This is what happens after blowing the crux. To ma...
Description
Guilt Parade takes the fourth line of bolts on the left side of the Wasteland cave. While often described as slabby, this description is a major sandbag. The line starts with a very powerful slap that, for me, uses a lot of ape index. Passing the first bolt is close to 5.12 by itself. A series of technical face moves on good edges sends you up into something of a corner system where the gear used to get very spacey. A retro bolt was added in 1994 to protect one very cruxy move in this region. The route stays powerful and pumpy right up to the finishing bulge. The stone on Guilt Parade has always been sharp, particularly in the start, so plan on a rough job for the hands. The cumulative pump factor and mental game (lots of spacey pro higher up) add up to an excellent line (project for some of us), that sees a lot less traffic than it deserves. A couple of funky spots drop off a star.
Guilt Parade really is a great route but the hollow block/layback system about two-thirds of the way up the route (before the slab crux on the blue rock) is one of the scarier features at Rifle -- maybe it's in there for the long haul, maybe it's gonna cut tomorrow.
After a seemingly solid swath of rock dropped off in the Arsenal I've become a lot more scared of funky stone at Rifle than I used to be. The routes at Rifle seem more prone to shedding in the spring, during the freeze/thaw cycle.
On the mark comment. If we are thinking of the same section of rock, I thought that what might reef here was never really huge, just toaster-oven sized blocks. In a different setting, a lot this stuff would have seen some heavy crowbar action. Frankly, many of the more "slabby" routes in the Wasteland should be viewed with same caution that Matt has indicated.
WARNING: According to my friend Maury, who climbs at Rifle all the time, the aforementioned loose flakes on this route have begun shifting this season. While I haven't been up there to confirm it (yaa, right!), I would urge anyone heading up on this route to be very careful, and back off if things get spooky.
The loose block/flake system is at about 2/3 height before the route hits the slabby blue rock -- it is a left-facing flake that looks like a finger crack from the ground, and is held up by what Richard Wright accurately described as the "toaster-sized" blocks -- and probably a bit of mud as well.
I went up this route the other day and concur that's there's a terrifying hollow sound you hear reefing on that section at 2/3 height. Unsure whether the block(s) will actually come off but I sure won't sunbathe underneath this route from now on.
This route is a total pile that I would only recommend to my worst enemy. While pretty to look at...and fun to climb if you can get past the fear factor...I will not be surprised when the whole thing falls down. I just hope there is no one on it when it does...go do Durt instead!
I agree with the above. I would not recommend anyone climb this route. There is a significant portion of wall that is waiting to come down. Even though it has been "crowbarred"--a few tons of rock isn't going to move until its ready to.
Also, the first bolt is halfway pulled out of the wall, though it's hard to tell that from below. I'd replace the bolt, but, like I said, I think this route is dangerous ...
The Wasteland
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