Devils Lake. Crux of Stool Pidgeon. Photo: Henning...
Description
Stool Pidgeon climbs the face just to the left of the buttress corner. Initial unprotected 20 feet of 5.9 (bad fall potential) leads to a crack system with very cool and varied 5.8 climbing. Stuff pro in the last horizontal seam and commit to a 5.11 face with tricky moves and a 30 foot fall potential. Long and airy route.
The 2nd edition of Swartling's "Climber's guide to Devil's Lake" rates the route 5.11b, which I think is correct. The latest 3rd edition rates it 5.10b, which is probably a typo 'cause the crux face is harder than Thoroughfare.
Location
The route starts to the right of Berkeley and few feet left of the buttress corner, underneath the flake-crack system.
Protection
Cams up to BD #2, set of nuts. The horizontal below the crux section takes several small Aliens and slider nuts. The fall from the crux, although potentially long, can be quite safe. The most iffy section is the bottom.
Yo,Nice photo and a nice send too,Kris. The route name Stool Pidgeon conjures up images of the Uber Giant,Ralph Schimdt?....I sure thats who did the first t.r. as for the coveted first lead,looks like Kris G. wins the prize. peace and f-nes
Finally started suss'n the moves on this "Stool Pidgeon" this weekend. That's definitely a typo on the difficulty rating of this climb in the newest guidebook addition and makes the lead by Kris all the more impressive. The moves felt as hard as "Gill's Nose" to me and harder the "T-Fare" as mentioned. There is a super tricky sequence at the crux with minimal feet... get established at spot with only side pull for left and side pull for right (arete), step onto small 2 pad niche with outside of left foot (weird move) and throw for good sized crimp on face with left (right would work- but even more awkward?), then finally smear the feet on whatever to move up from there... hard and tricky...
Very good route. The bottom isn't very well protected for the start but fairly easy. Soaks up good gear up to that last horizontal and then there is a healthy run out. There might be a nice micro cam in the middle of the crux but probably not worth placing because you're so close to the finish jug. I wouldn't want to take that fall. I thought it was more like 10d, I didn't think it was harder than "T-Fare". There was a nice left foot heel hook in that crux that helped me do it smoothly.
Ball'zeee. Heel hook'n on pretty run-out 5.10+ (um.. er... maybe harder?). Way to hang it out Nick!
By Paul Dieterle From: Mad City, WI Oct 18, 2009 rating: 5.11 R
Led this badboy today. I'm with Rhoads on the heel. Felt like mid 5.11-harder than T-Fare for me. Probably broken ankles if you fell off the top of the crux as there is a rail right where you would land. Also, the no hands kneebar at the top is amazing-a great way to finish off such a freaky route. As far as gear, I used a yellow alien, (overcammed) #3 c4, #6 BD stopper, and red/grey/yellow aliens (in the horizontal) in that order.
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