Sucking My Will to Live 

The 3rd bolt needs to be fixed. It will eventually shred your rope if you hang to many times and twist you fingers in half.

The third bolt, while unfortunate to hang from, is well placed to be able to clip it on lead, and actually have it protect the first crux move. I would recommend not hanging from it too much (to save your rope) and being careful with your foot placement once you climb through this crux as you can easily step on the rope.

Tricky, powerful, and fun- a masterful route.

Use a long draw or sling that will let your rope hang to the left of the edge.

Great route! Do it and definitely try to get a long draw on the third to hang just below the lip.

I'm confused about this route. Has a new one been placed between "sucking my will" and public solitude, or to the the right of sucking? Or am I just reading the guide book wrong?

I was cleaning up my office last week (to prepare for my retirement early next year), and I found this rather amusing beta I made when I redpointed this route in 1995. It was soon after this that my back went out and my ACL tore, so this was about my last hard route.The reason I wrote down the beta was I remember there was such a wild sequence of moves once my right hand was on a crimp. I counted about 11 moves before moving my right hand again. I never had the physical skills to just power through hard routes. I was usually able to do them with "Smoke & Mirrors" tricks.

The description starts from the 3rd bolt:

From hip scum rest, clip 3rd bolt with left hand.(Preset bolt with 1 foot draw).Right hand on bucket, left hand on pinch flake.Left foot on bucket around left. Right foot on slab where hip scum was. Shift right hand to undercling.Match left foot on hip scum slab, left hand up high to crimp/gaston. Hold it with left thumb. Right foot to heel hook.From this position, a right hand clip can be made if a double draw is in place. Match right hand fingers on left thumb crimp.

Now count the number of moves before the right hand moves again!

1. Reach left hand to good pocket.2. Keep left foot where it is, release right heel hook and position it above left foot.3. Move left foot around corner to hold.4. Move right foot to heel hook.5. Position left foot underneath heel hook onto crack.6. This allows left hand release up to side pull crimp feature.7. Right foot onto slab.8. Left foot high step into pocket.9. Lean on left foot and reposition left hand up again onto hard-to-see, but good, left hand crimp.10. Move right foot to either heel hook where right hand is, or on edge higher and closer to body.11. This allows right hand to go up high to good horizontal.

Whew!!!

Rest with either left foot in pocket or right foot in pocket.

Now for the upper crux.

From big left hand layback, reach far right and make clip.Re-position feet, stem right foot far right onto chalked edge way down right. Right hand is far right on good edge, leaving room for left hand to match. Left hand "drive by" to crimp at chest level.Now match hands. Switch feet with left backstep onto ticked edge.Right heel hook on ledge, finding place for big toe undercling.Pull with leg to reach right hand high. Match left, and surf right to flake. (Hopefully, you can clip long draw on anchor).Left foot backstep on ledge and reach left hand high to sloping edge.Mini-rose right hand to sloper left of left hand.reach up 8 inches to left hand good crimp.Right hand up over top to finishing hold.Clip anchors with left hand!

A few years ago, and in the space of less than an hour, I saw at least three very different solutions to both cruxes. So the beta would seem to be pretty flexible. The nicest ascent looked almost delicate.

Sorry, typo-ed the stars. Two stars at least.

Sorry Rich, this ones three stars all the way!

I give it 12d to be consistent with Clear Creek. This may be the only legitimate 12c in the canyon. Flying Cowboys is easier, Ten Digit is easier, Big Dog is way easier, The Great Escape is easier. I'd say it's even comparable to Sonic Youth (though the latter is a better climb). This wall is very akin to Rumney climbing, as are the ratings (save Flying Cowboys).

I sent this route today, and what a great route. It might be one of the best CCC routs that I have ever done. I have to agree with Chris. This is probly the only legit 12c in the canyon. Thats for a tall person. For anyone under 5'8" this route would be much harder. I really hate to put a grade on thing, but for the sake of the short people, not myself 12c/d. Get on it it is good.

The only legit 12c?

Have you done Y2k? Presto?

There are several.

I think this is on par to other 12c's in the canyon if you get the right sneaky beta. I did moves similar to what Greg Hand describes -- not 11 moves before I moved my right hand though -- nice work man! In particular, the left hand thumb gaston w/ right foot heel hook is key. Never thought I'd utter that sentence, but it's true. I'm 5'9" ish, and my friend Ken is 6', and it worked for him. Try the trick techy beta, and she shouldn't feel too bad.

It sucked my will, held my draws hostage, but went after a ruthless twenty or so tries. I think this is one of the most physical and beta intensive 12s in clear creek. For a short climber there are a ton of options for both the lower crux and the upper redpoint crux - at the first crux between bolts three and four, with the left hand at the lower left pinch, standing directly up and grabbing the ear with the right hand saves a couple of moves. For the final two throws at the top (tough at 5'6'') a heel mantle, to a quick rest, moving the right hand out right to a crimp, then throwing out up and left with the left hand to the summit chalk-sloper hold seems to reduce the distance of two brutal deadpoints/throws. I add these ideas only because Greg Hand's beta helped me think about the route and opened my eyes to figuring out new things as well. Cheers and good luck.

One of my favorite routes in CCC.