Black Magic 5.8
| 6,220 page views Good page? (1 like)  |
| Type: | Trad, 4 pitches, 580 feet |
| Consensus: | 5.8 [details] |
| FA: | the Uriostes 1978 |
| Submitted By: | Mark Hammond on Apr 20, 2004 |
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Looking down the first pitch of Black Magic from j...
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Description A nice route to combine with Lotta Balls, we thought it was just as good. Begin about 40ft right of Lotta Balls, at a sharp flake. P1-150ft. Climb the flake and then pass 2 bolts, heading right at the 2nd bolt into a thin crack. Climb the crack and face to belay at a single bolt (and gear in crack, or cool natural thread). P2-140ft. Straight up the crack and face to a 2 bolt anchor. Easier pitch, but a bit runout in places. P3-140ft. Avoid getting suckered into the left crack system by the fixed tcu (ruined, not booty). Instead go right from the belay into a crack with better protection and a more direct line. Address the roof above by blindly stepping right when up seems too hard. Voila! Find a welcome bolt and fire straight up and belay at bushes. P4-140ft. Climb easy white rock to the top. Descend as for Lotta Balls, down the gully to the climbers left, including rappels.
Protection Nuts, tcus and cams to hand size should do ya.
Safely clipped into the bolt on pitch 3 of Black M...
| Jonny stemming pitch one on a hot summer day. It s...
| Jonny on pitch 3.
| BETA PHOTO: Black Magic start. Two bolts marked.
| BETA PHOTO: Black Magic start
| Climber on 2nd pitch of Black Magic just below the...
| Launching onto the airy traverse of pitch 3.
| Scott Nomi and Chris Owen, top of P1.
| Leading P1
| Mark Climbing the second pitch. Notice the slung f...
| Black Magic Pitch 1 near the top
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By Markk From: Las Vegas, NV May 7, 2012 rating: 5.8
CONDITION REPORT | The second pitch anchor could use an upgrade. There is one bolt and a stuck nut with a cordalette. The cord is run directly through the hanger & nut wire. Best bet is to just make your own anchor and back it up with the bolt or bring a couple quick links and rebuild the cord that is there. |
By John Wilder From: Las Vegas, NV Mar 22, 2007 rating: 5.8+
| On March 23rd, 2007, the ASCA replaced 4 protection bolts on this route. Three on the first pitch and one on the third pitch. The first bolt is 1/2" stainless, the next two are 3/8" stainless, and the final bolt is 1/2" non-stainless. Thanks to Greg Barnes for the replacement effort. |
By Greg Barnes Mar 26, 2007
| The reason the final bolt is non-stainless is that it's extra long - 3.75". Those bolts are not made in that length in stainless (2.75" or 4.75" only). The original bolt was not rusted at all, and with softer sandstone the water evaporates through the rock anyway, so it should be fine for quite some time! The original bolt on the 5.6 variation (the huge left traverse) is bad, and rusty as well since it's in a water streak. We did not replace that one since that variation is rarely done (and my arm was tired!). |
By Alec Nov 15, 2009 rating: 5.8
| Careful with those pebbles on the second pitch -- I busted one off 20 ft out on lead. Spicy! |
By GMBurns Mar 2, 2010 rating: 5.7+ PG13
| Intimidating at first, but moves are pretty easy for the grade. P1 is long. |
By Matt McMurray From: Castle Rock, CO Mar 29, 2010 rating: 5.8
| I highly suggest leading directly up the dihedral under the small roof at the start of the route rather than going up left and then traversing back right after the bolts (as the chalk misleads you). This is maybe a grade more difficult, but WAY better movement. MM |
By Top Rope Hero From: Estes Park Mar 31, 2010 rating: 5.8
| Wish I had tried McMurray's direct line. As it is, the enterprising leader could protect the reachy/stemmy opening moves without the bolts (but with some balls)and turn this into a truer trad masterpiece. (Full disclosure: I clipped the bolts.) The airy P3 could also have it's bolt skipped for a PG runout move above the bulge. Exposed but very manageable for the grade. Fun climb. Better than Lotta Balls. Flash this and do a lap on Lotta Balls for a fun, low-commitment, close-to-the-road 1000ft day of 5.7 and 5.8. |
By Chris Owen Administrator From: La Crescenta and Big Bear Lake Apr 18, 2010
| Classic route. The moves on the first pitch are wonderful, athletic and improbable, but great holds always show up when needed. The big face pitch is an adventure, and though easy, risk mitigation is a little harder to come by than hoped for. Pitch three is massively thrilling, an intimidating lead but all there. |
By Sherri Lewis From: Sequim, WA Nov 14, 2010
| Well said, Chris! Agreed. The fun starts right off the deck on that first pitch. I enjoyed the delicate/technical sequences right before and after the first two bolts. This pitch will take lots of your smallest cams and tcu's. |
By nick serrano From: Vegas for now Feb 9, 2011
| Don't be confused by the 3rd bolt on pitch 1: the belay anchor bolt (and cool natural thread) is about 50 feet above. |
By Evan Riley From: San Francisco, CA Feb 14, 2011 rating: 5.8
| It was a great route but a bit cold (my partner was freezing in a down sweater) in mid February, I thought the route would get some sun but it never came. Keep going after the 3rd bolt on the 1st pitch or it makes pitch 2 a rope stretcher. The route soaked up small chocks and TCU's so pack extra. |
By John W. Knoernschild From: Wisconsin Mar 18, 2011 rating: 5.8 PG13
| "Pull down, not out." - Nick Rhoads |
By Climbing Fascist Mar 18, 2011 rating: 5.8 PG13
| John, you need to credit me with that quote. That was awesome when you punched yourself in the face. Ha! |
By Tim Hadfield From: Steamboat Springs, Co Apr 30, 2011
| Great route. I loved that the cracks and flakes were so friendly for passive protection. |
By Mostafa From: Las Vegas, NV Mar 28, 2012
| Fun route cool moves at the start and at roof. We did the route with a single set of nuts, hexes 7,8 & 9 and some natural pro made for an even more interesting route. |
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