Chicago 

This is a great climb. It's rated F9 in the old book, 5.8 in the newer older guidebook and 5.8+ in the Falcon guide. At 5.8 it's probably a sandbag.

The crux for me was getting to a rest with your feet just above the triagle alcove 30ft up.

Near the top there is a roof thing that provides awesome jams and great position.

All in all, a great climb.

HB offsets work very well, and may take some of the sting out of the climb. I got an average-looking #1 Camalot in the niche. It may have held a fall, though I was fortunate enough not to test it.

Small cams help a lot - aliens or tcus.

From "The Climbers and Hikers Guide to Devils Lake" (1970): "If you see a leader on this route, he will not fall, that is, he must not fall. The quality of the protection is unspeakably poor."

I've only climbed Chicago once and on TP, but I watched a 57-year old Professor from UW-Madison lead it back in about 1988, while his student/girl friend looked on with me at the base in awe. It was kind of like when I watched Pete Cleveland in 97 or 98 go up the End (5.10?) barefoot with amazing grace and wearing a swami-belt for a harness.

I'm glad you guys are rating this 5.9 because it was kicking my ass!

With offset aliens you can sew this route up very well. Great movement, and an enjoyable lead with modern gear.

Just thinking back, but in '69 as we were rappelling down this route we passed a very old man with no rope, climbing up beside us. He told me "Why don't you try climbing up instead of rapping down" and out of this, resulted my lifelong passion. The old man was Dave Slinger, my "mentor" and probably one of the greatest climbers of the "Golden Age". He kind of adopted us as his grand kids and took us around showing his favorites and in the process teaching me how to climb. I can still remember how proud he was to send "Thoroughfare" on his 70'th birthday ! I really think this humble, unassuming man was probably when of the greatest climbers of the time; if not in all time considering his age.

This is all in relation to a chance encounter with a young kid at my local gym here in CO a few years ago. The owner had told him that I used to climb at "The Lake" and he asked me "How long ago" and I told him. He asked me "Did you ever know of a man named Dave Slinger". I said yes, and how he taught me to climb; and that's when he told me that Dave was his grandfather and he'd heard stories about him that his father had told him but never actually had any memories of him ! I was very proud to tell him how great his grandfather really was. (Tears in my eyes) !