God Route (aka Mike's Route)  5.11a/b

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Type:  Trad, TR, 1 pitch, 80 feet Consensus:  5.11- [details] FA:  Mike Roybal, early 1970s Submitted By:  George Perkins on Jun 3, 2008 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (4) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

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Description 

"God Route" is really just a series of interconnected boulder problems between good rests, but what it lacks in continuousness it makes up through unique movement.

Escape the cave moving from left to right, with a boulder problem first crux. Have faith that the TCU in the horizontal crack above the lip protects the heelhook/mantle move. You can place other cams below and left of the roof. There is also a "direct start" moving left from the flakes to the right, which is much easier, like 5.9? (though the guidebook lists it as height-dependent 5.11, so maybe there's a 3rd option?)

Place more TCUs and/or small nuts to protect the 2nd crux, an overhanging lieback move or two to a thank-god flake. Fight the pump to get another cam in, and get another rest below a tough-looking offwidth.

The offwidth is easier than it appears. A #4 camalot fits near the bottom of it, or with a bigger cam (#5) you can place gear higher. Once you commit to putting your knee in the crack, you've got it.

Location 

God Route begins in the back of the obvious cave behind the giant boulder at the left side of ONP.
It is climb #1 in the beta photo.

Protection 

2 ea. TCUs or other tiny cams.
1 ea. cams of larger sizes up to a #2 camalot.
1 set nuts.
Either a #4 or #5 camalot or equivalent big cam is nice, but maybe not essential.

A double length runner around a column at the top makes for a good anchor. Supplement this with some of your own gear in cracks, or anchor off dying trees with lengths of static line.