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The Grand Traverse

5.10c, Trad,  Avg: 3.1 from 120 votes
FA: P1 - unknown? P2 - Steve Matous & Doug Cairns, 1975
Wyoming > Laramie Area > Vedauwoo > Nautilus
Warning Access Issue: Bad Bolt Submission Form DetailsDrop down

Description

The Grand Traverse is a classic 5.10 to the right of the Torpedo Tubes. The first pitch is very popular in itself, and many (most?) people chose to do this pitch and leave the second pitch for another day.

Climb the nice crack system right of the Right Tube and Gravity's Rainbow, good (hard) 5.9 or easy 5.10. The crack protects well, nice hand jams and stemming, with one distinct crux-like section; the rest is just the usually pump fluff. At the roof there is now a 2-bolt anchor, but to continue skip this and traverse way right (the "Grand Traverse") on slopey holds with decent gear (large TCUs to 2" cams, roughly) to a stance below a bulging fist crack at new bolts on the under side of the bulge.

From here you can lower off with a single (60m) rope, and belay your second sitting on the beer cooler that Erik brought to the crag, and later toprope Max Factor into submission, OR, belay and prepare for pitch 2.

P2 grunts up the wide fist crack (crucial crystal on left wall for foot) through the bulge and above to the top of the crag (5.10+ or so, but a short crux). Wander due S over boulders to the top of the crag above Middle Parallel Space to rap off.

Protection

Gear up to a 3 (or 4) inch cam for pitch one; include doubles in the large wireds to 2" range. Pitch 2 requires a slightly larger cam or two (4 Camalot). One rope off the raps on the other side of the formation.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Moving through the crux.
[Hide Photo] Moving through the crux.
Laying back the 10a crux.
[Hide Photo] Laying back the 10a crux.
Grand Traverse.
[Hide Photo] Grand Traverse.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Joe Collins
Boulder, CO
[Hide Comment] If you do the burly 2nd pitch (highly recommended), there is a threaded rap anchor at the top. A rap with a single 60m rope will put you on top of the boulders at the base of Max Factor where you can scramble down easily to the left or right. Jul 14, 2003
Craig Quincy
Louisville, CO
[Hide Comment] It's also possible to climb the first half of pitch one in the above description. At this point there are some threaded slings and a fixed stopper. Not the best rap anchor in the world, so we backed it up while climbing and only used it for getting down. I'd say it's about 5.8 or so. Sep 4, 2003
Eric Goltz
Boulder, CO
[Hide Comment] Did this route Tuesday May 11, and here's some super-important beta. On the first pitch, you will be awed to discover what look like large piles of animal excrement, which make some of the most bomber hand-jams appear unusable. On a dare I discovered that what looks like poo is in fact some kind of fossilized plant-matter. Enjoy! May 12, 2004
[Hide Comment] Eric, what you have discovered is an interesting and highly misunderstood part of Vedauwoo climbs. Most people think that the shit that is found in large quantities at times is guano. Guano is bat feces. The feces that Vedauwoo is oh so famous for is typically middens or pack rat shit. The reason for it being so solid is that pack rats will nest in the same spots for thousands of years. In essence, the old poo becomes fossilized. As you observed, the majority of a pack rat's diet consists of grasses and other plants. Extinct species of grasses have actually been discovered in pack rat middens. Just a little FYI Jul 12, 2005
FCJohn
Fort Collins, CO
 
[Hide Comment] P1 is super classic and the smooth rock quality is atypical of Vedauwoo. Jul 6, 2007
[Hide Comment] FA pitch one unknown. FFA pitch 2 led by me and followed by Doug Cairns, summer 1975. Oct 12, 2010
[Hide Comment] The route described here is a "variation" based on the Kelman guidebook. For full value (and easier climbing) continue traversing past the Max Factor chains and belay at the top of Baalbek. This was the end of P2 for us, then we continued across the MaxiLash pit, under the large, capping roof above Captian Nemo, and finally up an easy, right-facing dihedral to a great ledge with a huge hueco carved into it. An inobvious squeeze down a chimney brought us to the P2 anchors of Captain Nemo and an easy rap back to our packs. The most adventurous Vedauwoo route I've seen yet. Jun 11, 2012
cstebbins024
Laramie, WY
[Hide Comment] The first "pitch" of this route probably checks in around 10a. Nice and shady for most of the day. Sep 12, 2015
Bailey Moore
Laramie WY
[Hide Comment] Fun first pitch, the bolts atop P1 are usable but outdated and subpar. May 20, 2023