Left Crack 5.8
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| Type: | Trad, 3 pitches, 450 feet, Grade II |
| Consensus: | 5.8 [details] |
| FA: | Unknown |
| Submitted By: | john durr on Jul 14, 2008 |
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Jesse Groves negotiates a wide section near the to...
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Description An excellent sustained moderate crack climb. It looks wide and ugly from below, but is actually 2 pitches of excellent hand and finger crack climbing. Follow Arch Bitch-Up 5.8 to top.
Pitch 1: Left Crack starts at Tobin's Dihedral. Stem/lieback the first move of Tobin's to reach a horizontal thin crack. Traverse the crack right 30' (crux) and follow the crack as it curves upward to form a wide looking (hand size) vertical crack to a bolt/rappel anchor, 5.8 - 120 feet.
Pitch 2: As you follow the moderate hand crack up it diagonals left after a prominent ledge. Option A (recommended) is to follow this crack past the ledge to join the top of Tobin's and continue the nice dihedral to the top of a pillar (gear anchor 1-3" cams) 5.7 - 100 feet. Option B at the ledge traverse about 15 feet right, ascend a short bulge to reach an easy bushy crack left of Arch Bitch-Up to a tree belay 5.8 and spooky - 90 feet. Option C at the ledge follow the crack left about 10 feet up to a wide spot and face traverse up and right to reach the easy bushy crack and belay at the tree 5.8 and spooky - 90 feet. If you did option A, move the belay down and right 20 for the next pitch, easy 5th class.
Pitch 3: Follow the last pitch of Arch Bitch-Up past a slung knob to a bolt, head up and left big knobs to a weird ear / lieback. Bizarre and fun maneuvers past the ear (gear 0.5 - 3" cams) lead to a bolt belay / rappel station, continue past one more bolt and an easy runnout to another bolted belay, 5.8 - 180 feet. Walk off or easy 5th class left then up to the top of the rock.
Location The route starts on the main east face at the start of Tobin's Dihedral. Walk off either north or south side of the dome.
Protection A standard rack to 3". Small cams for the crux traverse help you to protect your second. Double 2-3" cams for the crack. A 4" cam would fit in some spots, but is not necessary. Belay anchor/rap station at the end of pitch 1 and 3, gear anchor at top of pitch 2.
By Matthew Fienup
Administrator
From: Ventura, CA
Aug 11, 2009
rating: 5.8+
| The traverse that starts the first pitch is intimidating; although, it protects very well. I climbed with my feet a full 6+ feet below the crack the entire way. The rest of the climb was surprisingly cruiser. |
By Brian Paden
From: Goleta CA
Aug 29, 2010
| The routefinding at the end is a bit tricky. After you go up the nice right facing corner with thin hands, go right across an easy face protected by an old style bolt. After the bolt is a strange shallow chimney. A .4 camalot protects the bottom, then a 1 camalot protects the top. bolted anchor after the chimney. The last pitch is an unprotected pitch of easy 5th. Heady climb for the 5.8 leader. |
By Matthew Fienup
Administrator
From: Ventura, CA
May 30, 2011
rating: 5.8+
| The first pitch of this route is an absolute must-do...one of the best pitches of climbing on the dome.
In regard to Brian's comment, there are at least three variations atop the layback pillar...two to the left and one to the right. |
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