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Improbable

5.10b/c, Trad, TR, 35 ft (11 m),  Avg: 2.6 from 43 votes
FA: Ron Anderson, June 1978
Nevada > Western Nevada > Reno Area > River Rock > Main Wall

Description

Short. Bouldery, slopy start to a horizontal crack. Traverse left on crack and make big move to verticle crack pocket. Put first piece in here. Continue up twin cracks making balancy moves. Another Crux after twins.

Location

Just to the left of UNR Crack. Horizontal crack about 8 feet of the ground with slanting verticle crack coming off that.

Protection

Trad

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

This is the route I took. Seemed more natural (but probably easier) than going to the left crack below the twin cracks. I used 00-2 TCUs. Crux is probably the first move for this line but it is sustained in the balance and technique it requires.
[Hide Photo] This is the route I took. Seemed more natural (but probably easier) than going to the left crack below the twin cracks. I used 00-2 TCUs. Crux is probably the first move for this line but it is sus…

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Brandon14
[Hide Comment] It's much quicker to lead this climb then to set up a top rope. 3 pieces is plenty - blue and yellow TCU, plus a #1 friend Mar 2, 2009
Ron Anderson
 
[Hide Comment] hehe,,,,picture, its june 1978. We were having an easy sunny mornin at river rock...The scent of heady erb wafted lazily ... There was this little wall on the left side of the crag that had been calling me so now was the time to put it to bed.....As i began (remeber, this is 78, ebs,,,and a few tiny wired stoppers lol)and got in a piece about fifteen feet up which was a 1 1/2 stopper...I was a bit gripped,,, then heard a strange voice talking to other people saying,,,"its quite improbable that hes going to make it" !!???? WTF??? I glanced down and there was the whole UNR climbing club which had invaded our quiet ventures!!!!! I gave out a loud answer that went something like "MY ASS IM NOT GONNA MAKE IT!"--and porceeded to chew up the rest placing only one other tiny stopper near the top!!! Upon fixing an anchor, i yelled down to my buddy to lash on the bong cuz i needed more magic!!! He cracked up, and the looks we got from "the club" were much like charlie manson got!!! The scuttled back over to the right leaving us once again in peace LMAO!!! I just loved those days...... Hence the name "improbable"..... Dec 31, 2009
213blc
THA WEST COAST
[Hide Comment] Great description, Ron. Take comfort in the fact that similar shenanigans still happen 30 years later... Feb 13, 2011
Colonel Mustard
Sacramento, CA
 
[Hide Comment] Yes, great FA story. Shutting the hecklers up with a send feels pretty good!

Oh yeah, the other day we did a variant on this climb by avoiding the right crack. It definitely adds a little oomph! Very enjoyable eliminate. Apr 10, 2011
Josh C
Somewhere out West
 
[Hide Comment] Short but sweet! Jun 12, 2011
Patrick Mulligan
Reno, NV
  5.10b
[Hide Comment] I really like this climb. A bold and difficult start, thin protection and delicate climbing till it gets a little blocky on top. Pure Fun Nov 5, 2012
Niko Nakamura
Reno
 
[Hide Comment] After the bold start you can sink super solid nuts in the finger cracks, felt really safe on this one. Oct 15, 2015
Patrick Cattell
Reno, NV
5.11-
[Hide Comment] Opening moves are the trickiest part of the climb, bouldery with bad feet. I'd say probably low 5.11 opening moves. The rest of the climb is probably low 5.10 Jun 2, 2021