dowww's Logbook (600 ascents)

Unicorner is a great route to combine for day with Wanna Bong and Santa Cruz. It is by far the easiest of these three (counting my version of Santa Cruz which adds a pitch), but they all are moderate true trad lines within minutes of each other. I placed a #6 (needed it for Wanna Bong), but could have gotten by without it. You pop out of the off-width to easy stem-face climbing to a fixed anchor, the same fixed anchor that can be used for just about any route on the main Saddle Rock dome.

With Josh J. from Vegas. A fantastic route, off-width just does not get its due at Jtree for some reason. I used two C4#3's, and a #4-#6 for the upper portion. This pitch is fantastic how it starts out .75 and goes to #6 at the top. As the off-width starts to get a bit burly, face the left wall and stem and chimney up the rest of the way. We moved a slung rap off the east side to the very top of this route (keep going up left) and slung a feature there, 70m no worries.

With Josh J. from Vegas. I don't think Miramontes has this route quite listed right, mentions doing it in one pitch, 200' total. I continued up a superb crack after 200' that does not seem to belong to any other route and seems in line with the topo as drawn in his book. 300' to the top where you can rap down the north face at Unicorner or stop after the steep crack ends on the west facing wall and scramble down (left) to the top of Iconoclast's rap anchors and make two raps with a 70m. The first pitch did not seem 5.9 by Jtree standards and can be combined with the 5th class 2nd pitch easy. The third pitch was fantastic, fingers with a hand jam rest here and there up through a bulge to great hands and an easy finish.

Rated 5.10a in Miramontes book, and I thought it was stout for the Jtree grade, so concur with the 5.10b here. Best not to place gear on the route to avoid rope drag, there is a bolt on top of the ledge. The move from that bolt to the face is the first crux (awkward). The traverse back left over the ledge/pod is a reachy crux face move. A third cruxy edge move awaits near the top. A sustained and pumpy face climb. Rap with a 70m.

With Josh J. from Vegas. The easiest "classic" 5.10a I have led at Jtree, assume that has something to do with it being a younger route. Did it as the sun went down and its position gave me a spectacular sunset! Also ran into some bats in the upper portion where it jogs right. I used a Metolius 00 and off set nut to protect the start which I suppose is the crux to the route.

Rated as 5.10+ in Handren's guide, I concur with others that the crux is more like 5.11, I fell on it and lost a good chuck of knuckle skin. Had no beta, would have helped a ton if I tackled it as a stemming problem to begin with versus wasting energy trying to make it a finger pocket climb at the crux. Most moderate climbers won't have that kind of finger strength. A strenuous stem for several meters in the middle. Pro is PG 13 at best, some brassies in the bottom of those corner pockets is the best you have. Maybe a tri cam works. The crux is harder than Out of Control, but Out of Control is more sustained and by far the better route.

With Urioste clan. Handren does have it at 5.9 and that is soft, but true the first move or two off the deck are above 5.6. Worthy climb that protects well in those clean horizontals. Fixed rap/top rope above the route.

With the Urioste clan. This is 5.10b in Handren's guide. Somewhere between that and 5.11 I suppose. Too short, but most fun I had on all the the routes at Chocolate. The corner is easy up to the roof. Good gear the whole way along the roof, I used a C4#1 and .4 for bomber horizontal pro. The crux is a flaring hand jam you can't quite see as you crowd underneath the roof on the traverse. Commit to that and swing your feet out to a stance. Very fun moves. Sling a rock on top to bring up a 2nd, rap off the tree to the left.

Not as difficult as Zacker Cracker but taller and more aesthetic. Easy climbing up to some loose blocks, then jam trough the small roof. Crux is the off width above. Not too many pure off width moves, but more of an off width than Zacker Cracker, although less technical overall. I placed a C4 #6 and #5 up high. Gear Belay, #3 and #2. Can walk/scramble down way right or rap off the tree way back left.

With the Urioste clan. Worthy route. I placed a C4#6 lower and #5 higher. None of it is really true off width. There are enough features here and there to avoid full on engagement in the crack. The upper portion, bulge, is the crux. I led it left shoulder in getting my right foot up high on the right wall, then kind of a stem into a 360 up on top of the bulge. Gear belay, can rap left (tree) or right (fixed station above McCrack). 5.9 in Handrens book I believe.