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BETA PHOTO: Approximate route. Blue is 4th class. Red is a 5....
Description
P1: (5.7) Face climb on easier terrain, passing a tree on its left. The pitch ends at a 2-bolt anchor.
P2: (5.8) Continue up from the anchor on lower angle face and discontinuous cracks, alongside a stunning right facing dihedral. A pin and bolt supplement the discontinuous cracks system. The pitch ends under a small triangular roof at another 2-bolt anchor. (P1 and P2 can be combined with a 60m rope)
P3: (5.9+) Climb up to the roof passing it on its left. Enter into a left facing dihedral. Half way up the dihedral a bulge is encountered (5.9+). Fire through the short crux and continue on easier ground, to a ledge system, ending at a 2-bolt anchor.
P4: (5.8) Climb up and slightly right from the belay over clean rock to a 2-bolt anchor.
(Variation P4: (5.10) Having not done this variation, I can’t accurately comment on it. The Sandia rock book comments on loose rock, and attempts to steer climbers to the line I describe above.
NOTE: Pitches 3 & 4 can also easily be combined with a 60m rope, a 50m rope is probably possible as well.
P5: (4th class) Cruise the 4th class gulley to the spacious “Football Ledge”. Belay at the north end of the ledge, there is a large boulder that can be slung as an anchor. (This pitch is best simul-climbed, however can be done with an intermediate belay before a short headwall within the gulley. From the two bolt belay at the top of pitch 4, you cannot get to the ledge starting pitch 6 in a single 60m pitch)
P6: (5.9+) Face climb to the base of a small roof and a right facing dihedral, ignore the old bolt at the entrance to the dihedral. About 30 feet to the left is the end of Warpy Moople’s p5. An awkward move into the dihedral, followed by a section of OW awaits the leader. After the short OW another awkward slot followed by easier ground to a sloping ledge. This ledge is also the belay for the end of p6 for Warpy Moople.
A #5 Camalot works well for the OW on p6 (a #4 Camalot is not big enough).
P7: (5.7) Finish on the final pitch of Warpy Moople.
Protection
Standard rack to #3 Camalot, slings. A large Camelot may come in handy for the OW on P6 [#5 is good], if you want protection on 5.7 OW.
[GP suggestion for rack: Don't bring: tiniest microcams (#00,#0 TCU) or micronuts. You won't place these unless you really really want to. Do bring: doubles of finger-size cams if linking pitches, and big cams only if you want to. Probably if your largest is a fist size piece (#3 blue camalot), you'll be ok, but if you bring bigger, you will find places to put it.]
Pitches 3 & 4 can also easily be combined with a 60m rope, a 50m rope is probably possible as well. Didn't take a #4 camelot, but might be nice if you don't like wide stuff.
By George Perkins Administrator From: Los Alamos, NM Nov 4, 2007 rating: 5.9
#4 Camalot (old-style, or new, doesn't matter) is not big enough for the OW on p6. You need bigger pro than this, or grovel up it without immediate close pro. Other comments: Link p1+p2 and p3+p4 w/ 60m rope as stated above. On the 4th class pitch5... From 2 bolt belay on top of the 5.9 p4 option, you can't get to Football Ledge in a single 60m pitch. If you were to set a belay after 60m, what remains is probably 'only' 3rd class, however. Or simulclimb, which is what most people do.
This climb is a good option especially if other parties occupy The Second Coming or Warpy Moople. This climb is less sustained than Warpy Moople, and the cruxes are perhaps a notch harder than Warpy Moople but with obvious good pro at them.
The Hill guide to the Sandias does not show this route by this name; rather it appears to show this line as Masochist Variant (Prandoni/Bridgers,1975)
Word to the Wise. Using the Mike Hill guide requires some serious interpretation and adaptation skills on the part of the reader. I'm sure the poor and often completely wrong information in the Hill guide, lead to the many epics and suspect reputation the Sandias have gained over the years. Either of the Schein guides are vast improvements. Do not rely on the Hill guide for any accurate information when it comes the climb descriptions or topos.
The first time I climbed Excitable Boys we thought we were doing Clark's Cramps!?
I know what you mean. A lot of the routes in Mikes book were relayed after the facts and sometimes many beers. Thats why after a few inquires I decided to write down the original route description to Clarks Cramps. See routes.
P1,2 link 58m 5.7+ P3 60m 5.9+ to football go L and climb cool 9+ roof at almost football ledge. you are 20ft right of crappy mashy bolts P4 45m cl3 hike to near warpy . stop
p5 5.9 50m climb direct and rightish to grassy ledge 30m above football ledge. Climb cool 5.9 crack with exit OW easy there is fixed nut on this crack. keep going rightish to big sexy ledge. belay small pro. p6 40m 5.6 to summit
much shorter and safer than WARP finish. with a little simul climbing 4 pitches. I have excellent topo of excitable boys drawn by Jim Linn while drinking moonshine in 1995. note,There is a great r var if you climb p1,2 far right on face and arete. recently tried to climb direct from football, above crappy placed mashy bolts, to big tree got scared and downclimbed ,bit runny. Might try again on TR for three pitch version of excitable.
The older sandia guide is an excellent guidebook for texans. new book sucks too though has pretty picture. we need ocd psyco climber photo geek in sandias to climb for about ten years straight for a good guide. Sooo many routes I love it. lots of loose rock you better goto Palomas much safer a bolt every six feet.
By Jason Halladay From: Los Alamos, NM Aug 4, 2008 rating: 5.9
Just a few feet above the old, scary bolt on the sixth pitch is a chalked-up and tempting looking flake to use to get into the awkward dihedral. However, this flake is very sketchy and I wouldn't recommend pulling on it. We considered yanking it yesterday but we think there were people below us.
By mattb19 From: Albuquerque, NM Aug 11, 2008 rating: 5.9+
In regard to the flake I tried to yank on it yesterday and it would not go anywhere. Maybe I was just not strong enough.
I did the route a few years back and if I remember right the 5.10 variant was rather fun. I don't think it was chosy and I don't really recall the pro as I was following on that pitch.
Muralla Grande
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