Black Christmas  5.13

633 page views Good page? (1 like)

Type:  TR, 1 pitch, 30 feet Consensus:  5.13 [details] FA:  Matt Samet, Ted Lanzano, February 22, 2009 New Route:  Yes Season:  spring, summer, autumn Submitted By:  Pinklebear on Feb 22, 2009 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (2) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

Add Photo  Add Comment    Printer View

Description 

Black Christmas (named for the 1973 horror movie) is the straight-up/right-trending mega-line on the Outer Dark wall.

Begin down and left at the toe of the wall about six moves into Outer Dark. Move up past a sloping hueco and continue generally up and right along rails, crimps, gastons and sidepulls. Super-continuous climbing with only a couple shakes, and the crux at the top. Finish out over the slab for full value.

I imagine you could - in theory - boulder this out, with lots of pads and willing victims (er, spotters) lining the big slot. However, the moves are gymnastic and a too-wild fall at the end would probably spit you past the ledge and into the 40-foot dropoff.

As it is, a good TR - if you fall or hang, be sure to press off the slab behind you. Best short power-endurance climb in the Flatirons?

Location 

East side of Fee, 75 yards due west of Bidoigt across the big gully.

Protection 

100 feet of static line, toprope rope, gear for the anchors. I scrambled around right and came back down the ramp to rig.

We put in two separate anchors, one for each strand of the static line.

• South anchor had purple (#1) Metolius Master Cam, a #1 Camalot, and the tree stump tied off.

• North anchor had #4 Camalot, #9 Metolius, #2 Camalot, and down below (in the vertical crack) a #6 Metolius Master Cam.