Talweg  5.8+ R

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Type:  Trad, 2 pitches, 200 feet Consensus:  5.8+ [details] FA:  Submitted By:  Dan G0D5H411 on Jan 10, 2012 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (1) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

BETA PHOTO: Talweg pitches in yellow, belays in green, descent...

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Description 

A groveling, crumbling mess that defines the phrase "horror show".

P1(5.7): Traipse up the gully and scramble into the wide chimney, using a lone tree for protection. A few face moves above allow you to establish yourself in the offwidth where you will be hard-pressed to find anything but wide gear (#4, 5 Camalots). Belay at a single bolt on a ledge. Wide gear, 50 ft.

P2(5.8+): Build a nest of gear in the dubious crack before tackling the bombay offwidth. A few large cobbles lower the grade, but don't be mislead by any guidebooks that call this 5.6. 50 ft of squeeze chimney rewards you with a bolt on the face and the only reliable gear from the start of the pitch. Gear ~can~ be placed in the back of the chimney but the rock quality is horrendous. After a second 40 ft runout, search desperately for a second bolt on the left face, outside of the chimney. Either take an optional belay here or traverse left across the face and up towards the ruins. DO NOT CONTINUE UP THE CHIMNEY! The matrix turns to dried mud and there is no reliable gear to be had. After the leftward-trending traverse, work you way up the dirty gully/crack to approach the overhanging blocks of the ruin foundations. GINGERLY pull the roof held together with decaying cement, throw a sling around the tiny tree whose roots are fracturing the decaying cement, and pray to Zeus you are standing on top in one piece. Gear to start, 2 bolts, 150 ft.

Location 

Approach: From the base of the south face of Monifels, walk around right to belay in the dirty gully.

Descent: A single rap off the back(north) side from a single glue-in deposits you in a gully. With your back to the wall, take the left gully. Bushwhack around the formation, while being cautious of moving left too soon. Doing this will deposit you on ledges that dead-end and you will have to back track to the gully. Try to follow the red descent line in the beta photo.

Protection 

Helmtets. Set of cams from fingers to fists for start of the second pitch. Helmets. Extras in the #4-6 camalot size if you want anything decent for either pitch. Helmets. Double ropes for the descent. Don't forget your helmets.