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The Sheriff's Badge
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Blazing Saddles 

5.10b

   

FA: Mike Beaubien, John Simpson, Perry Beckham 1982
Type: Trad
Consensus: 5.10b [details]
Length: 2 pitches, 200 feet
Season: Spring, Summer, Fall
Views: 302 page views

Submitted By: Andy Laakmann on Aug 22, 2007


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BETA PHOTO: Leading the first pitch. The twin cracks leading ...


Description 

This climb is usually approached via the first two pitches of Borderline (5.10b, 5.8).

P1 - 5.10a - From the big treed ledge (aka The Terrace), head up the left facing corner on the far left side. A few moves of 5.9 laybacking lead to a stemmy/chimneyish exit move. Bolted anchor.

P2 - 5.10b - The money pitch. This thing is SWEET. Continue up the corner and make some moves over, on, and around the big, scary flake. This flake isn't going to last forever, and it'll be a bad day when it falls. Work the two parallel cracks (one is 3-5" and the other is 1-2") up the leaning wall until at the roof. The cracks offer excellent jamming, but the entire face leans to the right which significantly increases the pump! Undercling out the roof (green camalots) and pull the roof (crux) to another 10-15 feet of thin jamming. I didn't have a green camalot available when pulling the roof and was unhappy about it..... Bolted anchor.


Location 

Far left side of The Terrace below the Sheriff's badge. Usually approached via the first two pitches of Borderline.

Rappel the route with one or two ropes.


Protection 

Nuts and two sets of cams from #0.5-#3 camalot. You might want to throw in an extra green and red camalots, as the crack is mainly 1-2".



Add Photo Photos of Blazing Saddles
The ride, to the roof.

BETA PHOTO: The ride, to the roof.

Pulling the Roof

Pulling the Roof

The first pitch of Borderline. Brad was sorting a rope tangle so I got out the camera. In the forest, the wall has a cragging atmosphere, but as soon as you're actually on the face, with the Sheriff's Badge above and views all around the Squamish Valley, it suddenly feels like a very big wall.

The first pitch of Borderline. Brad was sorting a...

Brad leading the second pitch of Borderline. The 11c crux is visible above, but Brad is traversing over to approach Blazing Saddles. Done this way, the pitch is 5.9, although before making the traverse, it looks like it's going to be harder.

Brad leading the second pitch of Borderline. The ...

Brad wishing he had saved the right gear for the roof (#.75 Camalot). Once he pulled around the roof he wanted those pieces even more.

Brad wishing he had saved the right gear for the r...


Add Comment Comments on Blazing Saddles
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By Tourist
From: Riverside, ca.
Aug 28, 2007

We linked the first two pitches of Borderline with a 70. And linked Blazing Saddles and did it in one. Great climb.

By Peter Spindloe
Administrator
From: North Vancouver, BC
May 26, 2008

It would be easy to miss the first bolted belay on Borderline. After you pull up through some trees on the first pitch and get to a great ledge, look around the corner to the left. The bolts are there, presumably to make pulling rappel ropes easier. I could easily imagine missing them and building a gear belay. On our way down there was another party who had missed them.

As Andy mentioned, for the second pitch of Blazing Saddles, save a piece or two for after you pull the roof. .75 Camalot is perfect, but some large nuts work too. This is definitely the most strenuous part, so the ideal would be to have two .75s and place one at the lip and one between the lip and the anchor.

By danelle
From: Seattle, WA
Aug 24, 2008

Did this route to free an enticing yellow cam. Um LOOSE SHIT on this route strange since it is so popular..Stepped on a block that nearly missed my belayer. Be careful.