luiscis's Logbook (12 ascents)

Una gran aventura en Acopan...

This place is awesome!!!

Yeah, the rock may be a bit flaky and bolts are far apart... but generally is not a problem if you are a comfortable 5.9 climber. It is really a great line.

There are bolted anchors on every pitch and most bolts in the route are new. Notice: don't pull too hard out on the flakes, they usually expand and you may break them if you pull in the wrong direction... but if you play attention (and you want to play attention with this kind of run outs!), they are perfectly fine.

The first pitch is kind of the hardest one for your head, and maybe the most sustained one. If you survive this one, the rest will feel more smooth, with the exception of a few crux moves here and there.
I did not find the line too hard to follow; bolts are indeed a bit hard to find sometimes but once you see one, the next one is usually in sight, and the line turns out clear. The last pitch is not obvious though. It could be done in many different ways. Just find the easiest way up and don't expect to place any gear other than slinging some chicken-heads.

From the top, there is a rap line (5 raps) down over Table for Two that is save and goes straight down.

Excellent rock and fun climbing. The whole thing is just really a classic backcountry line. Leave you whishing for a few more pitches like that.

Just GREAT! it worth combining with Warm and Free. The finger crack is fenomenal, and the roof move just make it a classic.

This is really serious stuff. Each pitch is fun, but technical and very trad. The granite is good (excellent indeed) must of the time, unless you make a wrong choice. Route finding can be actually tricky in a couple of spots, but is a back-country route and there are not many bolted anchors anyway...
If you want some beta, keep reading:

- For the 1st (5.8), some medium size cams are enough. Reach up to bolted anchors in the base of a slab.
- Second is the technical crux (510c-R with friction moves). Pretty scary. There is a new bolt here. Go up and left about 9 feet from the bolts, and then traverse the unbelievable friction section the the right to a vertical crack (hand size gear here) then go up to a ledge. There, do a hard move to right into a jug. This move is scary. It can be protected with a small nut like 10 feet to the left of it. You could possibly also go straight up above the nut over a steep section, but there is no way to place any gear there and looks hard to climb. Even though going to the other way may not feel right at the beginning, because you are pretty far right form the last piece, once you get to the jug, is easy terrain all the way up the ledge and the tree. Awesome pitch!
- 3rd (5.9) some dihedral moves. Take full rack for these one. Is a long pitch. Station under a roof.
- 4th (5.9+) traverse right under the roof, and then up the dihedral with the tinny crack: Nuts and Microcams here. Pretty technical climbing since is hard to fit your fingers in the crack. Station in a ledge with small trees.
- 5th (5.8) the amazing traverse. You have to actually downclimb a little bit from the belay and got way right (about 120') to the base of a dihedral and small roofs. Protection is good and the rock is absolutely perfect. This is a fun pitch.
- 6th (5.10b). I think the original route goes up the dihedral and then right. This pitch is pretty dirty and loose though. We opted to climb a splitter just a little bit to the left. It takes you up to some steep rock and ledges. It turns out to be a great pitch, pretty clean except for a small tree in the beginning of crack. Rock on it is good, but it may have a few loose rocks high up the pitch. I put up a natural belay in a ledge with sharp flakes, but the is a bolted station 30 feet to the right (I didn't see it). Mostly medium size gear on this pitch.
- 7th (5.7) Climb up a dihedral to a ledge.
- 8th (5.10b/c R) This is definetly the mental crux of the route. Sustained 5.10 crack climbing takes you up to the end of the dihedral (finger and medium gear). There is a pretty bad looking bolt there and then an even worse looking pin. After clipping the pin, you can either go up the overhanging section until the crack opens up again, or traverse the delicate face to the right. After traversing, you get to a big flake and you have to go up more balancy face climbing and dominate a 5.10b/c mantle move about 15 feet above the shitty pin. I was able to put a #3 cam behind the flake down bellow. It makes a lot of rope drag without shortening the run out more than just little bit, but at least the protection is under you. Either way, the flake is hollow, so must be used wisely. If you fall and blow it out, you will actually have about 18 feet to the pin. On the other hand, be aware that there is a dihedral on the right, a fall from the mantle will swing you into it like a rocket. A piece of advise, make sure your mantle skills are polish and under control before trying this. I don't need to explain how exiting is this climb! Natural belay in the small ledge a bit higher (Dildo Ledge).
- 9th (5.9) you can make it to the top in a single long pitch from here. Take as much medium-large gear as you can get your hands on, without dismantling the station, and be ready to more real cracking... fun is not over yet! from finger cracks to chimneys, you'll find everything in this pitch.

Descent by walking to the back of the dome. There are some trees where you can rap down to a shoulder and bush-whack your way down to the base of the climb.

The quality of the rock does not seem very good, but is actually not bad when you get on it.

Is not the prettiest line, but is fun as hell!!! a sketchy move on small holds on the crux, but must of it is long moves on jugs. The very end section is great, but watch out with a thorny agave plant right on your way for good holds. You either use the crimper or fight with it, and believe me, is not an easy fight!

It is pretty fan indeed. Long and sustained with a bit of everything. The rock is also quite clean for this area.

Highly recomended

This is pretty hard for its grade, but what do you expect of an offwith??? this is not like climbing in the gym. Here you will experience what is it to climb with every inch of your body.

First pitch is easy chimney with an awesome limestone roof that looks scary at the beginning, but there are good holds and is actually a super fun 5.7-8 section.
The second one has a little tough and steep hand crack section right above the anchors and a quite intimidating offwith little section in the top. That higher part will need a #5 Camalot to protect, or use nuts in the small cracks on the right side.
The third has an incredible traverse, exposed and fun!, and some more offwith, you should start feeling comfortable in this crack width by this point :-)
The fourth pitch (5.9+) is hard indeed. Chimney and guess what? more offwidth. Protection is pretty good, a #4 Camalot is nice for the last move, but there is a bolt close, so is not really mandatory if you have the balls to do the crux move 10 feet above it.
Then you reach the first summit and you SHOULD make the jump-climb across the chimney to reach the other summit. This just make it the nicest last pitch I've ever done. Then you have to jump back (really, jump!) or down-climb, which I did for the sake of my bad knees.

Phenomenal climb in on the most amazing scenarios I've done. This is just gorgeous, and I warranty it will make you smile for days afterwards!!!

Definitely a MUST-CLIMB in Arizona...

Love this place! there are a lot of good pitches on not-too-bad rock. The second pitch takes some juice, is good the hard section is not long and protects very well.

Todos sabemos que la escalada de Grandes Paredes es una cosa seria, pero la escalada de Tepuyes es algo mas. En todos los sentidos.
Nada se compara con esto.
Esta via en particular es muy comprometida, incluyendo acercamiento, escalada y descenso. Una verdadera expedicion.