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Whale's Back 

Whale's Back 

5.11-

   

FA: Unknown
Type: Trad
Consensus: 5.10c/d [details]
Length: 1 pitch, 120 feet
Views: 1,134 page views

Submitted By: Anthony Stout on Feb 8, 2006


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Some cliffs are occasionally closed due to raptor nesting. 14-day camping limit. MORE INFO >>>

Gettin things done on Whale's Back.


Description 

Beautiful corner hand crack! First 30 feet or so vary in quality until you lob yourself over the large hump to a ledge. From there enduro up the corner to the chain anchors.


Protection 

Pro: Bottom section uses #3 Camalots, take PLENTY of #2s for the top.



Photos of Whale's Back Slideshow Add Photo
The Whale's Back takes the right-faceing to Left-facing corner system central to this pictute to a fixed anchor up top. Photo by T. Bubb, 2/2006.

BETA PHOTO: The Whale's Back takes the right-faceing to Left-f...

Ian do his thing.  Very good long climb

Ian do his thing. Very good long climb

Francisco past the r-facing corner and sizing up the remaining l-facing corner.  Great jams just keep going!

Francisco past the r-facing corner and sizing up t...

Plug and chug on the upper Whale's Back

Plug and chug on the upper Whale's Back

Getting over the hump

Getting over the hump

photo of alf randell by garrett grove.

photo of alf randell by garrett grove.


Comments on Whale's Back Add Comment
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By Tony B
From: Boulder, CO
Feb 27, 2006
rating: 5.11-

While the guide suggests that large hands would benefit the ascensionist, I did not find it so, and neither did my 5'5" female partner who has very small hands. Don't let that scare you off of the route.

By Roger Linfield
Mar 1, 2006

Climbers with large hands will find the top part of this climb more difficult. I thought it was 5.10c. My partners with smaller hands said 5.10a or b.

By Jeff G.
From: Fort Collins
Nov 13, 2006
rating: 5.10d

The upper part of this route is a beauty! Sustained #3 friends, which is perfect hands for me, so I found it a little easier than the 11- rating.

By Clayton Laramie
From: Boulder, CO
Mar 31, 2008
rating: 5.11-

What a stellar route! This wall doesn't get much traffic. The approach and the base of the wall kinda suck for walking (loose and no real trails) but the routes are good.

Right facing wide hands corner changes to left facing thin hands. Becomes perfect hands for a long way. A 70 might get back down with stretch but we trailed a rope. must do route!!

By Greg Barnes
Apr 22, 2009

A 70m doesn't reach, we tried. The route is probably 130' tall.

We replaced the anchor in Sept. '07. One of the original bolts pulled out with not much effort (even still had the price tag on the bolt!), but the other huge weird bolt with homemade aluminum hanger is still there since I didn't have the right gear to try removing it and it's cool to see some original homemade funky stuff now and then (particularly when you don't have to rap from it!).

Be careful about placing cam(s) near the top of the first section, since it's easy for the rope to drag them into the crack when you get on the rest ledge.

By S. Saunders
Jun 2, 2009

Really fun, long route and great confidence booster for the grade (to be honest though, I'd call it a 10c or d with my hands).

By alf
Aug 3, 2009
rating: 5.10a/b PG13

dear Barnes,

thanks for replacing the bolts.

I think that it is OK to place the bolts in a new spot if you think that you can reduce the rope wear on the rock.

In this case, an anchor further right would have made the route easier to clean, and created far less rope drag.