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Routes in a. Beginning of cliff to Gelsa
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Alphonse T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c |
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Baskerville Terrace T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b PG13 |
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Broken Sling T 5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c PG13 |
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Bumkey T,TR 5.12c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b R |
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Criss T 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c |
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Criss Cross Direct T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a |
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Disney Point T 5.10b/c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b |
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Disneyland T 5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b |
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Dog-Stick-Ridge T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c |
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Easy Rider T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a PG13 |
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Fat City Direct T 5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b PG13 |
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Fat Stick T 5.8- 5b 16 VI- 14 VS 4c |
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Fat Stick Direct 5.10b T 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b PG13 |
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G-String T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c |
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G-String Giants T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c |
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Gelsa T 5.4 4a 12 IV 10 VD 3c |
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Grand Central T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a |
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Hounds, The T 5.10b/c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b PG13 |
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Independence T 5.4 4a 12 IV 10 VD 3c |
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Infinite Space T 5.12- 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a |
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Inverted Layback T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a |
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Kansas City T 5.12 7b+ 27 VIII+ 26 E6 6b |
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Land of The Giants T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b |
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Layback T 5.5 4b 13 IV+ 11 MS 4a |
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Le Plie T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b |
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Outer Space T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c PG13 |
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Requiem T 5.12d 7c 28 IX 28 E6 6b PG13 |
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Saint Louis T 5.4 4a 12 IV 10 VD 3c |
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Sling Time T 5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a |
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Squat thrust T 5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a PG13 |
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Swing Time T 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c PG13 |
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Te Dum T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b |
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Topeka T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a |
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Wandering Stars Jude 13 T 5.11- 6c 22 VIII+ 22 E3 5c A4-5 X |
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Wichita T,TR 5.3 3+ 10 III 9 VD 3a |
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Yellow Belly T 5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c PG13 |
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Yellow Ridge T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b |
Order Wrong?
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| Type: | Trad, 200 ft, 3 pitches |
| FA: | Fritz Wiessner, Edward and Ann Gross, 1944 |
| Page Views: | 18,639 total · 120/month |
| Shared By: | John Peterson on Feb 22, 2006 |
| Admins: | JSH |
Your Star Rating:
Description
Perhaps the best 5.7 in the Gunks.
This climb is just a few minutes from the road - you'll pass Disneyland and a number of inside and outside corners. Immediately past Yellow Ridge is the huge roof of Fat Stick. The route is most easily recognized by the left-leaning offwidth crack about 15' off the deck.
P1: There are two ways to start. On the right is a left-facing corner leading up to a small roof - you traverse left under the roof to the offwidth crack (5.7 and reasonably protected). A more direct start traverses on thin holds (no protection) to the rib below the offwidth crack and then up. This is 5.7 and scary but a good spot will keep you safe.
In either case, attack the offwidth above. At a horizontal you can either traverse right out of the crack and climb the face or be like Fritz and power up the offwidth. Both of these are about 5.7. Most people choose the face.
Continue to a good ledge just above the offwidth, and belay here.
P2: Climb a corner to a roof about 20' above the good ledge. Instead of pulling through the roof, traverse up and left about 50' to a another good ledge. 5.7, 120'.
P3: Make thin moves traversing to the left edge of the ledge, and climb up just right of the obvious ridge for about 10'. Traverse left to the arete, passing a pin. Follow this up past another old pin to a roof (fortunately much easier than it looks!) and then on to the top. 5.7, 80'.
From the top, walk climbers' right along the clifftop until it is possible to easily scramble back down to the base, just before the road.
This climb is just a few minutes from the road - you'll pass Disneyland and a number of inside and outside corners. Immediately past Yellow Ridge is the huge roof of Fat Stick. The route is most easily recognized by the left-leaning offwidth crack about 15' off the deck.
P1: There are two ways to start. On the right is a left-facing corner leading up to a small roof - you traverse left under the roof to the offwidth crack (5.7 and reasonably protected). A more direct start traverses on thin holds (no protection) to the rib below the offwidth crack and then up. This is 5.7 and scary but a good spot will keep you safe.
In either case, attack the offwidth above. At a horizontal you can either traverse right out of the crack and climb the face or be like Fritz and power up the offwidth. Both of these are about 5.7. Most people choose the face.
Continue to a good ledge just above the offwidth, and belay here.
P2: Climb a corner to a roof about 20' above the good ledge. Instead of pulling through the roof, traverse up and left about 50' to a another good ledge. 5.7, 120'.
P3: Make thin moves traversing to the left edge of the ledge, and climb up just right of the obvious ridge for about 10'. Traverse left to the arete, passing a pin. Follow this up past another old pin to a roof (fortunately much easier than it looks!) and then on to the top. 5.7, 80'.
From the top, walk climbers' right along the clifftop until it is possible to easily scramble back down to the base, just before the road.
![At the 5.7 crux on the last pitch of Yellow Ridge. Yes, there's an easy line past the overhangs!<br>
<br>
Photo by [[11870]].](https://cdn-files.apstatic.com/climb/105798830_smallMed_1494049267.jpg)
Boulder, CO
Face climbing right of the offwidth is probably a little easier than climbing directly up the crack.
