Mountain Project: Climbing El Rito

By giving this route a "bomb" here, I'm not bagging on the FA for not cleaning it enough. It's climbable and has potential to be an OK route, but rather, I'm warning those that might be at their limit on 5.9 to hold off on this route until it's cleaned a bit more.

Climb up just right of a gash in the wall and right of the arete proper to the high first two bolts. Cross the gash for the third clip. Consider unclipping the second draw at that point to reduce rope drag. Tiptoe up the face and head right along the arete being careful what holds you use.
A steep middle section ends quickly at a good rest before the steeper finish past a few bolts to a three-bolt anchor with chains and webbing.

This line is new as of July 2010 and it shows. Despite what must have been quite a bit of cleaning by the Thanh, it could still benefit from more.

The climbing isn't harder than 5.9, perhaps a touch easier, but it felt hard because we were afraid to pull and step too hard on many of the holds. We pulled off a few small blocks/rocks during and after climbing and would have done more if we had a small bar.

Location

Protection

10 bolts to a chain and webbing anchor with carabiners. Word on the street is Thanh hand-drilled the bolts! A couple of the holes weren't drilled deep enough (or are in shallow depressions where the hanger doesn't quite fit) and a 1/4" or so of sleeve is visible behind the hangers on those.

Comments on Prima Donna

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By semicolin1
Jul 18, 2010

I was curious about the shiny new bolts and gave it a try. I knew it was very new from the bolting dust still there! Good comments by Jason re: looseness, rating (5.9, given the holds I was avoiding), and unclipping or adding a long-draw at the the 2nd bolt. There are plenty of bolts on this route though to make you feel safe.

Any info on the route(s) further left of Walt's Wall (even beyond the 12d)? I saw an anchor, but didn't investigate.

By Jason Halladay
Administrator
From: Los Alamos, NM
Jul 21, 2010

semicolon1 wrote:

Any info on the route(s) further left of Walt's Wall (even beyond the 12d)? I saw an anchor, but didn't investigate

There's another tier of rock up there and one set of anchors exists. A couple years ago I started to clean a line up the middle of that wall but realized it would take a lot of work and the birds love nesting up there so I bailed. I'm not sure who put in those anchors up there but they are on the best rock and on what appears to be a very moderate line. It's a loose approach to get up there but quite scenic once you're there since it's up pretty high.

By Harvey
Jul 21, 2010

Felt like 5.9 / 5.9+. I ran into some of the bolter's friends and they said the route is named Prima Donna. Fun route. Will be great once a few more blocks get cleaned.

By Michael Wheat
Aug 9, 2010

I thought this route was possibly the best 5.9 at the sport area. I say this because it seems to be the most exposed and over hung El Rito sport route of it's grade that I'm aware of. I do agree that there are some potential softball sized cobbles that may become dislodged. I would be more worried about the belayer or bystanders getting hit by potentially loose holds. (What else do you expect from a new route) The leader however doesn't have much to sweat being that the route is very well protected.

By Ken Kisiel
Apr 23, 2012
rating: 5.9

If you clip all the lower bolts better use some long runners the rope drag was terrible through the upper overhangs. There was some loose rock but the bolt placements are why I give this a bomb. They were placed at bad angles, drilled too deep and shallow, loaded biners, you name it. I would avoid this climb in the future.

By Mort
Jun 1, 2012

Seems like it is getting cleaned up, but I was still nervous about several holds. Cleaned a 150 lb block that was just barely left of the route.

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Prima Donna

5.9

Description

Location

Protection