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Meat Pipe 

5.7+ X

   

FA: John Langston/Amber Schaffer
New Route: Yes
Type: Trad
Consensus: 5.8+ [details]
Length: 1 pitch, 180 feet
Views: 286 page views

Submitted By: Anonymous Coward on Jul 1, 2005


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Description 

The amazing striking OW/Chimey line splitting the southeast face.

It starts as stacks, goes to squeeze chimney and gets into full stems with a fist crack. I had only a #6 Friend and smaller and was able to only get 4 pieces of pro in 180 feet. The cruxes were protected but a fall in most places would have meant decking. Gold Big Bros may help.

To descend, walk right (exposed) until you are below the sickest OW fist crack you've ever seen and look right. There is an anchor with one brand new bolt and one old bolt. Use a single rope rap down the slab and scramble down the chimney. Walk back to your pack around the back side, this takes a while, follow the path of least resistance.


Protection 

Large cams, Valley Giants, Gold Big bros.



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By Chad Stebbins
Jun 10, 2007
rating: 5.9

After climbing this route with John today I had to ask 5.7 + what? It turns out you need to add about two number grades. The difficulty is reminiscent of the narrows on Steck-Salathe in Yosemite. The route is about 130 feet of pure squeeze/chimney climbing with a little off-widthing in the beginning to get established and a few fist jams near the top. This route seems to me to be about as good as this type of climbing gets. To locate this route, it is the dark slot shown on Hubbel's drawing just to the right of The King and Eyes.

We added an anchor to the top of the route, a double rope rap gets you back to the start.

By John Langston
Jun 10, 2008
rating: 5.9 PG13

Chad is correct about the rating, it's a 5.9.

I must have been drinking turpentine when I called it 5.7. At any rate, for those that like squeeze chimneys or need practice, it doesn't get any better. Try to imagine Candlestick in Vedauwoo at over 3 times the length and a tough harder. It's a beautiful climb.

This route is now sporting a new two bolt anchor to facilitate rapping off. This means that with a double rope rap you can be back at your bags and on the front side of the cliff. It was a spectacular pain in the ass walking across a sometimes wet ledge, rapping off a single self thread bolt (now backed up also), and walking all the way around the Taj.

It's now just a wide route, not half a day. I would still suggest belaying up top though, as it is round and sharp up top.