Right Side? aka Bong Session 5.10c
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| Type: | Trad, 1 pitch, 80 feet |
| Consensus: | 5.10 [details] |
| FA: | Layton Kor & Ray Northcutt, 1961? |
| Submitted By: | Steve Annecone on Sep 17, 2005 |
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BETA PHOTO: Looking up the start.
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Description Bong Session goes out the roof and up the big crack located just right of the Resinator, and just left of Pipe Dreams. This route is far more interesting than it looks. I suspect this name is what started the trend of naming the other routes with a similar topic, although it's quite possible that the first ascentionist was referring to the use of 3 to 4-inch piton "bongs"? Any Boulder old-timers care to comment on the history here?
The business starts immediately upon arriving under the roof. Good pro is available just under the roof, and a very good medium nut can be placed over your head before committing to the next moves. Use long enough slings to avoid rope drag higher up.
Move out on good jugs through very steep terrain, then power up to a good jam behind a flake. Continue battling up the crack another move or two to a decent stance. Very powerful and lungy, I felt a 10c rating was more accurate than the 10a listed in the guidebooks. From there, follow a clean hand crack up to the base of a very wide crack, then move sharply right along a ramp, and head up a beautiful and near vertical wide hands crack. After the crux, nothing was harder than 5.9. Go to the two bolt anchor and rap. Very nice route if you like cracks.
Protection A few medium nuts and small cams (Aliens) for the crux roof near the start, then some medium to larger cams including doubles in the hand size through #4 Friends. One #4 Camalot may also be useful.
Starting up.
Much harder than it looks.
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STEEP.
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Almost up the bottom half....
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Committing to the upper crack....
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| Comments on Right Side? aka Bong Session |
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By Chris Archer
May 27, 2006
rating: 5.10a
| For decades this route was known as the Right Side. It was first climbed in 1961 by Kor and Northcutt. It was part of the Black Widow trilogy: Left Side, Center and Right Side. It has been documented as such since 1967 in all of Pat Ament's BC guides and Jim Erickson's classic Rocky Heights. It was graded 5.8 in the first High Over Boulder (1967) and stayed there through the second HOB and through 5.10, the Ament Erickson guide. It was upgraded to 5.9 in Rocky Heights (1980). The name change was initiated in the mid - late '90s, apparently to make it consistent with the stoner theme adopted at the crag. It seems kind of a shame to rename one of the first routes in Boulder Canyon. Hopefully the original name will see a resurgence. |
By Tim Fleming
From: Boulder, CO
Aug 10, 2007
rating: 5.10
| This is a terrific crack climb - maybe one of the best in the canyon. The shift to the right for the top hand crack detracts slightly from the route but otherwise, it's well worth the trip to this wall, not to mention the other nice sport routes to add in. |
By Jay Eggleston
From: Littleton
Jul 8, 2011
rating: 5.10c
| This really is a great crack with a variety of sizes throughout. Save a #4 for the upper crack and don't underestimate the start! |
By George Bracksieck
Apr 5, 2012
| I doubt that "Bong Session" is the same route as Kor's "Right Side." (See thread under Black Widow Slab.) None of those old guidebooks is very specific about where "Right Side" really went, although I think those support that "Right Side" starts in the same dihedral where Bands of Gold begins. Chris: What is your evidence? |
By Wayne Crill
From: an Altered State
Sep 17, 2012
rating: 5.10
| This is a worthy route. Big fun and just kinda in your face most of the way. Well worth doing, especailly as a Kor Classic (which I think it is??)! |
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