Las Hormigas  5.10b

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Type:  Trad, 3 pitches, 200 feet Consensus:  5.10b [details] FA:  Carlos Ariza Submitted By:  Anthony Anagnostou on Dec 26, 2008 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (2) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

BETA PHOTO: the start of Las Hormigas, for reference. if you z...

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Description 

Las Hormigas is a sick line in a nest of basalt splitters. Start with a few yards of twin hand cracks, then choose left or right at a fin maybe 30' off the ground. Left looks hard, I stepped right to follow hand cracks (initially behind a thin flake) up and over a block to a great ledge. The first pitch ends here, technically, but links easily to the second with a 60m rope, particularly if you manage your rope well at this transition. There are bolts and rings inconveniently above the ledge, presumably to allow you to reliably reach them while rapping the next pitch which is a full 100'.

p2 climbs up the obvious cracks, generally with two cracks (fingers to your left, wider stuff to your right). There are two wide sections that would need large cams, but there is splitter finger-size pro to the left, so large cams may be unnecessary. See pro notes. top out the pitch with thin fingers on the left or full-bore offwidth to the right in a widening crack to the pillar top ledge and bolted anchors.

P3 is fun enough to do, but not as clean and classic. Face climb up above the anchor (pinch the fin and place a wide cam left in the roof for pro, or step left under the roof and climb straight up) to a short and steep cups or fist crack (currently with a couple chockstones) to another bolted anchor.

Las Hormigas has a little bit of everything, and it's all good. Hands, fingers, great stemming, real OW, flakes, and even some delicate face climbing. All with good protection and bolted anchors.

Location 

This route is in a nest of splitter cracks near where the trail described in the 'quarto dinamo' area pops out.

Protection 

If i climbed this again, i would sew it up with triple green alien to .75 camalot. doubles of blue alien and hand-size camalots (1-3), and a #4 camalot to protect the face climbing past the roof on p3. A #5 C4 camalot would walk right up the offwidth crux on p2, but i regretted putting it in because i didnt climb it straight in and it got in the way. (If you do plan to climb the OW straight in, you might want it). You could do it with significantly less if you manage your pro well and/or don't link pitches.