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Hook, Line, and Whimper

5.10- R, Trad, 550 ft (167 m), 4 pitches, Grade V,  Avg: 2 from 1 vote
FA: Bruce Lella & Mike Carr, 1982 (ground up)
Nevada > Southern Nevada > Red Rocks > (11) Juniper Ca… > Cloud Tower
Warning Access Issue: Red Rock RAIN AND WET ROCK: The sandstone is fragile and is very easily damaged when wet. DetailsDrop down

Description

If you find yourself at the back of the line to climb Crimson Crystalis, and you are comfortable leading 5.10 R, this will make a great day. Most of the bolts on this route look like they are strait out of the 70's, but they are in good shape and could take a good fall.

Pitch 1 starts about 25 Ft left of Crimson. The first pitch is solid 5.8 and a ton of fun. Go strait up through discontinuous cracks past 2 bolts. There are several opportunities for trad gear. Mostly nuts, but small cams are a possibility. 2 bolt anchor at the top of the pitch.

Pitch 2 starts out with several good cam placements in a dihedral. One #4 can be placed in the widest section of the dihedral. (wish I had one when I did it!) The pitch then increases in difficulty and moves up and left over a bulge and onto the face. The holds are very good, but there is no opportunity for gear placements until the anchors about 20 Ft away. Pitch 2 finishes with a 2 bolt anchor. 5.9-

Pitch 3 is a little confusing when you are at the start. There are 2 bolts strait above and one bolt way up to the right. It looks like the route could be climbed by going strait up, but it would definitely bump up the grade on the climb. The route is meant to go up and to the right over a small ledge. We clipped the first bolt strait overhead and then traversed right about 15 Ft, clipped another bolt, then worked over the ledge. This was the crux of the climb. By clipping the first bolt overhead, it added a lot of head-game and safety benefit, but caused SERIOUS rope drag at the top of the pitch. After pulling over the bulge and on the small ledge, move up and left to 2 more bolts. Both are pretty runout in between. After this, move strait up, through another seriously runout section, to a 2 bolt anchor. However, do NOT set up your anchor here. This is a hanging belay, but if you go up another 15 Ft, there is ANOTHER 2 bolt anchor on a fantastic ledge. Power through and get to this ledge. A few small cam and nut placements are possible on this pitch and can help make the runouts better. 10.a/b

Pitch 4 goes strait up through another runout section. Some flakes look they would take gear, but are really loose and wouldn't support a fall. After 15-20 Ft, work up and right to a bolt. Move straight right to meet up with the 6th pitch of Crimson Crystalis. The final 25ft of this pitch are on Crimson and has 2 bolts, plus multiple gear opportunities.

Rappel down Crimson Crystalis. Careful of getting your rope stuck!

Overall, the route was a ton of fun. If you are a solid 5.10 climber, you will have no problems with the moves on this route. The runouts are big, but the moves are solid. Since its not climbed nearly as much as Crimson, some of the holds are loose and shouldn't be used. If someone lives in the area, and feels like having another project, this route could be vastly improved by adding a few more bolts in the runout sections that can't take gear.

Location

Red Rocks
Juniper Canyon
Cloud Tower
Left of Crimson Crystalis 25ft
Rappel down Crimson for the decent
There is one, old bolt that can be seen about 15 Ft off the ground.

Protection

3-4 sport draws
2 anchor draws
Rack up to #4, but can be done without the #4
Anchors at each pitch

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Doug Redosh
Golden, CO
[Hide Comment] On 11/08/09 We climbed a pitch to the left of p1 of this route, up the obvious crack/corner system (5.9)to an uncomfortable hanging belay 25 feet below the huge yucca. (New route???) We then traversed R (5.8)to the first set of old buttonhead bolts on Hook, Line and Whimper, then followed P2 (difficult pro), to the second set of old buttonheads. We then rapped, using the first bolt on P3 as backup (leaving 4 long slings and 4 biners - free for the taking!) down to the good anchors at the top of P1 of Crimson Chrysalis). My partner has pulled out bolts like that by hand out of similar sandstone in Eldorado, so we were not as trusting as the route description. Am not sure what the local feeling is on this type of bolt. Nov 12, 2009
[Hide Comment] This climb is old school! It has been rebolted, (thank god, notice the old hangers as you pass).
P1.a. Clip the high first bolt, follow the crack up to a ledge on the right. Belay here or continue up to...
P1.b. Off the ledge use the corner crack to get to up on low angle terrain, and traverse far left, clipping a bolt. Traverse till you get to pro, then head up. When the pro runs out, traverse back up and right to the anchor.
This pitch is fun, run out, and real. Nuts are important, extending your sparse gear or double ropes critical to do as a pitch.

P2. Climb the obvious corner until it ends under a roof. Extend your last few pieces, maybe with double lengths, and pull around the bulge left. Clip the bolt, and downclimb to the big ledge and anchor. Don't let your 2nd clean the last draw.

P3. So fun! Climb up past your pre-clipped first draw (aren't you clever!) and follow the bolts up and right (what's with that leaver biner?). All the critical holds through the crux are solid. Techy balance and thuggy pulls all at the same time. Back clean, super extend, or put a revolver on that 2nd bolt because there is a lot more climbing.
After pulling the bulge to the nice stance, start looking up and left. Head up, clip two bolts, choose your holds carefully. When getting to the "left side of the wall" head straight up, past an obsolete anchor (clip it I guess?) and to an out of view anchor on a monster ledge.

From here we moved up and right to join Crimson, as you are basically even with P5's anchor.
On the way down we moved back over to this route. The pulls were steep and clean, and we did not have to share anchors with other parties!

70m. Rap Crimson to top of P6 (sort of sloping rock at the belay) to the monster ledge. Then down and slightly right to an off route rap anchor. Back to the top of 2 (clipping the leaver biner we were confused about on the way up, needed directional!). To the P1a. Ledge. To the ground. Dec 12, 2018
Sam Elander
Salt Lake City, UT
[Hide Comment] Quite confusing trying to find which description/info/picture to trust!

The Handren book shows this route being more left than it is. Make note.
Seem's to go almost straight up most of the way.
Note: The rock quality is very ehhh, for several sections.

Basically: Worth it if there's a big line for CC and you aren't going to ginger or test tube, etc. Not worth it if the wait is not bad for CC. Apr 15, 2019