Western Grebe 

I haven't climbed all summer and I'm definitely feeling it in the muscles. Harder sections followed by some easier sections to rest up. Good all around mix. I loved the view of the masses of cars parked at Gate...and we didn't see another person until we started rapping down.

Don't be fooled...the first pitches are not R, only the third, which is crappy anyway. Do the first two, to the shallow fools paradise dihedral, then up! Try some of the older runout routes to keep you humble.... YIKES!

Pitch 3 is runout. It is easy, but a fall could and probably would result in injury. If you had negotiated all the climbing below, the chances of you falling are slim, but....

Steve's right. no R. Great way to get up and off the deck for the .8 leader. Best way to get to Dark of the Moon.

I haven't been on the 3rd pitch yet (Edit-I have done the 3rd pitch now and would say, do Fools Paradise instead), but the final pitch (I think it's considered the final pitch of Western Grebe??), which is a sweet crack (offers hands and fingers). Excellent,a must do! It's a nice change of pace from the slabs... You'll probably need a standard rack for this pitch. I recall placing Sm-Med cams, and maybe a small nut just above the little roof.


(You can't see the crack from the anchors) From the 3 bolt anchor, head up and mainly right on the huge chicken heads, clipping the first bolt of DOTM (I think or one of those bolts on the slab...or run it out) keep heading right... Once over the hump, you should see the corner with the crack off to your right. The rest is obvious, get into the corner and follow the crack up. Pull a little roof half way, then continue up to some trees. From here it seems like I found some anchors (may of been DOTM's anchors) to get me back down to the bottom of the pitch.

If you know where to look, you can see this crack from the Pentapitch parking area.

This is such a classic route. My wife and I's most climbed route in the Wasatch. Quiet, clean, multipitch, with fun variations on the top two pitches. Recently, a storm washed the rack-up boulder at the base into the scrub oak. Must have been A LOT of water coming down that corner!

This route can be rappelled with one 70m rope, barely. Rapping the 3rd pitch brings you to a bush with a couple of super suspect pieces of webbing about 30ft above the anchors of the 2nd pitch. (no rap rings) I left a nut, a sling, and a 'biner to back it up. This may be an option, but I think adding a more secure rap station would be nice.

On a lighter note, I think this is some of the best slab of it's grade in the canyon! Due to the lack of use, it is in need of some ex foliation, but is still a stellar route. Especially with the different options you can choose from on the 3rd and 4th pitches. Do the mantle variation it's wicked fun!!

This route has always been a good, pretty safe by LCC standards, multi pitch cruise. It is now a full on "Pleasure Climb" thanks to the addition of several new bolts. I have not been on this route in years but it certainly did not have this many bolts when I last did it. Some of the bolts still had the rock dust and I swear during the time it took us to climb the route several more new bolts showed up on the Via Duck variation at the bottom.

Additional bolts? WTF? If true these bolts are neither wanted nor needed and should be yanked and the holes patched.

To whomever is doing this (I wooonder whooo it cooould be? Tony?) please eat shit and die, or go be the bane of a climbing community somewhere else, preferably far from Utah.

My friends of the Wasatch. In light of some new information presented to me tonight. I ask that we should hold off removing anything from Via duck and Western grebe until all things are considered. I know what you're thinking.. WTF is he talking about?? Well I got in touch with who I believe is Peter Lenz this evening. And he shared some very interesting information with me. So out of respect, we need to considered somethings first before any action is taken (if it's not already too late). Even if we don't fully agree with it.
It's late and I'd like to sort a couple things out first before I post any further details.

Thank you

Just a follow up to my above comment. After much consideration. I still feel that the new bolts must go. We need to protect our long standing heritage around these parts of bold climbing.. There is plenty of new and even older routes that are plenty safe for most around here.. It's ok to back away for another day. Don't be selfish and think, gull why didn't they (FA) add some more bolts for me and this route should be safe for me. It's no secret that we (climbers) are a selfish bunch. But let's not start the attitude that the climbing world revolves around me...

Peter:

Thanks for posting up. I can see your point about safety. As I get older, It's something I do consider as I have also had friends hurt or killed climbing.

But...I would really like to know that if I'm climbing a Bill Robins route that it will be his, and his only. He had a great, low impact traditional type style of climbing. I hope everyone can respect his routes.

g whiz pete, i thought better of you...do you hate fun or something? and safety? really, what, are you a doctor or something?

a piece of advice to the rest of you who have such negative things to say to these people, YOU are what give climbers a bad name and i hate that i become guilty by association.

GROW UP!!!

Do this:

1. Get to the bottom of pitch two however you please.
2. Climb the mantel variation and the second pitch of WG (good pitch)
3. Climb Fools Paradise first pitch
4. Dark of the Moon to the top

Very well protected linkup that straightens out the line quite a bit! The redeeming qualities of WG are overshadowed by the (mostly) less-than-spectacular-climbing me thinks.

Also, I rapped with a single 70 and wouldn't recommend it. Bring another rope or prepare to get creative.

I did this route about a week ago while visiting. We rapped from the P3 anchors with a single 60m directly down. (did not do P4 due to the single rope). It was sketchy to say the least as you had to reach down to clip the anchor and then rap off the ends (while hanging onto them so you don't lose the rope). Rapping with a single 60m thus is not recommended despite the T.C. guidebook indicating all raps less than 100'. Got to think that rap station could have been 2m higher...

Fyi, if you are considering Better Than Bikinis (not in Mountain Project but adjacent to Western Grebe), there are still wasps in the pin scars in the dihedral as of ~09/23/2012.