kevinhansen's Logbook (45 ascents)

Yea so I thought it would be a cake walk based on its rating. But I found myself yelling "YOU WATCHING ME" several times. Take big gear (Up to #4's) along with some finger stuff for the top. Lots of steming to get off the ground.
I'm always looking for a partner, be it ICE, TRAD, SPORT, or BIG WALL. I live 1 hour from Zion.
kevin_likes_to_climb_much@hotmail.com

There are two belay stations that are 30 feet apart at the top of pitch 1. The lower has a good stance, yet will use every inch of your 60 meter rope for the second pitch. Hands to fingers gear on pitch 1 and just draws on pitch two. Two little blank sections on pitch two makes for heads up fun. Be mindful of large groups. If you have a big group, why not have two people climb side by side on the route 6 feet to the left. It's got a simmilar crack system and big holds. Just a time saving idea.

Ok so the approach alone was hard. The book or someone somewhere said it was a two hour approach. Maybe if your training for the iron man! It took us 4+ hours to get to the bottom of the route. Find the main wash and head up to the base of the North face till you see a home made rope ladder made from an old climbing rope and pvc pipe. It should be replaced soon. Continue up the wash till you see a braded white rope that you can batman up to the correct elevation. Then wander to the west on a lower cliff band till you see two fixed rap lines (that shouldn't be there, or need to replace them) for the eastern rapel. Continuse west for 15-20 minutes till the cliff band with the fixed ropes disappeares. Climb up the scree, then back track east till you see a GOLF CLUB and Rock Carren at the base of the route. The first 4 pitches are accuratly described in the Ibex guide. The 1st pitch is well bolted and a fun 10a. The second pitch is chossey, chalkey and over hung. We took a stick clip for it. The 3rd is a 5.6 thats a full 50 meters with 3 bolts, 2 at the start and 1 before the finish. Pitch 4 has the best dihedral crack line I've ever climbed! Take several cams,(IE 4-6) to protect the fingers to hands crack. We reached the fourth pitch at 5 pm and had to bail, we still got back to camp at 11:30 pm. Advice? All the pitch anchors are just 3 and 4 hangers. People have looped webbing through the hangers and rapped on 1 chain link. I've seen alpine Ice Climbing anchors safer that these. Take 20 feet of webbing, rap rings, and a few quicklinks, to maintaine the anchors at each pitch. Pitch #1 has origional webbbing that's bad! Don't die over $1 in webbing. Cut the old stuff off, and screw a quick link to each hanger, then thread your new webbing through quick links and rap rings. Its nice to live isn't it. We are intermediate climbers that climb single pitchs 2-3 times a week. We had no endourance. We should have trained. Good luck to ya! I'd go back and try it again.

If your feeling worried about this route. Don't Kevin Pogue did a great job bolting for the grade. The approach isn't too hard and neather is the route. I remember the route starting in the trees then wandering up the ramp. The first few feet can be tricky yet its still 5.7 for sure. This is a great route to take first timers to the multi pitch game, or first timers to the leading game. I can't imagine anyone falling on this route. Because its so good, its also popular. Be respectful of the base area and keep your stuff contained. Don't think you can spread out and leave you stuff everywhere, it may just walk off. Be careful as you hike down the gully after the rap off, you could twist an ankel real easy. Oh don't take any trad gear. Just take as many quickdraws as you can and belay station stuff also. I didn't put my climbing shoes on, just did it in my sticky aproach shoes.

As the crack windes through a maze of eroded holes, pockets, and cavities, a perfect cam placement presented itself in the less than tips crack. several short moves to pull the bulge and I found that my feet cut loose and I was air born. As I hung on the line I realized that I had fallen and whats worst it was on trad! The piece held solid and I was able to send the rest on the second go. I know of 5.10c and 5.10d sport climbs that went down easier.

Looking at it your not intimidated because it starts out as a cracked slab. Feet in the crack, hands in and out of the jamable. Small run out before the bolt and big run out after. Just focus on the stem, friction, and forget that your 15 feet above the bolt. I didn't get a good stance for gear placement till 20+ feet above the bolt. Bigger gear at the top then nothing but a seam. Then on is a slab jug tug to the copy machine of a chicken head with slings. We rapped from slings down to the chains atop "just another pritty face". I would lead it again.

I bought a T shirt in the gift shop and this was mentioned a one of the classics. The shirt says its a 5.10a but we know better. I remember clipping the 2nd bolt off of a thimble sized nubbin. "They want me to clip off of this!!" I yelled. It take 7 bolts total. I took 3 big cams, two for the flake, and one to build a top anchor. Don't know why its a classic. I won't climb it again. Got the onsite though. The books only gave it 1 star. How is it a classic?

I think I only placed 4 or 5 pieces of gear. Be sure to protect the horizontal crack at the top before you move up. I thought I could put something in but by the time I was at a good stance, the crack was at my shin. I too ran it out to the chains

I didn't find this as hard as Colossus because it wasn't as height dependant as the top crux of Colossus is. I'm surprised that it has this rating. Either I'm getting better or its sandbaged.

Plenty of places to stand and place gear. I think as time goes on I'm less likely to waste time with gear and just run it out to the top.