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Bone Machine

5.13b, Sport,  Avg: 2.8 from 6 votes
FA: Pete Zoller 1993
Colorado > Rifle > Rifle Mtn Park > Skull Cave

Description

This is a pretty cool line despite the plethora of kneebars on the upper section and a few sharp holds. Actually, it's a very cool route -- ultra-overhanging and continuous with a good variety of holds and a stout, bouldery set of cruxes.

It is one route right of Cracked Open Sky, which takes the big overhanging groove on the leftmost section of the right panel. It can be recognized by a pair of good huecos and some funky tufa drips at the base.

Because this route sees a lot of water behind the bolts during the wet season, you may want to give them a close look. It might not be a bad idea to stick clip the first bolt, as the opening holds are semi-seepy, and climbers have unexpectedly slipped out of huge jugs.

A hard crux at the top of the bottom wall leads to a kneebar rest (if you're wearing pads). Sustained climbing takes you past another bouldery crux to a pumpy lip encounter. This route is more like 13c if you leave the pads on the ground.

Protection

10 quickdraws.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Jon B. at the first knee bar <br>
(who needs knee pads when you have Levis?)
[Hide Photo] Jon B. at the first knee bar (who needs knee pads when you have Levis?)
Starting Bone Machine, you can see draws where it exits at the top right.
[Hide Photo] Starting Bone Machine, you can see draws where it exits at the top right.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Anonymous Coward
  5.13b
[Hide Comment] Who was the studly short guy with blond hair and can't afford to buy a shirt, who sent this late last week? He is so dreamy, all the girls I know just want to rip his shorts off... Oct 4, 2004
Andrew Bisharat
New Castle, CO
[Hide Comment] The big, glued-on jug in the middle of the crux broke off, fell on the ground, and smashed into million pieces last fall along with my hope of sending the route.

The route has not been sent in its current state, but it is definitely climbable, if a lot harder. The new sequence might make the route a 5.14. Any takers? Jun 27, 2007
[Hide Comment] I'll try to be the next taker! We'll see.... Aug 10, 2009
[Hide Comment] This route has been done by Joe Kinder, he called it Broken Bone and rated it 13d. Aug 11, 2009