Grandmother's Challenge 

Too many nesting birds in the crack for me to call this a 3-star classic. If you want to contract avian diseases, or complete the coveted "Eldo Bird Tour", climb this route, the offwidth start to XM, Grand Course, the 2nd pitch of T2, and Dead Bird Crack (Mickey Mouse Wall) in-a-day. "Hot Flashes" is waiting.

Pat, you are right on with three stars! The first pitch is excellent 8 hands and fists with many good crimps on the face, and the crux second pitch is laybacking through the crack and so you can't even see the birdshit, let alone touch it.

Climbed this again this weekend. The only place bird crap bugged me was the odor at the first belay. The climbing is great and a test of skills requiring you to muster some offwidth skill, a bit of delicacy and power. Combined with the upper pitches of the Green Slab this is one of my top 5 outings in Eldo.

How well does this work as 1 pitch?

A 60 m rope will just barely get you to the belay tree. Manage the rope well, and the rope drag is not to heinous. Remember a couple of pieces of gear for after you pull the roof, moderate climbing but a fair amount of it.

Ok, I finally went and did this route and must say that the bird shit did not bother me, or my partner at all. I was hesitant to get on it because of the comments here, but I loved it. The only way you would touch the droppings would be if you thruthed up the off-width crux, if you do this you deserve to grovel through shit. Perhaps it was better since I climbed it in Febuary (less oozing). I was planning on doing it in one pitch but used my big pro on the first pitch and thinking that I would need that piece for the crux, I did it in two. I however think that one would be hard pressed to reach the tree with a 60m rope because I only pulled up about 25 feet of rope at the tree. It would suck to belay below the tree. The crux has a fixed nut just below the pin (as of 02/04/02), other than that, I placed a #2 Camalot just after the belay and a #3 before the udercling/layback. No #4. Don't hesitate to do this route because of the bird poop like I did, it's great. Three stars for sure

Yeah I hear you, it is hard to deal with ANY bird-funk on a route that sits between the Green Spur and Darkness Till Dawn and I'm sure that the heat brings on some serious slime flow, still I'd have to say that since you can avoid the stank by going during the winter it deserves the stars...

I must say that I climbed Granny's in late summer and the bird poop was horrible. I had to wipe my shoes off before starting up the crux. That little nest of slings and the footholds above it were flowing with dookie. I'm sure it's a different story in winter, but be forewarned.

Hey, did you know putting #1/2 Friend and weighting it make that flake at the crux flex out? Be careful.

Did it last night with Josh Janes -- the bird poo situation was quite tolerable thanks to the relatively low temperature and that's it's still early in the season. If you are going to do it this year, do it now. I thought it was an exciting, worthwhile climb. I didn't place the #4 that I had, although the #3.5 Camalot was handy, but also probably not necessary.

Superclassic. I climbed this as one pitch, with my partner simuling for about 30'. This worked well as the last 30' seemed about 5.6. Early season must be the time to do this route, as I didn't notice any sheiBe at all.

I spent about 1/2 hour dangling beside the route yesterday and taking pictures. Plenty of bird shit is on the route, believe me. I shot a few rolls of film, and I am sure it will show in each picture. That said, it did remind me of how cool the route is, and also of how it might be just a little height dependent. Shorter body and arms mean having to do an extra move prior to the good jam below the roof.

Poo poo is still not oozing as of 04/25/02, the fixed nut is gone that I found earlier, a #4 Camalot came in handy. I climbed with Lindsay Gill who forgot her climbing shoes and managed the route (as well as Green Slab) in sneakers, burly...

This climb is outstanding and perhaps soft for the grade. Every one has different strengthens hence I do not suggest down rating the climb robbing due credit from anyone. I recommend this climb to 5.10a/b leader looking to move into the harder 5.10c/d ranges. The gear is outstanding hence very safe climb. The crux is short and intense. The climb was not a health hazard due to bird excrement either. As of 8/26/02 disregard and excrement warnings. There was only one position with a mildly grungy spot. I have climbed much worse. Triple up and #3 Camalots, 1 x 3.5, and optional 1x4. Currently their is a fixed piece where you would have placed the #4, so I did not use the #4.

