Note, some of these cliffs are often closed (Mar 3 - July 31) for raptor nesting. MORE INFO >>>
Closed areas, from March 3-July 31:
Twin Owls Bat Flake Batman Pinnacle Batman Rock Lightning Rock Checkerboard Rock Thunder Buttress The Parish
John Langston at crux of 1st pitch, taken Sep 2001...
Description
Mission Impossible is a fun, thin corner on the extreme right of the Book. Hike up to the Book and continue rightwards past J-Crack and Femp. A long gully lies just right of Femp; to its right is a smooth slab with a clean crack (that doesn't reach the ground) on its left (Endless Crack), and a line of (currently) 1/4" bolts just right of that. Mission Impossible takes the corner system that borders the slab on the right. Start up into the LF corner, with a perfect 5.9 finger crack. The corner becomes very steep and thin; instead, take the flake to the left (crux, tricky gear) through blackwashed rock. Continue up a wider but easier crack to a rappel anchor. From here, a 60m rope will get you to some ledges just above the ground. Otherwise, continue up the moderate corner line until it is possible to walk off right and merge with the bottom part of the Book's 4th-class descent route.
Protection
Bring a double set of small stuff (include a few RPs), and a couple larger Friends for the top.
No more "delicate" than a 10a should be. Good route when the weather is iffy and you only want one pitch. There are two cruxes, 9+ down low laying back around the first bulge and 10a up higher as you leave the dihedral for the "flake," if you can call it that. A long step out left for a crystal eases the move considerably.
I found this to be a very satisfying route. Committing, yet do-able with good edges for your feet. I was able to protect the crux with a blue alien and small stoppers. I had RP's with me, but didn't use a single one!
Great day of climbing on this while Femp, Pear Buttress etc. was all cued up...we linked five or so pitches for a full day, Mission Impossible to Endless Crack to the cave, to Outlander...one of my favorite days climbing...full value run back to the gate at Mac Gregor in the pouring rain too.
This was my first 10a, and I thought it was a good one. While you can't place gear above you for the first 10a section, you have a bomber #1 BD at your feet. I placed a purple TCU in the flake which was alright, and then made a move higher to find good gear. Fun climb with thoughtful moves.
One of my favorite Lumpy 10a pitches. Good pro, thought-provoking moves, long 30m pitch, and with the added bolt to the threaded-sling anchor, easy to top-rope three other stellar routes/variations to the right of 11a, 11b, and 12a which is nice when the summer storms are looming overhead and you don't want to risk getting zapped 200' or higher off the ground.
The Book
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