Jellicle Cats 

I'm definitely not an expert on ratings, but, I find it hard to believe that this route is considered 10c. I might feel otherwise without all the bolts though...:) But, I climbed it in early spring, thought it was more like 5.8/9ish at most.... Who knows, maybe it was just an uncharacteristically (spelling??) good day for me?? Fun face climb though, very well-protected.

Must have been a good day or the wrong route. I have never, until now, heard anyone call this 5.8 or 5.9.

Hmmm..... Went back to my own notebook from 4/4/98. I had given Jellicle Cats 5.10a(?b). Perhaps we should either stick with original or split the difference. The 5.10c came out of Mark Rolofson's book.

I think that the Jellicle Cat was a fun route it starts of pretty easy than towards the top it gets harder and gets hard to find holds, and I recommend a 60 meter rope,

Guess I'd have to go back and try it again, maybe it is harder than I remember. One thing that sticks out in my mind are all the cool little quartz crystals on the rock that you get to pull/step on. Pretty neat... There's a bolted route on the right side (climbers right) of the crag which goes up on slightly overhanging jugs....in that way, different from the other mostly slab routes. It was pretty fun, but has some loose-ish rock, and is kinda dirty. I think the book gave it a 10d which may be a bit generous? Not sure of the name, but, look out for loose stuff... But, isn't the crag closed, or??

Catslab was not closed to climbing as of 8/4/01.

I'd have to agree with Joe Keyser, 9. Much of this slab seems overrated in difficulty, though. However, if you climbed it climbing the shortest line 'tween the bolts, ya might eek out a 10a, but you'd miss all these obvious holds....

Edit: went back on an off day 9 years later, and I think the route has lost some of the little edges that originally made it feel more like a 9. Sometimes, slab routes will do that.

You can lower off this climb at (140ft ???) and the rest of the climbs on the Catslab with a 70m rope. The quick draws must be cleaned.

Please knot the end of your rope, as your rope stretch and rope length may vary.

First, nice climb. Crux for me was just above the first clip. Though, I tried to go around right rather than up the crack on the left.

A word on rope length. I have a 70m and it will not allow a full rappel to the deck. Either double rope rap down or tie stoppers on one rope, rap to the chains at the top of Gumby Cats, reset a rap there and finish the rest of the way. Good luck.

Climbed it today in one long pitch. I used a 70m 9.2 rope (read strechy) and it got me down to the ledge just off the ground. Had to do 4 feet of "down climbing." I would put the first crux at 10a. I have done lots of slab all over the country including pure friction in North Carolina at Sone Mountain. Comparing, I think there are a couple of 10a moves after you clip the first bolt from the top of Gumby Cat.

Maybe the best pitch on the crag (but I haven't attempted the 11).

I climbed this with a friend. He lead it, then I lowered him to the mid anchor. He belayed me from the ground to the top and back to the ground. I then lowered him from the mid anchor. It worked out great with a 70m rope.

Don't do the Gumby Cat and Jellicle Cats in 1 pitch even with a 70m rope. My buddy and I being the geniuses that we are thought we could. We were a good 7 feet short even with rope stretch. Play it safe and do this in 2 pitches. Better to be safe than sorry, guys.

Erik...A 70m is just fine for doing it in one pitch. Just rap off in 2 pitches.... If your partner wants to TR the route, belay from the anchor or from Gumby Cat anchor like Ken did and then finish with a rap to the ground.