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Lover's Leap Route Advice and/or Partners 8/3-8/6

Original Post
Jason Albino · · Salt Lake City, UT · Joined Mar 2012 · Points: 180

Hello all!

My girlfriend and I will be in Lover's Leap on 8/3-8/6 at the end of a two-month road trip - our third trip to the area. We'll be staying in the campground.

If you're interested in climbing with us, please let me know!

If not, I would love to hear your advice on your favorite can't-miss routes. So far we've ticked Knapsack Crack, It's Better With Bacon, Pop Bottle, East Wall, East Crack, Bear's Reach, Haystack, The Line, Surrealistic Pillar, The Groove, Corrugation Corner, and a few single-pitches at Phantom Spires.

For this trip, I've reviewed the SuperTopo guidebook again for a plan, and so far I've bookmarked Harding's Chimney, Fantasia, Scimitar, Eagle Buttress Right, The Farce, Hospital Corner, Vanishing Point, and maybe another crag day @ Phantom Spires, but I'd love to hear any (positive, constructive) opinions from you locals!

For reference:
- I lead ~5.9/10a trad and follow 10c/d
- I lead 5.10d/11a sport and follow 11b/c
- My girlfriend is just learning to lead over the last year but she's a great climber and fast learner (5.8+ trad/5.10a+ sport)

Cheers and thanks for reading,
-Jason from San Francisco

(forgive me if you see a similar post in other regional sections or a refresh of this post in a few weeks - I am trying to ping locals in each area along our trip!)

Angie C · · Salt Lake City, UT · Joined Oct 2011 · Points: 55

I noticed you forgot Travelers Buttress.

You might want to try the alternate start to Haystack, Preparation H.

For cragging Dear John Buttress at the Leap is a nice place to go too.

BrianWS · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2010 · Points: 790

The 2nd pitch of Travellers is notoriously difficult, unless you have good offwidth technique. The alternate P2 variation is a 10b, which many consider to be much easier.
Arctic Breeze is a great sport line (the book says it's heads-up, but is quite chill), and Power Lust or Boot Hill (stiff!) are classic 11a's.
If you are comfortable on 10a, hit Hospital Corner for sure. Super, super classic.
Lower Buttress and Dear John have some good mixed routes as well -- Sinbad-Herbet is great, with an easy 5.10 first pitch on gear and fun bolted dike climbing for the second.
The spires are amazing. Most of the routes on the Middle Spire are classic, and there are some fantastic routes on the Upper one as well. Candyland (10c) leads like a sport route, as do many of the knobby climbs around the corner. Fear of FLying is an uber-classic too.

Clockwork Orange · · California · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 335

Honestly i would say forget knapsack, it will be boring for you with the other routes you have on your list, if you want to do a climb on hogsback i would suggest Deception, +1 for artic breeze, super fun sport climb (very cold if the temp is below 50) Corrugation is a must as well, Stem meister is a fun climb that is also on the same wall as acrtic breeze and corrugation. another climb that IMO you cant miss is the line, just make sure you dont fall at your 2nd piece.

RJNakata · · SoCal · Joined Aug 2012 · Points: 460

Not much "fame" on this one but one off my favorites is Bookmark (.7) with a nice OW at the top.
Might be too low of a grade for you...

Salamanizer Ski · · Off the Grid… · Joined Sep 2005 · Points: 18,914

Ditch that Supertopo and pick up a copy of the Falcon Guide. Assuming you're solid at 5.9 and judging by your list of already done classics, it's time for you to branch out and start climbing some of the many sleeper routes the leap has.

Start with Fandango, 5.9 and awesome for two pitches. All trad no fixed gear. A rarity these days.

Gotta run up Lovers Chimney. Super easy but lots of fun. Take the right hand exit for the more exposed and fun way off.

Bookmark is 5 stars...

Dragon Back is a classic bolted .10b. Climb the first pitch of the "North Face" and traverse over to it on the big ledge. Super exposed and gives you that "way up there" feeling.

Travelers Buttress is pretty good for a 5.9. Don't let that second pitch scare you, it's the first that has bitten so many ankles.

Absolutely Billy, on the West wall just down to the left from Arctic Breeze is becoming a classic. Not in the guide yet but ask around and enough locals will point you in the right direction. You can see it's formation and local on page 161 of the Falcon guide just to the left of route C (The Slash). It goes about up the center of those two cracks show.

The first pitch of Anesthesia is a great warm up 5.8. Fairly well protected and from the anchors you can climb the Gamoke (really it's the Jamoke) just right of Hospital Corner. A few well protected moves of .10b and you gain a hidden corner of classic jamming and stemming.

