Teflon  V4-5

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Type:  Boulder, 15 feet Consensus:  V5- [details] FA:  Submitted By:  Tyler Logan on Mar 13, 2008 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (3) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

Island main wall, showing the following:

A. Ashta...

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Description 

One of a dozen or so of the "old school" testpieces at Rubidoux, this problem, like its neighbors, has been severely damaged by paint--making it even more teflon-like in its slickness. Nevertheless, it is still possible for those who enjoy cranking on finger-wrenching crimps and using precise footwork. Both powerful and delicate, putting this problem on your Rubidoux circuit will help keep you primed and ready for those sick, improbable stopper moves you're likely to encounter out at Joshua Tree or Suicide. Once past the hard moves, it is possible to escape left (and down) or right and up the "In the Picture" finish.

So, where are the "new school" testpieces, one might ask? The answer is there really aren't any. Nevertheless, despite Rubidoux's hardest problems getting sent decades ago and receiving vague old-school bouldering grades (5.12+/B1+/etc.), some of these problems (Pink Bug, The Octopus, Flabob, to name a few) are probably among the most difficult of their kind anywhere, and they are very rarely done. Some have likely never been repeated.

For some interesting discussion of Rubidoux's hardest by actual old school Stonemasters, see the following link:

www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.html?topic_id=176623&tn=0
Where are today's dime cranking masters?

Location 

Fifteen feet left of Five Niner. Go up the improbable face on dark, slick rock.

Protection 

crash pads