This route is located on the Drug Wall of South Gateway Rock. It is the line of pitons up the left side of the slab that holds "Pure Energy, and "Rocket Fuel".
Begin thing horrifying mankfest below the line of pitons and climb more or less straight up the face. At first the climbing is easy but at about 40 feet there is a section of mandatory 5.8/.9 slabbing with no pro. In this section I touched a ledge/handhold which crumbled like a sugar cookie and promptly filled all of my footholds with sand. After going up down and around and up and down I finally arrived at the first piton feeling really lucky to be alive. The climb goes up and then does a rising traverse up and left from here following the pitons. The climbing is difficult friction and edging on holds that have the constitency of sugar cookies. I remember doing one cruxy sequence using a hold that felt a grainy sandy wafer/cracker that would crunch any second.There is an optional #4 camalot placement in a pocket but it takes away a foothold. There is one more cruxy section out towards the end of the traverse on very steep sandy smearing. After the hard bit up a short 10a headwall and then up extremely loose chossy 4th class to the anchor above the slab.
I felt extremely glad to be back on the ground after this one. My partner did not want to follow this route and thought it was stupid climbing on holds that crumble when you touch them.
I gave this route 2 stars for pure scariness, mankyness, and overall unique horrifying experience. Have fun ;-P
Protection
Very serious runout to the first piton with mandatory 5.8/5.9 climbing on crumbly sandy friction. Then 5 drilled pitons that range from angles to really old look ring pins. It is difficult to say how good this protection is due to the rock quality.
It's really not an 11a. Originally rated a 10b, and I'd agree with that. Also, it's scary, but not horrible. You can climb crescent corner and the like, then clip the first bolt on your way down if it freaks you out.
Good climb, probably see a lot less traffic with all the new similiar, better protected routes at Red Rocks.
The Fixer has new anchors as of July, 2005. Brian Shelton, Stewart Green, Jason and CJ replaced the 2 old pitons in the belay pothole with 2 modern stainless steel 1/2" bolts and hardware. Thanks to Climbing Magazine and Petzl for supplying the new anchors.
I mean absolutely no harm by this, and I do not mean to insult anyone, but there is NO WAY this thing is 5.11. The friction/balance moves before the groove are the crux, and they are very solid 5.10 moves. It might be .10b, but .11a?
I would say that the riff-raff eliminator runout to the start on this route, Pure Energy, and Rocket Fuel is pretty bad even by Garden standards (or any standards for that matter). I guess it keeps things interesting though. I climbed it with the first pin pre-clipped and didn't feel a bit of shame. Don't blow this slab, it's too bumpy to slide all the way down, so you are going to the hospital if you come off.
Oh and Stu, thanks for the anchors up top. They rule. Your the f...in' man.
Sure thing Phil, I can see that way being harder, but if you climb this on the right of the pins you HAVE to be off route.
I can see climbing it this way, but I would have to file it under strange contrived variations. As I am thinking about it now, I think Soft Touch lists the variation, but still, I think its whack. Not to mention that the best way (everyone's "best" is different I know) to enter the groove is from the left. Climbing right would involve some weird traversing nonsense, and I would be wondering how easy it would be to even reach those pins from that side.
South Gateway Rock
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