Sleeping Giant El Cajon Mountain is 5.8+

First, respect to the first authors.  It's a fun route, and a lot of work went in to it, as well as expense, as its well equipped. 

We got to the top of the climb in 3.5 hours, swinging leads until the last two the day after rain. The rock was wet at the start of pitch 9, and damp overall.

The climb has memorable moments on each pitch, but for the most part each pitch had one or two moments ( moves).

My first thought was that if you can easily link 4 of the 10 pitches, is it not 6 pitch climb?

We kept waiting for the climb to meet its reputation for quality, finally getting to the two crux pitches.

The first crux was a face climbing problem that seemed to be no harder than the crux of Meteor, rated 5.8

The second crux was a hand crack that went up through a corner that with a splayed left foot went easier than the Mission Gorge climbing Shadowfax , rated 5.8+.

We walked off the ridge that had been marked with a shocking amount of black paint.

Overall: if a leader is just starting leading 5.9 and learning route finding it will seem challenging.  
If you are a 5.9 trad climber, this is a 5.8.
The route is well equipped.  We placed three camming devices.

If Sleeping Giant is 5.10 I am Alex Honnold.

If Sleeping Giant is 5.10 Flower of High Rank is 5.11.

Tell us more.  I’m aroused 

A. B. wrote:

 We placed three camping devices.

Camping devices are aid

I've heard that climbing grades are subjective. 

A. B. wrote:

First, respect to the first authors.  It's a fun route, and a lot of work went in to it, as well as expense, as its well equipped. 

We got to the top of the climb in 3.5 hours, swinging leads until the last two the day after rain. The rock was wet at the start of pitch 9, and damp overall.

The climb has memorable moments on each pitch, but for the most part each pitch had one or two moments ( moves).

My first thought was that if you can easily link 4 of the 10 pitches, is it not 6 pitch climb?

We kept waiting for the climb to meet its reputation for quality, finally getting to the two crux pitches.

The first crux was a face climbing problem that seemed to be no harder than the crux of Meteor, rated 5.8

The second crux was a hand crack that went up through a corner that with a splayed left foot went easier than the Mission Gorge climbing Shadowfax , rated 5.8+.

We walked off the ridge that had been marked with a shocking amount of black paint.

Overall: if a leader is just starting leading 5.9 and learning route finding it will seem challenging.  
If you are a 5.9 trad climber, this is a 5.8.
The route is well equipped.  We placed three camping devices.

If Sleeping Giant is 5.10 I am Alex Honnold.

If Sleeping Giant is 5.10 Flower of High Rank is 5.11.

I enjoyed your Ted Talk

What a fun route. 

This is like the Flyboys of SoCal, right? 

If it keeps people away from better destinations, I'm all for it. 

Auden Alsop wrote:

Hmm, you rated it 5.9 on here though? The plot thickens..

Fixed

Not going to comment on the grade,

BUT

as long as this route is being discussed once again, I can’t help but make a mention of the suggested protection. Having specific sizes mentioned in the beta for each pitch, I kept finding these placements to be rather trivial - plug the cam, or ‘run it out’ <10’ more of secure climbing to the bolt.

I’m hardly Mr. Runout by any stretch, but I feel like this route is reasonable at the grade without the majority of the gear placements mentioned, with the exception of p9/10. I’d probably bring two or three cams max if I were to climb this again.

We did it car to car in 4:40:08. Considering it usually takes me close to 5 hours to do a single pitch of 10a almost anywhere else I’d have to agree, definitely not 10a.

I agree with both the 5.8+ rating and the need for only bringing two cams. There are only two moves harder than a 5.8. Both cruxes felt similar to the crux move on other local 5.9 routes. So 5.8+ is perfect. It’s fun, fast, and mostly easy. There isn’t much of this type of climbing around and there’s a lot of great things to say. Cool adventure climb, great for a new leader, well protected and an opportunity for gear placement, with single move crux’s easily C0 if needed. It’s a great thing for the community. Certainly not a 5.10 though. 

I liked your rant but ..........

in case ya missed it the route authors always intended this to be an easy one. It's a great first multipitch and fun easy slabbin with one 5.10 move.

If nothing else it provides a suitable alternative to Leonids / Meteor which are always poppin on the weekend.

5.8+ is an imaginary grade. 

Chase Morgan wrote:

5.8+ is an imaginary grade. 

Lol. This nails it.

Everyone knows 9+ covers 10a-12d

why is anyone holding onto the 5.8 mark anyway.
sandbag like you mean it. 

Josh P wrote:

We did it car to car in 4:40:08. Considering it usually takes me close to 5 hours to do a single pitch of 10a almost anywhere else I’d have to agree, definitely not 10a.

The approach is about 1.25-1.5 hrs. Did you guys climb the route in about 2 hrs? This makes it more appealing. 

Chase Morgan wrote:

5.8+ is an imaginary grade. 

The climb is sub 5.9 for what 99.9% and has two maybe 5.9 moves. There is not a single 5.10 move on the entire route. So yeah 5.8+ seems legit and even a bit of a boost. If you can name a 5.10 climb locally that has anything similar I’d maybe reconsider. I can think of countless 5.9’s that are much harder and even similar movement. Totally fun climb. Not sandbagging, if it feels above a 5.9 for that one move, anyone can easily C0 it and be on their way. Climbed it again today just to make sure of my sentiments...yep. Easy fun climb. Deserves a 5.8+ to me. The crux on pitch 9 is similar hands to Suzie’s wild ride a local 5.8+...

I soloed this route last Sunday after climbing it roped a handful of times over the past year. There is no planet in this universe that I am capable of soloing a 10 pitch 5.10a route. I think 5.8 is fair with maybe a single 5.9 move mixed in 

D B wrote:

The approach is about 1.25-1.5 hrs. Did you guys climb the route in about 2 hrs? This makes it more appealing. 

Yeah, we were running on the way back.