By Tristan Perry Nov 16, 2008
| Wow Tom, thanks for sharing about both the route and your friend!
I always love to hear about how routes like this one were put up. It's an intimidating piece of rock, alright...I always wanted to do all the routes that Scott S. FA'ed (as a marginally doable challenge/bet with an likewise motivated climbing partner). We always put this one off, as super-overhanging 12a R on gear wasn't something we were sure we wanted to try yet.
As it turns out, the route has been fully equipped with glue-ins in the last few years. I tried it with the bolts once this fall and found it to have the sharpest, spiniest holds I've ever touched. It's very gymnastic and has got an awkward, shouldery power crux. A very impressive send for Scott back in the day on gear and the sketchy pins (some are still there, at least).
I am sad to see it bolted, but I suppose some felt it would get more attention as a bolted route. Either way, one of the few legendary trad challenges of Rumney is no longer the same. I doubt it will get much traffic anyway, in light of the crowd and finger-friendly jug hauling nearby.
As the great outstanding trad testpiece I hope to try someday, I hope the crazy overhanging dihedral Bonzai Pipeline at Wiamea never gets bolted...where else to you find a trad route like that??? Yes, I know it never gets climbed, but it gives you something to look up to. |