Hot Dogs

Seven days after nailing the first ascent of Bat Attack Crack, Paul Gagner returned with a different partner for the FA of Hot Dogs. This route shares the same start as Bat Attack, but busts out right around the major arching roof following a crack/flake system on excellent granite. A wide variety of movement makes this a great climb, tainted only slightly by a few detached flakes that require restraint. This might be my favorite pitch of 5.9 I've climbed in Grand Teton National Park, and would make a sweet addition to a day on Guide's Wall.

Begin beneath the obvious Bat Attack Crack, wondering up easy slabs and a trough to the right side of the arching Bat Attack Roof. Place some gear, swing onto the face and begin what will be the namesake of this climb, steep and bold laybacking up a layered flake feature. There is a very large (25 square feet?) and thin flake in the beginning that sounds quite hollow, which I felt comfortable pulling on but resisted placing protection behind. Luckily there is a thin crack above the flake where you can place a small nut to redirect the rope, and the fall line of the flake does not include your belayer. After this obstacle the rest of the route is relatively widowmaker free, with the crux mantling into and pulling a small roof above the flake. There's no pro for a good ways above the roof, on 5.8 slab terrain, so perhaps an extra piece at the roof is worthwhile. When the difficult terrain peters out, a traversing and ascending ramp to the left leads to comfy belay ledge with a new fixed anchor of two nuts and rappel rings. Because the anchor is equalized for rappel and not the traversing direction of pull from your follower, it could be nice to save a medium sized cam or two for the top. An estimated 40M rappel gets you back to the ground.

Note: There was a very weathered and dangerous slung horn anchor here which I removed, due to both the nature of the cordage and the shallowness of the horn, replacing it with a two nut vertical anchor behind a large flake. I threaded the anchor cord through the nuts directly and left rappel rings. Perhaps the next ascentionist could donate two carabiners, or even a third piece (I ran out of large nuts, and the crack is pretty consistent) to further this anchor. 

Shared start with Bat Attack Crack, just right of Vieux Guide, about 100M right of Guide's Wall. A fourth or low-fifth class scramble up and right from where the Guide's Wall approach trail meets the cliff will be necessary, and a rappel anchor is rigged from this ledge if someone in your party doesn't feel like down-climbing afterwards. Can be spotted from the Cascade Canyon trail with a keen eye, once identifying the Bat Attack Roof.

Standard rack of cams to three inches, with doubles from #0.5 to #2 if desired, and nuts. Save a medium sized cam for the anchor. Two ropes for descent.