Rocky Racoon 5.7
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| Type: | Trad, Alpine, 2 pitches, 240 feet |
| Consensus: | 5.7+ [details] |
| FA: | Charlie Ware, Mike Hill, John Allen, Spring 1975 |
| Submitted By: | Chris Wenker on Aug 17, 2010 |
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BETA PHOTO: Rocky Raccon (5.7), The Chimney, Sandia Mountains,...
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Description This is a fun, burly old-school 5.7 that protects very well. Although it's a little vague, we tried to follow Hill's description and topo (1993:122-123) as much as possible. It goes, so we must have been nearly on route most of the way. I'm not clear how pitch 1 of this route might relate to Arrow Heads and Pitons.
P1. Climb to a ledge and find a stellar lieback splitter that trends to the right. At the top of that crack, step left around an arete into a V-shaped alcove with a thin splitter on the left. Continue up the weakness to the left and belay on a large sloping ledge. No fixed gear was observed on this pitch.
P2. This pitch is shared with some other climbs like the North Face Direct, and probably AH&P. Start up a deep chimney under a suspended block. Gain the block, and make a bunch of thuggish moves past more overhanging blocks. Pass by an old ring pin and a relic bolt to a large platform below the summit block. A big easy crack then leads to the top.
Location Ascends the northern face of the Chimney. Start near the right-hand (west) side, by a log lying right at the base.
Rap as described on the main page.
Protection A single set of nuts, 1-1/2 set of cams to 2.5" suffice (we took a #4 C4, but it was not critical). Some old fixed gear is present, but it is of dubious reliability. Gear is necessary for all belays.
The summit has no anchor, so a belayed downclimb back to the lower platform will be necessary.
Randy traversing left into the V-shaped alcove on ...
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Randy following on Pitch 2, at the awkward chimney...
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By Williampenner
From: The 505
Aug 17, 2010
| Was this route really three stars? I was over on the Clandestine Wall on Saturday watching you guys climb it and it looked awful except for the flaring chimney.
Glad you enjoyed it at least. |
By Chris Wenker
From: Santa Fe
Aug 17, 2010
| Ha, anytime I give 3 stars to a Sandia route someone calls me on it. Well, we found some fun splitters, and only one loose rock. Good movement over some heady ground with solid pro, and a summit floating in the sky.
Although it didn't look like much from afar, I found it more satisfying than some more popular comparable stuff like Miss Piggy, for example. YMMV. |
By John Kear
From: Albuquerque, NM
Aug 22, 2010
rating: 5.7
| This is actually a pretty good route, I used to do it quite a bit. For the grade and length it's one of the better routes in the Sandia's. Almost like a hidden gem but with more lichen.
I think Karl Kiser and Chris Kessler did a direct finish to the second pitch climbing straight up the corner and over the roofs above. I think they said it was 5.8+.
The Chimney is very cool formation and worth climbing by any route. |
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