Tuscarora  5.12

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Type:  Trad, 4 pitches, 450 feet Consensus:  5.12 [details] FA:  Tom Cecil, John Barnes, John Rosholt – 1995. Submitted By:  Josh Janes on Feb 10, 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 

Tuscarora is a brilliant route that climbs the left side of the huge brown buttress separating the Black Arch Wall from the walls containing Black Orpheus. The route takes a system of corners through a large roof and then tackles a very difficult finger crack. It is south facing and offers nice, sunny climbing – perfect for a clear winter day. Approach as for Black Orpheus, but head left across the slabs (may require some exposed easy 5th class) and away from Black Orpheus to reach an indistinct weakness below the left side of the towering buttress above. We roped up and began climbing from a small cave-like feature that happens to be home to about two dozen Aquafina water bottles. I’m not sure why. This body-sized cave is just to the right of a narrow ridge of rock that separates the Black Orpheus side of the amphitheater from the There and Back Again side.

P1: Depending on where you start, begin climbing up broken rock into a corner to a bolted anchor. 5.5-5.8.

P2: Climb up the corner passing two bolts to a bolted anchor on a ledge directly below the large roof above. 5.10b, 100’.

P3: Pass the roof via powerful jamming, stems, and underclings – good pro and bolts protect. Belay at a bolted anchor. A wild, awesome, and exposed pitch. 5.11, 100’.

P4: Climb interesting face features passing several bolts to a very thin crack. This crack, which is slightly overhanging and green Alien-sized, is the crux. Difficult for the grade, (smaller fingers will have an easier go of it, but be prepared for pain) this ain’t no Rainbow Wall 12b. Small cams and a few bolts protect as the difficulty eases slightly on the way to a bolted anchor in the middle of outer space. Yowsers! 5.12b, 100’.

Rap the route with a single 70m cord.

Protection 

1 each black Alien/00 Tcu to #2 Camalot. 2 each blue Aliens/0 TCU's and 2 each green Aliens (0.3 Camalots are just a little too big where you want them). Wires. Draws. One 70m rope.