Double Cracks  5.8+

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Type:  Trad, 2 pitches, 120 feet Consensus:  5.8+ [details] FA:  ? Submitted By:  Mark Roth on Aug 15, 2012 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (2) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

The lower half of the climb.

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Raptor Closures MORE INFO >>> FYI: Parts of Devil's Head climbing area are closed March 1- July 31 every year for Peregrine falcon protection. The official closure order and associated map can be found here: www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5280647.pdf. For questions or more information, please contact the South Platte Ranger District office at 303.275.5610. This information is a public crowdsourcing effort between the Access Fund, and Mountain Project. You should confirm closures, restrictions, and/or related dates. Keeping climbing areas open and conserving the climbing environment

Description 

This route can be done as two pitches, but there is no reason not to link them. There is an anchor at mid height, but it is without rings. From the upper anchor, a 70m just reaches the ground (a 60m would not).

Follow a perfect hand crack up right to intercept the "double cracks" which actually become 3 cracks. The steepest part of the lower half was the crux for me. Although a little strenuous, especially where the crack is wider than hands, there are enough options for stemming to keep it casual.

The upper half of the pitch is a bolted squeeze chimney. Work your way up past the first 4 bolts. Crystals and features make it very enjoyable. If you want to suffer, battle straight up through the final bulge (more like 9+). If you want to make things easy, spin around on good footholds and traverse onto the right wall at a horizontal crack. If you are tall enough, you can clip that last oddly located bolt. After a few moves of face climbing, you can step back left and up to the anchor.

Location 

This route is on the right half of the wall. Look for a giant, left-facing overhang up high, and it's right under there.... If you head straight up from the old campground, it will be a little to the right. You can't miss these obvious inviting cracks. You can see the bolts on the upper chimney part from the ground as well....

Protection 

The bottom half is mostly #3 Camalots. There is other stuff available, but I had 3-#3s, so I just bumped em up.... The crack slims to #2s before the first anchor. There is a bolted anchor on the ledge above the lower cracks. 5 bolts lead to the upper anchor.

Photos of Double Cracks Slideshow

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The first part of the climb.	Using both cracks.	In the upper chimney on the upper half.
At the upper anchors.