Open Book 

FA - Royal Robins. The first 5.9 in the country, it a classic and must do. For the 2nd pitch there is a number of ways to get through it. The layback options, less secure and harder to place gear, not the options I would take. The next option is to stem it in the wide section then finish with your crack climbing skills. Or just grovel up the offwidth, it secure and is very short.

I always thought that a move about halfway up P1 was the crux, a steep little sequence.

I personally think that this route was harder than 5.9. Also do not climb this route unless you have big cams (think Size 4 BD)and at least 3-5 of them. This is based on Beta from other climbers since I did not get past the first pitch because of other climbers warning us to bail since we had 1 #3 BD cam. The rap off the first pitch was sketchy as well. The rap rings were hanging off a chock stone from webbing that has seen better days. It was a good route though, just come prepared and you will have fun.

UPDATE In response to Murf - In my defense on the decent back to the car I started coughing up blood, had some kind of weird lung infection that put me in the hospital the next morning. So that is why I probably rated it higher than most. 2nd - the gear beta was given to me by climbers below who had just completed the route.
However I do need to get back up there and give the route another go and I am sure I'd probably change the grade back to 5.9...

So for anyone coughing up blood with a weird lung infection this route will feel like 10a/b just FYI :)

veedublr - you give it 3 stars and a rating of 5.9 when you didn't even do the crux pitch. You rate it 5.9 but you don't think it's 5.9?

You are lucky you bailed, if you need 3-5 cams in the #4 BD range for this route, you shouldn't attempt to climb it.

From a historical gear perspective, I went out and specifically bought one whopping 3.5 WC Friend. Kind of hysterical, in that I placed early during the second pitch, retrieved it and placed a bit further up, and then gave up on placing any more gear until the belay. With a total arm-bar near the top of this "run-out" pitch, I felt secure enough, especially considering the options. As recommended, two #4 Camalots would be perfect for this climb.

The standard 5.9 that all other 5.9's are based on. The first pitch is a little hard to protect after that the gear is great. Standard rack plus one #4 BD Cam.

As the datum 5.9 it can't be anything but 5.9 ;-)

Been a long time since I've done this but I didn't have a big friend or the BD copy.

This climb is the dictionary definition of 5.9!

The notion that you need a bunch of #4 Camalots and larger to do this route is complete nonsense.

My rack consisted of a set of Clogs to #4 (same as friends) plus Green and Red Camalots, 2 Yellow Camalots, and one Blue Camalot. The only piece I wish I had more of was the Yellow.

Many of the places that are wide have small cracks nearby. Sometimes you can get a smaller placement by going deeper. The places that only take really large gear are easy and can be run out.

This route was very difficult for me, so you can't say I was running it out because it was easy.

Brian, gear recommendations are just that. Calling someone else's "complete nonsense" seems benighted at best. You did the route using what you thought was safe, and thats ok. But moreover, you said you employed the #4 Friend equivalent, which interestingly is a only touch smaller than a #4 Camalot.

I think this may be 5.11- now.

I now can go through my head of all of the other "5.9" routes I've done and see if they are true 5.9's or not. I can also give more respect to some of those climbs and revel in the fact that I have just completed a truly historical route.

Jam the crux, don't lieback. Way more fun!!

Did this route today with Larry S. and loved it! Great route requiring a variety of techniques. I thought that the first pitch was the crux to be sure. The ten feet or so before I reached the flake were wild! Larry and I both jammed the second pitch and thought it was secure and casual.

Did this today. Thought one #4 Camalot was plenty. A few burly moves on the first pitch, but the second felt more sustained. Climbed it a lb with jams for gear placements. Fun route.

combine pitches 1 and 2 for quite possibly the best pitch in idyllwild... stellar i tell ya... you won't find a better 5.9 pitch anywhere...

Awesome climb! The start had a little spice, but the rest was really well protected. I agree with Fossana that, while the first pitch may have had the crux move, the second was way more sustained.

