Wartime is the bolted route immediate left of The Army Route. Locate the first bolt with the homemade red angle hanger just above a horizontal outcrop - it's a ways off the deck, but the climbing is easy. Continue past a cold shut and two more bolts to lower angle terrain. The route begins to steepen again at the fifth bolt (missing hanger - either sling it with a stopper or climb past it). There is also an ancient ring piton just to the left of the bolt - it's possible to clip it, but it probably wouldn't hold much of a fall. Continue past two more bolts to the anchors (crux). Good climb on solid rock. Rappel with a single rope (50m would work).
Not only is their a confusing paradox amongst the information, but there is yet an undecided grade for the climb. I'm going out on a limb, here, but I wouldn't call this climb any harder than 5.8.
I really should wait until I get on the route again (which was supposed to be today, rain). However I want to say that the rating could reflect different variations at the crux. Particularly that the right side of the bolt line is a bit steeper and with less features than the left side (which features a conveniently placed bush, though its debateable if that's on-route for those ticking low-mid grade sport routes. sadly, like me).
I'm of the school of thought that says you find a weakness and climb it. If your priority for the weakness is speed, then go for what looks quick. If you're priority be aesthetic movement, then look for that. In lieu of this, when climbing this line of bolts as your pro while moving over the weakness that is the face and arete feature of this rock, I say you use what holds are available to you. That means that there is no 'off' as long as you are within reach of the bolts. That also means that the easiest way up the climb while using the bolts as pro is the way that should receive the grade.
After I got the first ascent of this sport climb, we retro'ed it (adding two bolts-the last bolt is one of them; sometimes I can still skip the last bolt (on this sport climb. The real name is The Men Arete; just because a naive editor renames my climb does not mean that the naive name gets heald on another humans vanity!!!! Please....Wartime is an insult. Let's get it straight.... Men Arete, 5.9+. I was the person who drew a topo for these sport climbs we have bolted; &, to get a false label is insulting. Men Arete, 5.9+, the reason the topo says 5.8 is because of arrogance....
A fun route that is well bolted (except the funky homemade hangers). Although not much harder than 5.8, it was harder than Balance, 5.8, 30m to the right.
By jmeizis From: Colorado Springs, CO Aug 27, 2009 rating: 5.9-
I would call it solid 5.9-. It's harder than Balance but easier than some of the 5.9s in the Garden such as Crescent Corner or Credibility Gap. Albeit it's different stone and a different style. I found it only a little bit easier than Corrugation Corner which I climbed after Menarete as well as after onsighting Dragnet, Full Monty, and Cheyenne.
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