Hard Up Direct  5.8

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Type:  Trad, 3 pitches, 170 feet Consensus:  5.8 [details] FA:  Submitted By:  John Kelbel on Jul 25, 2012 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (5) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

BETA PHOTO: Hard Up Direct 5.8
Topo

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Description 

The Classic route at Maryland Heights. It is recommended to link pitch 2 and 3 together.

1. Climb the left facing corner and face up to the white streak at the bottom of the sign. Step left to a set of bolts with chains. This pitch sometimes contains a little vegetation.
2. Step left and move up, follow a steep ramp left to a slanted overhanging block. Climb the crack on the main wall and step left onto the top of the block located at the bottom left corner of the sign. Notice the rappel bolts and chains just below your feet. However it's best to build an gear anchor here if you don't want to continue on and combine the next pitch.
3. Follow the right leaning crack a couple of feet to a left rising crack. Take the crack left to the top of a small ledge. Keep an eye out for loose rock on the next easy part. Move up the wide crack and onto the arete. Move left onto the ramp and up to the large bolder covered ledge with a tree.
4. Move up behind the tree into a squeeze chimney, follow the chimney to a tree and 6 feet in pass the tree you will find the main rappel chains on the left wall. This is also the last pitch of “D route”

Two rappels with a single 60 meter rope. On the first rappel watch where you lay the rope when exiting the chimney there is a spot with a V notch that some times will snags a rope.

Location 

At the top of the trail scramble up a narrow gully directly below the center of the sign this is also left of a large left facing corner. Continue scrambling left up a ramp for 30' to a wide left facing corner.

Protection 

Standard trad rack. Bolted belay on pitch 1 and 4. Combine pitch 2 and 3 and belay from the tree.

Photos of Hard Up Direct Slideshow

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On the 2nd / 3rd pitch linkup	first moves of the 2nd pitch	going through the chimney on the fourth pitch