Knee Grinder  5.9+ R

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Type:  Trad, 1 pitch, 80 feet Consensus:  5.10a [details] FA:  John Varco Submitted By:  Tony B on Oct 24, 2004 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (7) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

Tony Bubb leads 'Knee Grinder (5.9+)' at the Ice C...

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Description 

This climb is towards the right side of the climbing at the Parlor, and just right of the big ledge from which Ice Cream Parlor Crack climbes from. It is a fun line if you like squeeze chimney. If you don't, don't bother climbing it. The climb starts just right of a bolted arete and heads up and right through a small amount of broken rock to reach a big, solid, right-facing dihedral, protecting with standard equipment. After maybe 10 meters, the crack widens to take big gear (#4 camalot or larger) and then widens sufficiently to squeeze in. You will pop up onto a ledge before facing a second dihedral with a single protruding flake 1 meter up that keeps you out of the chimney for a few awkward moves before you can get in again. Once in, step back a few moves to a good foot-rail, then make your way for the light above, and fixed anchors. These Ancors are for Knee Grinder, Coffin, and the sport-climb between.

Protection 

A set of cams from 1" to as big as you want to carry. THe chimney up top where it is wide is protected by a single bolt out on the right face, then run out 8 meters or so. Falling should not be considered an option, since it would require dynamite to extract you from the crack if you wedged into the bottom of it, 50' below. Thankfully, this would be unlikely.