Sonic Youth 

It is good to hear some of the history behind the ratings for this route. I had only heard talk from a number of people on what they said it was rated, hence my write up for the page and the rating comment. I think that by the time you pull that final roof move, the 13a is definitely earned.

We had quite wonderful week climbing cracks in Utah desert. Coming back to Boulder Friday evening we stopped for the route Sonic Youth. This short power route has good sequence on big holds to start on very steep angle. Next is dihedral with many good places to rest. To end is small roof with power move. This route was good flash for me after some rest in dihedral and some struggle not to fall off in the finishing move. Very nice.

A couple of holds have broken off towards the top - you can see the fresh rock and chalk lines where they used to be. I'm not sure if the climb is harder now though since I was never on it when these holds existed. Has anybody done it before and after?

I pulled off a hold at the top crux about a month ago - it was a pretty critical R-hand sidepull (for the sequence I had) - I didn't have time to figure out an alternative, but it seems that it may be a grade harder now. Sorry.

I was just on this route. The crux at the top goes just fine though I don't remember what it was like before this hold broke. Still 13a in my book.

I was working this thing before and after the two holds broke. It sounds like A.D. broke the right sidepull. Pete Sharp then broke one of the right-gaston holds. I found that the crux went fine with the remaining right-gaston hold, and prefer this beta to that with the broken holds. So, I don't think the grade changed. -Mike Sprague

WARNING: DO NOT READ FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT ANY BETA. This is an attempt to add some meaningful commentary to this climb other than the Sven Slander.I fired this route today after a ton of work, and have to say that it is just stupendous climbing. First you've got to deal with a ceiling. WOW! I actually thought this was the hard part. Here's why. Right off of the ground you get two easy moves to clip the first two bolts and then it's all business to the first rest. A powerful undercling leads to small but positive edges(that I would make the powerful 3rd clip from) then a big toss to a good flat edge that you stack on and then toss again to a hideous right hand gaston on the ceiling. Move off of this quickly to get a good hold to clip bolt 4 from. Lunge out to the lip, clip 5 and then lie back up (forarms screaming) and make another toss to a big love jug and up into the first stem rest. Woo! The next section is some tricky crimp and foot work up to a big no hands rest and then you get to wrestle with a way cool bouldering problem, split by the possiblity of a clip or not to clip conundrum. Climbing out of the rest, poke your head out from under the little roof, clip, and grab what I and my buddy Jack call the "Mini Gaston". Now reach out left for a first pinch, and then lunge again for a further pinch. When that is in hand, pull up hard for a very incut right hand edge and ask yourself the question, "shall I clip, or shall I conserve energy?" (I actually clip now but was taking a wild 30 footer while working the route when I didn't have the power-endurance to clip). After you make the decision, get your left foot up, cross up and over the mini roof with your left hand, lie back the tiny edge with a little thumb catch, then pull up for a right hand sloper and lunge for the last mega jug. Now feel good!

OBSERVATIONS: From climbing this with a bunch of different climbers; if you are a boulderer you will not find the upper crux super hard and you will more than likely find your work down low. If you are a power endurance, little waif, spider, munchkin climber, you may find that your work is up top. For either group, it offers stellar sections of both power and power-endurance. If you are like Sven, you will flash it.

Have at it, and have a blast!

This route certainly rivals Anarchitecht as the best route in the canyon. I ignored Clear Creek for many years because of the road noise, but have started climbing there more in the past few years. How did I manage to avoid this climb until this week? This has to be the best bolted route within 50 miles of Boulder. I won't comment on the grade; I'll just praise the route for its quality.

Across the street is the route "Evil" 5.13whatever? That is by far, the best route in the canyon. Knowing me and my sources, this opinion might actually be worth jack shit...Yet that is my opinion. With everything else in this area, Sonic Youth etc., It's all very good. What are the Chances of a free route to the Right of Sonic Youth, ya know, straight up the WICKED face?

Our tyrolean was taken down yet again. Upon replacing it with a third, my friend Chris Harkness left a note with his info stating that if someone was going to take it down to contact him. Lo and behold, two weeks later Jeffco Open Space contacted him, citing that it was an "eye sore" and a "danger" since people that don't climb may use it without knowing what they're doing. In my opinion, people don't need a rope crossing a river to endanger their lives in this canyon, just a severe lack of common sense. As far as the eye sore goes, I've only ever been able to see it if I was looking for it. The only reason tourists pull over here is to watch climbers. I really wonder if anyone has ever complained formally to Jeffco about all the "eye sores" in CCC ("Damn it! Every time I'm going to gamble I have to look at all the ugly things those climbers are puttin' in!"). So, enjoy the hike, which is probably more dangerous than a tyrolean.

No big surprise that Jeffco rangers are the problem here. There are an awful lot of them & they don't have much real work to do, like building trails or anything useful like that. Fortunately, it's relatively easy to get around the tyro at this particular location. Hopefully they won't mess with anything else in the canyon. Sonic Youth is well worth the walk around.

12c, easier than Anarchitect for sure.

I also heard that this was the original rating, not 12d.

To add to my previous post, Head Like a Hole is much more difficult than Sonic Youth, and that gets a slash rating of 12d/13a. So, Sonic Youth clearly cannot be 13a, especially because of the considerable rests on it.

I'd give you 13a if you climbed past the rests, but what would be the point in that?

Tom, I didn't think Anarchitect was harder. Plus, the first "rest" on SY isn't that great, and the no-hands rest up top is nerve-wracking. I haven't been on Head Like a Hole, but in my opinion, this endurance piece has moves worthy of the 5.13 grade. Difficulty is relative for different people, so your logic in comparing it to Head may not be reasonable in this circumstance.

This route definitely felt harder than Head Like A Hole, and I also thought it was harder than Twitch. Twitch and HLAH have one-move cruxes with 12a or less climbing in between, while Sonic Youth stays with you the entire way, IMO.

It just goes to show that routes that are within a letter-grade of one another are going to seem easier or harder, depending on an individual's personal strengths and weaknesses. Either way, SY is a great route - one of the best in CCC.