Soft for the grade ... short crux ... are you sure you were on the right route? ;^)

I'm not sure what these offwidth comments are about. See the photo of the climber with arm buried in the crack. See the chalk on the left edge of the crack. That's for laybacking. No offwidth necessary. A while back I saw a much better climber stem the whole thing with no layback or offwidth. But today I looked at the stemming option and it was not for me.

We did this route this morning and thought it was great. All the betaon pro I read beforehand, I thought, was very helpful. We did alsodo it in one pitch with double 60m and just barely made it to the tree. My partner belayed from the top of the block at the start to give usan extra 8 feet or so. I ended up needing it. I was about 5 feet fromthe tree while my partner was debating whether she should standup and start simu-climbing. If you're going to do it in one pitch I would recommend bringing radios so you could communicate clearly with your partner.

Also I don't remember reading this anywhere, but we ended up takinga #3.5 Camalot. I found it useful in the fist-sized crack just below wherethe first belay should be. But I suppose if you did it in 2 pitches you could place the #4 somewhere in this crack and still have it for the crux.

Alex.

Three of us (me, Kevin, and Jeff) went up this this on Friday. Needless to say, the slime was minimal. A bit of advice to those leading the first pitch: bring your bigger cams with you. Even though you think you might not need them before the roof, you do. Otherwise you'll have to set up your belay about halfway up the pitch. That said, if you come upon a set of slings and rings before the OW fist crack on P1, keep going. There's another anchor above you. Great climb, though the offwidth makes it WAY pumpy.

After having read the preceeding comments, I thought I'd throw in my 2 cents worth.

• **WARNING: SHAMELESS BETA AHEAD***

This is a sweet route, don't let anyone tell you different, If youre just there to tick it off your list why be there to begin with?? The first pitch takes #4 Camalot well and is great fun at around 5.8. Save some big gear for the bealay, I used a #3 a #3.5 Camalot and a silver DMM. You can get 4 in at the start of the offwidth a #3 where it narrows to hand size, the pin looked shitty, and I didn't like where it would land me if I fell (which I did...more than once!!) so I didn't clip it, instead red of yellow Alien in the flake and then a large nut at the stance before you pull the final layback over the flake. Stemming is THE way to go, I would not really enjoy groveling through that crack OW style. Great route -- have fun!!!!

I love this climb because it's the right size for me. This is where I get back at my buddies who lead thin cracks. I watch them struggle with way too many feet of 4"+ jamming.This is the climb for the 200 pounder! I'm surprised more people don't go to the tree in one pitch, or at least over the roof before starting the next pitch. I have attempted this route twice, I'm hoping #3 is the charm. I have wondered if the crux would be easier if the 2nd pitch started right below the crux, yet it seems such a shame to quit climbing right then! I walked a 3.5 Camalot in the 5.8 section, found a decent #3 Camalot in the back of the flare, and a #10 Metolius (close to 3.5 Camalot size) where the flare pinches down. A #2, and #3 Metolius fit nicely in the undercling, layback upper crux. It's nice to have your big cams pre slung with QD's or runners, as it saves a lot of time while you're pumped. There is a keeper hand jam at the top of the wide crack. (I just relaxed and the crack held on). It hurts like hell, but you can stem, place gear, and de-pump there. I have big hands, and I get fist jams through the back of the flare. This seems more secure to me, but some people just don't fit. The #10 Metolius placement held my 200lbs. Should be reassuring to all you skinny pukes.

"The coveted "Eldo Bird Tour" must include the Diving Board, which having the excrement at the very crux I must give 5.11a Ex 3+.

An amazing route. Rossiter describes the crux section as "wild and strenuous"-I'd say he's right on.

On-sight!!! (12/1305) First 5.10 route ever led on trad!!! Bird poo...minimal (basically it was frozen).

I felt the route was soft for the grade. I was initially disappointed when I got under the roof that it wasn't more of an offwidth, but once I did it, the moves were fun. The hand stack splitter below the roof is not to be missed. The only bird poo I found on route was in a small pile on top of the sling anchor belay underneath the offwidth pod and it was very easy to avoid (build an anchor above the slings, they look rotted from the poo).

I was stoked to get on this climb today, and it didn't disappoint. I found the crux tough and a little burly. If you put in a piece at the undercling fingers, use a long draw so there isn't any drag. Great climbing on solid rock. Classic.

