Beyond All Likelihood - 5.11d

Enjoyable route with a mixture of features and route finding since there is plenty of ground... er... rock face that can be covered without feeling off route.

I gave it 11d because it feels more like that when compared to other sport areas around the world, not so much based upon other 11d ratings at NS or Reimers. I wouldn't argue with 12a though. It'll be good to get a community consensus on it (and many others).

Finally got on this one. I admit I pretty much saved it for last (of all the mossy routes) because I didn't think it looked that great. I mean, the bolter gave it only 2 stars after all... But I'd have to say it was better than I thought. Beta and route felt a bit awkward at first but I figured things out.

Guidebook talks about a lower and an upper path. Have to admit I couldn't figure out the lower path and did the upper one. Felt harder than Katrina and 28 Year Engagement (neighboring 11d's) so I was thinking possibly 12a. I had heard someone say possibly 12b but I don't think so. Doesn't feel as hard as Ghost to me, but some spots are tricky and feet disappear so it can get pumpy. Not sure if comparing it to body wax (per below comment) is really the best comparison as the routes are in such different styles...but for me it was easier.

Pretty interesting, better-than-I-expected route.
The upper route that I took, I don't think it would be too hard to second since I'm level with the bolts, but with the lower path I could see it being harder since the bolts are now higher above you.

27-OCT-13: I got on this again and sent it, redpoint. Thinking it might be more of a hard 11d now. The crux really only falls to this one section and it doesn't seem as powerful or precise anymore (probably due to refining the beta). Then pump management, but I don't think that adds to the grade in this case. Beta intensive and sharp, but doesn't seem to require as much as other 12a's in the park. More consensus will tell.

Painful start with several tricks described in the guidebook.

While rap bolting this, I got in an arguement with an old timer who develops routes with what he felt was Austin's ethics (lots of toporope rehearsal prior to bolting), whereas I was taking a page from Jeff Jackson/David Phillips: minimal inspection of the route, to keep the FA attempts closer to onsight experiences.

Hanging painfully from a harness, sweating after installing upper bolts, is not a good time to be arguing. He was like, "what's the beta"? I was like, "man I checked this out 3 weeks ago. I don't remember. But it all goes." He was all, "You've not TR'd it? So you have no idea whether you link it. Don't bolt what you can't send." I lost patience. We ended up debating ethics, in circles, and there was no convincing each other. I finished bolting it with a little raincloud over my head.

His ethics are definitely better for the public. More rock is stressed, more time is taken to pick bolt locations, and more opinions are gathered on clip stances. If one can't link it, it is left unbolted for someone else to have the entire development experience. I respect all that, but do not have the patience for it and hate to lose working leads for working TRs.

So, luck would have it that the old timer was present when I made an FA attempt. It was going well, he and others were cheering me on, and I felt in the zone more than on any past project. I pulled off a perfect sequence and sent it. He was happy. We were and are good friends.

The grade needs some examination. Like with The Ghost of Johnny Reimers, I was at NS putting in lines for 2 years, never going back to recalibrate on established routes at Reimers. I might have gotten 12b strong and not known it. (I doubt it though.) One chap thought it's harder than Body Wax. But that was on one run.

I went back later and could not 2nd it, as unclipping 2 (or 3) is just horrible. 2nding might be substantially harder than leading.