The Egg Cracker  5.10c

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Type:  Trad, 1 pitch, 90 feet Consensus:  5.10c [details] FA:  Mark Sprague and Olga Mirkina, Sept 2009 New Route:  Yes Submitted By:  M Sprague on Oct 14, 2010 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (1) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

Pulling the roof on the FA

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Description 

This route reminds some of the Barber wall at Cathedral.

Handjam and layback your way up the nice flake from the left side of the little alcove below the upper portion of the Laughing Owl Buttress, into a moderate corner. At the top of the corner protect, extending your piece with a 4 foot sling, then lean out as far as you can under the two foot roof and place a small cam, again with a long sling. Stand back up and undercling the roof out right to gain a finger crack that will allow you to pull over the lip and get up to the final, bigger overlap, split by a wide crack. Stem up high, then jam, layback and arm bar your way up to the top. Sequence is important here or you will feel like you will barn door off the route. There is a 2 bolt anchor, but you may want to clip it and head back to the trees then set yourself up so you can belay your second up from closer to the lip. I found that the rope sometimes jams on it's self if you lower and try to TR or pull the rope from the anchor.

To get down, walk back into the woods about 50 feet and head right maybe another 50, then look for where you can head down (carefully) to the wooded ledge above the slab, where you can rap off the Bubbles anchor. If you don't have a 70 m rope, rap to the top of "Pocket Change", then down.

Location 

Follow the trail around and up to the upper tier of the Laughing Owl area. When you get to the slabs, walk along the cliff to the left about 25 feet and down to a little alcove. The route starts on the far side of this alcove, about as far as you would want to go safely without being tied in. Have your belayer anchor here. It is a long way down.

Protection 

Full trad rack up to about to about 4 inches, doubles of hand and fist size if you have them, but it is not critical. Bring plenty of slings. Two 4 footers are good to us at the fist roof. You don't want rope drag at the top.