Shades of Gray Project  5.13+

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Type:  Sport, 1 pitch, 80 feet Consensus:  5.13+ [details] FA:  Open Project New Route:  Yes Season:  Summer-Fall Submitted By:  Christopher Barlow on Jun 21, 2012 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (1) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

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Description 

The name refers to the color of the rock and to the ethics used to establish the line. For full disclosure, there's a good bit of glue on this one to keep just enough holds on the wall to make in climbable. Nevertheless, the route climbs very well with multiple cruxes on cool angles of rock. As of June 2012, this route is an open project.

Start a good bit right of the first bolt on some left-facing flakes, and climb up into and out of the dihedral to a conspicuous hole at bolt four. Make strange tension moves on non-holds out of the hole and into the first crux on the white face to establish below the steep prow. From the chockstone jug (you'll see what I mean), embark on a long stretch of difficult sidepulls and slopers out the prow, finishing with a Hail Mary deadpoint to a flat hold on the headwall. Continue up the headwall on better holds to the anchor.

This route requires very dry conditions as a key crimp in the first crux seeps most of the year. Otherwise, it is a proud line and will no doubt be very difficult.

Location 

Shades of Gray begins about 30 feet left of the Track Team arete. The line is just left of the mungy project with a faded red tag and two draws in wet rock, but one begins climbing almost directly below the first bolt of that line.

Protection 

11 bolts and anchors. There is a mandatory stick clip for the high first bolt. Several other bolts are placed in somewhat inconvenient locations to maximize rock quality, so pre-hung longer draws will help in spots. One will almost certainly skip at least one bolt on the upper prow.