[Hide Comment] Great route! A #4 Camalot is comforting for the one section when the crack(s) doesn't take small gear all that well. Otherwise, don't need anything larger than a #2 Friend. The crux seems to be getting yourself situated in/around the crack, then its a blast the whole way up! Feb 25, 2002

[Hide Comment] Great climbing in a magnificent less frequently visited setting. A natural line that is a joy to gaze upon and climb. Apr 5, 2002

[Hide Comment] Just left of Duh Dihedral is a route listed in the Rossiter book as "Tampon" (5.7). It's between Duh Dihedral and Pool of Blood. Go up a few feet to a ledge with a tree (awkward) and get onto another ledge fout feet up and right of the first one (awkward again) then make several fun lieback moves off of a few widely spaced but very positive chalky handholds. After that you either have to step right into the duh dihedral or deal with about ten feet of what appears to be extreamly difficult face climbing. The lieback moves make it worth doing. Jul 9, 2002

[Hide Comment] Just curious how you descend this route. Any pointers?

Thanks. Sep 24, 2002

[Hide Comment] Rap from duh tree, about 70'. Sep 24, 2002

[Hide Comment] I thought this is a great route but I don't think I'd recommend to a first time leader. I thought it was kind of awkward in spots, particularly if you try to off-width this crack instead of laybacking. It is harder than Washington Irving or Calypso (or any other Eldo 5.6 I can remember) in my opinion. Also, watch out for loose rock at the top, both in the crack and where you top out.

Don't let this comment scare you away from this route, but be ready for some stout 5.6.

One last thing. Annie Austin wanted me to mention that she made it up this thing too and that I was proud of her. Sep 15, 2003

[Hide Comment] I really liked this line. Important tip: stay OUT of the offwidth crack! You will be much happier if you do. I arm-barred up most of it on my first lead, but you can lieback and friction off the face for almost the entire thing (and avoid that barr'd pump). Re: descent, the rap bolts are now in place, so it's a no-brainer. I'd say that this route is technically no harder than Washington Irving---and perhaps even easier, from a move-to-move standpoint. However, it's much more sustained: almost every stance is a good rest, but almost every move is a real 5.6, as opposed to Washington Irving, which has maybe 2-3 5.6 moves. Gear is GREAT. This route can suck your entire rack in, if you give it the chance. The crack really wants nothing smaller than a #4 camalot, so bring some bigger pieces. May 14, 2004

[Hide Comment] I disagree with James here. Lead the whole thing with nothing larger than a #1 camalot and you'll be fine. Why drag up the weight? If you HAVE a #4 and want to place it for novelty, you are certainly able to, but the thin stuff on the sides of the crack is much more reasonable for gear.

Health related beta: watch out for the wasps about 15' up on the right side. They have a nest in the heavily chalked flake that should be the start of Zap Snack. Live and let live, they'll leave you alone. We had 6 people run up DD sans incident, just beware!

~Wm Oct 10, 2004

[Hide Comment] Well, I did say the "crack", William. I suppose that it would be entirely possible to lead this route with RP's, but there are a couple of places where there are some committing moves without protection on the sides (i.e., only in the main crack). If you're okay with that, then go for it: it "is" vertical, so it's not like you're going to deck... but why fall 30' when you need only fall 10'? It's not like it's a ... alpine route---you can afford a few extra grams, if you're leading near your limit. Mar 26, 2005

[Hide Comment] Different funky climbing. The somewhat sustained nature of this steep climb and the necessity to make some awkward moves would make me wonder about it being a good beginner lead. Definitely on the stiffer side for a six, but neat pitch! The bolts make it easy to top rope as well. May 15, 2005

[Hide Comment] Pretty sweet climb. More sustained than I was expecting, I agree that it might not be the best first lead in the world. There were a lot of seemingly suspect yet well chalked holds- I guess they've been there for a while, but a little freaky none the less. If you manage to get there without lots of people hanging out waiting for the route, don't pass up the opportunity to toprope Pool of Blood and (the unfortunately named) Tampon. Jun 4, 2005

