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No Expectations

5.9, Trad, 800 ft (242 m), 7 pitches, Grade III,  Avg: 2.3 from 3 votes
FA: ED, TC, 2013
Colorado > Durango > Pine River Trad > Rolling Stones Wall

Description

No Expectations is a fun route that links its way up left of center on the main wall. The rock is generally good, but you are in the San Juans, so be prepared for some looseness, lichen, and slight runouts.

P1. Climb moderate terrain to a large ledge with a big tree. Continue up a small, left-facing corner with a hand/finger crack (not the dark, loose-looking corner to the right) to a small foot stance and belay off gear (5.8, 175').

P2. Step slightly left into another small, left-facing corner and climb it past a resident bat to below a roof. Traverse right and down to a ledge and belay off gear The traverse can be a little heads up for the second once the last piece of gear is removed (5.8, 90').

P3. Make a steep move off the belay, then a delicate step right below a bulge. Continue up with more steep climbing to a good ledge and belay off gear (5.8, 90').

P4. Stem up the nice corner (good thin crack in wall to left for gear) to below a roof with a handcrack out its right side. Pull the roof and continue up to a good ledge and belay off a big slung horn. This was a fun pitch (5.9+, 90').

P5. Trend up/right (below a steep, blank face) to a short, clean, left-facing corner with a tight-hands crack. Climb this, then trend up/right again to another corner, this one is steep and fists/cups sized. Follow this to a sloping, grassy ramp/ledge and belay off gear. Good use of runners is needed to avoid drag (5.9, 150').

P6. Move the belay up/left ~75' on the grassy ledge/ramp to a big tree on a large ledge. Climb the right-facing corner/crack system up and slightly left to another large tree and belay (5.8, 125').

P7. This is almost a ridge that wanders up/right through some looseness and eventually to an easy face and short corner that leads to the summit. Belay at a large block on top with two fixed stoppers (5.7, 150').

DESCENT:

Rap 1: from the two fixed stoppers on the summit to the tree at the top of pitch 6.

Rap 2: from the tree at the top of pitch 6 to the tree at the base of pitch 6.

Rap 3: from the tree at the base of pitch 6 to the slung horn at the top of pitch 4.

Rap 4: from the slung horn at the top of pitch 4 to a large ledge with two fixed Stoppers.

Rap 5: from large ledge with two fixed Stoppers to the ground.

Location

Locate a prominent, stepped, ledge system that runs near the center of the wall. No Expectations starts and climbs slightly left of this feature.

Protection

(2) green Alien - #3 Camalot,
(1) blue Alien & #4 Camalot,
(1) set of Stoppers,
(2) 60m ropes.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Topo.
[Hide Photo] Topo.
Approximate line.
[Hide Photo] Approximate line.
The stemming corner and roof crack of P4.
[Hide Photo] The stemming corner and roof crack of P4.
Atop Rolling Stones Wall.
[Hide Photo] Atop Rolling Stones Wall.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Gee Monet
Las Vegas, NV
[Hide Comment] Nice job, guys. I look at this wall every time I'm in the area and have been wanting to head up there for a while now. Looks like ya beat me to it! Lots of recent development in this whole area. I love it. It's such a blast. Good ol' adventure climbing in a great area. Excited to check out the route and perhaps add another one to the database! Jul 22, 2013
Ben Gleason
Durango, CO
  5.9
[Hide Comment] This is a sweet route. Some thoughts: the first four pitches are awesome - steep, sustained, and fun climbing on good rock. The only downside is it was a bit dirty, no surprise, though. After the fourth pitch, the whole character of the route changes - stepped climbing between loose ledges. I thought pitch 5 and six were pretty meh. I'd recommend the next party head straight up from the base of pitch 5, instead of doing that wacky right-left traverse (which we ended up having to split into two pitches anyway). Scoped it out on rappel, and it looked like it wasn't any harder or more run-out than anything else on route. 7 was fun, and when you get to the top, don't just stop at the fixed stoppers. Take some time to explore up there.

Use caution on the descent, ha. Sep 29, 2015
F r i t z
(Currently on hiatus, new b…
5.9
[Hide Comment] A good time - thanks for putting this up, guys.

I had to break P5 into two due to drag, even with minimal gear and maximal slingage. That allowed for a straight shot up the wide hands corner all the way to the tree, no belay shifting required.

On the last pitch, the rope was a liability. We placed no gear, and it felt like low-5th.

R2 was a rope eater: high-friction pull and sharp edges. We had to re-climb, extend the original and then also set up an intermediate station

The other raps were fine. We replaced a couple slings that had become rodent chewtoys.

The walkoff gully several hundred feet to climber's left of the route was cruiser, and far preferable to reversing the approach. Sep 29, 2015