Romanian Rib

A beginning leader or someone very conservative might want a standard rack.  A light rack to none will be a good fit for most others.

This long easy route has relatively good rock that protects well.  It is a good candidate for those looking to familiarize themselves with the balance between simul-climbing and evaluating whether (and where) to pitch it out.

This description was revised on 26 Oct 2020 to align with the route as described in Jerry Handren's guide (2007). The previous description remains below as a variation that starts quite a bit to climber's right of the route in Handren's guide.

P1 - From Handren's start, initially climb over a block to get to a long vertical crack on the right. Use most of the rope to climb up the long crack to a small ledge on the left and a roof 15 feet higher, that slants up and to the right (easy, 180 feet).

P2 & P3 - Continue mostly straight up on a less well-defined line.  When the "wave" comes into view, use it to stay oriented and use most or all of the rope on each of the two pitches.  Once through the right end of the wave (5.3), belay out about 30 feet to the left at the bottom of another good crack in a large varnished depression. (5.3, 390 feet split between the two pitches). 

P4 - Continue mostly straight up to a large ledge with some short (~1 foot high) vegetation way in the back.  If using a 60m rope, belayer may need to do some simul-climbing on 2nd class terrain (easy, 215 feet).

P5  - Again, continue mostly straight up to a large broken ledge at the base of a dark face with vegetated crack running up it's length. Ascend in or near the crack to an ~8-inch diameter tree at the top. With 60m rope, belayer may need to simul-climb a bit (5.3, 210 feet).

P6 - Ascend to the left of the large right-facing corner.  Continue up while trending left to reach the base of a crack (Handren's "jam crack" which happens to be pitch 6 of the Big Sky route).  Climb up the crack past a tree growing from it to a large ledge a little to the right of a higher arete.  With 60m rope, belayer may need to simul-climb a bit.  (5.3, 230 feet).

P7 - Climb up the arete working past an easy roof along the way; beware of loose blocks.  Continue onward as the arete levels out. Surmount a large block on its' left side to belay at the base of a short (~7 foot tall)  yellow sandstone wall with vertical hand crack.  With 60m rope, belayer may need to simul-climb a bit.  (5.3, 230 feet).  

To get to the descent ledge at the top of the First Creek Slabs, climb up, over, and down the backside of the short wall.  Descend the gully until can make a traverse to the left marked by cairns and work around into the descent ledge. Alternately, ascend the gully until can turn left to scramble and then bushwhack for about 30 feet to the descent ledge.

The below is a variation with different start and probably many different belay locations. Pitch labels end with "V" to distinguish them from the above.

P1V - start up a dark varnished right-facing corner with huge holds and good protection (150')

P2V - step up and onto lighter colored rock with little "nubbins" that will flake off with weight. work your way up and left to the face of the rib (150')

P3V - follow a nice crack to the base of the wave (175')

P4V - follow the crack up and thru the brown wave and follow a good crack another 125' to a ledge with an ancient piton (175')

P5V - follow the face for an easy pitch, belay on top of the rib (175')

P6V - step down and follow a vegetated crack for about 100' and then head up left at a large tree, belay 30' to the left of the tree (130')

P7V & P8V - follow cracks up the center of the face trending left for two pitches to a ledge where you can access the stand first creek rappel (300')