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All Locations > New Mexico > Albuquerque Area > Sandia Mountain… > La Cueva Canyon… > Yataghan > Happy Gnome (5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c)
Chuck leading the 5.9 variation of pitch 4.
ID 105903034 · · Copyright Violation?
View up from the dead tree of the P4 roof, with piton below and anchor tree just above.
Nancy on the 3rd pitch of Happy Gnome
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Chuck McQuade
Dec 30, 2006
“Chuck leading the 5.9 variation of pitch 4.”  

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Nearby Photos

Approximate route: 5.9 variation shown in red
The view of the start of the climb as you approach. You're looking for these two trees on the double dihedrals. Scramble up a few meters and start P1 from the tree.
Mark well established in the P4 crux traverse just below the roof.
Bill sends the stellar P4 crux (5.8+) traverse.
View down from P2 showing the location of the bolt marking the belay ledge atop P1 (The bolt is not obvious from the climbing route up the central dihedral).
Piton midway up P1
Daniel A. Working the undercling traverse on pitch 4 standard route.
This small tree (and adjacent piton/slung block), passed mid traverse on P3 makes a nice alternate belay. I combined P2 and P3 to this tree as my P2, then from here to the tree atop P4 as my P3 - rope drag was slim and visibility was great across pitches.
Looking back across the P4 traverse from the dead tree below the roof.
Bill climbs above the standard P2 belay alcove on our extended second pitch, which we finished at the much preferred tree (and adjacent piton/slung block) belay, otherwise passed mid traverse on P3.
Excellent exposure a little more than halfway up the final pitch. The white sling next to the tree below is clipped to the second of two fixed pins on the pitch.
The 5.10b Prandoni/McFarland variation (described by George below) ascends this arching corner and roof to the right until rejoining the route below the tree anchor. The 2 pitons mark another variation that traverses the face before ascending to the roof.
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