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Kindergarten Rock
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Alligator Soup 
Beat Me Up, Scotty 
Beginning of the End a/k/a Sandy Monster 
Big Sky 
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Civil Disobedience 
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End of an Era 
End to End 
Family Values 
Footloose N Fancy Free 
Inner Sanctum 
Lance 
Monster Crack 
New Era 
Sandy Monster 
Scarecrow 
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South Side Topropes 
Sword in the Stone 

Sword in the Stone 

5.8

   

FA: Webster and Coyne (1976)
Type: Trad, Sport
Length: 1 pitch, 180 feet
Views: 291 page views

Submitted By: Ben Glover on Apr 10, 2003


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Description 

1st: the name is via Bob's book (i think i've seen others floating around)

SitS is located on the west side of Kindergarten rock. Find the black scarred outcropping containing Scarecrow and monster crack, then move 30 feet or so right of the right edge. Be looking up for an obvious line of pins heading straight up the rock (that's Footloose and Fancy Free). The ramp to your left (heading up the outcropping) is Lance. If you take a broad look at the face of the rock up and left you'll note its got a lot of green stuff on it. I'm no biologist but I believe that's lichen. Get an idea of the overall size/shape, because you'll be traversing above it.

Climb the first 3 to 4 bolts of FaFF. If you clip the fourth bolt (not a bad option) use a double runner, at least. I prefer a runner long enough to make the fourth bolt redundant to clipping the 3rd. At this point look left and perhaps slightly up. There are 2-3 pins between you and the rock outcropping WAAAY over there. Fortunately the climbing is fairly light. Sadly there is some rotten rock along the way. Feel free to sink cams in between the pins. They (most likely) will be lobe down, so plan accordingly.

Once you hit the outcropping, head up (the easy and obvious route being between the outcropping and the rock proper). If you're using a 50m rope you can climb onto the outcropping and see the anchors for Scarecrow. Unfortunately you'll probably end 20 feet shy. CLimb back down into the gully and set an anchor (so bring some extra gear!). Your second can lead the last 20 feet.

Not a great route, but if you're intent on topping the outcropping w/o getting a pump on Monstercrack this is a decent option (Lance, below you, is a bit of a stinker). Positive holds make this a lot of fun, but the sketch factor of the loose rock on the traverse hold it back.


Protection 

At a minimum bring a rack of draws, a few long slings, and some large gear (to protect the balance of Lance). Optionally it may be wise to bring some small to medium cams to protect the traverse.



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By Chris R
Aug 22, 2003

After climbing this line, I considered just going over to Centers for Disease Control to have them check me for any bird-crap related illnesses.Upon reaching the 3rd bolt and beginning the leftward traverse, every hold had to be wiped clean of accumulated bird droppings. My partner got bombed slap on the cheek with a fresh one.Except for the first 20 ft., the climbing was not all that great; I have no intention of ever repeating this bomb.

By Dan Russell
Aug 24, 2003

Yeah, but isn't that first section good? I don't recall the bird crap but I do recall looseness (fun, Garden looseness).

By Chris R
Aug 25, 2003

Having only climbed it once, Dan, I don't know if bird crap is seasonal or what. It was like a layer of paint in early August.Also, as an afterthought, Bob D'Antonio's Garden of the Gods guidebook shows 4 bolts protecting the traversing section of this line. We only found two, so either the guidebook is wrong, or the other pins pulled, or they are well-hidden. The two remaining pins protect the traverse adequately, although a fall far from either pins would be a horribly painful pendulum. The edges are all very sharp and would grate off hunks of flesh.

By Dan Russell
Aug 29, 2003

Chris, I don't remember how many pins were on the traverse, but two sounds about right. You're right about the fall - if you fell from parts of that traverse you'd be pretty torn up! Just watch what you pull on I guess, huh?