my dad, Ernie getting to the 5.10b Crux on Atlanti...
Description
Varied and challenging climbing consistent at 5.9 with only a couple exceptions.... Awesome exposure with a very exciting finish up the 5.10 crack.... I know I say this a lot, but this is a must climb at the grade.... Heading out the roof on the last pitch is so cool and exposed. You get a real bigwall feel for a relatively short route.... Do the 5.10b finish. It's not stiff for the grade and protects well with finger-sized gear.... You will thank me....
Pitch 1: (5.9) Head up the arching crack, feet on the slab.... Interesting climbing with a powerful layback crux on smooth feet (red cam).... Follow the crack to its end, and belay in a little hollow by a small tree....
Pitch 2: (5.5) Climb the wicked awkward, corner chimney to the large ledge.... Fun and interesting, just weird.... Belay on the ledge....
Pitch 3: (5.9) A very cool pitch. It would be a cool route even on its own, it brings to mind the Barber Wall.... Walk 20 ft left on the ledge to a flake with good finger locks.... Climb the flake with interesting footwork and intermittent good locks.... When the flake ends, do a series of insecure, mantel moves to a nice belay ledge.... Fixed anchor that may need to be backed up....
Pitch 4: (5.10b or 5.9) Climb up the chimney, crack corner (this is a very cool spot with strange rock on the left side).... When you get to the roof, bang a right (5.9 crux).... Follow the crack out right below the roof, not too bad once you get in to it, but it can be pumpy, so get through it quickly if you can in good style.... You can continue right and rap from a tree and the route goes at 5.9, but the preferred finish follows the finger crack at the right end of the roof straight up laying back the finger crack.... Just a few hard, footy moves get you to good holds and one final mantel move to the summit.... I belayed from a horizontal then did a short easy pitch to the trees but you could go straight to the trees.... Beware of rope drag (use all long runners on this pitch)....
Seepage can be an issue so climb it on a dry day if you don't want an epic....
Location
Hike the trail to the south buttress and scramble up on to the big ledge below the obvious arching crack....
Protection
A standard rack to #3 cam.... Conserve the hand-sized pieces on the longer pitches....
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