Both Swain's and Brock's topos for this route are awful. it is not a long continuous corner. There is much scwacking and scrambling between pitches, and the routefinding (esp pitch 4) is challenging. Definitely not 5 stars and I'm pretty sure Roxanna hasn't climbed it. Glad I didn't buy her book!
The way I went on the 4th pitch was a thin corner with some airy barndoor moves and 1 bolt 1/2 way up. I didn't see any 4th class exit, just a 8" overhanging offwidth...so we bailed w/one rope and it made it. Don't trust any anchor bolts on this climb. An AMGA guide broke both ankles on this route.
The guide broke one ankle when he fell leading. The combination of bad rock and gear placements in bad rock didn't help his predicament. It sounds like his fall was due to pulling off a hold at a sketchy spot.
The guide was slated to take his $1500 rock guide's exam the following day. I don't know if he got a refund or a credit. But I do know that he wasn't a happy camper...
The only route I bailed off of in Red Rock and will never return to complete. Its a total thrash to get to the main event, which ends up being way spookier than you think it would be. I can't imagine leading the upper part of this route-- overhanging offwidths? In what world is that 5.10?
That said, Chocolate Flakes off right looks pretty sweet....too bad the approach pitches make it a less than appealing climb.
Magic Mountain
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