Following the stellar crack of pitch 2. This crack...
Description
Pitch 1: Begin below a short, curving half-moon flake about 20 feet off the ground. Climb up to the flake and then veer a little left across a slab, up, then left again across another steep slab below a flake. Hand traverse back right across the flake and into a corner with a pin under a small roof. Pull over the roof (5.11-) to a thin hands crack then go straight up steep rock past a bolt to a chain anchor. There are a couple of harder variations to this first pitch, as noted in 'Taos Rock' and in comments below.
Pitch 2: Climb straight up the thin crack past a pin and where the crack dies out, make some thin face moves straight up to some seams heading left. Move left following the seams to the prominent diagonalling crack seen from the ground. Follow the flaring finger and hand crack another 80 feet to the bolted belay. (5.10-).
Pitch 3: Drop down and right traversing along a small dike to its end. Delicate friction moves lead up to a thin crack/flake, followed by more friction up and right to a second flake/crack system. Follow the crack and then make a hard move past a 1/4" bolt and up to another dike below the roof system extending across the top of the face. Clip another 1/4" bolt and then traverse left 30 feet under the roof system to a belay below an overhang with a thin crack running through it. (5.10).
Pitch 4: Step a little left to a huge pocket, go straight up over the roof following a crack to where it becomes a seam (5.10+). Climb up the runout seam to awesome chickenheads to a belay at tree (180 feet). An alternate finish traverses 20 feet down and right before the crack becomes a seam and follows a lower crack to the chickenheads (not as runout). There is also a bolted 5.10 slab finish directly up and left, after you turn the roof.
Pitch 5: Climb easy rock on great chickenheads aiming for the tall pines on the summit of the rock.
Descent: From very near the summit, go right (east) following a faint trail to a gully. Pass above the gully and continue around the next outcropping to an easy tree-covered descent on a now obvious switchback trail. After descending several hundred feet, the trail enters a dry streambed and becomes faint. Bear right and traverse the slope back toward the main dome before dropping again to the base of the climbs.
This climb was originally called A Questa of Balance.
[Note: The route description was original posted here by Bob D'Antonio, and was pretty good. David Baltz (who was on the FA) took the time to send me an edited description, in which he'd clarified or reworded many small parts of it (small changes to almost every sentence), which I feel improved upon it. When D'Antonio wanted to remove all of his contributions to MP.com, I reassigned this page. I apologize if anyone is offended by this, but I feel that this was the best thing to do; both these guys should be recognized for their contribution. -G.P., 1/09]
Protection
Standard rack up to blue camalots. Bring doubles on gray and green camalots.
By Jason Halladay From: Los Alamos, NM Aug 26, 2007 rating: 5.11a/b PG13
A wonderful route! I can recall experiencing rock and solitude like this on Charlotte Dome in California. I've been on this route twice now and look forward to going up many more times. A great mix of everything and the 5.11 crux is well-protected and done early in the route.
Bob D's rack recommendation here is great although we added a second small blue and purple. Nice.
By George Perkins Administrator From: Los Alamos, NM Apr 11, 2008 rating: 5.11a
Great climbing on some of the cleanest rock in New Mexico. This climb goes at 5.10 A0, as the 5.11 crux on the 1st pitch is short, and can be easily be aided by pulling on the fixed pins. There is mandatory 5.10 slab in a few places on a couple of pitches.
An alternate (and reportedly better?) start to this climb begins just to the right of the traditional start. It joins the rest of QoB at the first belay; it's 5.11- with new bolts, put up by Josh Smith, Greg Swift and Sharon Dogruel.
Super route! 1/4 inch bolts are not an issue on this route. We carried a 3 and 4 Camalot, but felt they were not mandatory. Only 4 hours from Denver!
By Daniel Trugman From: Los Alamos, NM Jun 28, 2009 rating: 5.11- PG13
Beautiful route that lives up to its reputation of being one of the best in the state.
The MP route description is excellent but is missing pitch by pitch ratings. My takes:
P1: 11- P2: 10- P3: 10 P4: 10+ : we took the left bolted variation after the roof and went all the way to the top (10-)
All pitches are stellar.
By Jason Halladay From: Los Alamos, NM Jun 28, 2009 rating: 5.11a/b PG13
To add to Daniel's comment, we belayed from a tree at the top of the groove above the bolted 5.10a variation finish of P4. From there it was still another rope length (or more) to the summit but it's easy and way less exposed so we coiled the ropes and scrambled to the summit.
This 5.10a slab variation was very nice and I'd recommend it over the the more standard finish to the right. It is definitely run out (3 bolts in 60 meters not feet!--Thanks Marc) but the bolts are where you need them.
Baltz is the man! Saddle wedges, T-tons, hexes and nuts ? Sweet.
Ratings? Hard to tell, but think Jason is right about the crux(s) being harder for tall people, it's the nature of pulling crunchy overhangs. It pays to have some stretch on the 5.9 pitch though.
** In addition, I think Jason meant to say that the 5.10 bolted finish is 60m, not 60 feet, but it is quite good although it's also quite runout (50 feet past your last bolt - could go for 100+ feet or more on slab, so just don't fall).
The alternate start might be less of a mind trip if you could clip a bolt and then start the climbing (ledge below and marginal pro before the bolts). Good climbing though.
Rack: leave the #4 in the car. Double cams from TCU 00 (or Green C3 and up) to Camalot .5 and single cams to #3 Camalot. 5 assorted medium wires.
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