- Edit (TBD)
Description
The route starts up a funky offwidth crack with two hand/fist cracks inside it. The geometry is such that the hand/fist cracks are frustratingly useless most of the time, and offwidth techniques are required. The smaller you are, the more likely you'll be able to semi-wedge part of yourself into the large crack and/or take advantage of the hand/fist cracks. The difficulty eases after 25 feet. Climb easier terrain to the base of a tight squeeze chimney. There is some non-perfect rock on the upper half of the pitch, but the pro is good.
Haas'
South Platte Climbing
book describes the route as traversing right at this point onto slabby terrain to bypass the squeeze, but we opted to go straight through it. It was tight! Belay atop the squeeze or traverse around to the south face on an easy ledge and belay using the crack in the dihedral that starts the second pitch of
Living Hell
.
The guidebooks indicates a second 5.8+ pitch that traverses a bit further along the south face to the next corner system, finishing up a wide chimney. However, my partner traversed around the corner and could see no reasonable way to get into the big chimney. Our only option seemed to be to finish with the second pitch of
Living Hell
.
Location
This route starts on the north side of the Knight and wraps around to the south face at the end of the first pitch. To reach the start, scramble up easy terrain on the far right side of the north face, and then downclimb a bit to the left to a ledge at the base of the obvious, wide crack system.
To descend, rappel 130 feet from the summit down the north side. A 70m rope or double ropes are required.
Protection
Standard rack to #6 cam. There is no anchor atop the first pitch. Continue to the summit via the second pitch (if you can solve the mystery) or join
Living Hell
. You may have to replace the webbing on the summit anchor (we did).