This route starts to the left of the conn route. It is on the north east face of the spire, the "uphill side any way". A bolt is visable from the from the ground at about 15 feet up, It is a burly homemade hanger, I belive that Ron placed for this bolt and the others, two or so.After the first bolt you climb a big easy crack that takes you to a little face section just up and left, with a bolt and some gear. From here the main goal is to get to the corner rt facing and climb the crack in back of it. This corner is then capped by a little roof that you turn on the right you need to place good gear here. I belive this is where you want the 8-11 hexes and long slings. Turning the roof is the crux, I think, and is a little run out once you turn it.(besides a big horn that is not very good) The climbing is easy realative to what you have just done though. This climb is really good, but does not get done often these days. Lets get out and do this thing people!
Protection
This route is really good. But one should place good gear as always when ever possible. Sometimes that is straight forward sometimes not. I think doing this route requires some old school gear like hexes, for they place better sometimes in big cracks that are irregular. I lead it with both and feel the passive pro was better. So here it is take some long slings and a nice spread of med to big gear throw in some nuts and tie in.Two rope rap
Why is this route, as many others in the hills, listed as a trad route when its got some bolts on it?
By Andrew Gram Administrator From: Denver, CO Feb 13, 2006
Because calling a route traditional only if it has no bolts doesn't reflect reality. Traditional climbing as a label really only came out after rap bolting became common, and served mostly to differentiate between routes that were then common and the new rap bolted routes.
The Bachar-Yerian out in Tuolomne is bolted, but it surely isn't a sport route. Shiprock certainly is a trad route, even though it ended up being the birthplace of bolting. There are very few routes anywhere that don't have a bolt somewhere, at least as part of the anchor. Even Elbandstein has those big ring bolts every once in awhile, and nowhere is more traditional than that place.
This route was put up long after the distinction of trad or sport. Just call it what is is, mixed. But I must admit, your explanation is a very good account of apples and oranges.
Four out of five stars. Only 5.10 move is after flakes and is well protected by a bolt, the rest is 5.8. I didn't use any hexs but many cams. The roof is a little crumbly in the crack but there is a good left hand side pull in the corner where I stood and placed a green Metolius cam and three nuts, I was not positive they would hold though. BE CAREFULL, a few of the flakes felt pretty weak and the good crimp at the roof section felt like it could blow at any second. If you want to "Trad" lead it, skip the bolts.
Station 13
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