When you can't figure out the beta...

Have you ever been on a climb where you can do all the moves except the crux?  And you stare at the crux and think, "I have no idea how to do this?"

I had this happen recently on an 11d where the holds just stopped for about 1.5 meters, then re-appeared.  I swung around on the rope, felt blindly around a corner, looked for chalk marks... but I couldn't find a single usable hold in that section.  Then I started thinking, "maybe something broke?!"  Or, "maybe I'm just not seeing something crucial?"  Or, "Maybe this is 5.13 and got mis-marked as 11d in the guidebook?"  Or, "Maybe I just suck?"

This is one big difference between indoor and outdoor: on an outdoor climb there are literally thousands of potential "holds."  And there is nothing that says you have to climb right under the bolts, so you can wander side-to-side looking for a sequence you can manage.   But I swear, in this case, the best hold I can see is a rounded bulge like half-a-football on a 15-degree overhanging wall with no feet.

So what do you do here?  My options seem to be (1) keep trying until somehow I accidentally stumble on to the beta, (2) give up, (3) find someone who can climb that grade and bribe her/him to hike up there and show me how to rockclimb, (4) ... ?

4.) Stick clip past the crux to inspect from above.
5.) Ask one of the local crushers at the gym
6.) Last resort: read MP route comments

John RB wrote:So what do you do here?  My options seem to be (1) keep trying until somehow I accidentally stumble on to the beta, (2) give up, (3) find someone who can climb that grade and bribe her/him to hike up there and show me how to rockclimb, (4) ... ?

Those are good. I sometimes work backwards from the hold I know I need to get to. (After stick clipping, if needed)

John RB wrote: Have you ever been on a climb where you can do all the moves except the crux?  And you stare at the crux and think, "I have no idea how to do this?"

Happens to me all the time in Rifle.

I had this happen recently on an 11d where the holds just stopped for about 1.5 meters, then re-appeared.  I swung around on the rope, felt blindly around a corner, looked for chalk marks... but I couldn't find a single usable hold in that section.  Then I started thinking, "maybe something broke?!"  Or, "maybe I'm just not seeing something crucial?"  Or, "Maybe this is 5.13 and got mis-marked as 11d in the guidebook?"  Or, "Maybe I just suck?"

This is one big difference between indoor and outdoor: on an outdoor climb there are literally thousands of potential "holds."  And there is nothing that says you have to climb right under the bolts, so you can wander side-to-side looking for a sequence you can manage.   But I swear, in this case, the best hold I can see is a rounded bulge like half-a-football on a 15-degree overhanging wall with no feet.

So what do you do here?  My options seem to be (1) keep trying until somehow I accidentally stumble on to the beta, (2) give up, (3) find someone who can climb that grade and bribe her/him to hike up there and show me how to rockclimb, (4) ... ?

Ask someone who's done the route for Beta.  Beta is a cottage industry in Rifle, you'll see people exchanging beta all day.  ("see" because of the pantomiming.)  You'll meet new people and have fun trying new stuff. 

mbk wrote: 4.) Stick clip past the crux to inspect from above.
5.) Ask one of the local crushers at the gym
6.) Last resort: read MP route comments

I rapped the route later and so saw it from above... without any added info, sadly.

No one does this route.

MP has zero comments on this route.  In fact, a lot of MP comments in general are about route conditions, suspect holds/bolts, comments about enjoying the route or not, thoughts on the rating (especially for short/tall people), but very few MP comments are "LH to sloper, high-step right, then cross into an undercling."  (Nor would we really want a comment section like that?!)

In the case of my route, I think I have to traverse left to a really bad crimp (5' left of the bolt line) and try to go up from there.  It just doesn't seem 5.11 to make those moves, but then ALL of my 5.11 is 5.11a/b and I may just not understand what 11d feels like.

The answer is always dyno

John RB wrote:

No one does this route.

And now I think we know why. :p

interesting too!

"You nid to pul ardar". Ben Moon told me once I asked a beta.

I think the issue is that you are mentally/ visually climbing on the metric scale, "1.5 meters" in the US.   The route doesn't understand you and thus can't reveal its answer.  

Jaren Watson wrote:
Getting stuck in sections like that are one of the chief reasons why we climb. I got on a similar route yesterday where I had absolutely no idea how to get through what seems to be the crux. I’m looking forward to figuring it out. It will probably take a long time.

Deciphering these enigmatic sections are more satisfying to me than redpointing routes. 

Here's the problem: If you're trying to unlock the crux and you figure out something that feels way harder than the rating, then

1. Maybe that's the best way and the route is just underrated (or not "your type" of climb)
2. Or maybe there's an easier way you just can't seem to figure out
3. Or maybe a hold broke and it's actually a different route from the one you were expecting

There's no "answer in the back of the book" for you to check against.  So you just leave the route unsure of which of these things is true.  I find that deeply unsatisfying... but maybe some people enjoy not knowing everything about everything. :)