What 'classic' did you hate???

Did anyone say "Bastille Crack" yet? :D

Peter J wrote:

My partner enthusiastically listed it as his favourite climb to so far. I wasn't as psyched on it, but I'll admit it was pretty damn good. If it's empty, it would be a blast, but its a bit slow and busy...

Igor unchained was actually more of a let down for me. The jugs just bummed my out cause I wanted to be jamming splitters all day!

Blasphemy--all of this is blasphemy 

The nose sux

kemple sr. wrote: Ellingwood Ledges on Crestone Needle.  Loose rubble pile from the get go.  Ironically the descent offers a nice downclimb on solid rock.  

Agreed. Came here to mention this climb. Though the direct start isn't loose itself until the top, its a bowling alley for rocks people kick off from above. One of the scarier rock fall zones I've experienced. On the plus side, you top out right on the summit. I wouldn't do the direct start if there are people above you. 

Levitation 29 is the most underwhelming "Classic" I've ever climbed. Lynn Hill calls it her favorite ever so I had high expectations. 

C Archibolt wrote: Basically everything at Index is overrated. The rock has to be dug from the moss. The cracks are short lie back things. There are tons of ledges to hit so the falls are rarely clean. The train. Camping is a tweaker circus. It’s a mediocre local crag with a cult following. 

curious how much climbing you did in Index/what you climbed. true the moss is a fact of it's temperate rainforest location and lack of traffic, but any route will get dirty in that context. I feel the opposite about things being ledgy - I almost never have to worry about hitting a ledge or really being at all worried about falling when climbing there, it's typically steep and clean. I personally think Index has some of the best rock quality I've found anywhere. 

I skipped ahead a couple of pages, but I'll second Upper Exum.  The full ridge is really fun, but the upper section as its own climb is pretty lame.  The friction pitch is like 20ft long.

Ryan Swanson wrote: Nutcracker.  The first pitch lieback is dumb, as is all liebacking for that matter.

I too thought Nutcracker was a bit overrated. Selaginella was much, much better in my opinion.

I thought Astroman was a total yawner 

Not sure if it is really a classic but it is highly rated- After 6 in Yosemite.  

To be fair I didnt get to climb the whole thing due to a fire, but the first pitch was glassy slick and the moves were not much fun.   After that it seemed like basically scrambling for a few pitches.  

Reefer madness is the worst route in the front range. There, i said it

Kevin Mokracek wrote: I thought Astroman was a total yawner 

lololol

"Neat and Cool" and "Popeye and Raven" in Squamish. As others have said, plenty of better routes outside of the top 100 

Peter J wrote:

My partner enthusiastically listed it as his favourite climb to so far. I wasn't as psyched on it, but I'll admit it was pretty damn good. If it's empty, it would be a blast, but its a bit slow and busy...

Igor unchained was actually more of a let down for me. The jugs just bummed my out cause I wanted to be jamming splitters all day!

So apart from the first 150 feet or so of perfect splitter, Igor Unchained didn't do it for you?? 

Matthew Tangeman wrote:

curious how much climbing you did in Index/what you climbed. true the moss is a fact of it's temperate rainforest location and lack of traffic, but any route will get dirty in that context. I feel the opposite about things being ledgy - I almost never have to worry about hitting a ledge or really being at all worried about falling when climbing there, it's typically steep and clean. I personally think Index has some of the best rock quality I've found anywhere. 

First day it was 90 degrees so we went up to the inner walls, looking for “the most amazing beautiful parallel hand crack” (that’s the route description). We were disappointed to discover that Toxic Shock is about 30 feet long. Every unnamed handcrack in the desert is better. Then we climbed Even Stevens, which has like 3.8 stars and 100 votes. Once you scramble up on the ledge, it’s also 30 feet long. The crux moves are right over a giant rock spike protruding from the ledge. 

Next day it was a little cooler so we went to town wall. That was more inspiring. Climbed Godzilla, Tatoosh (tons of ledges), and Thin Fingers (another crux over a ledge.) Then the sun came out and started baking everything. I didn’t want to stay another day in the parking lot with the tweakers and drunk river guides so we bailed to Squamish where they have actual splitters.
But hey, why am I justifying myself to you? You’re probably part of the Index cult and this thread is for bitching about stuff, not providing evidence to support our claims! 

Everyone loses their minds over Outer Space, but I don't get it. It's definitely a fun route and I had a good time climbing it, but an area defining ultra-classic? I don't feel that it lives up to the insane hype it gets.

For that matter, just about everything up the Icicle in Leavenworth I've found pretty underwhelming.

I love Shockley's Ceiling, but partially because it was my first 5.6 at the gunks and a memorable one at that (for me). However, I think a lot of the classics at the Gunks are amazing if you are only climbing at the Gunks/New England and working up through the grades and they kind of loose some of their sparkle if you are above and beyond them. I think Shockley's alone is meh. I think Shockley's linked up with Strictly From Nowhere with the Oscar and Charlie start IS a legitimate 4-star classic.

Climbs that let me down a little bit:

- Thin Air at Cathedral Ledge... I have done it a few times, it is fun and if you end it with Pine Tree Eliminate it is quite a good outing. However, I felt like it was not a 4-star ultra classic. Yet it has a super long line (easiest multi on the cliff).

- Pinnacle Buttress on Mt. Washington. It's a great outing, and a unique experience for the North East... So much hiking though for so little good climbing... Definitely worth it to do, but 4-star ultra classic? probably not.

C Archibolt wrote:

Every unnamed handcrack in the desert is better

So you went to the apple store and are complaining they didn't have oranges.

Aaron Nash wrote: Everyone loses their minds over Outer Space, but I don't get it. It's definitely a fun route and I had a good time climbing it, but an area defining ultra-classic? I don't feel that it lives up to the insane hype it gets.

For that matter, just about everything up the Icicle in Leavenworth I've found pretty underwhelming.

Regarding Outer Space, I think any multipitch 5.9 will always always be popular, and adding the striking line of the last 2 pitches gets you to insane hype status.

It took me 12+ years to really understand that cragging in Leavenworth sucks.

C Archibolt wrote:

First day it was 90 degrees so we went up to the inner walls, looking for “the most amazing beautiful parallel hand crack” (that’s the route description). We were disappointed to discover that Toxic Shock is about 30 feet long. Every unnamed handcrack in the desert is better. Then we climbed Even Stevens, which has like 3.8 stars and 100 votes. Once you scramble up on the ledge, it’s also 30 feet long. The crux moves are right over a giant rock spike protruding from the ledge. 

Next day it was a little cooler so we went to town wall. That was more inspiring. Climbed Godzilla, Tatoosh (tons of ledges), and Thin Fingers (another crux over a ledge.) Then the sun came out and started baking everything. I didn’t want to stay another day in the parking lot with the tweakers and drunk river guides so we bailed to Squamish where they have actual splitters.
But hey, why am I justifying myself to you? You’re probably part of the Index cult and this thread is for bitching about stuff, not providing evidence to support our claims! 

Yeah that's definitely what I got out of Index too, a bunch of the classics below the 10s are like ledge systems connected by small boulder problems or like 20 ft features.

wasn't a big fan of any of the big ticket easier climbs out there like Princely, Godzilla, GM route, etc. Aries is pretty cool though despite suffering the same issues