Therneau brothers on Poseidon Adventure. Joel at t...
Description
Hats off to Dave and Rick for this one. Awesome, sustained, and technical. Finger locks and laybacks in and around a thin crack. The crux is roughly 30 feet above the belay ledge but it doesn't get much easier all the way to the top. The last 10 feet are little run out but can be protected with a bomber nut placement. Farris's guidebook mentions first pitch, which is a short crack leading to the belay ledge. Not sure how to do it without getting soaked.
Location
Very end of the Northern Ramparts. The top of the route is not easy to find. Locate the route from the clifftop at Mr. Lean/Mack the Knife and walk along the cliff line until you get to the uphill section with no vegetation and lots of pebbles. Caution when locating the route looking down from the edge.
Protection
Small to medium nuts and cams. Belay at the ledge takes medium cams. Anchor up top requires long slings wrapped around several smaller trees.
If you're top-roping. I suggest doing it from the bottom (grab a drink of ice cold taconite water while you're down there). You add another 30 ft of 10+ finger climbing, and I would argue that it ups the grade to 12a.
I did some of my first climbs at P head in the late 70's. A number of years later Dave Pagel gave me the tour of Palisade's new routes. We just TR climbed them but this one stands out as one of the best. It deserves the four stars and should not be missed.
a must do. just a lovely route. felt like a sport climb: more crimps than finger crack, techy moves, great face climbing down low above the optional belay and in the last 10 feet. despite photo by Kris Gorny on this page entitled "Therneau brothers on Poseidon Adventure. Joel at the crux section with Isaac belaying from the ledge." the route doesn't lean/slant. first pitch overhangs for a short section, but the route as a whole is vertical or less.
Palisade Head
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