Looking down on the belay directly behind the Barb...
Description
The Ten Essentials begins with the first three pitches of the more traveled Syke's Sickle, three pitches of flakes and broken cracks, and finishes with the last two or three pitches of the North Ridge.
Location
Route begins on Syke's Sickle, which is in the middle of the face in two parallel cracks, on Spearhead in Glacier Gorge, RMNP.
Protection
Standard RMNP alpine rack including larger gear up to a #4 Camalot.
By Bill Duncan From: Jamestown, CO Aug 24, 2009 rating: 5.9-
You can also do a direct start to this route from the Middle Earth ledge. Instead of starting up Syke's Sickle, climb up and right from the ledge heading for the lower reaches of the flake system leading to the Barb feature. The first pitch from the ledge is definitely runout, but good quality on relatively easy face climbing (.7/.8). The 2 pitches of climbing to reach the point where you can traverse in from Syke's is at least as good as the 2 pitches of Syke's. The final pitch of The Ten Essentials is a lot of fun and a great time if you like stemming chimneys with lots of exposure. Watch out for potential time bombs though. Very nice route and worth doing on its own merits. And you get to enjoy the best pitches of the North Ridge too.
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