This excellent route fires up the middle of the longest section of the yellow, South facing main wall of Ridge 2, just left of a large pine tree. Climbing is on lay-aways, edges, and flakes and seems to get just a bit harder with every move. The technical crux, strictly speaking, comes with a finger traverse to the left, near the middle of the climb, and seemed a bit harder than 5.11a (my own call is more like 5.11b since the edge/seam really peters out at the left end). Another left traverse 20 ft below the anchors adds another 5.10+ crux on sketchy feet and is a bit tricky since it moves quite a way to the left. The rest feels a bit spacey, but climbing is never harder than 5.9. Three stars for the great stone, high continuity, and tricky sequences in the middle.
Protection
QD only. This 100ft route needs a bakers dozen of draws and something for the double bolt anchor at the top.
Richard's route description does not completely jibe with the climb I just did. I found two cruxes, the first a roof about midway and the second a traverse to the left near the top which matches Richard's technical crux. This route has interesting moves and good rock but is docked a star for rope drag and possible ledge fall potential at the second crux. Rope drag can be reduced by using a long sling on the bolt below the roof; if the extra fall potential this adds make you unhappy, you could place a small nut at the lip of the roof.
By Tony Bubb From: Boulder, CO Aug 23, 2004 rating: 5.11b
A good climb with 4 potential cruxes, depending on your style.The first crux was at the first bolt- with odd stemming- the crux hold was slick and tough, for me this was the hardest move. Chalk or less "humid" conditions might have helped. A second crux was just at the roof. A agree that this bolt was somewhat poorly placed relative to fall position and rope drag, and a 2' sling will decrease the potential bother of either somewhat, but... the rope still drags with a long sling. Should the bolt below the roof ever be replaced, perhaps it should be moved left a foot or two.Pulling over that roof is cruxy and gettign established above it might give a climber some trouble. TH eclip there is pumpy.The last crux is lats and shoulders- it need not feel hard for the strong, but it will make a few limp-wristed delicate footwork experts sorry if 11a is their limit... and it will make ogres like me feel better after watching them sail through the first crux that I was whining on.
If you want to lower off of this, particularly with draws still in, I hope you brought your 70M rope. My 70M had only 3 meters left with climber and belayer at the ground. The route is more like 33m and a 60m will come up short, particularly with the wandering line of the climb and it's bolts.On rap you can probably swing uphill to reach a high spot on the ground and make it down with a 60M, but that is untested by myself and would be close.
Secret Crag
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