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Power Trip

5.12b, Sport, 80 ft (24 m),  Avg: 3.7 from 62 votes
FA: Darren Knezek
Utah > Central Utah > Maple Canyon > Left Fork > Shapeshifter Wall

Description

A unique climb for sure. A "girdle Traverse" according to DK. Start on the far right side of the roof, scurry up the easy slab, then start the long trip out left, following the obvious crack weakness, often making more sidewards progress than vertical. The crux is a fairly bouldery long reach straight left to a good pocket off a vertical shallow sidepull pocket. Once you get past this its more or less pretty great holds the rest of the way, though the feet suck so you have to decided whether to campus it or heel hook. Once you pull the final roof an easy slab leads to the anchors.

I found it tough to rest anywhere as its pretty sustained. A little dirty but hopefully it will clean up with more traffic. Don't fall anywhere between bolts or you'll be "boinging" the juice out of your arms.

I personally found it quite stiff for the grade.

Location

Start on the far right side of the roof at same first bolt as "cobble reality" and then start climbing straight left.

Protection

All bolts. Well bolted. Currently equipped with steel permas on all bolts. Mandatory following on TR to clean if the permas aren't there.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Garrett Woolley on "Power Trip"
[Hide Photo] Garrett Woolley on "Power Trip"
Surfing through the heelhooks on Power Trip
[Hide Photo] Surfing through the heelhooks on Power Trip
Getting a final shake before pulling over the roof to the chains
[Hide Photo] Getting a final shake before pulling over the roof to the chains

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

[Hide Comment] Heads up I blew a bolt on this route I think it was bolt 7, working on replacing it
Blown bolt on power trip
May 8, 2017
Leron
  5.12b
[Hide Comment] The chains are around the corner and up a ways into the 5.6 slab. The sad thing is that the last 15 ft of climbing only adds rope drag to the route. Jun 17, 2017
Chris Stocking
SLC, UT
  5.12b
[Hide Comment] Super fun and very sustained! The boulder crux off the shallow pocket isn't too bad. V3 at most. For me, the redpoint crux was pulling the very last move to the big hold at the start of the slab.

It would be a great service to this route to have it end at the last bolt before the chains. The climbing after that is 5.4 and adds nothing other than horrendous rope drag. Trying to belay your follower on the clean is almost as pumpy as actually climbing the route. We set up a 3-to-1 pulley on the belay to help, and it was still a terrible chore to pull the rope. This is a fantastic route. It's really too bad that your last impression of it is the miserable amount of work it takes to clean. Sep 17, 2020
Chris Stocking
SLC, UT
  5.12b
[Hide Comment] Thanks to whoever added the steel permas to this! It makes life so much better (and saves your rope from some terrible abrasion) to just whip onto the last draw and lower from there. Now there's no excuse not to get on this fantastic route! Sep 25, 2021
[Hide Comment] A first-class route now that there are perma-draws. You won't do many steep routes that gain four vertical feet in roughly 40 feet of climbing.

On the tougher side of .12b in my opinion.

If you have have _Gun Tower_ (a classic .12c at the Compound) in your sights, then _Power Trip_ is a great way to beef up before humping up to the Compound, as it is eerily similar: traverse left and redpoint crux at the end. Jul 14, 2022
Alan Rader
Wherever my Van is.
  5.12b
[Hide Comment] There are a lower set of anchors now, no need to finish on the slab so many complained about. Not sure when these were added. Get to the end of the crack, clip the last perm and figure out how to stand up and get your feet under you to clip the new anchors.

I still unclipped anchors and last perm to lower off 2nd to last with no rope drag. Aug 25, 2023