The Men Arete 

Someone has installed a new hanger at the fifth bolt. A 50 meter rope will just barely reach for lowering and TR.

This route is the same as Menarete. Wartime is the name given in the Rock and Ice number 95 Article, but Menarete is also a commonly used name.

Perhaps this is a stupid question...but if Menarete and Wartime are the same route, why is one listed as 5.8 and one at 5.9+? Just curious :-)

Not only is their a confusing paradox amongst the information, but there is yet an undecided grade for the climb. I'm going out on a limb, here, but I wouldn't call this climb any harder than 5.8.

I really should wait until I get on the route again (which was supposed to be today, rain). However I want to say that the rating could reflect different variations at the crux. Particularly that the right side of the bolt line is a bit steeper and with less features than the left side (which features a conveniently placed bush, though its debateable if that's on-route for those ticking low-mid grade sport routes. sadly, like me).

I'm of the school of thought that says you find a weakness and climb it. If your priority for the weakness is speed, then go for what looks quick. If you're priority be aesthetic movement, then look for that. In lieu of this, when climbing this line of bolts as your pro while moving over the weakness that is the face and arete feature of this rock, I say you use what holds are available to you. That means that there is no 'off' as long as you are within reach of the bolts. That also means that the easiest way up the climb while using the bolts as pro is the way that should receive the grade.

I like this line.

After I got the first ascent of this sport climb, we retro'ed it (adding two bolts-the last bolt is one of them; sometimes I can still skip the last bolt (on this sport climb. The real name is The Men Arete; just because a naive editor renames my climb does not mean that the naive name gets heald on another humans vanity!!!! Please....Wartime is an insult. Let's get it straight.... Men Arete, 5.9+. I was the person who drew a topo for these sport climbs we have bolted; &, to get a false label is insulting. Men Arete, 5.9+, the reason the topo says 5.8 is because of arrogance....

A Respectable Trad-Climber Said To Me, This Is The Very Best 5.9 In This Valley!

I can't possibly agree that this is 5.9+. 5.9- at the hardest.

A fun route that is well bolted (except the funky homemade hangers). Although not much harder than 5.8, it was harder than Balance, 5.8, 30m to the right.

I would call it solid 5.9-. It's harder than Balance but easier than some of the 5.9s in the Garden such as Crescent Corner or Credibility Gap. Albeit it's different stone and a different style. I found it only a little bit easier than Corrugation Corner which I climbed after Menarete as well as after onsighting Dragnet, Full Monty, and Cheyenne.

Fun route. Well-placed 1st bolt to protect the first move over the small lip. Enjoyed the way the route allows you to climb up the arete. Route difficulty depends greatly on how you get to the last bolt and anchors. If you stay left and use the crack, it's very moderate. If you stay right at the top and face climb over the bulge, it's much harder.

I agree with Rich- If you do this route the way it was intended, staying to the right on the final bulge, I would call this solid 5.9. Very nice route with a little bit of everything.