The Surprise 5.10a
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Good page? (2 likes)   |
| Type: | Trad, 3 pitches, 400 feet |
| Consensus: | 5.10a [details] |
| FA: | Pete Spoecker & Steve Herrero, 1965 |
| Submitted By: | M.Morley on Jul 10, 2007 |
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BETA PHOTO: Looking up at the Werner's Ant Trees start, taken ...
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Fifi Buttress To Close! MORE INFO >>>
The following areas are closed to all visitor use to protect peregrine falcon aeries from March 1 until August 1 of each year or until the young falcons of the current year have fledged: Fifi Buttress Immediately west of Leaning Tower. Closure includes all routes on Fifi Buttress.
This information is a public crowdsourcing effort between the Access Fund,
and Mountain Project.
You should confirm closures, restrictions, and/or related dates.
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Keeping climbing areas open and conserving the climbing environment
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Description While not quite as classic as neighboring climbs like Munginella and Commitment, The Surprise provides 2 excellent pitches of climbing. Supertopo lists the route as 5 pitches, but it is very easy and recommended to link pitches 1 and 2 into a single 150' pitch.
Start at an ant-infested tree and climb dirty corner past a small pine tree. Continue up to an oak tree (long sling helps reduce rope drag), and start traversing right along broken ledge system, passing one ancient 1/4" bolt about half-way along the ledge. Belay below a nice-looking, clean hand crack.
Pitch 2 ascends the clean 5.8 crack above, with a cruxy step left at about 90' up. Belay at 135' at a good stance and one solid bolt.
Pitch 3 tackles a 5.9+ crack with perfect finger locks. When the crack suddenly ends (surprise!), make a delicate couple of steps left (5.10a) and continue up easier ground (5.7) to the top (115').
As for all the routes at the Five Open Books area, be exceedingly careful not to dislodge loose rocks from the top.
To descend, walk to climber's left for several hundred yards along good (but sometimes exposed) trail.
Location The Surprise is located to the right of both Munginella and Commitment in the middle of the cliff.
Protection Standard rack.
By caughtinside
From: Oakland CA
Jul 24, 2007
| Be sure to make the traverse. I went straight up and did "The Old Surprise" one day. Went straight up the book (hey, it's one of the 5, right? Right?) and found lots of dirty, R, and uninspiring 5.8. I was 40' above a totally rusted 1/4"er when I pulled around the semi-blind crux. A different kind of surprise.
EDIT: as it turns out, I was on the wrong route! I was actually on the Hanging Teeth! |
By Dennis
Mar 11, 2008
| Start with Werner's Ant Trees.... great fun.
The second and third pitches are excellent splitter cracks from fingers to hands. |
By ccmski
From: Prescott, AZ
Oct 17, 2009
rating: 5.10a
| 4 star linkup starts with Werner's Ant Trees variation. The upper Suprise Cracks are so splitter and a worthy outing. This linkup can be done in two long pitches with a 70m rope. |
By Alexander B.
From: Ojai CA
May 27, 2010
| Good climb, some dirt....but the upper crack(s) are well worth it. |
By tallmark515
From: San Francisco
Nov 8, 2010
rating: 5.10a
| Did the 3 pitch, Werners Ant Tree, to the 2 pitch Surprise combo, great route. 5.8 pitch is super fun and .10a thin hands/finger crack above was stellar.
Be mindful of your rope drag, belay early or suck it up and deal with the nuisance on easier terrain above the crux section of Werners. |
By Rodger Raubach
Mar 15, 2011
rating: 5.10a
| The upper crack is outstanding! My GF led the last pitch and took her first, albeit short, leader fall on the 5.10a section. Didn't faze her at all. We both loved the climb. |
By Mark P Thomas
From: Oakland
May 23, 2011
rating: 5.10a
| Fell at the .10a crux when a crimper flake broke off. Something not too common on a route in the Valley! Apparently this route doesn't get climbed a lot :-) Really fun last 2 pitches though. 1st pitch was dirty & forgettable. |
By caughtinside
From: Oakland CA
Nov 18, 2011
| Finally found the Surprise, 4 years later! Funny that the description above says The Surprise is not as classic as Munginella or Commitment. When combined with Werner's Ant Trees, this is the best of the Open Book routes. |
By thecornyman
From: Oakland, CA
Apr 30, 2012
| I tried the Werner's Ant Trees alternate start this time and it caused some problems. The 10a lieback is awesome but then at the roof I couldn't figure out the 10c move so after about 10 min I tried the more obvious 10d way, got pumped and went for a ride on a purple tcu behind that scary thin flake. Any one remember beta for either the 10c or d section? |
By Rodger Raubach
Jul 29, 2012
rating: 5.10a
| I've done the Surprise both ways, the "old way" and the "direct." Do the direct, since it's really an outstanding crack climb at 5.10a. The first belay in an ant tree is "forgettable." |
By J. Albers
From: Colorado
Jul 30, 2012
rating: 5.10-
| C'mon now Rodger, saying that the direct start (Werner's Ant Tree) is 10a is a little bit of a sandbag, don't you think? It is a good pitch, but probably closer to 10c than to 10a. |
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