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Potrillo Cliffs
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(15) Lower Kor's Crack 

5.9+

   

FA: LA Mountaineers (aid), First Free Ascent: Layton Kor, 1968
Type: Trad, TR
Consensus: 5.10 [details]
Length: 1 pitch, 40 feet
Views: 241 page views

Submitted By: George Perkins on Feb 20, 2008


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Description 

Start behind the juniper, delicately move up slick thin finger crack. The crux is about 6 feet up, and can be protected with cams and an attentive belay, or be bold. Half way up the cliff, you'll reach a big ledge. On the FFA, Kor went left, to Upper Kor's Crack (5.9), but continuing straight up on Gymnast (5.8) is the most obvious choice.

Attention: this crack will eat your cams if you let them walk in. 2 are stuck in there, and have been for years.

The original 5.9 rating is a bit of a sandbag, as with many "5.9"s Layton Kor put up in the western U.S. Clark's guide calls this 5.10d- which is an overestimate in my opinion this climb is easier than every 5.10d, 10c, or 10b at the Playground and the Old New Place. The difficulty is very likely subjective to the size of your fingers (bigger is probably better) and your confidence in trusting your feet in the slick corner.


Location 

Just left of the point of the cliff, Lower Kor's is the thin finger crack starting behind the juniper.
It is route #15 in the Potrillo miniguide


Protection 

Cams to 2". You might place a nut too perhaps.
2-bolt anchor, reachable from the top, was installed to prevent further damage to trees.



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By Jason Hundhausen
From: Los Alamos, NM
Feb 23, 2008
rating: 5.10+

FWIW, I have big fingers and I'd say this climb is solid 5.10 on the bottom section.

By Devin Shunk
Oct 26, 2008
rating: 5.10c

No way this is a 5.9. Maybe if you use the tree. Even then I would say it would still be a low 10.