With all that I've heard about this climb I was expecting it to be harder. As far as the grade, this actually did feel like 5.9. Not the softest 5.9, but not the stoutest either. Go figure. :)

I brought 2 #4s as recommended, and it was more than enough. I placed both of them on every pitch, but that was more because I didn't want to carry them than because they were necessary. I think it would have protected just fine with 1 number 4, as there always seemed to be other options. If anything, I'd say bring an extra #2.

doing pitch one and two together sounds like a rope stretcher. can it be done with a 60 m?

climbing out left from the second belay, on to bookmark and then finishing traitor horn makes for a great variation to this route.

finally lead this route, it is awesome,and requires almost all climbing techniques. two number fours if this is at your level will be appreciated unless a thirty footer is ok. also, one number three and three number twos. This will make it seem like a sport route but you can always skip a placement if you feel the need to run it out to feel cool. Better to have it and not place it than to not have it if you need it.

Oh McDonald, you are so very humorous. Are we supposed to snap at you for downrating "the" 5.9? Are you so very much better than RR with your fancy shoes, slim rope, and #3 Camalots? Or should we pity you that your pithy comment is one in a long series and anything you can say has already been said (and said better)?

Whichever you were thinking, thanks so much for your valuable contribution to MP.com.

I've been climbing for a year and only leading for a few months and this has been on my 'someday' list for a (relatively) long time. Showed up to the base today with my friend, Kurt, kind of expecting to maybe lead the 3rd pitch. Instead, I led the first pitch and ran it out half way through the second until running out of gear. Kurt led the now abbreviated 2nd pitch and I led the 3rd. Wow! Better and scarier and harder than I thought it would be.

As for gear--I really wish I had 6 #4 Camalots! But the 5.6 friction run-out was kind of cool!

I believe you could link pitch 1 and 2 with a 70 meter rope--maybe even a 60--with more judicious/sparse gear placement (I was really gripped a few times).

This is absolute classic! Good belays, bomber gear in a striking dihedral. A must do.

On P2 I plugged a hex at the last good stance and laid it back to the alcove. There's one last rest stance before the top. I thought laying it back was by far the easiest way to do this.

DONT BELAY IN THE ALCOVE! Your rope will push the gear into the crack while you climb P3. It's been mentioned to traverse right after the alcove but I just pulled around the roof and set an excellent hanging belay.

P3 will still stick with you with a no hands traverse to the right and there are bolted anchors after you exit the final tight chimney.

I was fortunate enough to be raised in Idyllwild. Of all the climbs in the area this one held our attention as we climbed it atleast twice a month for years. All the "hard" moves on p1 have the pro where you need it. Look for good stoppers on the left wall before the crux flake. Bomber!
As a side note.. Swinging to hard for the top of the flake has caused shoulder injuries. I once "dislocated" my shoulder while underclinging the flake! Popped it back in and finished the pitch.
It sucked!

After climbing this I have a whole new found respect for those old guys in there tennis shoe that put up the FA on this sort of route. A must do climb!
As for gear doubles or even triples in the BD 3 is nice, and a 4 is a good thing to have.

Definitely a classic climb. It combines all sorts of styles up a very distinct and interesting route. Definitely takes some wide gear as everyone else has been saying.

one of the funnest routes Ive done

Completely amazing line. Rich in history and filled with unique features like the elephant ear on the first pitch– gaining it and standing upon it may give you slight flashbacks of Traitor Horn. The third pitch has a heroic 5.4 Roof (take that Gunks!) that leads to a slight squeeze chimney. Then out onto a heady slab with a few friction moves that will prepare you for Suicide. Pleasant belay stations: For the second pitch belay, clip a bong older than you and add a couple of pieces. Third pitch belay: After traversing out under a small roof (fun!) at the end of the second pitch you do a couple of lie back moves to gain a small obvious belay ledge. If you don't have extra hand sized pieces for the left side, don't stress as you can set up a belay on the right side using a couple of nuts and a couple of TCU's.

Starting the second pitch, getting into that huge dihedral and looking up had my jaw wide open. Beautiful 4" crack. I'm not the biggest fan of wide cracks and admittedly this has become one of my favorite climbs I've ever done. Maybe because I was too caught up worrying about gear and stout wider crack climbing. I just wasn't expecting it to be so good. There isn't a single thing I'd change on this whole climb. Doubles up to #4 C4 is the ideal rack. You have to do it.

I climbed this today for the first time and would like to confirm generationfourth's gear and belay beta. The only thing I'll add is that if you have a #4 and a #5 instead of two #4's this will also work. Combining pitches 1 and 2 sounds amazing but you had better bring a lot of gear! Also, if you want to rappel instead of doing the walkoff, be aware that the bottom 80 feet of the second rap is a free hanging rappel. I think the friction descent is probably the best way to go.