Polaris  5.12a

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Type:  Trad, 10 pitches, 1100 feet, Grade IV Consensus:  5.12a [details] FA:  Kris Wild and Reuben Shelton, Aug 6th 2007 Season:  Gulley, shady, wet early in season Submitted By:  Jeremy Blumel on Aug 17, 2008 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (3) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

BETA PHOTO: Topo of the route Polaris, 12a, 10p

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Description 

POLARIS
5.12a (5.11b, A0) 10p
FA Kris Wild, Reuben Shelton, August 6, 2007

Approach: As for Angel's Crest. 200m up from the entrance to the North Gully. (100m uphill from the "tree start" to Angel's Crest) It's on the left and it's the only corner.

Gear: One set nuts, double set cams up to #2 camalot size, one #3 and 3.5

P1. Up right facing corner, past ledge (old belay) up the next corner through roof and out right to belay. 5.10b, 50m (This pitch was originally Nostromo, 5.6, A2, John Manuel, Bruce Fairley, 1982.)
P2. Start left of station and climb into the steep open corner, (pulling on the bolt at the top of the corner will drop the grade to 5.11a) then face climbing and cracks to a large ledge. Watch your rope drag! 5.11c, 55m
P3. Out left past flakes and up a widening crack to the base of THE corner. 5.9, 20m
P4. Up! Exit via the chimney and use the right-hand station to belay. 5.10c, 40m
P5. Scramble up the chimney on the right behind the large pillar, then on top of it and across the balanced boulder. Discontinuous cracks and face climbing lead up and left to a belay beside the main corner. 5.10a, 30m
P6. Tune in to your inner ninja for the puzzling crux entering the corner (or pull on the bolt and skip it, you sissy), up the corner to belay at the cedar tree. 5.10c, 30m
P7. Up the corner passing 2 trees. At the roof, head left past 2 bolts to belay on a ledge. 5.11b, 55m
P8. Face climbing up the white wall, out right to belay. (One #3 camalot optional.) 5.11b, 50m
P9. Step right into the crack. Follow it with increasing difficulty until it is possible to clip a bolt and step left to a ledge. (Pulling on a couple of pieces of gear and the bolt make this about 5.11a.) Traverse up right to a perch below the roof, then pull wild moves through the roof and left to the belay. 5.12a, 30m
P10. Up nice cracks to the final belay. 5.10c, 30m

Descent: Either rap the route with 2 ropes or walk up and right the same as for Northern Lights.

Location 

Zodiac Wall of the Chief

Protection 

Traditionally protected. Some bolts on pitches and Bolted Anchors.

Photos of Polaris Slideshow

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Beginning of p4. "The Offwidth"	Slammin' perfect hands on p6	Looking down at the start of the crux 12a 9th pitc...