Libertine  5.12d

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Type:  Sport, 1 pitch, 70 feet Consensus:  5.12d [details] FA:  Porter Jarrard Submitted By:  Fred Gomez on Nov 10, 2012 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (2) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

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Description 

Libertine can be thought of as “Face Climbing 101.” It travels up the black and white speckled wall past a selection of in-cut crimps and slimpers. The route requires the full gamut of face climbing skills, and almost every move requires either a highstep or backstep as you lock off from one crimp to the next. From the ground, and even while climbing on the route it can be very difficult to spot hand holds, but it is all there, including a variety of intermediates for shorter climbers.

Begin by stick clipping the high first bolt and gliding through good holds on orange rock. The technical crux awaits you right at the first bolt where you must make a long reach and then negotiate a small roof. From here the climbing lets up for a few bolts but still requires technical footwork. Rest up at a good horizontal break before embarking on the most sustained section of the route. Crimp and highstep your way through a series of crisp edges being sure to save enough energy for the final hard move. Clip the final bolt and then quickly decide how to navigate to a slopey ledge. Finish by climbing a few more easy moves to the anchor.

Libertine bakes in the sun for most of the day. It is best saved for a cool cloudy day. This route is fun because it is more sustained than your average NRG route and it doesn’t feature a typical stopper crux. A route called "Oblivion" branches off left at the third bolt.

Location 

Just around the Corner from Quinsana Plus. Starts on Orange Rock in front of a giant Boulder.

Protection 

7 Bolts + Anchor