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Blanketty Blank

5.10c, Trad, 400 ft (121 m), 3 pitches,  Avg: 2.8 from 16 votes
FA: Tom Frost and Harry Daley, June 1959, FFA: Bob Kamps and Tom Higgins, 1963
California > Tahquitz & Suic… > Tahquitz Rock > (g) W Face > W Face - Center (Flin…

Description

This three pitch face climb is more characteristic of Middle Cathedral Rock than it is of the rest of Tahquitz. It starts at an inobvious place, about 100 feet to the right of Switchbacks.

 Pitch 1 (5.9+) has several tricky sequences, ending at a two bolt belay. The crux of the climb is near the start of pitch 2, with steep friction and small edges. Pitch 3 (5.10B) has a difficult mantle and some thin face moves. Easy climbing from here leads to Lunch Ledge.

Protection

standard rack and bolts

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Chris Owen on pitch 3 taken from Fingertrip. (c) Scott Nomi
[Hide Photo] Chris Owen on pitch 3 taken from Fingertrip. (c) Scott Nomi
Chris Owen starts up Pitch 1. (c) Scott Nomi
[Hide Photo] Chris Owen starts up Pitch 1. (c) Scott Nomi

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

C Miller
CA
  5.10c
[Hide Comment] Fabulous face climbing that's all the more amazing when you consider the year it was first done. This stands as a real testament to the skill and vision of Bob Kamps.

So named because it was "blanker" than The Blank, a climb freed a few years earlier by Frost and Kamps. Mar 3, 2006
Brandon R
CA
[Hide Comment] the bolt at the top of pitch 2, which is rather vital to prevent a ride on life-flight should you fall, could definitely use replacement. May 13, 2006
Michael Ybarra
on the road
[Hide Comment] I agree that the second bolt on p2 should be replaced. The last gear was a micronut 10 feet below it. That manky bolt is the only thing between the crux and the anchors--or you and eternity, depending on how you look at it. P2 is definitely not safe for someone who could possibly fall here. Jul 20, 2008
Ben H
[Hide Comment] I remember doing this a couple years back. Couldn't remember the route beta, and led off to the left on the horizontal overlaps at p3. It takes gear and works out as an alternative. Thought it was a bit harder than the regular mantle move, but still very fun. Sep 20, 2009
Michael Stewart
Northern NM
 
[Hide Comment] Superb Kamps route. Seeing the old 5.9+ rating (1st pitch) makes me all nostalgic. If I remember right , we used to clip a fixed pin in the P-1 overlap. Jan 26, 2010
Tradiban
 
[Hide Comment] Second pitch crux bolt is still junk. 3rd pitch bolt isn't so great either so I bailed right after clipping. Funny that the badly needed crux bolts on this route haven't been replaced but all the others have. Aug 7, 2014
Tradiban
 
[Hide Comment] Went up and led it anyway despite junk bolt on P2 and P3. P3 mantle is really cool. Tried to exit left to the anchors on P2 of Fred using the final bolt of Twinkle Toes but (found out later it's 11d) I couldn't figure the move out so I traversed off right instead under clinging in a roof to fingertrip. Sep 4, 2016
Dustin Stephens
 
[Hide Comment] Bolt on second pitch still sucks. No hardware at second anchor. Overall pretty dirty, crumbly, and poorly protected after the nice first pitch. Sep 8, 2019