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What are the best sandbagged routes you can think of? Sport, Trad, and Bouldering

Cory Harelson · · Boise, ID · Joined Mar 2008 · Points: 2,410

Mother #1, 5.7+, at Vedauwoo.

Halfway up there were a stream of curse-words coming out of my mouth, but by time I made it to the top I was all smiles (at least once I had caught my breath and was done heaving).

I know, I know, I just need to work on my OW technique, but when I needed to work on hand crack, slab, fist crack, finger crack, etc techniques, 5.7s (or 8s or 9s) didn't feel as hard as Mother #1.

Chad · · UT · Joined Dec 2009 · Points: 110

Thunder magnolia pussy, Granite Mtn. Was a long time ago and i was a noob but it made an impression. The first pitch of the Organasm, ZNP, or any other 5.8-9 chimney with Lowe attached.

Kevin Flowers · · Granby, CT · Joined Mar 2010 · Points: 0
CaptainMo wrote:Most of CT's classics.
I was going to say you can't trust most 5.7s in CT. I swear the 5.8s are easier.
Ryan Williams · · London (sort of) · Joined May 2009 · Points: 1,245
camhead wrote: Yeah, I've heard that, too, and it seems that I'm the only person that thinks Shredded Wheat was really hard. Maybe I was just having a bad day, but it totally shut me down, and I'm usually pretty good at fingercracks.
You must have been off that day. I would have said you'd cruise it. Hell, I onsighted it and you've seen me climb!

Cool question though. I think there are plenty of 5.7 and 5.8 climbers who'd sayZoo View and Airshow at Moore's are a bit sandbagged. Airshow isn't much easier than the 10a right next to it. Also, the start of Super Direct is a sandbag. Once you get to 5.10 though the grades seem to get more accurate.

I remember thinking Aesthesia at the Spider's Web in the Dacks was super hard for 10a.

Zealous at the New is hard for 10d.

The first pitch on the North Face of Castleton kicked my ass pretty good, but maybe that was because we only had three blue Camalots? What is that, a 10c?

I generally think everything is soft or accurate, but every once in a while I'll admit to a route being hard for the grade.
Ben Brotelho · · Albany, NY · Joined May 2011 · Points: 520

"Wait.... people care about boulder problems?

I think the most famous one in the Gunks is Modern Times. Listed at 5.8+ in the grey Dick Williams guide, but 5.10b in the (very silly) Orenczak/Lynn guide."

That new guidebook IS silly...Modern Times is spot on for 5.8+ in my opinion. Laurel, now that is sandbagged at 5.7...

Camden · · Yosemite Valley · Joined Jul 2011 · Points: 36

Devil's Lake

Scott McMahon · · Boulder, CO · Joined Feb 2006 · Points: 1,425

Anything that Layton Kor put up... :o)

Brie Abram · · Celo, NC · Joined Oct 2007 · Points: 493

Titties and Beer 5.9 at Looking Glass, NC.

shotwell · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2011 · Points: 0
camhead wrote:Oh, and one other boulder problem (yes, boulder problems can be sandbags)-- Soap on a Rope at Rocktown. As the new guidebook says, "The hardest v5 at Rocktown. Oh, wait, it's v4."
I found Soap on a Rope significantly harder than the Sherman Photo Roof. At least I'm not the only one who thinks it is pretty damn hard.
camhead · · Vandalia, Appalachia · Joined Jun 2006 · Points: 1,240
Ryan Williams wrote: Zealous at the New is hard for 10d. The first pitch on the North Face of Castleton kicked my ass pretty good, but maybe that was because we only had three blue Camalots? What is that, a 10c? I generally think everything is soft or accurate, but every once in a while I'll admit to a route being hard for the grade.
Ok, now this is the type of trivial bickering that I love on climbing forums!

Ahem.

Zealous totally felt soft to me; it just had too many great horizontal rests. Rapscallions seems way more stout.

And don't feel too bad about the first pitch of Castleton's NF; it's solid 11-.
Sam Stephens · · PORTLAND, OR · Joined Jan 2010 · Points: 1,090

New World Order at the New feels so stupid hard for the grade, even after knowing all the holds and beta.

Andrew Mayer · · Driggs, ID · Joined Nov 2010 · Points: 131
Scott McMahon wrote:Anything that Layton Kor put up... :o)
+1
M Mobley · · Bar Harbor, ME · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 911
KevinF wrote: I was going to say you can't trust most 5.7s in CT. I swear the 5.8s are easier.
you are correct sir from what I've seen. maybe fish can say, he is the expert ct trad climber.
Dave C · · Homeless, CO · Joined Sep 2009 · Points: 30
shotgunnelson wrote:Circus trick at big bend. Hardest V4 ever
Agreed.
brat . · · Salt Lake City, UT · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 81

NE Buttress of Higher Cathedral Rock.

Kicked my butt somethin awful...

bohran · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2010 · Points: 100

Mars in the VRG 13b! Fuck THAT B.S.

Mike Lane · · AnCapistan · Joined Jan 2006 · Points: 880

There's This and then there's everything else.

Chris Duca · · Dixfield, ME · Joined Dec 2006 · Points: 2,330
Jon H wrote: I think the most famous one in the Gunks is Modern Times. Listed at 5.8+ in the grey Dick Williams guide, but 5.10b in the (very silly) Orenczak/Lynn guide.
IMHO, "Modern Times" is no harder than 8+. It is not sustained, has enormous roof jugs, and is over in 5 moves. Now, routes like "Try Again", "Birdie Party", and "TransCon", could arguably be called sandbagged, but again, that's just my opinion. There are many routes (too many to name) throughout the Daks that are at least a number grade off. And don't even get me started on Vermont! I would also put my vote in for many of the routes @ Index Town Wall in WA.
Adam Paashaus · · Greensboro, NC · Joined May 2007 · Points: 791

another for Mother 1 at Vedauwoo, and tabula rasa at the monastery was pretty freakin hard.

Mark Hammond · · Eldorado Springs, CO · Joined Oct 2006 · Points: 466

Easy. From my personal experience it was pitch 14 of Lurking Fear. My old Reid guide said 5.9 mantle and then 4th class. With a wall rack and comfortable shoes, I struggled to get the 4th class section clean. Kept thinking I must be off route and trying to traverse around, got wicked pumped and almost came off. Finally got it. WOW I thought, Valley 4th is bad ass. I mean, underclinging on 4th class?

Later the SuperTopo book comes out. 5.9 mantle to 5.11a or C2. Thats 12 number grades difference for those keeping score!

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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