Desdichado 

I would think if you can fire this route the crux of C'est La Vie isn't desperate! I once was up there when George Squibb was working on this route (maybe 10 years ago). He swarmed up the route past several bolts but could never quite finish (that day). He gave us detailed beta on the crux of C'est La Vie and we still couldn't get anywhere on it.

I have *not* done Desdichado (nor could I), but I have done C'est La Vie a few times. Before riddling out the tricky moves on CLV, I was using a side pull on the left wall of the dihedral to reach up (pretty reachy) and grab a hold on the Desdichado traverse, and then try to work into the CLV finger lock that way (it didn't work. I eventually figured out I had to stay on the slab and in the corner...)

Anyway, my point: I think its possible to get onto this route without doing the (I agree) desperate slab crux on CLV. I could certainly have clipped the first bolt of Desdichado from the holds I reached.

Another thought: no matter how good a climber you are, I can't imagine the CLV crux feeling anything but extremely edgy!

You can get on this route without doing CLV crux if you have long arms and are reasonably strong. Getting past the first clip is the hard part and there is no way I could link it. The falls onto the first bolt were clean though.

I'm curious if the broken hold has made this climb far harder than its original 5.13c rating. It would be great to hear from someone who has been on the climb recently or knows of the key flake.

I climbed on this line a couple times in 2004, and although I didn't send it, I felt the 13c grade was still applicable. I did not use the crux of C'est La Vie to gain access to the steep face, I used Tony's "long arms and reasonably strong" beta. Also, note that there are no anchors...to finish the climb in the true old school fashion you establish on the slab and take the whip.

This climb is amazing. The movement is very continuous and dynamic- no single move is harder than maybe 12+/13-, but no move is too much easier either. There are restful positions, but there is no rest. All of the [remaining] holds felt solid to me- Regardless of the broken hold, Desdichado (still goes!) and is still an incredible, historically significant, Eldo testpiece classic!

I replaced the draws on Desdichado today. The old dog bones were classic: radically multi-colored, once neon random geometric patterns. I considered calling the Smithsonian, but decided to keep these relics closer to Boulder. Enjoy!

This is a very cool route worth the shenanigans to check out .... C. Griffith put this one up ahead of its time ....

Back in the day, if you were going to give Desdichado a go, you only brought draws up with you, doing C'est La Vie the fun way--runout! lol!

A tip for the start of Desdichado--clip the second pin (may be gone now) in the dihedral and layback the pocket/edge hold on Desdichado with the right hand to clip the bolt, and then pull back into the dihedral and downclimb back to the ledge for a shake out. When you are ready for the "go", go back to the pocket edge, but this time layback it with the left, cross the right over to the sloper, and toe hook (rand pull) under you left hand, leaving the right foot smeared on the dihedral face (layback). Once toe hooked, release the left hand and go for the low corner thing hold. As soon as you get it, the feet break away, and you can stab the cut-out with the left foot. A couple shrugs and you are at the second bolt.

Great Route! More fun than CG's 'The Verve', IMHO.

Verve is pretty sweet though if you like that type of thrutching. Good to see you on here, Larry, way to fire these routes BITD!

HANK! Wow, been a long time. I don't know if you knew Russell Hopper from OKC, but I just found out he died of cancer. It's sad to lose another one of the old crew.

Anyway, glad to see you are still with the sport. I'm just kinda getting back into it after a 15 year hiatus. Not sure why, but it's sucking me back in. I'll be teaching Sharma a thing or two here shortly, kidding. Guys and gals are really tearing it up these days. Amazing.

I'm looking for a partner to climb on Desdichado. If you're interested, send me an email at tlanzano@gmail.com.