April Fools, possibly the most classic single pitch of 5.9 at the Leap.

Craven Image, A wondering odyssey several pitches up the West Wall. Finish on the route (Easier than it Looks) instead of going left into the Dead Tree Direct. Way better...

The Banana. A little dirty but classic offwidth and fists. Not hard and the pro is excellent. Could use your help making it less dirty, na mean?...

The For Real Crack on the Lower Buttress is a less than traveled adventurous route, clean and varied in style. It's not an adventure if you have to wait in line...

Beer Can Alley Direct. Not in the guide per say... but it's there and obvious when looking for Beer Can Alley. Sport bolted the whole way and not a bit harder than .10a

Hogs Back is a bit of a Turd, but Deception and Reds Delight are two routes worth a visit.

Don't much care for Phantom Spires myself... but Turning Point on the Lost John is a definite not to miss classic. It's a solid .10b but well protected and super fun.

Evan Riley · · San Francisco, CA · Joined Jun 2009 · Points: 45

Hit the Gamoke! Its just to the right of Hospital and just as good.

Angie C · · Salt Lake City, UT · Joined Oct 2011 · Points: 55
RJNakata wrote:Not much "fame" on this one but one off my favorites is Bookmark (.7) with a nice OW at the top. Might be too low of a grade for you...
Last I checked, Bookmark is off limits for the next several months due to the Falcons nesting. It's a great climb, though.
RJNakata · · SoCal · Joined Aug 2012 · Points: 460
Angie C wrote: Last I checked, Bookmark is off limits for the next several months due to the Falcons nesting. It's a great climb, though.
woah...where can I get this type of closure info?
Colonel Mustard · · Sacramento, CA · Joined Sep 2005 · Points: 1,241
RJNakata wrote: woah...where can I get this type of closure info?
It's usually posted on a board at the campground on a laminated topo denoting the closure areas.
Angie C · · Salt Lake City, UT · Joined Oct 2011 · Points: 55
Colonel Mustard wrote: It's usually posted on a board at the campground on a laminated topo denoting the closure areas.
Two weeks ago it was laminated and tied to a tree right near the start of the climbers trail up to the East Wall.
Colonel Mustard · · Sacramento, CA · Joined Sep 2005 · Points: 1,241
Angie C wrote: Two weeks ago it was laminated and tied to a tree right near the start of the climbers trail up to the East Wall.
Well there ya go!
coop Best · · Glenwood Springs, CO · Joined Jan 2005 · Points: 485

anyone have the supertopo guidebook they want to sell?
supertopo.com/packs/southla…

planning a weekend at the end of august

bergbryce · · California · Joined Aug 2009 · Points: 145

Was wondering if Bookmark has always had the spooky blocks wedged in the top pitch? My partner last season got totally spooked on those and we ended up escaping via Lover's Chimney, which I agree is an overlooked but quality route. I've only finished that route the direct way with the fun, well protected mossy roof crux.

The raptor closure maps are swaying in the wind from trees along the approach trail. There is a big section of the central wall that is closed, just make sure you aren't climbing in there and ask someone if you don't know for sure.

GhaMby Eagan · · Heaven · Joined Oct 2006 · Points: 385

I think doing the first pitch of travellers buttress into corrugation corner is the BEST moderate climb I've ever done.

Fear of flying is a great route on the upper spire at Phantom, but I finished it by traversing left onto the nobs, they just looked more fun than the low angle corner. Have fun, but get up early to stay in the shade, it was really hot when I was there last week.

Also I didn't see any signs for off limits climbs, we did the line and bears reach which were both worth doing, but nowhere as good as corrugation corner.

Jason Albino · · Salt Lake City, UT · Joined Mar 2012 · Points: 180

Hi all,

Just finishing this thread since I finished my trip:

We did and very much enjoyed:
- Prep H/Haystack
- Hospital Corner
- Traveler Buttress (10B P2 variation much more fun than the offwidth)
- Scimitar
- Psychedelic Tree (should see more ascents - two full-value pitches and stellar movement)

Central wall was more-or-less closed due to nesting so we had to leave those climbs for next time.

Thanks for the suggestions!

Jason Albino · · Salt Lake City, UT · Joined Mar 2012 · Points: 180

Hi all,

Just finishing this thread since I finished my trip:

We did and very much enjoyed:
- Prep H/Haystack
- Hospital Corner
- Traveler Buttress (10B P2 variation much more fun than the offwidth)
- Scimitar
- Psychedelic Tree (should see more ascents - two full-value pitches and stellar movement)

Central wall was more-or-less closed due to nesting so we had to leave those climbs for next time.

Thanks for the suggestions!

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Northern California
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