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Gemstone East
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Emerald City 
Opal 
Revenge of the Elderly 
Sapphire 
Surf Naked 

Opal 

5.7 PG13

   

FA: ?
Type: Trad, Alpine
Consensus: 5.7 [details]
Length: 3 pitches, 260 feet
Season: Summer
Views: 317 page views

Submitted By: Monomaniac on May 7, 2007


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BETA PHOTO: Opal, 5.7, I, ***


Description 

This excellent line offers fun slabbing, stemming, and a few jams on great stone. The last pitch is a bit runout at the crux, so beginners may want to look elsewhere or, rap off from the top of the 2nd pitch. This route is a bit bushy, but I did my best to clean the worst offenders, so it should be a bit better now.

1. 90', 5.6. Begin in a large left facing dihedral. Slab up ledgy, black rock, with great edges just where you need them. At the top of the dihedral clip a fixed purple stopper, then work right up ledges on easy terrain, ending at an old-ish looking two bolt anchor.

2. 80', 5.7. Head up and then right into the left facing corner. Cerebral crux stemming and mantles lead up the corner to an easy section of detached flakes below a 5 foot roof. Exit the roof on the right side (may want a 2" piece here), then continue with surprising difficulty up the shallow chimney. Veer left at the end to a 2 bolt anchor on the rounded arete.

3. 80', 5.7. Head straight up the slab to a Tuolumne-like flake and cram in whatever TCUs you have available. Head up to the small (eight inch) roof, and try to get some more gear in, as the next section is runout. Turn the small roof on the right, then delicately work up the slab with no gear towards the large dihedral. Just below the dihedral head left on easy terrain and sling the big horn. Locate the rusty chain anchor atop "Revenge of the Elderly" 20 fee to your left. Traverse the slab to this anchor, being sure to place a finger-sized TCU AFTER the traverse for your second.

DESCENT: One 150' rappel straight down reaches the 'cave' belay atop the 2nd pitch of Revenge of the Elderly. From here rap 105' from webbing slung around a block. This second rap has been done with one 60m rope and some easy but exposed down-climbing.


Location 

Furthest right route at the Gemstone East. Begin just left of and below a giant coffin shaped boulder.


Protection 

Gear to 2 inches, with many finger-sized pieces. Bring two ropes to rap if doing all 3 pitches. The first rap is 150 feet, the second is 105'. The 1st and 2nd pitch anchors are both two bolts, so it would be possible to bail at any point if you bring some webbing/cord and some lowering rings to rig a lowering station from the bolts.



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By Chris Wenker
From: Santa Fe
Apr 18, 2008

Very rattly hangers at both belays' bolts. Easy enough to back up with gear at the first belay, not so much at the second.