Mountain Project Logo
To save paper & ink, use the [Hide] controls next to photos and comments so you only print what you need.

Moor's Crossing

5.7, Trad, 250 ft (76 m), 3 pitches,  Avg: 3.1 from 37 votes
FA: unknown
Wyoming > Laramie Area > Vedauwoo > Reynolds Hill
Warning Access Issue: Bad Bolt Submission Form DetailsDrop down

Description

This is a fine, three pitch tour of the South face of the main Reynold's Complex maybe a hundred yards or so right from the SW facing Climb and Punishment alcove. It gets three stars if you like Vedauwoo style chimneying and sparsely protected face climbing. When approaching the formation, continue up the trail in the wash until the line is obvious.

P1. The first pitch follows the obvious trough as it tunnels up into the rock. Follow this groove placing finger-sized gear in a crack on the left until reaching a shelf before a more continous section of chimneying which turns into a squeeze of narrow proportions. After the rock gives birth to you over a chockstone, climb up a slot on the left then above and right to a large belay ledge.

P2. The second pitch follows the right-facing dihedral with large pro but easy climbing until on top of a 'flange' of rock.

P3. The third pitch face climbs with no protection right and up to a water scoop with small cracks at its top - place your first pro here. Pull over this bulge to a short section of unprotected face climbing in the groove above before joining the wide crack to the right. Follow this to the top.

It is possible to combine the first two pitches with a 60 meter rope, but I would not recommend this due to heinous rope drag. It might (?) be easier to combine the 2nd and 3rd, if so inclined. Walk off to the right (east) - we found 4th class traversing too early (?) to the South. Perhaps the better walkoff is right (east) and then North. This route would likely be a 5.7 anywhere else.

Protection

Standard rack of diverse protection to a #4 Camalot (or larger if you've got it and want to drag it through narrow places). It has PG-13 runouts.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

P3 of Moor's Crossing.
[Hide Photo] P3 of Moor's Crossing.
Looking down and out of the chimney on the first pitch of Moor's Crossing.
[Hide Photo] Looking down and out of the chimney on the first pitch of Moor's Crossing.
Topo of Moor Crossing.
[Hide Photo] Topo of Moor Crossing.
Starting up the funky chimney on Moor's Crossing.
[Hide Photo] Starting up the funky chimney on Moor's Crossing.
P1 of Moor's Crossing.
[Hide Photo] P1 of Moor's Crossing.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Steve Marr
Colorado Springs, CO
[Hide Comment] I would definitely agree with the comments made about the first pitch of this route listed under Barf Bucket Traverse. "If you happen to be anything larger than a 42" shoulder and taller than, say, 5'9" don't try to finish the pitch by going behind the choke stone." I'm 6'3" and unfortunately didn't read that until after flailing miserably on this route! There is no way around that chock stone. We even scrambled up to the top and rapped off the sling anchor at the top of pitch one to find a way through and it didn't work. The guide mentions that you can use another trough off to the right to bypass this section, but the lack of pro makes this a questionable option if you value your life. I have never lost as much skin on a route as I did on this one. Apr 18, 2003
[Hide Comment] Hey tall guys... this is where the Karma sets in. If you had fun teasing all your short pals on your last trip they probably will sign you up for the lead on this first pitch... and you deserve it.It isn't impossible for us gangly folk. My partner, Phil, and I managed to squeeze our 6'3" frames through. Both of us wear pant sizes around 34x34-36 just for refrence. Its worth the laughs so don't pass it by. C. C. Apr 4, 2004
Petsfed 00
Snohomish, WA
  5.7
[Hide Comment] Its not so much tall as width of your shoulders. Its possible (assuming you're flexible) to worm your way through the chockstone section, sit down on the chockstone to recompose, and finish the route. Just stretch before hand. Jul 30, 2004
Brian Story
  5.7
[Hide Comment] This is a great route. The chimney on the first pitch is fun - maybe more like 7. Squeezing out from behind the chockstone isn't that bad - just turn around. I have never felt the need for a #4 Camalot. The slightly runout face climbing on the "3rd" pitch is pretty easy. I strongly disagree that the leader needs to be a solid 5.9 climber, but this is probably not a good first 5.6 lead. Enjoy. Nov 14, 2006
Tyson Arp
Omaha, NE
 
[Hide Comment] Had a great time on this route! The highlight came as I was reaching up to place a nut at the end of the runout on pitch three. The biner full of nuts slipped out of my hand and I instinctively swung one of my feet out to catch them as the fell by! Had I given some thought to my situation I would have left both feet on the rock, let the nuts fall and placed a cam in the same place, but there I was standing on one foot at the end of a 25 foot runout balancing the nuts on my other foot! Fortunately I was able to gingerly reach down, retrieve the nuts and slot one in the crack above me. Meanwhile my wife, waiting to catch a nasty factor 2 fall, was yelling at me, "What the hell did you do that for!" Good times! Feb 15, 2007
Jason Funk
Salt Lake City, UT
  5.7
[Hide Comment] I didn't bring a anything larger than 3.5" and felt that it would have been nice to have a #4 Camalot on board, especially on the last pitch when it was necessary to reach way around into the crack to place a #3 (don't get me wrong it's fairly easy climbing just really runout and a bit exposed)-That said you probably only want to bring one if you hope to fit your waist through the narrow birth canal. Really unique route with great views. May 19, 2008
Avery N
Boulder, CO
[Hide Comment] Harper and Kelman do not call this 5.6, unless you take some runout variation that looked to be blocked by a large bush. While no one move on the standard route is harder than 5.7, the typical 5.7 leader might be intimidated by the climb unless they had #6 camalots or were very comfortable climbing chimneys and long runouts.

Recent rappel anchors have been set at each pitch. Slung chockstone on P1, slung horn on P2, and bolts on P3. However, rappelers beware: P1 and P2 have numerous opportunities to snag a rope.

Passing through the birth canal was a wild experience! Jun 9, 2009
tooTALLtim
Vanlife
  5.7 R
[Hide Comment] Significantly harder if you don't squeeze P1 but super fun! Horizontal chimneying at its finest. That runout is quite heady as well. Sep 21, 2015
[Hide Comment] Finally got around to climbing this route this past Saturday while on a pre-Father's Day trip to the Voo with my wife and two sons. We climbed the first pitch by chimneying and chicken-winging outside of the chockstone (even though I'm only 5'7" tall, I didn't see that trying to finagle my way through the pinch was worth the effort). I can say that although horizontal chimneying on the outside of the chockstone is reasonably well-protected and possible, it is quite a bit harder than 5.7 even by Voo standards, probably 5.9, but will save a lot of wear and tear on your favorite offwidth duds.

Also, I would not recommend either the second or third pitches for anyone who is not a solid 5.7/5.8 leader regardless of the grade given in the guidebook. The route is a lot of fun, but none of the pitches are straightforward, especially if you don't bring 4"+ gear. Jun 19, 2017
John Lombardi
Fort Collins, CO
[Hide Comment] About 1/2 up the second pitch there is a set of chains to rap from. With a 60m, you'll still have to do two raps to the ground. I would agree - the 2nd pitch was more like 5.7/5.8. Sep 11, 2017
Ramsey Houck
Fort Collins
 
[Hide Comment] With a 70m rope, rope stretch, and a short downclimb, you can make it off the anchor midway up the climb in one rap. Good intro to chimney climbing for me. I enjoyed the squeeze, but my second absolutely hated it. Sep 24, 2018
[Hide Comment] Any advice on protecting the second chimney after the first, lower, funky one? Apr 7, 2020
[Hide Comment] Sling a small kitten. Apr 7, 2020