The Triple Mantle 

Somebody...please do this route and tell me if the route is intended to continue after the three mantle moves. The mantles were both challenging and fun. Three of us played on it today and we each did them entirely differently..... None of us were able to climb beyond the mantles. We ended up moving right onto the 5.5 route to get back up to clean the top rope.

Hi Tonya. My guess is that Triple Mantle returns to Route 166 after the third mantle. The face directly above certainly doesn't go at 5.9 (if it goes at all). When I did this route, I did ten feet on Route 166 (after the third mantle), and then traversed back left for the last fifteen feet of the buttress. There's a flake and a crack up there (visible in Jim's photo, below and right of the small patch of blue sky) that can be linked together. It felt like 5.10 to me, though it required ome big reaches (and I'm 6-3).

The third mantle seems much harder than 5.9, that might depend upon where you do it. Right up the center seems like 10b/c or so.

Tonya:When I [originally] did this route I continued up the easy terrain and did the steep section of rock to the left of the chimney. I went back with a group of folks who could not figure it out and when I got up there there was some key holds missing. This does not [surprise] me given how a lot of the rock in the SSV just flakes off. I also know similar problems with the third mantel, but we were all able to pull it, although somewhat tougher. Last few times we would just finish up the chimney. [Start on] the right side, stem the chimney and finish on the left side of the chimney and exit out to the bolts.

Anyone know who added the bolts to this climb? Also, at bolt four: I saw chalk going straight up to the flake by bolt 5 -- is that the way it's intended to be led? How hard is it that way? I led it today, and I traversed left at bolt 4, did a move up intio a flared crack to clip the fifth bolt, then moved back right (5.10 crux) and up to top (this is the way I TR'd it some time ago, and I'm just wondering if the people who bolted it are going straight up). Cool lead: six bolts, plus #1, 1.5 Friends, #1 Camalot, and a long sling or tw

I placed the 2 "Fixe" rappel bolts at the top a number of years back. But there were no bolts on the face back in 2001, so that is someone else's work. I only bolted the tops of the climbs on this rock that I regularly used with my scout troop.

I don't think it matters where or how you climb the last three bolts. The way it was planned was to clip bolt #4 and #5 on your left, then step across to the flake and up to the next flake to clip #6 on your right. A big stem across the chimney lets you clip #5, and then a committing move to the flake. I'll have to try it the way you mentioned. I don't know how hard it is the way I mentioned, but for us short folk I'd say at least a hard 10.

I'd love some feedback on doing it the way I mentioned above.

Hi Wade - I tried emailing you via this site, but it didn't work. Could you please try emailing me (or just call -- I'm in the Longmont phone book)? I've got some SSV questions that you may be able to help me with.

Thanks.

After mantles, top 3-4 bolts look VERY hard and improbable (relative to my ability, ie-undoable). Saw chalk but very blank-looking bulge leading to small ridges, I'm sure it can be done, but I'd like to see it! I ran out the finish up the easy chimney to the anchors.