Oblique Streak  5.9 R

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Type:  Trad, 1 pitch, 180 feet Consensus:  5.9 [details] FA:  Bob Wade, Bob Culp, 1975 Submitted By:  Ivan Rezucha on Oct 25, 2009 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (1) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

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Closed for raptor nesting from February 1 through July 31 each year. MORE INFO >>> Mickey Mouse wall is generally closed for raptor nesting from February 1 through July 31. Details 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 Private Property issues MORE INFO >>> The West Bank / Wild West / Secret Crag has been problematic for years due to access concerns. There have been negative encounters with gun-toting landowners who have alleged that the entire mountain is on private property. Typical approaches involve brief crossing of railroad property which appears to be prohibited. Exact demarcation of property boundaries are not always clear. When in doubt, be discrete or polite. Do not park your vehicle near the railroad tracks near Plainview. It is a well-known irritant to Plainview residents. 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

Description 

This is an appealing route when viewed from the trudge up along the base of Mickey Mouse. We finally did it due to its early morning sun and high gravity--not really wanting to walk further up the hill. Unfortunately, the red band ceiling is pretty grim with loose holds, mediocre gear and difficult moves. The first half of this route is very good on excellent and interesting rock with somewhat sparse and thoughtful gear.

As you approach the red band, get in whatever good gear you can. At the red band, there's an inobvious horizontal slot on the left that takes a yellow Alien (red Zero). There's a very small cam placement in decent rock on the right. There may be other placements in the looser rock. As you start to pull the roof there is a tight #0.75 Camalot placement in good rock. Without that I may have backed off. Even with it, it's dicey, because if it pulls, the gear below may also pull.

Above the roof easier and safer climbing lead to a good stance at a tree. From the top you can scramble a very short distance straight back to the Garden of Stone area and do, e.g., R.N.R., 9+ or L.O.O.P., 11a.

Location 

Just uphill from Industrial Wall is a slabby area bound on the left by the short "Prow" buttress. There are two obvious lines up the slabby area. The left line is Oblique Streak.

To descend you can either scramble back to the Garden of Stone area on the East Ridge and then down to the tunnel or you can do a two-rope rap from the tree at the top of the route. The pull down may be difficult due to the length. Bring webbing and rings in case the slings we left on the tree are gone.

Protection 

I used double Camalots from 0.4 to #1, a single #2 and #3, plus a full set of micro cams. Wires from brass to big. Many full length slings if doing this in one pitch.