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Fun and Games

5.8, Trad, 500 ft (152 m), 5 pitches, Grade II,  Avg: 2.6 from 5 votes
FA: Karl Kiser, Matt Monagle & Cindy Weaver, summer 1982
New Mexico > Las Cruces Area… > Organ Mountains > N Organs > Lambda
Warning Access Issue: Power drilling is prohibited in the Organ Mountains Wilderness. DetailsDrop down

Description

(by Marta Reece)

Following Karl Kiser's description, Meghan Curry and I climbed what's now fully described below as Fun and Games. We found it to be an excellent route deserving many repeats.

Pitch 1. (5.6, 120 ft) Start on the right side of the north face just above a large oak tree. Go up a small crack system past a tiny oak tree. Continue up another 20 feet or so and then follow a horizontal crack to the right. Set up a belay on a ledge on the main line of the ridge.

Pitch 2. (5.7+, 80 ft) Go up an easy slab then sharply left along a pair of gently sloping cracks/seams. Step up and continue left and up over slabs with a gradually relaxing angle. Protect in pockets found along the seams. Belay from a wide, grassy ledge above a tree.

Some of the step-ups on Pitch 2 are balancy and a rope drag could be an issue if it were combined with Pitch 1.

Pitch 3. (5.7, 90 ft) Go up a narrow band of easy slab. Shift to the crack on the right to go around a block to a grassy ledge.

Pitch 4. (5.7, 90 ft) Start up the slab (not protectable but short), walk left, take the minimal left-facing corner up a rather chossy slope (also short) to a hand crack. End on a ledge to the left of the tree.

Pitch 5. (5.9, 120 ft) Move up a trough and/or easier ground to the right. Step left and onto a steep slab and up to the left end of the large fin. This takes you into a large dihedral. Stem over grass up this clean feature. Exit to the right onto the face before the large and loose looking chock stones.

Historical Description

The original posting of the route on Mountain Project, as submitted by Karl Kiser

p1: (5.7 ish) follow the weakness straight up and a little right (toward the gully) to a belay below a steep section;

p2: (5.9 ish) climb straight up, step right (the crux) and then up in a generally right facing weakness;

p3: (5.7 ish) just climb up and finish at the top (an unmemorable pitch).

The climb probably hasn't been repeated because it is off the beaten path.

Location

The route is on the finger of rock to the left of the gully which forms the northern boundary of the West Face route.

An easy scramble down the other side and you'll be at the dead tree you pass on your way to the rappel from Yellow Brick Road or West Face. Go east along the ledge, then scramble down to the rap station at the top of Not in Kansas. A single, two-rope rappel followed by a scramble (going somewhat to the west and down) will take you off the rock.

Protection

Standard Organ Trad rack.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Pitch 1. Photo Ian Harris.
[Hide Photo] Pitch 1. Photo Ian Harris.
Pitch 2. Photo Ian Harris.
[Hide Photo] Pitch 2. Photo Ian Harris.
All but the start of the route.
[Hide Photo] All but the start of the route.
Pitch 4 as we did it. Other alternatives may exist. Photo Meghan Curry.
[Hide Photo] Pitch 4 as we did it. Other alternatives may exist. Photo Meghan Curry.
Pitch 3. Photo Meghan Curry.
[Hide Photo] Pitch 3. Photo Meghan Curry.
View of Pitch 5 from the top of the dihedral. We did not trust the boulders there and went onto the face. Photo Marc Tarnosky.
[Hide Photo] View of Pitch 5 from the top of the dihedral. We did not trust the boulders there and went onto the face. Photo Marc Tarnosky.
Crux on Pitch 5. Photo Marc Tarnosky.
[Hide Photo] Crux on Pitch 5. Photo Marc Tarnosky.
Pitch 3, from about the place where you leave the slab and switch to following the crack on the right around the block.
[Hide Photo] Pitch 3, from about the place where you leave the slab and switch to following the crack on the right around the block.
Start of Pitch 5. Route goes to the left of the fin visible near the center of the image. Photo Meghan Curry.
[Hide Photo] Start of Pitch 5. Route goes to the left of the fin visible near the center of the image. Photo Meghan Curry.
Looking down from Pitch 4 belay. Photo Meghan Curry.
[Hide Photo] Looking down from Pitch 4 belay. Photo Meghan Curry.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Marta Reece
Las Cruces, NM
  5.8-
[Hide Comment] Alternative finish to Pitch 5 is to exit the dihedral to the right when less than half way up it. Go right on large cracks, then follow a crack under a roof the rest of the way. More protectable and fun, except for a bush you have to get through at the very top. Aug 6, 2016
Ian Harris
Las Cruces NM
  5.8+
[Hide Comment] Following Marta Reece's description above, this a nice route. I am 5' 8" and found the crux move on P5 in the high 5.8 range, although I may have missed a crucial hold. It is well protected however, so go for it! The dihedral above the crux may ease up slightly once cleaned up a bit (small tufts of grass and dirt). Aug 7, 2016