Right Chimney 

I agree, Josh, the handcrack bulge low down is hard 5.10, but the OW is definitely the crux, Might it be useful to carry a #5 Camalot for this section? Thankfully, the OW is short, but that is no help when you are at the bottom of it. This is the best route I've done at Arches (out of about 6!).

On the topo the first pitch was given 10c and the second 10a, seems like they should be reversed...

I dunno, for me a 10a OW is harder than a 10c hand crack!

First pitch is awesome. Size goes BD#0.75 Camalots all the way to BD#4 Camalots... with the business being slightly kicked-back hands to wide hands. Felt like 9+/10- compared to Indian Creek grades.

Second pitch. Ug. I recommend 2x#4.5 Camalots for the aid climbing personally....

The anchors are on the middle bird... and there is a very spicy move to gain the top... remember, it ain't over until it is over.

Great weekend climb as it doesn't get much traffic. In the sun until noon. Two single raps work fine.

you can rappel from the summit anchors with one 70m rope. rapping from the summit keeps the rope out of the many deep (and possibly rope jamming) rope grooves near the top.

No need for #5 Camalot, it is too big. Two 4.5 Camalots (ie purple #5 C4) would be ideal.

Hand-hand stacks on the second pitch and too narrow to get a knee in - one of the harder offwidth techniques to master.

The "VERY spicy" move to the top is only moderatly spicey IMHO. Don't let the above comment scare you off. There is a horizontal crack between the chimney and the anchors that you can stuff full of cams. I got in a #3, #3.5, and a #1 camalot and then equalized them. Beyond that it is only a move or two and then you can reach the anchors.

This is an awesome route - go do it!

The Arches Task Force and the ASCA have now replaced the anchor on top with chain and two half inch bolts. The route can be rapped, I think, with a 70 meter rope... A single sixty puts you about 10 feet off the ledge.

Thanks, Sam. The anchor that was up there before was a mess!

the top pitch needs a old number 4 cam and a new #5 cam. a hand sized cam or two down low were nice right off the belay. I just bumped the 5 came up a bit to get me through. save a #1 camelot for the top out- that was a wee bit sandy and scary.

pretty good route, i'd call both pitches 5.10- that offwidth felt pretty tough....props to Michael who sent it with a single #4 C4! yowsers!

Another way to fire the exit moves on P2 is to pinch the rope groves below the chains.

From this redneck's perspective, George Bell's comment above is oh so right...

Regarding the gear....
Once you are in #5 territory, you can't fall out...or at least me and my 145 lb. arse couldn't...

Nevertheless, I'd have placed another #4 and two #5s and maybe a #6 and not been at all upset about any of it.

Maybe an old #5 is too big, but I fit two new #5's in the second pitch.

Oh, and the powdered rock at the base of the climb feels fantastic on bare feet.

I found both pitchs to be 5.10a....and quite good!

josh

really fun route with good rock. the comments above are pretty accurate. both pitches seemed pretty comparable in difficulty. first pitch is really fun fingers/thin hands to big hands through a bulge, then low angled fists to the anchor.

second pitch looks kind of intimidating. it is a bit steep and the feet look sandy, but didn't seem too slippery. the OW section is pretty easy and you can push a pair of 4.5 camalot/5 friend/new #5 camalot sized pieces very easily. most of the time i couldn't get my knee in. at 2 locations i barely could, and got my knee stuck as hell. i mean REALLY stuck. kind of scary stuck. the second time was at the top and my knee was literally bonelocked into place. i was above gear with both arms chickenwinging in front of me, trying to pull my knee out.

when you get up to the top out section, there is kind of a WTF moment, but luckily there are features in just the right places so that it works out OK.

2 single rope raps with the 70 got us down. rack was a double set from .5 camalot to old 4.5 camalot, which was more than enough.

The old #4 and new #5 were the perfect combo to finish the offwidth. Top out wasn't scary at all with a #3.5 and #1. The 70m rope reached with a little to spare.

Fun route. Enjoyed having 3 #3 camalots on pitch 1, and don't leave the ground without a #5 camalot or you will regret it for pitch 2. The spicy move onto the summit isn't bad at all, just grab the chains and pull yourself up! The tower is short, so 1 70m rope will get you down in one rap.

I led the P2 OW. Crux of it was extracting my leg as my calf kept getting stuck. Second pitch is much sandier than the first, so I think a lot of people rappel after only doing P1 :-)