Facial Hair  5.11a R

404 page views Good page?

Type:  Trad, 1 pitch, 160 feet Consensus:  5.11- [details] FA:  Mike Caldwell and Dan Ludlam Submitted By:  Eli Helmuth on Jul 26, 2005 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (5) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

BETA PHOTO: Gollum's Arch.

Add Photo  Add Comment    Printer View

Season raptor closures MORE INFO >>> The following areas are closed from March 1-July 31 or until further notice: Twin Owls, Rock One, Batman Rock, Batman Pinnacle, Sheep Mountain, Thunder Buttress, The Parish, Lightning Rock and Checkerboard Rock are currently closed. The closures include the named rock formations and the areas extending 100 yards surrounding the base of the formation. This includes all climbing routes, outcroppings, cliffs, faces, ascent and descent routes and climber's access trails to the formation. Alligator Rock is also closed. www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/area_closures.htm This information is a public crowdsourcing effort between the Access Fund, and Mountain Project. You should confirm closures, restrictions, and/or related dates. Keeping climbing areas open and conserving the climbing environment

Description 

This is one of the forgotten classics at the Ridge. A bit of a sandbag at 11a- feels like a letter harder and somewhat runout as it was bolted on lead way back in '85. Also a little dirty as it has seen little action for the last decade or so. Facial Hair starts just 20' right of the mega classic Gollum's Arch at a left leaning crack just left of a big right facing dihedral (Latch Hand).

Mike Caldwell and Eli Helmuth replaced all four bolts in the summer of '05 with ASCA hardware. The first bolt, which was placed by an unknown person before the first ascent was moved down and left 3' to be in line with the rest of the route and to give even spacing between the crack gear on both sides of it. The thin horizontal crack above the first bolt has a hidden big slot just left above the bolt, and this is key as it takes a fat nut or small cam before committing to the crux slab section up to the second bolt. Steep crack climbing at the bottom and thin slab above give this route a balanced and testy feel. Scramble off to the west into the first gully for the descent- skiers right.

Protection 

Four bolts, full rack of cams to #2 Camalot. Small to medium nuts.