Vertigo is a classic (mostly) free route that offers sustained and varied climbing. A lead of the fearsome Half Moon Crack is a feather in a trad climber's cap.
Locate the undeniable splitter of Reppy's Crack and head to the right past a death gully. The next section of solid rock to the right holds Union Jack and Vertigo. Vertigo starts in the center of the low angled pane of granite at a wide crack.
Pitch 1, 5.6: Head up the wide crack to easier climbing. Belay on a comfortable ledge.
Pitch 2, 5.9 AO: A long 50 meter pitch. Climb up the slab to a roof. Skirt the roof on the right and climb up a beautiful cleaved flake to a mass of slings attached to a new bolt. Clip the bolt, lower down about 15 feet and pendulum or tension traverse right to a stance below a large left facing corner.
If you are using double ropes, it is useful to lead the first part of the pitch, including the pendulum, on one of the ropes and then use the other rope after swinging into the corner. This way, you will have little drag and your second will have an easier time cleaning the pendulum. It is still a good idea, however, to climb as high as possible in the corner before putting a piece in.
Once established in the corner, follow the amazing fingercrack in the left wall. The technical crux of the route is found here. This part reminds me of Serenity Crack in Yosemite- thin technical jams in lower angled rock. Finally, belay off two bolts at an awkward stance.
The pendulum section of this pitch was freed a few years ago by Tim Kemple at 5.12.
Pitch 3, 5.9: Make commiting moves right off the belay and then make a big span move to a crack out right. Follow this crack as it widens and goes through a bulge. Belay at a stance at the base of the unmistakable wide crack. This is a short pitch and can be combined with the next pitch.
Pitch 4, 5.9R: The Half Moon Crack. Routefinding is not an issue on this pitch: simply climb the wide crack. Pro can be placed at the start of the crack, but after that, there is no pro for the rest of the pitch since the crack is just too wide for gear. All goes swimmingly until the final few moves when the crack trends rightward and the angle steepens.
Do not underestimate this pitch. I did and scared myself silly at the top when I found myself desperately thrutching up the crack all the while contemplating a 60 foot fall onto the slab below. It's really a memorable lead.
Most climbers rap from the bolts atop The Half Moon Crack. Three double rope raps will get you down.
Protection
Standard rack. A #5 Camalot will not fit in The Half Moon Crack. It's just too wide. I have heard that a Big Bro might fit, but I'm not entirely sure about that. The crack is about 18 inches wide.
Two ropes for rappelling. As always at Cannon, don't forget your helmet.
By lperitz22 From: Brookline, MA Aug 25, 2008 CONDITION REPORT
Beautiful climbing! At the top of the second pitch, one of the two new bolts is missing a nut (1/2"??)and so the hanger is loosely attached. The other bolt is in fine shape.
FYI- A blue big bro will work at two or three points on the OW pitch...barely. Unless you bring a few be prepared to be sketched out anyway. It is possible to lieback the entire way but doing so on lead would be a 10 on the Sphincter Pucker Factor Scale(SPF). This scale is used in climbing and many prisons around the world.
Superb. And don't be intimidated by the offwidth. If you've got any offwidth skills, it's a cruiser. I've only done a little climbing in Yosemite, but I think it'd be rated a 5.7 Yosemite OW.
The second time I climbed this, I got in a #4 big bro halfway up the half moon, barely. #3 might fit better in many places. The placement felt sketchy - bumpy granite made it easy to twist and move around. I haven't tried, but I think a #6 camalot would fit in a lot of places. Might be a pain to pass though.
After the pendulum, I don't place pro. Make easy moves up to the fingercrack and make a good anchor; this allows the 2nd to just unclip and swing when following the pendulum.
Leave the #6 camalot in the car - it's about .5" too small. Couldn't do a thing with it.
The big bros work just fine though. With a little patience you can find a bomber placement.
The whole thing is really pretty easy - I laybacked the entire thing and the only tough part was parking myself in the middle to place the big bro and switch sides on the layback. Probably about 5.7 in Yosemite.
And on P2, it's just what the previous poster said. Easy climbing after the traverse - don't place pro until you're above it and your second will be fine. I can't imagine doing this with a swing - I tried it that way and it was a total waste of time. It's a tension traverse all the way. You can belay just above the traverse without too much fuss. The section above is one of the best pitches anywhere.
i climbed from the ground, past the pendulum, to a decent stance in the corner far enough above the pendulum that my partner had a rope above him- all in one pitch that links comfortably with 60m doubles. (if you have double ropes, you can start putting pro in immediately after the tension traverse. you can be perfectly safe, and so can your partner). then another pitch that goes up to the not-so-awesome chains in the corner, steps right, and continues up to the base of the half moon in another frinedly link. I bet with 60s you could make it pretty close, if not all the way, to the rap anchors above the half moon from that belay.
i didnt find the #6 WC friend useful on the half moon crack, although i was happy to have another big cam to leave at the base to back up the manky bottomed-out pins (and one good small nut) that made up the anchor. (a #5 C4 camalot or larger would do fine here).
i thought the crux was definitely the fingery sections (which take small stuff. green aliens. tips jams). i was gripped starting up the half moon waiting for the epic, but it turned out to be quite reasonable. i could get gear in the back for the first half (.75, #1) and the upper section wasnt bad either. just more of the same. and then there are jugs at the top. and its only around 25 feet. on a slab. i agree with other posters that it would not be 5.9 in an area which has wide cracks and chimneys.
bring some gear up there with you.. its 25' of climbing from the top of the OW to the anchor.
we rapped from the anchor above the half moon to the chains in the left-facing corner (one rusted bolt with metolius hanger, one Al caving hanger, both have chains.. candidates for ASCA?). then from there to the ground on 60m ropes with a few feet of rope on the ground.
great route. splitter. definitely good with double ropes.
By Ladd Raine Administrator From: Plymouth, NH Sep 17, 2007
There is a fantastic 9+/10- finger to hand crack about 30' left of the half moon crack that is fully worth doing - bomber finger locks in a bulging crack that splits a clean face three pitches up - awesome.
Cannon Cliff
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