Crystalline Fracture  5.7 R

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Type:  Trad, 1 pitch, 85 feet Consensus:  5.7 [details] FA:  Ryan Barber, Mike C. Robinson, 11/5/11 New Route:  Yes Submitted By:  Ryan Barber on Nov 6, 2011 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (2) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

Ryan Barber on the FFA

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Description 

In-between Noah's Ark and the large headwall, look for an obvious finger crack which moves up and right for about 25 feet. Follow the crack up and over a small roof (5.7). Once you gain the slab above, work your way up and slightly left to the large tree at the base of a gully and set your anchor.

The name Crystalline Fracture is given because during the first ascent, a protruding piece of quartz slightly bigger than a golf ball was used as a foothold, but after weighting it, broke off causing the climber to lose his footing and bang his shin hard into the rock. Fortunately, he did not take a fall because the finger crack sports a nice grip.

Protection 

Small to medium nuts and cams. Once you get over the roof, the climb is runout to the anchor (5.4) giving it an R rating. There is potentially pro along the way if you want to spend some time searching, but the rock around it is not necessarily strong enough to hold a fall. Anchor onto big tree below the gully.