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Nice addition! I was reading your description as I will be up here soon... Curious, is a 4.5 cam adequate for the crux, or do you have to have the 5 with you?

It's been a while but I seem to remember a number five being essential. My brother might remember.

=pat

Thanks for the info Pat! I'll let you know what I find...can't wait to get up there again!!!

Joe, the first time I went up to do this route I was armed with a #4 Camalot per Rossiter (I think he might even say #4 Friend!). The lobes were barely touching and that was after finding the narrowest spot in the upper crack. A 4.5 would be adequate but not great, a 5 would be perfect (although you will still probably want to slide it up with you). There is also a small RP placement behind a loose flake. After the crux, a good crack inside the offwidth takes excellent pro (and your hands). The whole climb is excellent. In all seriousness, from the bottom of P3 it might be worth doing the 50 foot hand traverse on Orange Julius and then coming back to the belay!

Thanks Charles, just talked to Darin Lang, and he said he might let us borrow his #5... I have a 2 bigbro, but, [I'm] not totally [proficient] at placing those yet! Anyway this route is [definitely] on my 'soon' list as I am just getting back in the swing from an injury...so, thanks for the info! BTW - Darin said you guys had a blast in IC, rock on!

Bring the #5 Camalot unless you're from Colorado Springs and well over 40 years old (in that case a #2 will be adequate). Had the #4.5 on my last ascent and it was pretty tipped out and not inspiring a lot of confidence.

How about if you've just turned 30, live a few hours north of Colorado Springs, and have a rather small set of cahones; do you think a #4 would suffice?

The #5 was very nice to have after I placed the 4.5, although I did end up sliding it up with me for about 30 feet.

As Patrick suggested, I would bring 2 #2 Camalots and 2 #3 Camalots for the first pitch. My partner managed to leap-frog gear, but I wouldn't want to wish such a lead on anybody. I was fairly psyched to get a good orange TCU at the top of the crack on pitch 2 before the traverse. Walking the #5 is the way to go for pitch 3...unless you are soloing.

This is a great climb. I did the first two pitches as one (i.e., the fist crack and the 5.8 traverse) and belayed from a good stance at the base of the wide flare at the end of the traverse. This worked out very well. The OW is super fun and well protected with a #5 (as suggested) and supplemental TCUs on the right side.

As S. Kimball wrote, "a route with a little bit of everything." For P1, perhaps some larger hexes (a.k.a. gull whackers to Brits) in addition to double #2 & #3 Camalots (since it stays fairly wide) might be useful. P2 is a blast! For P3, there are few mandatory OW moves since you can face climb, lieback, jam, stem, and even use face holds inside the crack. There are great rests on P3. P4 60m cruise to the top. Great route!

This is a climb worth repeating. Great jams. Delicate face moves and finally some off-widthing on P3. Not for someone looking to break into 5.9 but it is to be recommended for someone looking for moderate off-width climbing, as the section requiring true OW form is short. I carried an old style 4.5 Camalot and a new, C3 #5 Camalot. Slid the 4.5 as far as comfortable. Then slid the #5 up the widening crack as far as I could without going to umbrella mode but I was about a body length above it while pulling the crux moves, and 15 feet or more out at the next good rest.

My partner was well protected walking a BD C4 #6 cam through the crux. When the angle lessens the crack is wider than #6, but he got nuts and small cams in. Fun route.

Bring the #6.

I second that...if you own a #6 camalot or a #6 wild country bring it. the number five tipped out as i got a green alien in a small fissure. I walked the cam as far as i could. with a 70 meter rope you can make this into 2 pitches.

Used #5 Camalot (old style) then #1 RP on right wall (not totally bomber but seemed worth placing) above that before placing the good gear that comes after the OW crux on P3; nice juxtaposition of gear sizes. I wore shorts-don't do that!

Great Route. Bring the #6 if you don't want to run out the crux off-width. I pushed a #5 Camalot as far as it would go and you still have about 10-15 feet of OW before you can get some small to finger size gear in (and that seemed like the hardest part). Felt pretty commiting without a #6.