Northwest Rib  5.9-

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Type:  Trad, 4 pitches, 700 feet, Grade II Consensus:  5.9- [details] FA:  Harvey T. Carter, Don Sell, Ray Northcutt, 1954, FFA:? Season:  Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter (if it fits your fancy) Submitted By:  Dirty Captain Meatsauce on Oct 16, 2010 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (3) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

The classic pitches 3-4. Totally an awesome, 60m, ...

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2013 Raptor Closures MORE INFO >>> Serpent Point and the adjacent walls within one-half mile are closed to public use from March 15 through July 15. This includes the landscape portions above the walls extending 50 feet from the rim edge. This pertains to the following areas: North Rim areas - The Alpine Aretes, Porcelain Arete, and Painted Wall. These climbing routes are closed: Alpine Route, Porcelain Arete, On the Border, Broken Porcelain, Northern Arete, Beyer Route, The Dragon, The Serpent, Forrest-Walker, Stratosfear, Journey Through Mirkwood, and Southern Arete. South Rim areas - Dragon Point and Dragon Point Buttress. These climbing routes are closed: Pilgrimage, Crumb Blunder, Magic Dragon, Black Adder, Black Snake, Black Heathen, Black Dragon Rider, and Silent Rage. This information is a public crowdsourcing effort between the Access Fund, and Mountain Project. You should confirm closures, restrictions, and/or related dates. Keeping climbing areas open and conserving the climbing environment

Northwest Rib 

"Screw the Canyon Proper, this rock quality is the sh#t!" -Dirty Captain Meat Sauce.

To access this phenomenal rib of Curecanti Needle, exit North onto CO 92 from W. US Hwy 50 (right if from Gunnison) cross over Blue Mesa Dam and drive about 7 miles west to Pioneer Point. Then exit left to Pioneer Point which is a senic overlook with an outhouse. Take Curecanti Creek Trail (right of outhouse and right from the Curecanti Trail sign) for about 1.5 miles. This can be a grueling march with kayaks on the back. Once at the water, paddle toward the intrinsic tower in front of you. There will be a large rib line dropping down and right from the summit (NW) with a long, left-facing dihedral staring down at you. This dihedral is pitches 3-4 of the route (classic splitter good time). Anchor your boats up at a dead stump below a steep scree-filled gully that is right of the toe of the NW rib. Route/descent is described below. Just for a time estimate Admiral Grunge Bunny and myself Dirty Captain Meat Sauce climbed the Needle's Northwest Rib on a spectacular fall afternoon leaving Pioneer Point overlook with kayaks on heads at 1:30 PM and getting back to the car at 6:30 PM. Soloing helps the cause.

Route:
Scramble up the Ghangeous Kahn gully (you'll figure it out) heading towards the saddle of the Needle. Once you pass the first buttress on your left, two options exist for P1.

P1) a. Once past the first buttress on the left, two left-facing corners will be in front of you. Climb the one on the left. "If you got it you got it. No rope required." says Admiral Grunge Bunny (5.6)

b. Scramble up the whole gully to the saddle, then traverse far left on a large ledge toward the base of the upper NW rib. (3rd Classing).

P2) Climb obvious crack networks (5.6) up and left towards the base of the NW rib, which is hiding the glorious dihedral that sleeps on the other side. You will eventually land yourself at a large ledge. Traverse this ledge left and around the large portruding rib in front of you.

P3) "One of the best moderate splitter pitches in the valley" -Admiral Grunge Bunny. Start by climbing up the obvious, left-facing corner that leads to a 15 foot section of splitter thin hands leading to a perfect, 15 foot, fist crack of bliss. 30m (5.8)

Although you can belay at the top of P3 at a ledge with slings, a 60m rope will get you to the top of P4. Completing the dihedral in one pitch.

P4) Climb more splitter wide hands to a solid traverse leaning its way up and left to a 15 foot section of easy OW. Wowzers, this pitch is fun with exposure and stellar waterway views. Belay at large skinny vertical boulder. 30m (5.9-)

Now go left of the false summit boulder in front of you and do ~100 feet of fourth class ridge scrambling to the summit. Now smile.

Descent:
Scramble back down west for about 40 feet and then turn left, south, and find a two bolt anchor in a notch facing southwest. 2 double rope raps (bypassing the pin anchor w/ a blue sling) and one final single rope rap lands you at the top of the saddle. Scramble down the death slide to your boats and man out that 1.5 miles with a boat on your back. Hooorah brotha!

Protection 

Single rack, if you really want it bring a #4 Camalot. Just feel the hand slamwiches and solo it! Bring 2 ropes to rap.

Photos of Northwest Rib Slideshow

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Funzies.	Dirty Captain Meatsauce.	Admiral Grunge Bunny.
Andy lost in the towers. Upper part of West Rib is...	Needledge.	Northwest rib in the soft dusk light. Feel the cal...