We used 60m doubles and did the route in one pitch with a nice, 200 ft, free-hanging rappel over Darkness till Dawn. I recommend doing it in 1 pitch, much like Green Spur.

I took doubles of 1-4 C4s and used them all.

C L

Great route. There is a purple cam (Camalot?) stuck under the roof. I hope someone can remove it, since it spoils the crux.

I have to say the bird shit or whatever it is takes away from the great climbing. The stuck cam (Trango) is still there.

Now from gathering all the beta from the post above, I was going to avoid the wide crack not try to do any off widthing. Big mistake for me. After a few down climbs and takes, I had to get in there to move up. For the start of the wide crack I did lay it back, but then moved in with a knee to set up for the good jams above. I did clip the pin, but I don't think it was needed, you can get a #3 BD in at the same level as the pin. Now to pull over the roof is a bit heady. A lot of air under your butt. But it is all there.

Have fun on it.

Let me start with this: I do not believe in supernatural phenomena, nor am I particularly superstitious (the latter no more so than most climbers).

On Sunday I’m belaying my partner on the crux pitch of GC from just below the slings at the top of P1. After my partner clears the roof and disappears I begin to hear faint sounds coming from the wide crack at about chest level. My initial conclusion: pigeons, maybe bats (no surprise there). Then I start to hear metallic sounds, like those of gear clinking together. Okay, so there’s long lost gear buried in there and the pigeons are disturbing it. I peer into the crack about a foot and a half deep-—the point where dim sunlight meets blackness-—but I see nothing. Then I start to hear faint grunting noises. The grunting gets louder and louder, but it’s definitely not pigeons or bats. It’s the sound of a human being grunting! It gets louder and, as it gets louder, there is no longer any doubt the sound is coming from inside the crack, not via the crack by some weird sound reflection phenomenon, but from INSIDE THE CRACK. I’m thinking to myself either 1) this crack is a wormhole piping sound in from some other part of the canyon or 2) the ghosts of Layton Kor, Jim Erickson, et al have come to pay me a visit (except neither Kor nor Erickson is dead last I checked). Anyway, I couldn’t wait to get the hell out of there.

Can anybody here 1) recall having experienced this phenomenon and 2) if so, offer a reasonable explanation for it (besides the voices are coming from inside my head)?

David- Either you had a psychotic episode and should seek immediate medical attention, or the Grandmother's Challenge crack goes all the way through to Darkness 'Til Dawn, and the human sounds you heard were from a climber grunting their way up that climb. My guess is there's no need to find your insurance card just yet.

David...I think you should share your weed with the rest of us.

David C. -

YES! I had a very similar experience at a belay just above the slings. I was looking all around me to find out where the "voices" were coming from ... NOBODY was anywhere within 100+ feet, though the sounds were right next to me.

... After I coax my partner thru the crux, I hear the voices say: "I can hear somebody"

Then I realize I am not crazy, I am just hearing ghosts.

... Or someone is on Darkness Till Dawn. So I ask them (talking clearly and quietly into the crack): "Are you climbing Darkness Till Dawn?"

Then I hear a lot of laughing ... and finally a "Yes I am, HA!HA!HA!"

So does that mean that they are the same climb and one side is just a variation of the other?

Casey, thank you for validating my sanity! Ironically, we climbed DtD right after rapping from the GC tree (but no voices this time, presumably since no one was on GC at the time). Thinking about the orientation of the cracks on both climbs your explanation seems logical. The DtD crack that splits the left-facing side of the dihedral meets the GC crack on the other side of the arete. I wonder if you were to shine a bright light into one side you could see it from the other? This explanation is unfortunate in one respect, though: it would have been much more fun as a ghost story.

Too much bird crap. Enjoy.

The slings and stuff for the belay before the roof were completely buried in bird shit, but it was otherwise avoidable. A 60m will not get you to the belay tree without about 30 feet of simul-climbing.

At the risk of stating the obvious--for those who are not "at one" with the resident birds and their leavings, simply clip into the numerous slings around the chockstone at the end of P1, tie a clove hitch and extend it down to the ledge about 7 feet from the original belay. That way, you've got a nice place to watch your buddy and you don't have to worry about the wasting wetness in the crack above.