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

Kootenai Cruiser

5.13d, Sport, 90 ft (27 m),  Avg: 3.7 from 3 votes
FA: Chris Grijavla
New Mexico > New Mexico, oth… > Sitting Bull Falls > Big Horn Wall

Description

This is the second route from the right and starts off the high point of the slab at the base of the wall and heads up and left, Custer's Last Stand heads up and right.

Make long moves right from the start on holds that are somehow not as good as on the other routes. An awkward sequence leads up into the bulge and a kneebar to get over to a good pocket. Take a deep breath and move up on some smaller holds, the left of which will eat your finger tips for lunch. A big move to a small but positive hold, choose which terrible hold you want to use as an intermediate and jump for all your worth for the positive holds above. 5.12 climbing on lower quality stone leads to the anchor.

You could call the whole thing from the start to the dyno the crux, there is no rest and it just seems to get harder as you go.

Protection

Bolts to a glue in anchor that needs to be threaded.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Sticking...barely, the throw. Everything stayed on when I did it from a hang and everything nearly came off on link. Photo by Matt Moore
[Hide Photo] Sticking...barely, the throw. Everything stayed on when I did it from a hang and everything nearly came off on link. Photo by Matt Moore
Cool and physical undercling sequence. Photo by Matt Moore
[Hide Photo] Cool and physical undercling sequence. Photo by Matt Moore
Working through the upper headwall on easier climbing. Photo by Matt Moore
[Hide Photo] Working through the upper headwall on easier climbing. Photo by Matt Moore
Setting up for the climactic dyno at the end of the hard climbing. Photo by Matt Moore
[Hide Photo] Setting up for the climactic dyno at the end of the hard climbing. Photo by Matt Moore
Moving up into the crux. Photo by Matt Moore
[Hide Photo] Moving up into the crux. Photo by Matt Moore
The physical 4th clip which is mandatory since you skip the 5th. Photo by Matt Moore
[Hide Photo] The physical 4th clip which is mandatory since you skip the 5th. Photo by Matt Moore
Procrastinating at the start of the route. Photo by Matt Moore
[Hide Photo] Procrastinating at the start of the route. Photo by Matt Moore

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Owen S
Los Alamos, NM
[Hide Comment] Ed found that the penultimate hold on Kootenai Cruiser now contains an active beehive, see photo. He found that he could finish the route on the project anchor without getting too close to the bees. Heads up!

Active beehive at top of Kootenai Cruiser
Sep 26, 2016
[Hide Comment] Thanks for that, heading down in Oct and Nov. Sep 28, 2016