- Edit (TBD)
Description
Obscure, dirty, hard, and runout. If you'd like to hone your "questing" game this route might be for you. The climbing is slabby, often thin, and a bit tenuous in places. The fine sheen of dusty lichen only enhances the experience.
If this got climbed and the dirt was cleaned off it'd be a climb worth repeating and warming up on. The Shull guide listed this as 5.11a. That seems a bit much. I thought it was more like mid 5.10.
Location
Just left of "Walk this way" is an obvious long Chimney and OW layback. This climb starts just left of the arete that forms this corner.
Protection
3 bolts. Micro gear to .5 BD camalot size. Lots of small stoppers. This route deserves an R rating and maybe... an X in one spot up high. BUT, its mostly well protected. Bolts look newly replaced.
The first bolt is way up high and you have to bust some techy 5.9 to clip it. Then next section requires some tricky and tenuous small nut and TCU placements up a very thin seam. But the pro is good. An easy runout to the roof gets you to bomber pro. Pull the tricky roof and clip the 2nd bolt. Now prepare to quest. This stretch of climbing is dirty and hard to read. And it's run the F out. Its a long ways to the next bolt. Don't fall at the apex of the runout or you might come close to the ground, thus the R/X rating. There is a micro cam but I thought it was rubbish.
One more bolt here would make the route (still runout) but very manageable and sane.
Finish on a huge ledge and lower from anchors above the OW corner.
Take a deep breath.
Routes in Hanging Chain
- 12Unknown5.10cTrad