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Rafiki

5.12c, Sport, 45 ft (14 m),  Avg: 2.6 from 7 votes
FA: Mark Tarrant, Greg Purnell, Richard Wright, 2003
Colorado > Golden > N Table Mountai… > Child Free Zone (aka…
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Description

Rafiki starts just right of Monkey Puzzle following 6 bolts up an overhanging wall. Climb both the face and the wide crack on the right (.10+) up to the fourth bolt. A knee bar rest helps in clipping bolt 4. Move left for 6' (.12) and then launch (crux) to some good holds below a 4' roof (.11c) The reason for the fixed sling on bolt 4 is that the rock is more integral higher up than the rock near the knee bar.

RW submitted the following description in 2003:
A killer (to be sure) line has been lurking just right of Monkey Puzzle. This is now a gorgeous, strenuous route with its own harrowing story. For years, Monkey Puzzle had been done using a brief rest that involved a good right hand edge on the top of an evidently solid sword. In preparing the new route, we were very skeptical of the integrity of the sword. Indeed, two light taps of the hammer sent the 500 pound sword earthward where it impaled itself two feet deep into the ground. Agamemnon would be proud. The Un-named Monkey ascends the continuously steep face just right of Monkey Puzzle by surmounting a strenuous bulge that is followed by a fully extended dyno. Difficult and interesting moves throughout make this a very worthwhile endeavour. A possible, but uncompleted, left hand variation could bring up the difficulty to 5.13. Good strenuous addition.

Protection

6 bolts + 2-bolt anchor, 45'.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Rafiki ascends the line of bolts just left of the wide crack at center.
[Hide Photo] Rafiki ascends the line of bolts just left of the wide crack at center.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Peter Beal
Boulder Colorado
[Hide Comment] Is that Agamemnon or Damocles? How many other death flakes are lurking out there on the Front Range? My favorite is the tombstone on Sleepless in Boulder at Lower Boulder Falls. There's also a strangely held-on flake at the base of Sucking My Will to Live at the Primo Wall. Dec 13, 2003
Richard M. Wright
Lakewood, CO
  5.12c/d
[Hide Comment] Damocles or perhaps Arthur as well. It certainly hung like the sword of Damocles. Dec 13, 2003
Richard M. Wright
Lakewood, CO
  5.12c/d
[Hide Comment] It never seemed emminent that the flake on Sucking My Will would reef off. The feet are well enough placed that there is very little outward leverage on the flake. Nonetheless, it might be instructive to give it a whack now and again just to see what holds it on. The Gendarme fell; what else need be said? Dec 13, 2003
Richard M. Wright
Lakewood, CO
  5.12c/d
[Hide Comment] I don't know if Monkey Puzzle (on the left) will hold its 5.12c rating, however, it makes a useful contrast to this new route. First, it is relatively simple to get established under the roof of MP where it is possible to obtain a really thorough shake out. Second, both routes utilize a strenuous heel-hook to initiate moving through the crux. Third, a quick move gains a no hands rest at the last clip of MP. This new route is probably worth at least half a letter grade (or more). It is much more strenuous to arrive at the crux. While the heel hook is at least as strenuous as that in MP, it gets released half way into the crux leaving you a nasty crimper in the transition. The dyno, it's set up, and the final roof move add at least twelve more feet of 5.12 climbing to the new line. So, c/d or d may be close to right - unless MP is soft (5.12b?), and this being Table Mtn, MP may be soft for the grade. Dec 18, 2003
Richard M. Wright
Lakewood, CO
  5.12c/d
[Hide Comment] Rafiki has always posed a dilemma: starting on the face in line with the bolts or climbing the crack staying a bit right of the bolt line. I had the opportunity to work out some of the straight up moves in mid February, 2014. I don't think that this adds a lot to overall difficulty if you step back to the crack at bolt 3 and do the rest as Mark described. Personally, I think that the crux moving up and past bolt 4 is really hard, more like borderline 5.12 than mid-range 5.12. There is a good bear-hug option under the roof that can reduce some of the strain of the crimp traverse. Rafiki is as good as some of the best routes on North Table Mountain. Feb 18, 2014
Bucket Climbs
Lakewood, CO
[Hide Comment] The fixed sling looks pretty scary up close and should probably be replaced. We weighted it, and it held fine - but did not subject it to a fall... and frankly, I wouldn't want to. Oct 1, 2019
ScoJo
Boulder, CO
[Hide Comment] I cut off that sling a few days ago. It was pretty ratty. I wouldn't be opposed to a new bolt between the current 3rd and 4th bolts. I didn't notice a lack of integrity of the rock between those two bolts, but I didn't bang on it with a hammer or anything. Otherwise, some chain to extend the 4th bolt could be a more permanent solution. I'd be happy to make either of those additions next time I'm up there (though I don't make my way there too often). Mar 28, 2023