Eve exiting on the 5.6 variation. The crux 5.9 se...
Description
Traverse of the Clods is among the most interesting and unusual routes in the Gunks. It’s thoughtful, balancy, exposed, not too strenous, not R-rated—yet seldom climbed. Maybe it’s a route-finding issue? I’ll try to clear that up here.
TOTC begins on the GT ledge, on a 15’ terrace to the left of where the first pitch of Andrew meets the GT. The final pitch of Han’s Puss starts from this same terrace.
The pitch begins a few feet right of the corner and goes mostly up with some trending to the right for about 35’ to a small overhang with an old pin above and to the left of it. The pin is somewhat off-route to the left, but I clip it anyway and use a double-length sling. This section is 5.7 or so and slightly run-out.
From there, head right past an overhang, going either over or under it, then continue to move right and slightly upward for a few feet until a straight traverse to the right begins for about 35’. A hanging belay can be built at the end of that traverse, at the intersection of a flake and a vertical crack/corner. A .4 and .75 camalot are useful for the belay. There is an old pin to clip, but no permanent anchor. If you go too far and find yourself under a big roof with a sling anchor, you’re now on Twilight Zone or something else scary, and you should probably turn around.
The second pitch begins with a somewhat difficult move off the belay to a good horizontal a few feet above. If you continue up from there, you will be doing the final, short 5.6 pitch of Twilight Zone. That’s what I did the first time I was on it, because it looks like the obvious line (and because going right looked way too scary). But go right you must if you don’t want to miss the crux of TOTC.
You can get good gear in the horizontal initially, but as you continue right, you will want to place the smallest cam you have at the rightmost opportunity, and then continue traversing right on a narrow ledge. When the feet disappear, you are at the crux. Your small cam will be above you, but well behind you, and a fall will probably result in an exciting swing backward, dangling in space below your partner’s belay. You will see a great ledge for your hands up and right, but will be unable to reach it.
If your experience is anything like mine, you’ll then begin to wonder whether you’re in the right place (answer: yep), whether you’re supposed to dyno for the ledge (answer: nope), whether that move could really be 5.9 (answer: not if you dyno!), or whether you should just retrace a few moves and finish on the 5.6 (answer: who’ll ever know?).
The solution is devious and improbable, in an elegant and committing sort of way. Much credit to Ivan Rezucha and Paul Potters for discovering it.
After that difficulty is resolved, the route finishes around the corner, up a crack through a final overhang with a two-inch gap in it, which is visible from the carriage road.
Location
To descend, rappel off Arrow, No Glow, or Last Will Be First.
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