35yds right of Captain Nemo. This route is one of the best of its grade. Three 11 cruxes (thin hands, caterpillar, bizzare wide-crack) provide unusual variety and will keep you thinking. The upgrade (from 11b to 11c/d) reflects the difficulty in onsighting it compared to Spectreman or other routes of this grade. Try it and tell Rob or Skip what you think. - Lord Slime
Protection
Finger-sized stoppers/hexes and up, green Alien and up including Friends (2)#2, (2)#2.5, (2)#3, (3)#4 and a 4 or 5 Camalot. This will leave you with enough stuff to make a belay anchor. Recently someone left a webbing rap anchor on top.
A.S.H. is definitely not 5.11c/d, I mean come on, I agree that spectreman is very easy for the grade, but that doesn't mean A.S.H. is harder than 11b. If you want a good route to compare it to don't pick a perfect hand-crack but better yet something like the following: Octoberlight (11b), BigPink (11b), both testpieces for the grade. Compared to those two, I think you'll find A.S.H. considerably easier. AC
AC, you are comparing a predominately hand sized line with two reputedly hard, sustained offwidths. I think most people would agree that a mainly hands .11+ can't touch a sustained .11 offwidth in terms of difficulty. If you find grades to translate equally across all sizes of cracks then more power to you.
I like climbing routes like this. Let's resist the temptation to upgrade them. Most Vedauwoo 11's are a project, that's just how it should be. If it's a tick or two off who cares? If it's more, deem it a sandbag and leave it at that.
Just to clarify for you guys, Andy Johnson and AC, you both appear to be saying the same thing, that this climb is more comparable to climbs like Big Pink and October Light. I totally agree. But just for the record, I think Spectreman is harder and I definitely think October light is a grade easier than this thing.
By WeBeJammon From: Laramie, WY May 20, 2007 rating: 5.11
Beautiful line with a beautiful crux. If you are more used to thin, flary, thin-hands pods, then this is for you.
The beginning crux was a flaring right hand jam...the key for me was thumbs up! I was extended reaching for it. After that it turns into an enduro thrashfest. Harder then many 11's I've done at Vedauwoo. Enjoy!
Heads up: the old rope bail sling around the chockstone (right before the offwidth section) is partially chewed through and needs to be removed/replaced(?) I left a sling and biner on a horn to back it up.
Nautilus
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