Type: Trad, 220 ft (67 m), 2 pitches
FA: JS, Brent Manning, Sept. 2008
Page Views: 772 total · 4/month
Shared By: John Steiger on Oct 5, 2008
Admins: Andrew Gram, Nathan Fisher, Perin Blanchard, GRK, D C

You & This Route


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Description

Old Habits is best identified by a striking right-facing, right-leaning dihedral, beginning just above a roof, high on Strone Crag'’s northwest face. The route crosses the bolt-line of Mad Calf Disease at the roof, but it's cams and nuts all the way unless one of the bolts becomes too much of a temptation.

The best way to reach the dihedral is to climb the first pitch of Cersei. From the belay atop the first pitch of Cersei, rather than stepping right to Cersei'’s bolted arête, move left toward the two-bolt hanging stance of Mad Calf, place a bomber piece of gear an arm’'s reach over the lip of the roof (and consider not clipping into the two bolts to reduce rope drag), then crank over it to get established in the dihedral. An alternative (and original start) to reach the dihedral is to climb what is now posted as the first pitch of Cost of Business, but this likely will put you at a gear-protected small foot stance about 10 feet straight to the right of the two-bolt hanging stance of Mad Calf, which could make for some awkward pulls on your protection once you get established in the dihedral --– hence the recommendation to start on Cersei.

Once established in the crux dihedral, climb it to its end (5.10-), then continue linking features more or less straight-up, keeping Mad Calf'’s bolt-line to your right. Two sets of anchors on top; choose one. The dihedral is a bit “shaley,” but the bad stuff is easily avoided.

Location

Follow the approach for Starstruck. Once on the ledge system, walk east for about 40 feet, to where the trail begins to slope down. Above is a clean-looking buttress with a bolt-protected arête to the right (Tyrion), a thin dihedral/crack in the middle (Cost of Business), and a bolt-protected face leading to broken cracks on the left (Cersei). The original start took the bush-infested corner to the right of Tyrion. If following the recommendation above, start by climbing the first pitch of Cersei (see the Cersei page for a beta photo of the start). See the Starstruck page for descent options.

Protection

Standard trad rack, maybe supplemented by microcams for the section above the crux dihedral. If starting on Cersei’'s first pitch, consider adding brass or steel nuts. If taking the original first pitch (now the first pitch of Cost of Business), consider taking at least one 3.5-4 inch cam for the belay.

Photos