Fun little line. If you like thin slab stuff, give it a try. Climbing slightly left of the bolts, seemed like a couple 11 moves. Otherwise 10c/d. Didn't know how to rate it due to the variations. Enjoyed playing on it, though.
By Zed From: Gotham City Sep 19, 2007 rating: 5.10c
Rate it by the path of least resistance, which, in this case, goes straight up the bolt line. That's how routes have traditionally been rated. I would agree with the mid 5.10 rating. Fun crux.
By Tony B From: Boulder, CO Sep 22, 2007 rating: 5.11
I'm curious. Was the fixed lost arrow towards the top of this present prior to the recent ascents and cleaning? No doubt it would have been from an ascent of the crack system just right of this climb if so, but it should have precluded that top bolt placement.
I found the route to be 5.11. I warmed up on it not knowing what it was and went left (ha ha on me). I and my partner each took falls when we scaled off or broke off a foothold or chunk of one, but the climbing is now presently pretty solid overall.
I can see the reason for the first two bolts (the second one held my fall) and the third, albeit just below a bomber stopper placement, is clipped overhead just before an insecure move (crux?), but the rest of the bolts are within inches of good gear placements. Perhaps this should have been a mixed route?
The climb is interesting, but like lots of crowded sports lines, I kept asking myself "is this on?" Leading it, my left arm was never more than and inch or two right of the vertical line created by bolts, but depending on what you grab with your right, the difficulty can greatly vary.
On lead I was stemmed to make the second bolt clip (pretty much right under the bolt), and then without taking a step, but just by shifting my weight on to the hold my right foot was on, I could reach the arete. I'm pretty sure that isn't how the line is intended based on the 10d rating. I would say using that arete the climb is no harder than 10b. I then tried variations on TR. Using that downward pointing flake just below the little bush/tree on the corner instead of the arete the route felt like it was about 10d, maybe even 11a (is the next hold on the right off? I could clip while holding it...). I played with going to the left of the bolts, but that was definitely harder and I gave up on that (probably at least mid 11, but I can't say since I gave up...).
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