Slipping Into Darkness  5.10c

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Type:  Trad, Alpine, 10 pitches, 1000 feet, Grade IV Consensus:  5.10c [details] FA:  Ron Beauchamp, Gary Hicks, 6/18/1976 FFA: Hans Brede, Peter Prandoni Season:  August to February (due to closure) Submitted By:  George Perkins on Oct 26, 2007 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (7) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

This is the beautiful, clean corner-to-roof third ...

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The Shield is seasonally closed. MORE INFO >>> The Shield is only open from mid-August through February for peregrine falcons even though they are no longer protected, so you'll have to plan accordingly. The Knife Edge is open year-round. This information is a public crowdsourcing effort between the Access Fund, and Mountain Project. You should confirm closures, restrictions, and/or related dates. Keeping climbing areas open and conserving the climbing environment Juan Tabo Canyon is subject to annual access closures from March 1 to August 15. MORE INFO >>> The USFS-imposed closure applies to UNM Spire, the Prow, the Ramp, and the Shield (but not the Knife Edge). The Needle, and its south and east approaches, are unaffected. This information is a public crowdsourcing effort between the Access Fund, and Mountain Project. You should confirm closures, restrictions, and/or related dates. Keeping climbing areas open and conserving the climbing environment

Description 

The cleanest line on the SW buttress of the Shield, with a couple of very memorable pitches around a giant roof.
Note: Sandia Rock gives this route an 'R', but its topo only shows an 'R' for 5.8 pitches shared with Procrastination; the 5.10 leads protect adequately if you're comfortable with small pro.

Pitch 1: Start as for Procrastination with a 5.8 boulder problem behind the aspen trees and the only giant boulder. Traverse left and angle up a 5.4 ramp to a 2-bolt belay. Other options on this start exist also.

Pitch 2: Move left 10' pull through a steep section (5.8). Move left to the arete and around the corner (5.8), or continue up the blocky prow and move left later on. A 2-bolt belay is reached below the clean open book. [According to the Hill guide, a 5.10 direct start could be used to reach the same point, probably in 2 pitches also]

Pitch 3: Follow 5.9 corner with stemming/chimney moves with one memorable bush to the corner below the roof, and set a hanging belay or link into the next pitch (watch for rope drag!).

Pitch 4: Traverse right just below the 20' roof, finding good pro underneath, turn the biggest 5.10 roof in the Sandias on the right (fun, .10c). Move up 10', just enough pro, swing left on a big hold to a bolt (.10c) or continue up the thin stemming corner (tiny nuts) to a good ledge. You can combine this with the previous pitch or the next pitch, but watch out for rope drag if linking pitches.

Pitch 5: Stem/lieback up thin corner (.10c) with enough good rests but small gear for pro to the biggest bush/tree visible, then traverse right along a ledge to the giant "bivi ledge" atop Chicken Chop Suey or Procrastination. Slider nuts supposedly are nice to have on this lead. [In Hills' book, it suggests the original route moves left near the top of this pitch, and follows an independent 6th pitch of mid 5th class, joining Procrastination at the top of that pitch rather than at the bivi ledge.]

Pitches 6-11: Finish as for Procrastination, with a few options to choose from based on motivation and ability. The Odyssey is recommended and is a reasonable choice for those able to send the 5.10 on Slipping Into Darkness.

Location 

This climb seeks out the open book on the prow left of the big offwidth crack in the Chicken Chop Suey dihedral and begins as for Procrastination and CCS.

Start behind the boulder in the aspen grove at the base of the talus slope. A water streak marks the beginning.

Protection 

1 set nuts, including micros. Cams: 2 each from 0.5" (#0 TCU) to 1.5" (red camalot), 1 hand size cam, one #00 TCU or Black alien; slider nuts also are reportedly useful, but I didn't own any to bring.

Photos of Slipping Into Darkness Slideshow

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Exposed and thin traverse moves on the second pitc...	Davito Hammack nearing the end of pitch 2. We only...	Davito Hammack following pitch 4. We did a variati...
Davito Hammack following the finger crack variatio...	Davito Hammack following the finger crack variatio...	Davito Hammack up high on SID where it meets Procr...