Predators Keep the Balance

This forgotten gem climbs like limestone on textured water-polished pockets.  

Scramble up the ramp to the right of Kneeanderthal D'Erectus to a ledge with a single bolt anchor. Jake and I found it best to belay from here to keep the leader from hitting the ledge due to the extra rope stretch if the belayer were to stay on the ground.

A pumpy and sequential start leads to a technical crux before the roof.  Crank over the roof from the giant undercling to the jug heucos leading out right.  Kick over to the wall out right (top of Baby Scorpions), then climb back left and up to the top of the headwall to a new two bolt chain anchor.  Lower off.

This route is well bolted with really fun movement, and is now free of any scary blocks.  Chain draws are coming soon!

A couple of variations have been done:

Var 1 - Predator Dog, 5.12a: Instead of going left to the giant undercling at the base of the roof, cut right to join the top of Straw Dogs, 5.9+.  A hand sized piece (#3 BD probably, but i ran it out) protects the upper moves on Straw Dogs.

Var 2 - The Prey Runs Away, 5.12a: After kicking over to the right after the roof, continue right to the anchor for Baby Scorpions and No Glory.  This variation avoids the final bolt and final headwall section of Predators Keep the Balance.

There used to be three very large blocks below the roof that had to be removed before I was satisfied this route was safe enough to lead climb.  For that reason, this route took me much longer than the amphitheater routes to equip.  I climbed over the large blocks numerous times on TR, and they felt solid enough for top roping, but I couldn't imagine anyone belaying under these widow makers.  After cleaning and working out the crux and the rest of the moves, I knew this route was potentially awesome, if it just wasn't for those damn widow makers.  I finally decided to give a solid effort to removing the biggest block, which was about the size of a small surfboard.  I tried to pry it off with an aluminum tube attached to the handle of a pry bar.  It didn't budge, so I chipped away at it, piece by piece with a mini sledge hammer.  Eventually, I could see the corner that was holding the rock in.  Once I broke off that corner, the surfboard block came free! It took out a bush at the base and exploded into tiny pieces.  Quite the site!  The route was a lot safer now, but I still wasn't satisfied with it.  I went on to clean and bolt most of the other routes in the area until finally coming back to it.  Jake had become interested in the project, so we worked the moves and cleaned it together.  I knocked off another giant block just below the roof that eliminated some hollow finger locks, then Jake and I bolted the lower half of the route.  Right after the crux, there was a cool undercling in a detached block that Jake and I both used when leading the lower half, but I decided the route would be better without the block.  After many blows with the mini sledge, it suddenly fell straight down in the dirt completely intact.  It was a cool triangular rock that landed upright and made a cool back rest.  I dragged a nearby flat rock next to it to be the seat of this new rock recliner!  Where the triangular rock used to be, a cool juggy left-hand side pull was revealed.  I think the route actually climbs better now.

This route was bolted ground up on lead during two different sessions.  Climbtech removable bolts were used at first to verify each bolt was placed in the ideal location.  Now the route consists of 1/2" stainless steel Powers bolts.

This is the orange black-streaked wall to the right of Kneeanderthal D'Erectus.

8 bolts, two bolt anchor, lower off