Romantic Warrior 5.12b
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| Type: | Trad, 9 pitches |
| Consensus: | 5.12 [details] |
| FA: | E.C. Joe & John Peca (V 5.10 A4) FFA: Randy Leavitt, Tony Yaniro |
| Submitted By: | m-earle on Jul 6, 2008 |
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George following "The Book of Deception"
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Description Romantic Warrior is considered by many to be the crown jewel of the needles. Its long, steep, hard, and by most standards, perfect. The climbing is thin and technical, with thought provoking cruxes. Romantic Warrior boasts some of the best corner pitches in the country.
P1-10a: Probably the least spectacular pitch of the climb, start up a greasy corner off a ledge, and continue up into the prominent corner. Continue up 5.7 to a 2 bolt belay on the right wall.
P2-5.7: "The Living Corner" Continue up the corner using features on either side, as well as the hand crack. Bolt belay out left on a ledge before corner steepens. Best 5.7 pitch on earth?
P3-10d: Continue up the corner as it steepens. Around the bulge, it eases off and the bolt belay is on the left wall. Short pitch.
P4-12a: Continue up the very thin corner passing a fixed pin near the end of the pitch. Tricky last move. Belay on the small ledge under the roof. Short pitch.
P5-12a: Campus out right, passing a fixed pin, following the crack as it widens and puts you on a massive sloping ledge. Another short pitch.
P6-5.8: Traverse out right, following the crack, eventually down climbing the slab to a flat ledge with a 2 bolt anchor.
P7-12b: "The Book of Deception" Climb back up the slab to the pedestal at the base of the intimidating corner. Stem and lieback past dubious fixed gear(copperhead?) up to a hanging bolt belay.
P8-11++: Continue up the thin corner using similar techniques as the previous pitch. bolt belay on the left.
P9-10a: Climb up about ten feet and traverse out right to slaby ground, ignoring the bolt straight above you. Sprint up the final juggy slab to the top of the southern summit.
Location Approach by heading down the main gully in between the witch and sorcerer and head left as soon as possible, following the base of the cliff. once below the Warlock, head up, looking for the base of the route(the route is very obvious).
Descend by rapping off the north/highest summit. Possible with a single 70m rope.
Protection Cams: doubles up to .5 camalot. Single green and red
Single set of nuts and micros. Maybe double set of micros.
Jordi enjoying his great lead of the third pitch. ...
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Fourth pitch, beautiful.
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The best exposure is here and the traverse 5th pit...
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Scott following the very stout 12a traverse pitch
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Stemming perfection....
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The Living Corner
photo by : Natalie Makardish
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Pitch 5
photo by : Natalie Makardish
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The living corner
photo by Darshan Ahluwalia
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Darshan on Romantic Warrior
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Darshan on Romanic Warrior
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The 12a traverse
photo by Darshan Ahluwalia
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The slab pitch
Photo by Darshan Ahluwalia
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The beautiful Book of Deception on Romantic Warrio...
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Darshan on the Book of Deception
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Darshan on the Book of Deception
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| Comments on Romantic Warrior |
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By Drewsky
Nov 6, 2008
| The route is amazing! I need to return for a more legitimate ascent. Ahem.
Two recommendations:
1. Resist the urge to climb left past the old bolt on the last pitch. Although the pitch is plugged as unprotected easy (5.8-5.9) climbing, it can quickly degenerate into crumbly 5.10- X climbing on a vague ramp and seam in the dark.
2. DO NOT RAP THE ROUTE. I still don't know why we did this. I'm pretty sure you can continue to the highest summit and rap back to the rim. Rappelling the route is a huge pain in the ass at best (near impossible rope pulls, freehanging rappels), after which you have to hike back up to the rim. |
By Scott Bennett
Jun 10, 2009
rating: 5.12
| One of the most sustained and beautiful lines I've ever had the pleasure of falling off. I wrote up a few paragraph report, but all I'll add here is that the rack given here (doubles to purple camalot, single green and red, stoppers and RPs) is perfect, regardless of what every other topo says. The only place you could place bigger gear is on the Living Corner, but there's plenty of smaller gear there and anyone with any business on the route could solo this pitch.
-Scott |
By Aleix
Jul 2, 2009
| I thought the 11++ pitch (after the 12b pitch) was harder than any of the two 12a pitches. Perhaps due to lack of technique, ...and being tired by the time you get up there... |
By Peter Winter
Sep 12, 2009
| Thin gear for sure and some HB offsets are handy as well.
Some updates: on the 1st 12a pitch, we pulled a fixed nut out so there is one at the mantel move and a fixed pin below that. On the 2nd 5.12 pitch, there is one pin at the start of the traverse. On the 3rd 5.12 pitch, there is one crappy copperhead and the finishing jugs for the pitch are covered in bird shit. On the 4th 5.12 pitch, there's no fixed gear.....
...great route! |
By MattB
Sep 22, 2009
| Super route!! What, 1 pro-bolt? Three 5.12 pitches!
Good ratings (e.g. pitch 3 is 10d, not 11b; pitch 8 being 5.11++ is right on!)
I think the first 5.12 pitch may have the hardest move, but the book of deception is LOOOONG and HAAAAAARD.....
We were a party of 3 and rapping was fine by staying well left of the top pitches, on another route, straight down to the left slab belay(after the 12a traverse) and down from there. Although going up and over makes more sense. |
By Sky Sjue
Sep 13, 2012
| Approach note: if approaching via the notch between the Warlock and Witch, double ropes are necessary for the two rappels to the base of the route. A 70 m did not reach the intermediate rappel station. The Witch-Charlatan gully seems like a much better approach regardless.
WOW what a climb. |
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