Find Hawk Eagle Ridge by following the directions under the 'Rock' category. Walk up past the initial buttress, passing DOA and Cinch Crack. The rock becomes short and non-[descript] for a hundred yards or so, before returning to a single-pitch height of more vertical stone up the hill.
As you reach this tall area, you will see a series of 2 diamond shaped South faces that form right-facing dihedrals. After passing the second of these, you will be under and a massive overhang, where the trail runs parallel to a large, fallen, rotten tree.
Looking up from this point into the massive overhang/roof you will see a hand-to-fist splitter crack which runs through it, opening to a bomb-bay slot at the top. This is TOMBSTONE, a reference point for the other area climbs. Die Heeda Rule is up and left of TOMBSTONE by about 40 feet.
Die Heeda Rule is a flake and finger crack which becomes a left-facing dihedral about 15' off of the ground. This shares a start with Brother Jug, but runs left into the steep, clean dihedral in a thin crack instead of up and right onto the face. An even better variation (harder, and further above protection) pulls the prow of the roof to the right of the dihedral itself (5.11+)
Protection
Stoppers and double TCUs to 1" plus a few hand-sized cams. The gear is good, but can be strenuous to place.
I think climbing the prow just [right] of the crack is the only way to make this route 11b. It does get you at least ten feet above gear on 5.11 climbing. I think the rating climbed this way is probably 11b. Climbing the crack straight-on seems like it would be more like 5.12. Much, much harder. So, I sort of how the ratings reversed to Tony. I've climbed it (or tried - I couldn't climb the crack) both ways.
Bill, I'm glad to see someone else feels that way (i.e., 5.12ish) about climbing the crack straight on. I couldn't do it free even while following today!
I lead this route today and felt that the grade for climbing the crack straight on was accurate. I think you just need the right beta for it, but the moves were not bad at all
By Tom Ormond From: Nederland, Colorado Nov 8, 2008
A very nice, short, steep route. Great rock quality. I climbed it jamming with my left and slapping up the arete with my right, and was able to have gear the entire time, felt 11a or so. My wife led it straight on and said it felt about 11a also.
Gear for it is from 0.3 (blue) Camalot to 0.5 Camalot. Basically finger-sized cams. Stoppers would be a little harder to place as the constrictions are subtle.
To descend, head to the right (downhill/south) when you get up to the gnarly juniper, and there is a tree to rap off of that will take you down the big chockstone chimney, pretty close to the base of the route.
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