Ascent Notes for: Yardarm - 5.8 popular Average Rating : 4.18/5

Still haven't lead it yet. I guess it's time I sack up and do it.

Sent this one fairly quickly, first time on lead

I was having a bit of an off day and needed a confidence boost so I lead all three pitches to get warmed up. The second pitch had a lot of loose rock that was constantly sticking to my shoes and affecting my traction. Make sure to follow the bolt line to the left when leaving the first pitch belay. The line that is slightly right from the belay is Closer to the Heart, a separate route. The belay rings on the second pitch are both loose and able to spin. I went ahead and combined pitches two and three. We use a 70M rope but were still a bit short of the top and required simul-climbing for about 20 feet. We rapped back down to the tree ledge from Bombay Groove, making three raps with a single 70M.

Second time leading but with a new partner. Even though she doesn't like slab, she didn't slip even once or need any assistance. The line is fairly obvious, but there are two routes that share the first belay above the flake. Be sure to go slightly left towards the Arch, the route leading off to the right is Closer to the Heart. The bolts are easily seen from the belay.

With a decent pair of climbing shoes, there should be no difficulties. Just remember to keep your shoes clean and try to avoid the whitish splotches with loose rock.

First time leading this route. It was a bit easier than anticipated. The only problem I encountered was loose crystals/tiny stones that kept me cleaning my shoes every few minutes. I would highly recommend keeping your shoes clean if you want to continue to have good traction. The holds are actually pretty good, especially if you keep your momentum up. Don't worry about extra gear, the bolts will provide enough protection. However, if you are not well versed in slab, I would not recommend attempting this route.

nm

This was the second time I had led this route after not doing so for two years. The first time I led it -- no problem. Seemed almost too easy. The second lead was in near-perfect climbing conditions with a cold start. I put in two pieces of pro before the bolt, but slipped on some dixie crystals about 15 feet above my small Trango splitter cam, which popped out, and I slid toward to the ground. My belay buddy was tied into a tree and couldn't do the famous Stone Mtn. belay. Consequently I slammed into the base of the small dihedral beginning the route since my lowest pro was of no use by now. My right ankle was bruised and swollen, and I had numerous bloody friction burns on knees, fingers, and knuckles. I was so mad at myself for slipping that I went back up and finished the route, cursing at the lack of bolts and leaving little blood spots on the rock. That will help you focus on every little move. It was a humbling experience and only my second leader fall in 34 years of climbing.

.

Friday I did 2nd pitch of this in an absolute downpour. I had no choice but to get to the bolts to rap off. That was the day I started to believe in friction. Saturday I LED the third pitch of this. Can you believe it!

This was my first pure face route at Stone without features for hands. Learning to trust the sticky rubber was fun! Only climbed the first two pitches to get past the crux.