BETA PHOTO: The red line is a pretty good guideline for where ...
Description
Boy, am I glad I decided to try this out today. I haven't had this much fun on a single route all year! Surprising free from vegetation, as the name implies (unlike Ream's Chimney next door) with occasional choss. Easy slab and face climbing leads to roof after roof after roof (I think there were six, but honestly, I lost count). Granted, there is plenty of exposure throughout the route. There are ample rest opportunities, except when the roofs are so close together that there isn't much of a rest stance. The crux greets you after such a stance, with big pulls over a roof on crimpy slopers, a committing sequence that left my arms tingling. I couldn't resist a moment of celebration and a resounding yelp of delight once I reached the stance above. The Ruckman guide gives this route 5.11a, but I didn't think that the crux was harder than 5.10c/d. All of the other roof sequences were 5.9-5.10a and the slab/face climbing ranged from 5.7-5.10b. Maybe it deserves the 5.11a for a combination of length, multiple cruxes, technicality, and the amount of time it takes on lead (I took about an hour). Not to be missed, this route is one I'll be returning to often.
Location
Start just to the right (West) of Straight Up and to the left (East) of Deep Dark Crack. This is the route that climbs through all of the roofs. Rappel off of the anchors with a 60 meter rope (or two ropes) to the top of the gully to the West. It is 100', so you may want to tie knots in the ends of your rope. A short hike (60') gets you back to the start.
Protection
6 bolts and small gear. First bolt is 30 feet off the deck, second is another 30 feet. The bolts around the finish are not as widely spaced, but there is a gap between bolts at the crux, so make sure to bring gear. I'm glad that I took a bunch of nuts, they were very handy. I didn't use anything larger than a black Metolius. Helmets are advisable for those who bump their heads on roofs. Two chains and a glue-in for anchors.
By triznuty From: Murray, UT Sep 17, 2006 rating: 5.11a
What a sweet route! Roof after roof... Bring a good rack to supplement the bolt spacing for sure. The climbing is 5.9ish up until the crux...Then pop a good nut in and go for it.
This should get done more often. One of my favorite climbs that has surprisingly turned a few hardman sport climbers away empty handed (and its a face climb). One dark, dark morning a few octobers ago I was in the crux of this thing and "learned" that your climbing helmet has little hooks to hold your headlamp on. dork.
When you stand at those anchors and look up at all of those roofs up above you just go for it and do Weed Be Gone. Don't let the crappy short pitch just above Weedkiller deter you because the roofs above are really fun.
Oh - and a 60m rope actually does work just fine if you're just doing this pitch. It just puts you about 30 feet to the right of your packs at the start of the climb.
Be careful rapping from the third pitch of weed killer, a 60m rope leaves you about four feet short of the 2nd belay bolts. I had to hang from the rope with one hand to clip the belay bolts scarry and dangerous. There is a bolt about 5 feet up that you can clip and do a mini rap to the 2nd belay but that is pretty funky. 70 meter rope is advised. 60M rope is OK if only doing the first and/or second pitch Cheers
JHCOB Wall
RSS Feed
