Via Comatose Amigo is the route immediately to the right of Deuces Wild and starts off on some slabby grey rock. Surprisingly better than it looks, the line follows up the grey stuff for 50 ft or so, and then pulls onto a flat ledge that looks directly right to the Jackpot face. Follow the pegmatite for a few clips, slip left, a bit, and amble up to the anchors. This route is actually a great kick. The moves are enjoyable, the stone is excellent (Yes, Harry, even pegmatite can be solid!), and the route is well protected. However, I find the clip leading into the pegmatite to be a bit weird if you are not tall, which I am not. I use an extendo clip here that makes the clip very comfortable. Two stars for sure. NB: this is not a very good top rope route since the line wanders a bit. Also, there is a very rusty old pin at the ledge preceding the pegmatite, but I have no idea who climbed here before, or what the line used to be.
Protection
QD only. You will get a baker's dozen clips in 115 ft of climbing. A double bolt anchor exists at the top. However, "Hear-Of-Fail-Not" to quote the courts. This 40 m route needs double ropes to descend!!!!! Not even a 60 m rope will work. It is possible to pick up a second rap stance at Jackpot, but a direct descent goes on double ropes only.
You can actually get off this route with a 60m rope without too much risk to life and limb. Once you've cleaned your draws on rappel...you can just reach the first bolt at the end of your line...just swing around the corner to the right. Come off rap in the little gully/chimney and its only a 4th class scramble for 10-15ft to get down. Not really advisable, but not seriously sketchy either if you've only got one rope. --Great moderate route!
Really fun route. Did it a little while back and had a blast. A lot more vertical than it seems from the ground with great exposure as you take the ledge below the pegmatite. I was just able to reach the clip at the ledge (I'm 5'11" with a pretty long reach). One question, does anybody know what the route is that goes off to the right? Just curious.
This is a very good route with a sustained nature, great variety of moves and an airy feel. To me it seemed unlike many of the other routes at the High Wire Crag. I couldn't identify a 5.10b/c crux, but rather found 4 or 5 5.9/5.10 moves. This route is absolutely "top of the line" and my new favorite at the High Wire!
A friend and I climbed this route on Sunday and found it to be a great line. Perfect for people who are getting into 5.10'ish sport routes. This was my first time climbing at CCC and chose High Wire from a recommendation. I had a blast BTW. Anyway, unless I missed the crux by some odd twist of fate, I too found the 10 b/c rating a tad high. Of course we all have our opinions on ratings but it felt more like a 9+/10 to me. As far as the rope thing goes. My climbing partner and I tried lowering with one rope and also tried rapping with two. By a total consensus of two, we both think rapping with two ropes is the best way to come down. Although, cleaning the draws while rapping was a bit awkward.
This route is totally height/reach-dependent. For those 6'0" and over, it's a solid and fun 9+. For those of us vertically-challenged (5'6"), the first crux move is the clip from the ledge at around the 7th or 8th bolt. It's a totally committing move with some fall potential. Hint: there is a jug up and to the left and a nice right foot hold. Just don't look down! The second crux is the lateral move to the anchors. Very thin but a very well protected fall. Great route. Would NOT recommend it for a TR. Follow and clean and...Yes a 60m will reach down to the ramp, but not the trail.
By Leo Paik Administrator From: Westminster, Colorado May 7, 2003
Beware, when you rappel this route, there is a horizontal edge on a large flake with a bolt on it on the route to the R that can saw through your rope. It cut all the way through the sheath on Brian's rope.
5.10a may be close to correct if you can reach through the bear hug at mid height. I've done it with substantially shorter climbers and got the impression that their moves were harder than that.
Very fun climb. This may be off route, but I found good hands and feet just left of the face of the crux bulge and stemmed out to get a great foot on the small chickenhead near the nose of the arete. It would definitely be more sketchy to face climb straight up the bulge, but the way I did it, the grade of the route was no more than 10a, if that. No problem getting down with one 60m rope. Just tie knots in the ends when toproping (I think it's ok to toprope -- I did it) or rapping. You'll get down low enough on one 60m for an easy scramble to descend the last 15 feet or so.
I wanted to make a correction to my comment above about toproping this climb. If you TR it without the climber's end of the rope clipped into directionals above, there is potential for quite a pendulum if you peel off. I toproped it with directionals above.
Fun route! Now my second-favorite at High Wire, behind 5th of July. Feels quite exposed at the crux, which for me was the "bear hug" section that Richard mentions above. A good variety of climbing - slabby moves, an offwidth crack, and juggy moves for the rest. Pretty straightforward, just watch out and don't wander onto Jackpot - at one point the bolts for Jackpot are within an arm's reach of Amigo's bolts.
The bolt clip with the big reach everyone is talking about (7th or 8th) can be clipped from the ledge if you are tall or have a large ape index. I'm 5'-10" with an average reach, and I couldn't clip it by about 3 inches. However, if you look left you'll find some good holds that will allow you to climb to a reasonably secure position above the ledge for this clip. The piton at this ledge still remains, but it's pretty impractical if you're using the bolts.
Not sure if this route is 115 ft. I think it is more 125 ft. Someone correct me if they disagree. Near the top I got confused about the line and 'zig-zagged' one draw (I though I was suppose to clip into Jackpot's anchors) and I ran out of rope...and I have a 70 meter. So close but just short.
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