Marijuana 5.11d
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| Type: | Trad, 5 pitches, 500 feet |
| Consensus: | 5.11d [details] |
| FA: | Unknown. |
| Submitted By: | Josh Janes on Feb 9, 2012 |
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Description Marijuana is an excellent, clean route up the huge brown buttress to the left of Black Orpheus and to the right of the Black Arch Wall. Mostly following interesting corners, the climb is capped by two lovely, testy pitches. It is south facing and offers nice, sunny climbing – perfect for a clear winter day. Approach as for Black Orpheus, but head left across the slabs (may require some exposed easy 5th class) and away from Black Orpheus to reach an indistinct weakness below the left side of the towering buttress above. We roped up and began climbing from a small cave-like feature that happens to be home to about two dozen Aquafina water bottles. I’m not sure why. This body-sized cave is just to the right of a narrow ridge of rock that separates the Black Orpheus side of the amphitheater from the There and Back Again side.
P1: As for Tuscarora - depending on where you start, begin climbing up broken rock into a corner to a bolted anchor. 5.5-5.8.
P2: Again, as for Tuscarora - climb up the corner passing two bolts to a bolted anchor on a ledge directly below the large roof above. 5.10b, 100’.
P3: Traverse right via an easy, but exposed move on a loose ledge system to a bolted anchor at the base of a short, steep corner. Low 5th class, 50'.
P4: Climb up a very steep left-facing corner passing two bolts to a bolted anchor on a ledge. 5.11, 50'.
P5: Head up a corner to the right (don't go straight up) and pull up with difficulty onto a long, leaning left-facing ramp system. There are several bolts and well-spaced but solid gear placements along this ramp - the very end of the system is steep, run out, and difficult, but the climbing is beautiful and face holds appear to ease the passage. End at a bolted anchor. 5.11d, 120'.
Rappel from here with a 70m rope, following the ramp back down (a leaver 'biner on one or two of the bolts will make this much easier). Alternatively, it is possible to continue up to the top of the formation via a huge right-facing corner system which faces Black Orpheus. This supposedly goes at 5.10a.
Protection One each from blue Alien/0 TCU to #2 Camalot. Two each 0.4 and 0.5 Camalots. Wires. 70m rope.
By Killing In The Name Of
Feb 10, 2012
| JJ wrote: "We roped up and began climbing from a small cave-like feature that happens to be home to about two dozen Aquafina water bottles. I'm not sure why."
I'm guessing that the first ascentionists have a serious commitment to wilderness ethics, the desire to leave Red Rock a better place than they found it, and are considerate of the impacts of their passage on the wild animals that inhabit the area and the climbers who repeat their routes.
Either that, or the ringtails are having one of their notorious "water parties", I hear those are pretty wild..
Did you think the route was worthwhile overall? How crappy did the upper part of the route look from where you rapped? |
By Josh Janes
Feb 10, 2012
| We did not remove the water bottles as I didn't want a party who expected them to be there to arrive to find them gone. When I got down I sent out a few emails to try to locate their owner, but no luck. I hope to be back up there soon and will remove them when I go, but if anyone reading beats me to it, please haul 'em out of there.
The route is awesome and absolutely worthwhile. I would love to climb the upper pitches - they look decent (you can get a good view of them from Black Orpheus). I climbed Marijuana and Tuscarora on the same day and done together this is a memorable day of climbing. Good views of the Fortress of Xanadu which looks unbelievable (though I kinda wish the many bolts and anchors were a little better camouflaged). Anyway, either Tuscarora or Marijuana are worth the hike independently. |
By Killing In The Name Of
Feb 13, 2012
| (edited later on) Good call. My bet *was* that bottles were from the FA and never got removed. Sounds like some "helpful citizenry" of a much more recent vintage trashed the cave and never came back. Was not aware that this was a Tom Cecil line, had assumed it was put up by the shiny-bolt crew also. My bad.
Always been curious about Tuscarora, thanks for posting up that one. Supposedly one of John's best Vegas lines. |
By Tom Cecil
Nov 5, 2012
| I put this route up with Chris Tolin back in the 80's, John Rosholt spent sometime up there with us, hence the name--
Tom Cecil |
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