Peapod Crack (aka Bloody Knees) (5.9)

From the pullout for the River Road Dihedrals, this climb is easily located. It's the long acute corner with the wide crack. It starts off fairly steep but the angle rolls off toward the top. Slings can be spotted on the left face about 120' up.

This climb is slightly harder than its neighbor Bloody Elbows. It's a pretty long and sustained pitch. There is some good hand jamming but if your wide crack technique is lacking (like mine), BRING BIG GEAR! Fun route.

From the first set of anchors, you can continue about 20' to the ledge at about 5.9+/.10a, protectable by two bolts. Otherwise, rap with 2 ropes.

Protection

Doubles or triples in the #1 to #4 Camalot range, depending on boldness. You can leapfrog pieces if you're short on some. I didn't place anything smaller than a #1 Camalot and wished I had two 3s and 3.5s.

Comments on Peapod Crack (aka Bloody Knees)

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By Shane Zentner
From: Colorado
May 31, 2003

Bloody Knees is an appropriate name for Peapod Crack. The fun part starts about half way up the crack with good jams to the top. I used three #2 camalots, three #1 camalots, two #3 camalots, and two #3.5 camalots. Well recommended, but a bit warm at the end of May. Neosporin is your friend!

By Perin Blanchard
Administrator
From: Orem, UT
Apr 22, 2007

"Jam wide hands...sustained hand crack...wide section". This according to Stewart Green's Rock Climbing Utah. "Heinous...offwidth... grovel-fest." This according to Perin and Gwen Blanchard.

We got rained out at Indian Creek in the morning and thought, "This sounds like a nice hand crack; let's go find it." There is a "flaring wide" section near the start that I wriggled up like it was a flaring squeeze chimney, then two more wide sections above. It is possible that the total length of the hand (and fist) sections are longer than the offwidth sections, but it sure took longer in the grovel parts. I guess the route name should have been a clue.

I placed a #5 and a #6 Camalot C4 and was glad to have them. I placed a #2 Friend as my first piece and then I remember nothing smaller than a #2 C4. There is also no fixed pin as described in Rock Climbing Utah, although I did see a chopped bolt.

The verdict, as we stood at the anchors, was "That wasn't very fun. Glad we did it." Of course, by then the pain was over.

By Stewart M. Green
Jan 14, 2008

Steve Cheyney did the FA of this route as well as gave it the name Bloody Knees in either 1970 or 1971. He also did a couple other routes here back then.

By Phil Lauffen
From: Louyuppie
Mar 27, 2009

Bloody knees is apt. This climb made me sweat! make sure you bring a couple #2 and #3 sized camalots and probably at least 1 #4.5. I only had one of each and ended up walking them up, downclimbing to retrieve them, and running it out. at least its relatively secure.

By Aaron Martinuzzi
Apr 19, 2009

Perin's comments are spot on. Lots of cams in the larger-than-#3-friend-range. I didn't have them and rather than run it out I down-climbed. Back-cleaning, walking, and down-climbing is not fun.

By Rob Davies UK
From: Cheshire, UK
May 8, 2009
rating: 5.9-

Seemed a bit easier than Bloody Elbows to me, as there are lots of places on this one to rest comfortably, but maybe that perception is biased because I didn't lead BK. Most awkward bit is a bulge early on. On the wider bits higher up you can practice hand-stacks! VS 5a in Yorkshire.

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Peapod Crack (aka Bloody Knees)

5.9

Description

Protection