PTL Club  5.12a R

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Type:  Trad, 3 pitches, 300 feet, Grade II Consensus:  5.12a [details] FA:  Submitted By:  Aaron Martinuzzi on Apr 2, 2011 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (1) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

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Seasonal Raptor Closure MORE INFO >>> The Cathedral Spires area, including Block Tower, Cynical Pinnacle, Snake Buttress, the Dome, Hall of Mirrors, Sunshine Wall, and Poe Buttress, are closed annually starting March 1 for raptor nesting. After careful monitoring of nest sites, Jefferson County Open Space opens certain areas of Cathedral Spires and maintain spot closures for active nests through July 31st. Check back periodically during times of closure for updates. 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 

P1: Climb the first pitch of Pornographic Motions to a large ledge and belay at the big pine tree. 5.10, small gear, one bolt, 130 feet.

P2: Surmount the overlap at the base of the face (small cam), and work up and right through slightly crumbly and surprisingly steep slab climbing to a bolted belay atop a huge, thin flake. THere is challenging climbing with a 20+ foot runout on “easy” 5.10 terrain between the last two bolts. Ken Trout gives this pitch a dubious 10d rating, but the recent iteration of Stewart Green's Rock Climbing Colorado called the crux of this pitch 11b...I'm with Mr. Green. 5.10+/11- R, 5 bolts, 100 feet.

P3: Follow 6 bolts through reportedly sustained 5.11 and 5.12 face climbing to a two bolt anchor. It doesn't look bad from below, but, then again, the second pitch didn't either. 5.12a, 6 bolts, 70 feet. Runouts through 5.11 territory indicated on Trout's topo.

Rappel the route with two ropes -- P2 and P3 can be rapped with a 60m, but P1 requires two ropes.

Location 

Begin on P1 of Pornographic Motions, a discontinuous finger crack system on the far right side of the east face of The Dome. Alternately, this climb can be approached by eschewing the traditional approach trail for a bushwhacking adventure that terminates beneath P2. From there, look up, say “doesn't look so bad...I'll rock paper scissors you for it!”, sack up, and lead on!

Protection 

Quickdraws and a light rack will get you to the top. A clear head is encouraged for dealing with runouts and crumbling credit card edges.