John Langston leading: taken March 2001 by Stacy B...
Description
Currey's Diagonal is the right leaning crack with tree at 30 feet in the middle of the NW face of the Holdout. The crux comes in the layback moves with thin feet before reaching the tree. Handsized cracks and more layaways before the rap anchor. Eliminate the use of the tree as handhold to increase the pump! Technical and pumpy.
Protection
Standard rack emphasizing the small (tcus and rp's) and medium gear. Several fixed pins and small tree to sling on the route. 2 Bolt rap anchor at the top.
This is really strange, just browsing this site, checking out a bunch of my favorites and what do I find? A picture of me half way up this climb. Stacy have you been stalking me again? John
This is a lot trickier than it looks from the ground. If you're not solid on 10s, then you better not mind a swinging fall if you blow it getting to the tree. Not dangerous just exciting. I almost blew it grabbing for the tree, then I gave it a big hug. Props to anyone who can sling that and keep going w/o using it! The climbing keeps your attention even after the tree. And the very last section is kinda strange. A unique Vedauwoo classic.
Although my experience at Vedauwoo is limited to about five trips, this route ranks up there with one of the best ones I've been on there. You can get in a C3 and a good, small stopper after the second pin. You'll still go for a ride if you blow it getting to the tree. Don't think that the difficulties end at the tree; there are still some thoughtful moves afterwards but the gear is plentiful and bomber.