You can shorten the first pitch and belay on the first good ledge after the offwidth. This will let you communicate with and watch your second as they climb the offwidth. A 5.4 second pitch goes up a corner and left to a ledge. From here, finish with the last pitch as described above. Feb 23, 2006
South Salem, NY
Also disagree with the opinion above that the right-hand start (to the right of the arete, up the left-facing dihedral, move right to left under roof to arete) is "5.6". It's harder than any of the other starts listed in the various Williams' guides - but it has gear. Dec 27, 2006
Branford, CT
ADVICE - If there's any chance your second may fall below the offwidth, DO NOT combine the first two pitches. They'll hit the ground before you even know they've fallen. Nov 6, 2009
i mistakenly led the offwidth with my right leg jammed. i found this to be strenuous, secure, and difficult to get out of at the top. i agree with dolgio's assessment that (if you want to offwidth it), the left side in may be more... fun? Oct 23, 2011
Silver Spring, MD
From the looks of the photos here, we obviously did P3 a bit different. On the face with horizontals going out to the arete I went pretty much straight up to the small roof and then traversed out. Gear is sparse if you do this. I managed a 00 master cam up in the corner before the traverse and that wasn't exactly 'ideal' but it made me feel better! It's definitely a 'hand' traverse with very little for your feet. If you go this way just keep moving ...dial it in and focus and get the big holds on the corner arete. Gives the grade a "+" in my book. Apr 9, 2012
Brooklyn, NY
A #4 would definitely be nice for the start of the offwidth. I tried getting my whole body in the offwidth and found it very uncomfortable.
Thought the pro on the final pitch was a little sparse at times, though it was getting late in the day, so maybe I just wasn't looking carefully enough. There are a few pins to clip. Sep 5, 2012
San Pedro, California
Poughkeepsie, NY
I've always off-widthed right side in, which follows the granite conventional wisdom about having your back on a protruding offset. Given the prevalence of holds in the Gunks, the granite wisdom may not apply, but in any case the two or three offwidth moves are very elementary. You do end up turning around at the top since there is a ledge to the right of the crack.
I don't remember about gear but never had anything like a big cam up there; a standard gunks rack with pieces up to yellow camalot size ought to do the trick... May 15, 2013
To be able to keep it safe at the grade level I think you may be better off with the start on the right, up the left-facing corner. Maybe I'll have to go back and give the Nose start another go to judge appropriately. It has been a number of years since I have gone that way. Regarding John's comment regarding a "good spot" I'm not sure how you can manage that with your climber six feet above you.
Heck, with the left hand start as dicey and delicate as it is, if I remember correctly, it actually has some sort of pro. Something that is missing on the Nose start. May 16, 2013
Asheville, NC
Brooklyn, NY
New York, NY
Pitch 1 - hardest physical pitch with crux below offwidth (I did the corner start right of OW).
Pitch 2 - Cruiser with some thin moves and some wild exposure on the arete.
Pitch 3 - Jam packed with excitement - traverse, arete and roof! I found the roof to be more intimidating than Shockleys but it's every bit as doable - not sure which I'd call harder. If you've done Shockleys I imagine you'll be good here. If anything the holds are better but there are a few committed moves to get through whereas Shockleys felt more like just the one. The traverse and arete has some thin exposed moves. Aug 20, 2018
New York, NY
A #4 is not all that useful IMO because there are smaller placements right next to it. Maybe a #5-6 is better if you want something in the offwidth. But that's not necessary. Sep 16, 2018
Charlottesville, VA
(beta below)
The aspiring gumby offwidth climber could certainly bring and place both a #4 and a #5; that same climber could also change her mind and bypass the offwidth completely by placing gear in horizontals and tiptoeing up the face on thin holds. It's probably an honest 5.7 offwidth. I skipped it. The face still requires some precision and thought---there's an exit fee for the offwidth.
Gear was a tiny bit spicy at times, but manageable. Here was a nice way to pitch it out:
P1: Start in the right corner and follow the crack out the roof, slinging your gear long. Exit the offwidth section and follow the corner into a triangular alcove with good gear; belay here at a reasonable but not amazing stance. (5.7)
P2: Exciting movement left out of the alcove leads to a looooong traverse left and a little bit up. Keep tiptoeing left until you see the obvious and spectacular final pitch (hanging traverse into an arete and roof). Build an anchor at the wonderful lunch-sized ledge you find just to the right of the final pitch. (5.5)
P3: Wild. You'll see it. I went left to some good holds, then up to the base of the roof, then left again to the arete. It looks like you could also go all the way left to the arete first, then straight up. Thin moves across the face either way. Pull the roof on hero holds, then pop up a final juggy slab. (5.7, I think most folks could be cajoled into giving you the ol' Courtesy Plus and maybe a PG, but 5.7 is reasonable)
I found an okay tree right at the top, but it does not look long for this world. Sep 26, 2018