Ascent Notes for: Fantastic - 5.9 Average Rating : 4.50/5

Got on this sucker with just a sense of the features ahead, not much else. I started on the bottom right behind the big flake to maximize time climbing the crack, which was fun and not nearly so difficult as it looked. Lots of great locks and mostly feet outside of the crack to work with. Was a bit easier to pull the bulge to the first bolt just a little higher than I initially guessed. It was running with water when we got there in the AM but had dried by the time I got on - even so, it is seriously slick in spots. Big hand and foot holds, a bit like the heavily bolted part of the first pitch of the pulpit, but a hell of a lot slicker. It was nerve rattling from there to the anchor. You get two bolts then a committing series of moves using a flake for good hands when the good feet run out. Placed a bunch of small stuff when I got to the flake to try to "share the load" as this is the last pro you get. At the end of the flake there is a very exciting slick traverse right to get to some features you can use to surmount the top of the flake and start of the last bit of slab to the anchor. I was really tense by that point and slipped on the glassy feet. Dropped about 10 feet but no big deal. Got back on and pulled through to the end. The whole way from there is pretty tenuous and I felt it was possible to slip the whole way to the anchor, even though it's very featured (I feel for that person who blew it near the top). It does ease up just a bit though, thankfully. Still, it's an awesome route and highly recommended. Suggest using a 70m to TR and rap P1.

Gear spoilers:
Didn't use any gear bigger than .75 camalot (save that until just after the 2nd bolt!). Used a lot of .5ish size cams and medium nuts in the crack. Several small cams in the flexy flake section but saved a small grey C4 as the last piece of gear. I asked my second to try out my blue/yellow Master cam hybrid and that apparently worked a lot better in that spot. Whatever it is, you want it to be good as it's the last piece you get. :p Glad mine held!

No comment

No comment

flashed the crack, and bulge through the 2 bolts, but then looking at the slick feet through the expando flake, i bailed.

i'd followed this one my first time at stone. I wanted to show it to a partner who'd never seen it. After taking some time getting to the first bolt (I thought I remembered coming out of the crack under the bulge but I didn't feel solid so I went over to the bolt from the left and clipped it at my feet). Well, ominous winds had kicked up and clouds had rolled in foreshadowing my tenuous ascent. Nearly peeling at least three times (once right off the ground attaining the top of the block) before I placed my last piece - a .75 camalot (which I incidentally bootied on my first stone lead) fate had her way and I took my first whipper just as I was about to gain the easy ground just shy of the anchor. The route was a bit wet in the diagonal crack and there was a water streak up top I had to avoid (sometimes even when wet, Stone retains her friction - not on this route, it is polished and slick). My right hand peeled but my feet didn't and not thinking quickly I rotated backwards (think backdive) and went down head first. My arse took the brunt of it about 30 feet below on a horizontal flake. My nerves were shot - I bailed and left a couple of ovals and my 12 BD nut threaded behind another fixed nut in the flake. Enjoy - I know I will next time... when it's dry!

Very Yosemite like climbing here. Ball-Z runout to anchors, like you have a choice lol!

No comment

First pitch ONLY