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Virga
5.11d YDS 7a French 24 Ewbanks VIII UIAA 25 ZA E5 6a British
Avg: 3 from 8
votes
Routes in Tower Three
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Blind Faith S 5.11b/c 6c+ 23 VIII- 24 E4 6a |
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Heroes are Zeros T,S 5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a |
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Mon Ami S 5.11a/b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c |
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Virga S 5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a |
| Type: | Sport, 100 ft (30 m) |
| GPS: | 40.59051, -111.64858 |
| FA: | Stuart Ruckman, Gary Olsen, 1988 |
| Page Views: | 1,741 total · 10/month |
| Shared By: | Boissal . on Sep 19, 2011 |
| Admins: | Perin Blanchard, GRK, David Crane, Nathan Fisher |
Access Issue: Gate Buttress Area Recreational Lease: Climbs on Church Buttress above vault remain closed
Details
June 1st, 2017:The Salt Lake Climbers Alliance (SLCA), the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), and Access Fund announce the signing of an unprecedented lease for 140 acres in Little Cottonwood Canyon (LCC). The parcel, known as the Gate Buttress, is about one mile up LCC canyon and has been popular with generations of climbers because of its world-class granite.
The agreement secures legitimate access to approximately 588 routes and 138 boulder problems at the Gate Buttress for rock climbers, who will be active stewards of the property. The recreational lease is the result of several years of negotiations between LDS Church leaders and the local climbing community.
Access Note: The climbs on the Church Buttress above the vault as well as the Glen boulders that have been traditionally closed will remain closed.
Please help us steward this area and leave no trace.
Read More:
saltlakeclimbers.org/climbe…
Description
Lemme get this out of the way: holy SHIT that thing is rad!!
Virga takes a stunning line straight up the underbelly of Tower 3, launching you into a relentless pitch of super sustained and technical climbing on a dead vertical to slightly overhanging wall. Although the crux comes early and there's a decent rest after you've dispatched the first third, expect no mercy through the stacked boulder problems that guard the anchors.
Start in a featureless shallow dihedral and make your way to the 2nd bolt where good pockets appear. The route veers hard right into sculpted holes below the crux bulge, a technical boulder problem with long moves and a poor clipping hold (think pinch). Make the clip, boulder your way to the 5th bolt and take a rest, it will be your last chance.
From there, launch up and left into a faint dihedral system, the main theme being a couple of tough moves on poor feet and weird sidepulls to an OK hold you clip from. Repeat, repeat, repeat until a grey band of blocky holds appear along with the first loose rock of the route. Don't tunnel vision and notice the bolt a ways to your left. The holds get better at that point but exploding footholds will keep your attention.
If the pump hasn't dropped you by then the last steep awkward moves to clip the anchors certainly will.
Location
Virga is tucked a ways up the Gully of Eternal Peril (gulp) on the west side of Tower 3. Walk toward Main Hellgate, around the imposing prow of Tower 3 and scramble up a narrow gully (4th class, secure) for about 100' to a small alcove blocked by a huge dead stump. A #1 or #2 cam could go in a pocket to anchor the belayer.
Protection
14 bolts, alternating scary rusty SMC hangers and bomber looking Kongs to a glue-in + bolt anchor. The tat on the anchor was fresh and equalized, lowering is OK (60m rope, a few feet to spare).
Back clean the 1st draw, clip bolt 2, 3 and 4 with long runners and bolts 9, 11 and 12 with long draws if you don't want the rope to make a series of Zs and pull your ass off the top.
HELMETS! The Gully of Eternal Peril behaved like a moody hag during the hour we were in there and pitched a fair amount of choss at us.
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