This is the Ro Shampo of Barn Bluff. 5.12a in the guidebook. Originally listed here as 5.11d, it may have become harder over the years like most popular Red Wing routes (see comments below), and it looks like most recent redpointers have given it 5.12a, so I have changed it to reflect that (January 09).
RCM&W #8, p.117
Location
Find the big hole on the cliff wall on the very left-most little bolted area, follow the line of bolts directly below. If I remember right this line shares the anchors with the climb just to the left, Suicide Squeeze. Anybody feel free to correct me if this is wrong, it's been a few years.
Protection
Bolts. Please use your own gear for top rope. Please bring an extra biner and if the ones up top look bad or don't easily clip or shut, please replace it. It's good karma.
Agree with Adam on the 11b rating. Ratings are just numbers but they need to relate routes to one another - especially when they are on the same cliff. Giving 12a to a one move wonder Cyclops and 11c to the more difficult Wasp Mentality, which is only 10 yards to the left, is inconsistent.
By Jonathan Williams From: Palo Alto, CA Mar 25, 2007 rating: 5.11c/d
I would grade this harder than the 11s on this cliff. The crimps are very small and polished, esp. with humidity. And while the sole hard move on this climb is harder than the 11s, you're right in that it is not at all sustained.
If Suicide Squeeze is 11c than Cyclops has to atleast be 11d. I personally thought Wasp Mentality was a stiff 11c but didnt consider it harder than Cyclops.
I'd like to reiterate how temperature dependent this thing is. On a humid day, when you can still comfortably do routes like suicide squeeze, mississippi burning, work ethic, wasp mentality, etc, this thing is deadly (and not fun)! On all but a nice brisk day, the rounded crimps ooze a peculiar sort of slime, pitching everyone but the climbers who have it the most wired. I'd say 11c on a perfect day, 12b on a humid day. Considering that the majority of the climbing season is fairly humid in MN, 12a is probably how most people experience it.
By Chris treggE Administrator From: Madison, WI Dec 14, 2008
Good point ferrells. When I submitted this route and gave it 11d as opposed to the guidebook 12a, I tried to explain my logic. However, I climbed this route almost 5 years ago and that's also a lot of time to polish the handholds and make the feet slick. As with all of the Bluff, a certain amount of traffic is good to keep the route clean and choss-free, but a lot of traffic makes the route like glass, ala Looking For Lust which is polished as hell for the first 20 feet. Just looking at what folks who have sent in the past 2 years have rated it, I would guess that perhaps it's gotten harder over the years also. Just a thought. Anyway it's a decent route no matter what you rate it, but I wouldn't doubt the most recent majority's 12a, and have now changed it to reflect that.