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Phase Dance

5.12-, Sport, 80 ft (24 m),  Avg: 3.3 from 129 votes
FA: Dave Dangle/ Rex Mammelm, Sept., 1992
Colorado > Canon City > Shelf Rd > Sand Gulch > Contest Wall

Description

This route tackles the smooth face just left of a major left-facing corner (about 50 yards north of The Apple Bites Back). It's a sustained 5.11 face climb to a killer crux at the top.

Protection

10 bolts. It's long, but you only need a 50m to lower.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Moving through the crux.
[Hide Photo] Moving through the crux.
Approaching the first (easiest) roof on Phase Dance.
[Hide Photo] Approaching the first (easiest) roof on Phase Dance.
Basically done.
[Hide Photo] Basically done.
Upper crux.
[Hide Photo] Upper crux.
Mike wishing he had sunglasses for the upper crux.
[Hide Photo] Mike wishing he had sunglasses for the upper crux.
Feeling some sweet relief just past the bump on the upper crux.
[Hide Photo] Feeling some sweet relief just past the bump on the upper crux.
Andrew pulling up to the anchors.
[Hide Photo] Andrew pulling up to the anchors.
Not the best clipping holds.
[Hide Photo] Not the best clipping holds.
A tricky section.
[Hide Photo] A tricky section.
Midway up the route.
[Hide Photo] Midway up the route.
About to start the first crux section.
[Hide Photo] About to start the first crux section.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Rex Mammel
[Hide Comment] Very tough crux bulge to flash. Mar 30, 2002
Jesse Ryan
  5.12a
[Hide Comment] Yes, hard to read. Great line. Jun 22, 2004
Jason Halladay
Los Alamos, NM
  5.12-
[Hide Comment] This route has 10 bolts on it and the Shelf Road guide states 7 bolts. Luckily for me I was hang-dogging it a bit up top and could back clean a couple of draws for the final two clips. :-) Enjoyable route. Nov 13, 2007
Osiris Graves
Denver,co
 
[Hide Comment] I thought this was a great route very sustained with a nice jug before the crux. Hard to figure out at first but not bad with good beta. Oct 5, 2009
Jay Samuelson
Colorado
  5.12-
[Hide Comment] Very tough onsight. Hell, it was hard after I took at the crux, lol. Tricky, but awesome and very unique. Stays with you the whole way. Nov 1, 2009
Brendan Moran
Bellingham, WA
  5.12b
[Hide Comment] Hitting the crux in sequence is very difficult, a take/fall at bolt eight lets you cheat the beta pretty hard. Sep 9, 2012
Ben Hall
Los Angeles, CA
  5.12a
[Hide Comment] Right hand cross, trust feet. Nov 8, 2013
Derek Lawrence
[Hide Comment] Anchors replaced March 8, 2014. Big thanks to ASCA for the hardware! Mar 10, 2014
Ryan Derrick
Boulder
 
[Hide Comment] The hanger immediately above the first (only?) roof is loose. I still clipped the bolt, but it could use a good tightening. Feb 20, 2018
Branty
Boulder, CO
 
[Hide Comment] Oh wow, that's devious up there! Tricky second roof with lots of chakly sucker holds. The top move is harder than the rest of the route, for sure, but it's really cool, and the rest of the route is really fun! Apr 23, 2018
Logan Parr
Florissant, CO
 
[Hide Comment] Not bad but not quite as good as it looks from the ground unfortunately. Some cool 11- movement broken up by a couple awkward, nondescript sections. The interesting boulder problem before the anchor felt a little contrived when I could practically touch the 5.8 corner to my right. Worth climbing but not exactly classic status for me. Apr 23, 2020