Type: Trad, 1500 ft (455 m), 11 pitches, Grade V
FA: Jonathan Schaffer and Andy Hughes, April 2014
Page Views: 1,811 total · 23/month
Shared By: j wharton on May 1, 2018
Admins: Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC

You & This Route


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Description Suggest change

Consult Vic Zeilman's excellent guidebook for an accurate topo and route description. This post is meant only to provide a few more pertinent details for would be suitors.

The route is quite good, particularly in its middle section. However, the first four pitches are mostly terrible. The second pitch is especially gross. Unless you like sharp crumbly squeeze chimneys followed by pigeon poop groveling, I would strongly recommend approaching the route via the 8th Voyage of Sinbad. With the 8th Voyage start, it's among the higher quality 5.12s in the Black.

Some additional notes to Vic's description and topo:

Pitch 5 (the first 5.12 pitch) is spicy. There is a RP placement up and left of the 3rd bolt that lessens the spice a bit, but expect some heads up climbing.

It is best to extend pitch 5 another 50 feet to a stance just above a small pricker bush (or do this as an additional short pitch). Otherwise you will have lots of rope drag for the pitch 6 crux.

Pitch 7 is also heads up with some potential to hit a pillar and ledge below you on hard-ish terrain.

Pitch 9 is the only unpleasant pitch in the upper portion of the route. It has a nasty midway bush, sharp crumbly "coral" covered rock and ends at a semi-hanging belay. Wear hand jammies or tape, and be prepared to grovel a bit.

We didn't climb it, but finishing via the Stoned Oven's final direct version looks pretty good (at least to start) and would be a nice way to avoid the Womb Fight. Apparently it's useful to have a tiny offset TCU or Alien to help protect this pitch.

The route took us 10-ish hours at a relaxed pace, although approaching via the 8th Voyage would likely be significantly quicker.

Location Suggest change

If you're a glutton for punishment, begin approximately 200 feet up The Diagonal at an obvious tree, below a big, right-facing chimney system.

Otherwise begin with the first three pitches of the 8th Voyage of Sinbad.

Protection Suggest change

A single set of wires to #10 and a few RPs, a single #000 and #00 C3, doubles from #0 C3 to #2 C4, and a single #3 and #4 C4.

If you do the original start, add pruners, protective clothing, eye protection, and hand sanitizer.

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