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All Locations > South Dakota > The Needles Of… > Horsethief Lake… > The Chessmen > Happiness is Water

Happiness is Whiskey

5.8 YDS 5b French 16 Ewbanks VI- UIAA 15 ZA HVS 4c British


 Avg: 3.3 from 3 votes

Routes in Happiness is Water

Happiness is Whiskey T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
Horning Route T 5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b
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Type: Trad, 130 ft
FA: Chris Pelczarski, Sam Nicolai, July 13, 2015
Page Views: 393 total · 10/month
Shared By: Tater Tot on Jul 14, 2015
Admins: Andrew Gram, Peter Gram, Greg Parker, Mike Madsen, Mark Rafferty

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Description

This route climbs a beautiful feldspar line on the south face. The first 15 feet climbs up some blocks under a very small roof. You then step right off a ledge onto the face and begin a section of about 100 feet of climbing where the difficulty never drops below 5.7 and never above 5.8. Very beautiful and continuous steep line with awesome positive holds almost the whole route.

After a short minor crux near the fourth bolt, climb left of a crack which takes a couple pieces of small gear, through the route crux. Head right and then back left to the top from here. Obvious line.

Count on some fairly long run outs on the route, sometimes 20 feet plus.

Also, the rock quality is not perfect on this route. A few holds here and there are suspect. Quality is especially a bit less near the first bolt. We broke 2 or 3 holds on the FA. Be careful and thoughtful of the holds you use! Clean falls though due to steepness.

All bolts placed on lead using hooks.

Location

Look for the bottle of Canadian Hunter. The route begins 15 feet to the right.

One 70m will get you back to the ground.

Protection

Four bolts, small cams including C3s, small nuts.

There is a new bolted chain rap anchor almost directly above the route, on a sub pinnacle of the formation near the edge.

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Photos

Sam between first and second bolt, as viewed from the east/southeast.
Sam between first and second bolt, as viewed fr…
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Happiness is Whiskey, 5.8
Happiness is Whiskey, 5.8
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Brent drinking in Happiness is Whiskey, 5.8.<br> <br> The Chessman, Horsethief Lake.
Brent drinking in Happiness is Whiskey, 5.8.…
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1 Comment

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BBQ
  5.8+
BBQ  
  5.8+
An absolute must do if you climb the grade! Starts rampy and gets overhung and sporty. Toss a few small cams into a seam and huck for some jugs and gain a bolt. After the exciting intro this climb becomes just as awesome as Baba Cool in terms of big crystally crimps and jugs where you want them. Clip a few more bolts that are spaced with a sensible Needles mentality gaining altitude on crimps and bomber chicken heads. You can grab and step on anything cuz the rock is superbly solid everywhere! Be sure to bring a thinking cap because the reading can get a bit tricky, maybe not as involved and intelligent as There and Back Again, but this sporty climb requires athletic ability and a cool lead head once you hit an overhung pod. Place some more small cams and nuts and get out of the crux using finger locks and good foot placements. Gain a ramp without protection and claw your way to the anchors in a Four Little Fishies kind of fashion and enjoy a sick, flat ledge to hangout and belay from. A good leader could easily bring up a few people to the summit. Awesome! This route is over one twenty hundred feet of pure buttery sickness and sporty suspense. I loved this thing! I give it four out of four barbecue grills! Get a good pair of hiking boots and get on it! Sep 7, 2015

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