Under the Big Top  5.9

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Type:  , 4 pitches, 250 feet, Grade II FA:  Kimball & Harrison, 1980 Submitted By:  david goldstein on Jul 2, 2003 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (2) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

Heading toward Sundance.

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Season raptor closures MORE INFO >>> The following areas are closed from March 1-July 31 or until further notice: Twin Owls, Rock One, Batman Rock, Batman Pinnacle, Sheep Mountain, Thunder Buttress, The Parish, Lightning Rock and Checkerboard Rock are currently closed. The closures include the named rock formations and the areas extending 100 yards surrounding the base of the formation. This includes all climbing routes, outcroppings, cliffs, faces, ascent and descent routes and climber's access trails to the formation. Alligator Rock is also closed. www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/area_closures.htm 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 

This climb is a variation to Turnkorner and as such the grade and rating, which apply only to the pitches that are unique to UTBT, are misleading. This climb traverses in from the right and joins TK at the start of its first 5.10 pitch. In conjuction w/ TK this climb is two stars, is rated the same as TK and is about a pitch longer than TK.

This seldom traveled variation is not quite as enjoyable as the pitches of TK it replaces, but is arguably more interesting . It is worth doing if you want to repeat the crux (wide) ptiches of TK or another party got to TK just ahead of you and you don't feel like hanging out on the ground while they climb.

This climb starts just to the right of the huge boulder which leans against the base of Sundance. (TK starts just to the left of this boulder.)

P1. 5.8+, 120'. Climb the crack/groove for about 40' until it forks. Take the left fork, belaying at a mediocre stance at about the same level as some rap slings which are on another route about 30' to the right. A pretty good pitch.

P2. 5.9, 80'. Traverse left about 15' (easy, no pro) to the base of a right facing, right leaning handing corner. Ascend the corner (5.9, good pro, long slings required on lower pieces) for about 20' to a stance. Easily follow an obvious weakness up and left past some bushes. Pass a small roof and belay above this, at a stance below a larger roof with a fixed sling. It is tempting to link P1 and P2, or at least lengthen P1, but doing so is an invitation to hideous rope drag at the hardest moves.

P3. 5.9, 100'. Traverse left about 20' on face holds with scant pro to the base of a thin crack (~5.7). (This crack is visible from the ground.) Some sweet moves lead up the fingery crack (easy 5.9) Veer slightly right as the crack eases. Where the crack ends at the top of a pillar, head left to a cluster of slings and pins, below the formidable Icarus roof, next to which Turnkorner looks like a sport climb; this belay deserves a place in the Birdshit Hall of Fame.

P4. 5.7, 30' Traverse left, not hard, but little pro, to TK belay, just below its first 5.10 section.

Continue up Turnkorner.

Protection 

Turnkorner rack. We had double 1-4 Rocks and single 5-7 Rocks and used them all. RPs are not required.

Photos of Under the Big Top Slideshow

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Dave on the first pitch. It looks like the crack r...	Dave on the pitch 3 traverse.	Starting the Turnkorner technical crux.
After the crux comes 'the business'. The section j...