Interceptor  5.10b

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Type:  Trad, 4 pitches, 350 feet Consensus:  5.10b [details] FA:  unknown Submitted By:  tobias on Dec 7, 2002 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (2) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

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Seasonal Raptor Closure MORE INFO >>> The Cathedral Spires area, including Block Tower, Cynical Pinnacle, Snake Buttress, the Dome, Hall of Mirrors, Sunshine Wall, and Poe Buttress, are closed annually starting March 1 for raptor nesting. After careful monitoring of nest sites, Jefferson County Open Space opens certain areas of Cathedral Spires and maintain spot closures for active nests through July 31st. Check back periodically during times of closure for updates. 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 

We traversed onto this route from Squatter's Rights, so I have no info about the first two pitches. The third pitch was our variation, the first half of which was 5.5-5.6. Then it steepens a bit, and leads up to the right of a small overhang. There's an old bolt there. We set up a hanging belay: the crack above takes a #3.5 cam and there's also a small crack on the left for protection.

4th pitch, variation: follow the obvious crack to the right. There are decent underclings for holds and pro as you smear out onto the slab. It's exposed and hard to see what to place, though, as you're above it. (I yelled at my partner to tell me if I had the right size, but then relaxed a bit and figured it out.) Stretch wide with your right foot to gain a decent little foothold. Continue traversing right. This leads you into the "Stripteaser" crack system. The crack you're on peters out before this, and you have to carefully stretch and traverse out and down. (This is a cool section, but you may be relieved when you're in Stripteaser.)

From here, follow the crack on up and out (5.10b). Or, if you're enjoying the traverse, continue on sparse face holds to the right around the rounded corner to the next crack--"Man on Fire". Again, it's a bit reachy a traverse but brings a smile to your face when you've made it. Do your best to protect it for you partner. I stuck a #4 high in Stripteaser before continuing on towards Man on Fire. However, this also caused incredible rope drag, and I had to pull my way hard around that corner!

5th pitch: (Now on Man of Fire) Fire up the short pitch. There's a huge detached flake at the top that offers pro. You can then boulder up its arete to the ridge (fun). Easy scrambling will take you higher along the ridge if you like, but there are rappel slings just on the other side of where you top out. There's a second rappel further down the gully, so don't take off your harness after the first. Cheers!

Protection 

Pro to 4 inches. Medium and small cams needed for the crux.