Getting into the business on the 2nd pitch of Stra...
Description
One of the more aesthetic lines at Shortoff. Fun, continuous and varied climbing on good horizontals, with a few good locks for good measure. Great gear. Some pitches can be linked.
p1- Wide crack/chimney sorta thing with a dead tree a short ways up. The guidebook says to stop at this small tree and belay, but I've always continued all the way to a stance where the climbing obviously becomes harder. Also, not that it matters, but this pitch has seemed a lot harder than 5.5! More like 5.7, I think. "5.5", 140' p2- Climb a left facing corner and eventually pull out onto the face to the right, at a point when you're underneath a roof. Continue up to a stance with a nice crack shooting off above and through a roof. Belay at this stance. 5.10a, 60 or 70'. p3- Climb up the crack and through the roof on hero jugs! Continue running for the top through ever-easier terrain. Shull says this pitch is 140', but it's always seemed like a full 60 m. ropelength to get to the top of the cliff. 5.10a, 200'.
Location
An obvious "splitter" (such a thing can't really exist in the sea of horizontals that is the Linville Gorge) route a short ways left of Construction Job.
Protection
A standard rack to 3" with an emphasis on smaller stuff. Route has great stopper placements.
As mentioned, a great way to climb this route is in two pitches: p1 climb/stem the shallow chimney system to just below a roof, 150ish feet, 5.5. p2 climb the above mentioned business - corner, pull roof out onto a crimpy face, to the top of a block/pillar, keep going up the crack system, pull the second roof and belay somewhere on less vertical terrain, 130ish feet, 5.10a.
One of my favorite routes anywhere! I usually do it in two pitches to the top: One long one to a ledge just below the start of the harder climbing (just below the 5.9+ corner). Then it's about 60 m to a tree over the lip. Done this way, that second pitch is just amazing! Watch for drag, and have a blast.
Shortoff Mountain
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