Trebuchet  5.13a

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Type:  Sport, 35 feet Consensus:  5.13a [details] FA:  Andy Patterson, Summer 2011 Season:  Winter is good, but crag stays cold and shady. Submitted By:  andy patterson on Dec 28, 2011 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (2) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

Me starting up the route. Note: belayer is anchore...

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Description 

First ascents are tricky to find, nab, and grade. Trebuchet struck me as exceptionally beautiful and powerful, and thus I committed myself to equipping and leading it—not because I thought I could put down a "hard" route with an ego-boosting grade. Trebuchet had—and has—a certain purity, so I climbed it. To be sure, there WERE old top-rope anchors on top of the cliff, so I can't prove the line was never climbed, but I feel lucky to be the first person to have bolted and led Trebuchet. Is it 5.13? By my best judgement (which isn't always the best arbiter of truth), I think so. But to business:

Start with right hand on a two-finger pocket undercling, and left hand on a open-hand pinch/crimp.

1) Hike feet, set up, and throw up and right for the jug at the apex of the arete.

2) Hold swing, find feet, then figure out how to enter horrendously flared finger crack.

3) Climb the crack system up and right via some insecure fingerlocks and deadpoints till you gain a sharp jug.

4) Shake out, then dyno straight up to a fairly bad edge. Punch through to the glory jug. Top out crag.

So insanely good.

Location 

Begins at the bottom of the left arete on the Renaissance Man crag. Just left of Renaissance Man (the route).

Protection 

There are four bolts that lead to a runout top section that you probably won't fall from. I originally sent with three bolts, but not before taking some thrilling falls from the top of the crag. A fourth bolt seemed prudent.

Photos of Trebuchet Slideshow

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The initial throw.	An early attempt at working the moves on Trebuchet...	BETA PHOTO: A friend of mine expressed some confusion as to ho...
Getting ready...	Throw.	Clipping third bolt.
Big move to the lip.