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Check Your Head
WI5+ M6+ R
Avg: 3 from 1 vote
Type: | Trad, Mixed, Ice, 600 ft (182 m), 6 pitches, Grade IV |
FA: | Jason Kruk, Joshua Lavigne, Jon Walsh |
Page Views: | 943 total · 8/month |
Shared By: | Dave Rone on Nov 29, 2014 |
Admins: | Dave Rone, Tom Jones, Richard Rose |
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Description
Check Your Head gives you a taste of difficult mixed climbing in a remote mountain environment. Unfortunately, the route can't be seen until you are nearly to it, and to get a good look, you might want to walk along the East Face before you climb up to the bench and the base of the route.
P1, 30m: climb easy ice if it's in, otherwise it's easy mixed climbing with marginal pro. Set up a belay in a cave.
P2. M6+, 35m: traverse left from the belay, hopefully on ice, then up to a left leaning crack that takes good gear. If there is no ice, the traverse is on very poor rock, protected by two fixed knife blades. Continue up the crack on decent gear to left-facing corner capped by a big roof. Place a bomber stopper and traverse left on good flakes and edges to another crack. The difficulty eases off as you follow this to a decent ledge and a two bolt anchor.
P3, M6+, 35m: from the belay, climb the slot past two fixed pins. After the 2nd, move left on flakes and edges to a crack system which continues up and left to a bolted station. The protection is a little sparse toward the end of the pitch, but the climbing is easier.
P4, M5, 25m: climb up then left to a belay at the base of the ice, passing one of the rappel stations along the way.
P5, WI5+, 40m: climb steep ice that gets easier higher up, to a ledge and sheltered belay.
P6, WI4+, 25m: climb sometimes thin but good ice to the top. Build an anchor on the ice.
Dave traversing past rotten rock on P2.
P1, 30m: climb easy ice if it's in, otherwise it's easy mixed climbing with marginal pro. Set up a belay in a cave.
P2. M6+, 35m: traverse left from the belay, hopefully on ice, then up to a left leaning crack that takes good gear. If there is no ice, the traverse is on very poor rock, protected by two fixed knife blades. Continue up the crack on decent gear to left-facing corner capped by a big roof. Place a bomber stopper and traverse left on good flakes and edges to another crack. The difficulty eases off as you follow this to a decent ledge and a two bolt anchor.
P3, M6+, 35m: from the belay, climb the slot past two fixed pins. After the 2nd, move left on flakes and edges to a crack system which continues up and left to a bolted station. The protection is a little sparse toward the end of the pitch, but the climbing is easier.
P4, M5, 25m: climb up then left to a belay at the base of the ice, passing one of the rappel stations along the way.
P5, WI5+, 40m: climb steep ice that gets easier higher up, to a ledge and sheltered belay.
P6, WI4+, 25m: climb sometimes thin but good ice to the top. Build an anchor on the ice.
Dave traversing past rotten rock on P2.
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