Type: Trad, 240 ft (73 m), 6 pitches Fixed Hardware (3)
FA: Layton Kor, Bob Culp, Ed Risley, 1961
Page Views: 86,517 total · 306/month
Shared By: Patrick Vernon on Dec 31, 2000
Admins: Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC

You & This Route


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Description Suggest change

This is my favorite 5.8 route in the canyon. It is long, sustained, and has a variety of types of climbing. The route is broken into two sections both three pitches long, one below the Upper Ramp, and one above. You can rap off after the first three pitches. For the second pitch, you can take the rover variation on the left side of the block, this is a lot easier than it looks, but still solid 5.9. The other variation is the Ruper crack, an offwidth that requires a #4 Camalot at the beginning. (You can pro in cracks on the side of the offwidth higher in the pitch) The other pitch of note is the last pitch. This is has one short .8- move on it, but the protection sucks. There are two pins protecting the move, one wiggles around when you touch it, the other would not hold a fall. You can back them up with some weird TCU placements, all the same be solid at the grade. The top of the last pitch is runout 5.5, and if it has rained or snowed lately will definitely be wet. Every pitch on this route is awesome and classic.

Protection Suggest change

Bring a standard rack, a #4 Camalot is mandatory for the Ruper crack.

Getting There Suggest change

Find the start to the route by approaching the Roof Routes area. You park at the lower parking lot, hike the trail around the W side of The Whale's Tail. Follow the trail across the concrete pad, take the switchbacks, take the right fork. When you get to the rock, you head left, past the Roof Routes. Here, you will find a Flatiron like slab requiring 4th class to low 5th class climbing for 200+ ft. Use a rope if you might fall. Ascend this to the top of this slab. Find a large flattish area. Gear up, rope up. Two options: 1) you go up a short RFD, then traverse right, catch a ramp up and belay. 2) traverse R, go up to the same ramp, follow it & belay. To find the R-facing Ruper crack, you must traverse/downclimb R about 30 ft.

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