Start up the steep left side of a buttress on the left side of an alcove. Said alcove is then about 40 yards from the super-easy access to the top. This is a fun route. Some easy step up moves, and then a dyno opportunity from small but positive crimpers to the ledge. To truly climb the route, do not go up the left side from here. Instead, move right and follow the bolts directly up the face. Another cool dynamic move opportunity to a left-hand ledge about 10 feet below the bolts.
If you are too short to reach the high flake (which cannot be seen from the toehold), this is easily a 5.10. To reach the upper part, climb left or right to the big ledge, then try the bolted route, or climb left which allows 5.7/5.8 climbers to enjoy the rest of the route.
Although I'm tall I must have missed the 8+ way of doing this route. I did the moves to the ledge without doing a dyno so perhaps that made the difference. I think those moves were consistent with 9+/10a.
Not sustained, but fun for the 2 crux moves, 1 to get to the ledge, the other to get off of the ledge by going right and up the face. I'm not quite 6' tall and found the cruxes (cruci?) to be fairly rated at 9+/10a. These moves were noticeably harder for me than the crux of braincloud, so using braincloud (5.9) as a benchmark, I think this one is graded about right. My climbing partner, who is about 6'2 and is very solid at 5.8, couldn't get the first crux after many tries.
Not a 5.9 in my book, but everyone is different. The crimpers at the crux are real small. The last bolt was almost falling completely out, hand tightened but might need some attention.
Brown Cloud Rocks
RSS Feed
