A Stark Reminder

The next time you’re walking to your Bat or Jungle project, cast your gaze to the top of Bridge Cliff.  High up, just above and left of that pair of anchors, tucked in under a roof, is A Stark Reminder.  “A reminder of what?” you might ask.  Of the ever-increasing costs of our divided society?  Of the limits of natural resources in the face of booming populations and increasing demand?  Of the shortcomings of climbing grades when applied to one-move wonder routes?  Of the fact that, at some point, present-day acts of stewardship at a crag might outweigh being born first and calling “dibs?”  You just can’t tell from the ground, so head up and find out!

A Stark Reminder is maybe 30 feet of climbing.  You can get to it by climbing Up Your Buttress about two-thirds of the way up the wall, until you’re even with that two anchor ledge to your right.  Pull up then right around the arete, up the sloping ledge toward the roof.  If you’re climbing from the ground and your partner isn’t coming up, I’d say go in direct on the bolt and pull the rope through to reduce drag.  This setup still makes communication difficult and has lots of rope stretch, so it’s better to lower to the double anchor ledge after clipping the two bolts, bring your partner up, and then climb and belay from that comfy ledge.  The scramble from the anchor ledge to the first bolt of A Stark Reminder is 5.easy but nerve-wracking, which is why I preferred getting the first two bolts on the way up from the ground instead of just traversing straight to the ledge or approaching via the right side Bridge Cliff climbs.  

Right at the start, the twelve foot, technical boulder problem to stand up on the slab is the best and toughest part of the route.  There’s two distinct lines here: you can use the left arete and thin crimps, or tension your way up under the roof using a press.  The left line felt easier to me, around V4/V5.  It reminds me of Frightnight’s lower crux—slabby, sideways movement, plenty of thin holds, an obvious exit, and a perplexing void in the way.  

The rock on the crux is decent, rough and mostly avoids rain. The right side seems a bit flaky, but the necessary holds are solid.  As the wall turns to slab, things lichen up considerably.  Once out of the dihedral, the route gets easier but much dirtier.  Don’t let the dust and moss discourage you!  You’ll make it up, thanks to some clean-ish cracks and flat feet, but the second half is forgettable at its best.  My 70m rope just barely lowered to the ground from the anchor.  The belayer needed to stand on the columns to get the climber’s feet on the ground.  Make sure you have a stopper knot on the belayer’s end if you try this.  

I'd call it 5.12b. The crux felt harder than any same length sequence on Bela or Bad Omen. But since this route is easier to project, with no redpoint crux, and no endurance requirement, it’s probably an easier tick and definitely not a benchmark. Having to climb up the ledgy, dirty bridge cliff for a unique but short climb puts it at two stars for me.  

Bolts