Yikes Dikes 

Peter Prandoni and Bruce Holthouse

FWIW, I can't recall exactly where the bolts are. However, I do seem to recall only climbing the left "butt cheek". Also, I did not have any problem reaching the anchors with my 59m rope (although it did drag a good bit at the end and I did start around on the north side of the formation). Maybe I will just have to go back and climb it again...

Per Greg Swift and Sharon Dogruel, the start for "Puddin" is the 10' crack (5.7ish) visible behind the small tree on the left side of Mark's picture. From there, head up the mellow slab (5.6, a little run out in one spot), and then up the left side of the butt. As George says, the third bolt comes just after the section of spicy bit of unprotected 5.8 slab, off to the right from the lower two.

I asked about the start heading up the easier right-facing dihedral, but they didn't have any beta on that. But Greg did say a friend of his "walked down that in flip-flops".

Climbed Yikes Dikes 6/14/09. Did not use first two bolts on face and instead stayed in crack and placed tri-cams. Used third bolt and topped out. Otherwise, I placed only nuts and tri-cams. Why use the bolts that aren't needed to climb the feature? Or am I too retro? Would a local please tell me: Did I climb Yikes Dikes or Puddin or neither?

I used to think this route was known in the olden days as the 5.6 "Puddin'", but now I don't think the old Puddin' description matches Yikes Dikes.

I also feel that both Foley's (2005:76) and Jackson's (2006:59) descriptions and topos are wrong in that they mention 3 bolts. It appears to me that there are only 2 bolts on "Yikes Dikes" proper, on the left side of the bifurcated buttress. After the 2nd bolt, it's straightforward and logical to follow some overlaps above, proceeding straight up into the gray water streak, and follow that as it turns into a low-angle crack that leads to the Surface Tension chains. Almost exactly 200 feet that way.

There is a third bolt on the right side of the buttress, but it is substantially higher than shown in both the guidebooks, above some horizontal seams, and way, way far off to the right of the natural Yikes Dikes line. I went over and clipped that once, thinking it was Yikes' 3rd bolt. It's 5.8 friction over there, it adds HUGE rope drag because then you gotta go way back left to get to the Surface Tension chains, and you might run short on a 60m line. So I consider that 3rd bolt off-route, and its purpose is not clear to me. Maybe someone knows what the FA's intention of Yikes originally was, and if it included this bolt?

The real line of Puddin' is still also apparently open for debate, based on other's comments in this list.

I didn't have to go out of my way to clip the third bolt, and my belayer said that it was in line with all my other gear. Rope drag was not an issue. The climbing wasn't very hard by the third bolt either: 5.6 or so.


This route will get the 5.8 leader's attention with some mandatory runouts, albeit on terrain no harder than 5.7. The crux is well protected (by one of the first two bolts, I can't remember which) and easy for a 5.8 at TP.

I'm still not convinced that 3rd bolt is on-route. It forces you way too far right, IMO. If the leader wants to end this climb at the Surface Tension bolts, it's better to skip that 3rd bolt on the right and go left up the gray water streak instead, because otherwise a 60 m rope won't get you there. We started the climb from the closest spot on the ground, but (as the belayer) I still had to simul-climb about 15 feet to allow the leader to reach the Surface Tension bolts after he clipped B3. If the leader does clip the 3rd bolt, and the belayer can't or won't simulclimb, the leader should expect to have to build a gear anchor on top, and then transition over to the Surface Tension bolts.

Interesting. The one time I did this route, I clipped the bolt with a double length runner, and (just) got to the Surface Tension anchors. We didn't do any simul-climbing but he did have to move to the left side of the buttress to give me more rope. But perhaps I'm misremembering. In any case, as you point out, it would be wise to expect some difficulties if you do decide to clip the bolt.

Chris and Daniel,

Bruce and I are going to upgrade the hardware on Airy Scary. Should we pay attention to these routes, too? Any suggestions?

If I remember correctly (call me out on this if I'm wrong, Chris), both (or all three) of the bolts are in good condition. I don't think any work needs to be done on Yikes Dikes.

Awesome job replacing all these old bolts! Surface Tension has some old hardware (a piton, I think) but it looked really bomber and you can back it up with a small cam. I think Airy Scary might be the only route on South Rock that needs your attention.