One of the 5.8 testpieces of the Gunks. The "+" refers to the starting move (certainly harder than 5.8) and the scary start of the 2nd pitch.
Although short, this climb is often done in 2 pitches to avoid rope drag.
This climb is easy to recognize - about 50' past the initial boulder pile is the huge roof to the right of Disneyland. Broken Sling climbs the right edge of this area.
P1: Locate an obvious boulder problem just right of a large roof. A large jug about 10' up dares you to grab it. The moves up through this are surprisingly tricky - you're definitely risking a twisted ankle or worse. You can protect with a cam on the left (tough to place) or just go for it and place a piece from the big jug. Borrow a crash pad or bring a beefy spotter. Once your feet are on the jug all is well but there's a lot more climbing ahead.
Above, move up to a small roof and then up into a large alcove with a fixed anchor. Belay here to avoid rope drag. 5.8+ R, 75'.
P2: Climb out right of the alcove. The pin that protected the traverse is gone now so this part is hard to protect. You can do a long reach straight up if you're tall or, as most people do, quake right, up, and left on minimal pro to easier ground. A bit more climbing leads to the top. 5.8 PG, 65'.
Protection
Standad Gunks rack to a #3 camalot. Some small stuff might help on P2.
This is a very exciting climb, from start to finish. The first pitch is physical and continuously interesting, while the second pitch has a very tricky traverse that is needed to approach the upper overhangs. I thought this sequence was very inobvious, even though it was clear where to go above. The upper overhangs are wild and crazy! So good!
The Near Trapps
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