PRINT: Climb Spruce, Joe's Valley

Spruce

V5, Boulder, 14 ft (4 m),

Avg: 3.4 from 23 votes
FA: unknown
Utah > Central Utah > Joe's Valley > Right Fork > Oil Pump Area

Access Issue: Don't climb on wet rock! Details

Attention:

Don't climb on wet rock! Sandstone is a porous rock type that can absorb a lot of water. It can lose up to 75% of its strength while wet, making it easy to snap off holds and irreparably damage classic climbs. Wait 48 to 72hrs after precipitation. If the ground is still damp then the rock is still wet. A great way to check for precipitation history before traveling to Joe's is to go to this site-

climate.usu.edu/mchd/dashbo…

and under "Data Charts" click the "Precipitation" tab. Make sure the surface wetness is 0 before climbing.

Description

Start sitting on the obvious juggy rail in the center of the black overhang. Move up and left to an incut crimp. Match this and continue slightly left and up via long moves on incut crimps to a fairly straight forward top out on good slopers and dishes.

Very athletic and fun climbing on good rock and comfortable holds.

Location

Located on the main overhanging face of the boulder. Starts sitting on the obvious juggy rail in the center.

Protection

A couple of pads are ideal to cover the whole landing area.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Short, but fun.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Emerson Takahashi
Casper, WY

The IC guidebook lists Spruce as a harder line to the left of the one described here. This one is supposedly Pine, v4.

Either way, the line is fun and very athletic, I could not do the 3rd move static and had to do a little throw to the next hold.

Topping out above the bulge was intimidating, but easily executed Jun 7, 2014

Christian Prellwitz
Telluride, CO

Emerson-- I agree with you that the line that is drawn in the guidebook is slightly left of the line of holds that I describe above. However, I could not for the life of me see any line that was to the left and matched Caldiero's description. Certainly nothing that would go at v6. Given the large number of mistakes made in that guidebook, I feel like it's much more likely that this is the intended line. And that's why I've posted it as such.

Given that, it appeared to me that the line drawn in the book for 'Pine' and for the v2 to the right of it are also wrong. I climbed all of those lines in what was the natural and logical way and they did not really match the lines drawn nor the descriptions given in the guidebook.

Hopefully the new guidebook will clear up all of the inconsistencies of the Caldiero guide. Jun 8, 2014

Emerson Takahashi
Casper, WY

Agreed-
I definitely couldn't figure out a line that would be to the left of this one.
And this line certainly feels somewhere in the v5-6 range, especially for the shorties

The other two problem described in the guidebook seem quite awkward too, and definitely not as good as Spruce.

Either way, this problem alone is worth the drive to the Oil Pump. Slopers, crimps, heel hooks, dynos... its got everything! Oct 4, 2014