway for the final moves, and in its current position, it's very easy to catch a leg behind the rope while dyno-thrutching at the end. No big deal if you stick it, but not so good for falling....