Drainpipe 5.10
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BETA PHOTO: photo of the route...tighter than it looks in that...
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Description From the parking lot, go across the drainage and then past the first trail (to Generic Crack). The next trail will take you up to the Chocolate Corner area. Hike past Chocolate Corner to a large inset chimney with two routes inside. This is the route on the right side of the chimney, ascending a slightly overhanging thin hands to finger crack in an acute dihedral/slot to a anchor composed of two drilled pins. About 70 feet. Start up the seemingly frictionless thin-hands slot (with occasionally tolerable hand jams) to a pod, where you can place the #3 Camalot and milk a "rest". The 25 feet from the pod to the anchors is the crux, with acceptable and sometimes excellent fingerlocks. Hardmen and hardwomen will just jam straight up to the anchors, while the rest of us softies can use an inelegant combination of stemming and chimney technique to supplement the finger jams.Three stars anywhere else, but two stars at most for Indian Creek.
Protection 3 #1 Camalots, 1 #3 Camalot, double Aliens from yellow to orange. Heck, you could might even be able to use some larger stoppers on this if you wanted to hang around and fiddle them in.
pitch is really frustrating
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By Ben F From: Benfield, Kolorado Nov 1, 2001
| I'll check my guides, but I thought Drainpipe was the left route. |
By Darin Lang Nov 1, 2001
| Either way ... both routes are pretty fun and 5.10ish, although IMO the left route is a bit harder than the right one due to OW start and the relentless off-finger jams (I hate this size). |
By Anonymous Coward Nov 5, 2001
| Good pitch; reminiscent of the tight dihedral pitch on the NE Buttress of Higher Cathedral Rock. Seems like the knee-cam maneuver is necessary to keep the grade at 5.10, unless you have small paws. Shaded and cool. |
By Karsten From: Sacramento, CA Jul 9, 2007
| A different kind of climb for the creek, less about jamming and more about finaglry. This was a proud lead for me back in the day and I am sure it still spits out climbers today. |
By caughtinside From: Oakland CA Sep 21, 2009
| Got an eyeful of sand on this one, ouch. Not a classic, but different and challenging, and stays cool in there. The unnamed to the left is longer and better. |
By ccmski From: Prescott, AZ Nov 19, 2009 rating: 5.10
| Pumpy and fun. Harder for the grade than other 10s at the creek IMO. |
By Alexander Nees From: Grand Junction, CO Apr 29, 2010 rating: 5.10+
| This thing ate me alive... I got a knee gobie right through my pants from kneebar-ing my way most of the distance! Certainly seemed harder for me than other 10s at the Creek. I'd call it 10+ for the water polish, awkwardness, and bad rattly fingers at the top. And yes, I'm pretty sure this route is the Drainpipe. That's what Bloom says, it squares with his description, and also this crack is definitely the primary drainage channel, not the one to the left (personal observation!). |
By -robin- Mar 8, 2011
| those nailed in angles for anchors scared me, one of them pulled out when I was cleaning the tat off the anchor, I guess all you can do is slide it back in and hope for the best, ah sandstone. |
By LahDaBudz From: moab, ut Mar 10, 2011 rating: 5.10+
| not sandstone robin......drilled angles IN sandstone. why cant we all use bolts? by the way guys dranpipe is THE LEFT route. where the water runs down the cliff. that is why its the DRAINPIPE! |
By Larry From: SoAZ Jul 18, 2011
| Well, LahDa, those drilled angles went in at a time when they were much preferred to 1/4" split-shaft compression bolts, which were granite standard. Feel free to upgrade the hardware. Just do a good job! |
By Lou Hibbard From: Eagan, MN Oct 30, 2011
| Odd how I had a good left knee cam and almost a no hands rest much of the way yet still managed to be pumped at the top. |
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