[Hide Comment] Dan there are now two shiny bolts at the top to rap off. Mar 31, 2006

[Hide Comment] I took a long fall after leading Pool of Blood and was in the Duh Dihedral when a hold broke. Lots of rock looks sketchy, and I can verify that at least some of it is (or was). Fat pieces in the wide crack add security. Bring them if you have them. May 14, 2006

[Hide Comment] Great fun climb and the most worthwhile route in the area. Do it even if 5.6 sounds wimpy to you. It's a sustained 5.6, so it seemed harder than other Eldo 5.6s to me. It felt about the same as Dr. Michael Solar to me. It's easy to protect though. So, I think it's a good beginner lead if you are CONFIDENT on 5.6. Apr 3, 2008

[Hide Comment] My first trad lead. The offwidth was great for helping to place pro, just throw your arm in and crank it while you fiddle with pro. Didn't have anything bigger than a #2, only used 1 cam, the rest were bomber nut placements the whole way up. Rap off the anchors at the top or, it is possible to scramble up and summit (4th class to 5.1ish?), coming down the other side past the Potato Chip into Redgarden and avoid the walk down and around if you wanted to head over there. May 20, 2008

[Hide Comment] I hate to say because it sounds like more than a few folks like this route but, I think it's serious mank. Not asthetic at all. Crap rock, mediocre gear, and to make it all worse, it's surrounded by great looking routes.
I'm glad some others have enjoyed it though.
Tony Feb 23, 2009

[Hide Comment] Warning: wasps were out in full force on 10/15/2012. My brave partner donned 2 balaclavas, gloves, sunglasses, raincoat, etc. and somehow managed to retrieve our gear without getting stung. Later we noticed wasps on the walls all over other routes on the West Ridge - maybe some wasp "last hurrah" before winter sets in? Oct 17, 2012

[Hide Comment] +1 on the sustained nature and interesting protection. Unless you don't mind sewing it up with small nuts and cams under questionable flakes and chockstones, bring a #4 or #5 and have at least one bomber piece in the offwidth.

Some holds are loose, definitely test them.

Not the best place for a newbie leader. Apr 14, 2013

[Hide Comment] If you have climbing experience, you won't find this too difficult, but offwidth and layback skills make it much more comfortable to climb.

As for gear! Up to #4 needed?? If you want to use gear in the main crack, you're going to need to #5 or a couple #5s. Lesson = bring a number 5 maybe, but generally don't plan on putting much gear in the main crack. I regret that I didn't bring my C3s up. I would have been better off without my #3 and #4 and with more duplicate smaller pieces - 0.4, 0.5, C3s.

I wouldn't recommend this as a newbie lead. As everybody else said, it's pretty sustained, and I didn't find it particularly easy to put in good gear. May 17, 2013

[Hide Comment] Climbed this on 10/09/16 for the first time and actually met Jim Walsh there! He said he hadn't climbed the route since his FA in 1970. After he climbed it, he said it felt stiff for the 5.6 grade he originally gave it, and I agree. We also climbed Dr. Michael Solar and Positively Fourth Street, both of which he is also credited with the FA (with Erickson). We both thought Duh Dihedral was harder than Dr. Michael Solar.

The climb itself is steep, sustained, and pretty fun. It felt more like P1 of The Bastille Crack than it did Calypso. If you plan to protect it in the main, offwidth crack, #4 Camalots are the smallest you can fit in there, and not many good placements for them. #5 or #6 Camalots would work better. If you protect it using any of the smaller cracks outside of the main offwidth (like we did), then small cams and small nuts or even RPs are all you need. I don't think I placed anything bigger than a 0.75 Camalot the whole way up.

Also, this route was full of wasps. They didn't bother us but did make the climb a bit more spicy. Oct 10, 2016