Mountain Project: Climbing Lichen or Not

Another of the Platte's near-perfect hand cracks, Lichen or Not ascends a short vertical buttress and is punctuated by a 20 ft 5.6 runout on slabs to the anchor.

Hike to Squat Rock and continue on the trail to approximately the midpoint of the rock. As a reference point, you should be slightly to the left of the Squat Rock summit (a blocky boulder cleft by a 5.10 offwidth) and about even with a tree located just down and left from the summit. Thread your way through some large boulders to the base. As you near the base, you will likely look up and say to your partner, "that looks like a great line!." This is your route.

Hand jams with a thin-hands crux will take you to the top of the vertical section. Follow easy ground and then move left, clipping a bolt before a 5.8 slab move. 5.6 slabs take you the next 20 feet to the summit. A 60m single-rope rap will get you to the base of the climb, but be extremely cautious when pulling the rope to avoid the gully to the "climber's left" of the route. We were less than cautious and ended up with a thoroughly wedged cord.

Protection

Light standard rack weighted towards hand-sized pieces (an extra #2 Camalot/2.5 Friend is advisable) plus a QD for the single bolt. Tree anchor w/slings at the top.

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Comments displayed oldest to newest — Skip Ahead to the Most Recent Dated May 5, 2008

By Erik Corkran
Aug 18, 2001

This is a great route! I haven't climbed it in a while, since the rock seems to be closed (hoping it is/will open again). If you saw anybody out there in the winter doing laps on self belay, well, that was probably me (at the very least, I climbed it a lot).

By Darin Lang
Aug 20, 2001

The last time I was up there (8/11) I didn't see any of the No Trespassing signs along the normal approach. Of course, this doesn't necessarily mean that the crag is "open". YMMV.

By Tyler Jones
Aug 21, 2001

I've been waiting for a long time to get this rock up just so I could add this route... I guess I was just way too lazy after work to bother. Anyways, I can't even say how perfect this crack is. If you want a textbook crack for handjams, this is your climb! A great 5.9 for the Platte.

By Shane Zentner
From: Colorado
Dec 5, 2001

Hand jam.

By Darrin Stein
From: Moab, UT
Dec 10, 2001

Beautiful, short bomber hands crux to a slab finish with a single bolt.

By Ben Mottinger
Founding Father
Oct 13, 2002
rating: 5.9

I thought the good part of the route was too short for 3 stars.

By Chad Stebbins
Jun 2, 2003
rating: 5.8

Great route, classic hand crack. I added a quick link to the slings that were on the tree at the top to make for a better rap.

By John McNamee
Administrator
From: Littleton, CO
Jun 29, 2003

Superb Climb. Just wish it were longer! Solid jams and great feet. 5.8.

By jay baichi
Jun 12, 2005
rating: 5.9

Super fun! Short, but [great] fun for the 5.8 leader.

By Matt Nelson
From: Honolulu, HI
Jan 24, 2006
rating: 5.9

One of the best lines at Squat, very worth doing. It would be nice if the crack at the beginning was about 100 feet longer though :-)

By Andrew
From: Lakewood
Feb 16, 2006

Very fun Crack. I think some of the jamming involved is 5.9 but it's not long enough to start feeling it. Probably feels easier if your accustomed to jamming. The second half of the route up the slab has a beefy new bolt protecting the one interesting move.

By Mark Nelson
From: Coniferous, CO
Jun 2, 2006
rating: 5.9

One of my favorites, purple Alien sized. If you really want to freak yourself out, go climber's right after the crack angle backs off; fun thin crimp slab (I think .8+) w/ no pro (maybe do this stunt on TR).

By Mark Nelson
From: Coniferous, CO
May 5, 2008
rating: 5.9

Seeing these crack pics again just sucks monkey balls, doesn't it???

I need a beer.

By Allen Hill
From: Pine, Colorado
May 5, 2008

It was a fun little rock.

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Lichen or Not

5.9

Description

Protection