Mountain Project Logo
Improve This Page
Add To Page
Photo Photo (copy)
All Locations > California > Joshua Tree Nat… > Sheep Pass Area > Saddle Rocks Area > Saddle Rocks > Saddle Rocks -… > Saddle Rocks - Skirt (West Face)

Orange Flake

5.8 YDS 5b French 16 Ewbanks VI- UIAA 15 ZA HVS 4c British


 Avg: 2.6 from 33 votes

Routes in Saddle Rocks - Skirt (West Face)

Cheap Way to Die T 5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b R
Cole-Anderson S 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b
Dial 911 T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
Do Rein Me T 5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
Gaucho Marx T 5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
Hanna Montana TR 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
Harlequin T 5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b R
Harley Queen T 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b
If You see Crow, Bark! T 5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b X
Kid Calingula T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
Orange Flake T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
Posse, The T 5.10a/b 6a+ 19 VI+ 19 E2 5b
R&R Revamped T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
Restoration & Repair (R&R) T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
Right On T 5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b PG13
Santa Cruz T 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a
Silver Spur T 5.12 7b+ 27 VIII+ 26 E6 6b
Six Shooter T 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c
Us and Them (aka The Route Formerly Known as Negro Girls) T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a R
Walk on the Wild Side T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
Where Have all the Cowboys Gone T 5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b
Write In TR 5.9- 5c 17 VI 16 HVS 4c
Type: Trad, 2 pitches
FA: unknown
Page Views: 4,424 total · 31/month
Shared By: Joe Keyser on Sep 9, 2006
Admins: C Miller, M. Morley, Adam Stackhouse, Salamanizer suchoski, Justin Johnsen, Vicki Schwantes

You & This Route


33 Opinions

Your To-Do List:

Add To-Do · View List

Your Star Rating:


     Clear Rating

Your Difficulty Rating:


-none- Change

Your Ticks:

Add New Tick
    -none-

Description

Two nice long pitches. First pitch climbs up to a bolt, then traverses up and right on face to another bolt, and to the "orange flake". You can place a small piece or two in this feature. The pitch then continues traversing up and right past another bolt or two to a corner crack system. Climb the crack system, traverse about 15-20 feet back left, and set a belay at the base of the crack system seen from the road. The second pitch climbs this long crack pitch, and contains some nice cracks, OW's and chimney moves.

One single rope rap off the back side gets you down.

Location

When viewed from the parking lot by Hall of Horrors, this is the crack that parallels Right On, about 20-30 feet to it's left. It starts about 60-90 feet up & left from the start to Right On, and traverses up right to the base of the crack.

Protection

Standard rack, with a 4 & 4.5 Camalot size piece optional. 60 meter rope beneficial.

Add New Photo
Photo Photo (copy)
Photos

First pitch
First pitch
 0

7 Comments

Sort by: Oldest
Newest Oldest Best Beta
Sirius
Oakland, CA
 
Sirius   Oakland, CA
 
There's a more direct way of doing the first pitch: after passing the orange flake itself, continue climber's right but not all the way to the corner. Instead, climb straight up the water groove to the start of the wide crack. Not much harder, but with scant pro. This way you'll avoid having to traverse way right, then way back left. Nov 11, 2006
Drederek
  5.8+
Drederek  
  5.8+
We did this route in 4 pitches. The traverse at the end of pitch one was not really a big deal after tiptoeing across the slab. With very comfortable belays every 60-100 feet there seemed no need lengthen them out. I'd suggest some armor for your right elbow on this one! Apr 3, 2008
Graham Roff
 
Graham Roff  
 
The first pitch is a good balancy friction one that ends right at the start of the long crack immediately to the climber's left of Right One. The rest of the route (at least two pitches even with a 70m rope) follows this crack, and is a long offwidth grovel (don't bring a pack!). Unless that's your thing, you can rap down from anchors on Right On. Apr 12, 2010
Mike Hack
 
Mike Hack  
 
The off-width is evidently more enjoyable if you make your second carry the pack. If that's what you're into. (I suppose it's probably harder if you're into it, but you get more gear ...). Apr 27, 2010
Brian Hench
Costa Mesa, CA
  5.8
Brian Hench   Costa Mesa, CA
  5.8
This route could be done in three pitches with a 70 meter rope. Using our 60 m rope, it was 3 pitches and spare change. The offwidth sections are not that hard, and with good technique one could do them with a pack on. (If that's what you're into...) Jan 2, 2011
tanner jones
 
tanner jones  
 
loved this climb. there are a lot of bolts on the slab, so it was a bit confusing trying to figure out which line was orange flake. in the end we went with the safest-looking option. really fun slab climbing.

knowing this thing has a lot of OW, i brought some big cams. but excellent small cam placements can be found in the back of the crack and i wouldn't recommend taking anything bigger than a number 3 black diamond.

also, i thought this was a much better climb than "right on". not sure why people think that choss pile is so classic and this thing is sub-par. i think the line is more aesthetic, the slab is longer, and the experience was more fun. Feb 22, 2014
Serge Smirnov
Serge Smirnov  
P1 (slab) felt much harder than 5.8 in places, but the bolts are placed almost perfectly for getting past those spots (one was a little hard to reach). (I followed the path of least resistance, not the harder more direct bolt line). Feb 21, 2016

More About Orange Flake

Printer-Friendly