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The Tipping Point

5.12, Trad, 1000 ft (303 m), 8 pitches, Grade III,  Avg: 4 from 5 votes
FA: Kerwin Loukusa and Luke Stefurak 2017
Washington > Central-E Casca… > Stuart-Enchantm… > Colchuck Balanced Rock

Description

From the gully scramble up per the west face. From the sandy ledge, go up 10 feet of 5.7 and step left to a small ledge with a tree below a left facing corner. There is a bolt about 8 feet up with a black hanger.

P1 - 20 m - 5.11, 1 bolt.  
Climb the corner with a variety of techniques. There is a thoughful crux crux getting off the ground, and another punchy section mid way up. Belay at a ledge with two bolts.

P2 - 20m - 5.11, 5 bolts.
From the belay traverse straight left to a bolt. Pass this and keep heading left and up past another bolt and some tricky knob wrangling. Optional gear out right, and then traverse left to a good stance below a thin corner. Layback past 3 bolts onto a ledge. Work left further with some thin gear and a final boulder problem to a nice ledge with a two bolt belay.

P3 - 40m - 5.11+, 3 bolts.
Head up the seam and clip a bolt. Figure out an insecure crux to access the flower power crack. Stimulating climbing with very small gear (rp's useful) for about 15 meters leads to a steeper corner. Power up the corner, relishing the amazing knobs and edges to gain the Sky Lounge,  a stellar ledge with two bolts.

There are two options for the start of pitch 4. The seam directly above the belay is shown as "Kerwin's Crack" in the topo. This is 5.12/12+ and can be climbed as a standalone pitch or linked with the crux of pitch 4.

If climbed as a single pitch take a double set of cams from tips to yellow alien,with 3x blue alien/green C3 size and two draws.  15m to a lower off anchor.

The righthand method is the standard way to climb pitch 4 and is described below.

P4 - 45m - 5.12, 8 bolts.
Traverse 10 feet right. Head up the well featured slab (5.10) taking care to minimize rope drag. Once the bolts run out you are below the power flare. You can see the anchor for Kerwin's Crack six feet to your left. Punch it up the overhanging gold rock and enter the flare.  Look for a bolt on the left to indicate when to exit onto the face. Follow a tips to fingers crack to a roof. Traverse left under the roof until you see a bolt on the right wall. Stem up past the bolt and AVOID a big flake out right. Look left for a bolt in white rock that protects the final boulder problem to a two bolt anchor in an alcove.

This is the last point you can rappel from. If your rope does not reach the Sky Lounge you can stop at anchor for Kerwin's Crack (less than 40m to there). From the Sky Lounge two 40m raps bring you back to the gully.

P5 - 30m - 5.11-, no bolts.
Head up and left from the belay through a small roof to gain an long hand and finger crack.  Follow this left past one small roof and then trend right. After the crack runs out step right and build a belay in an sandy alcove. This is the same stance as the P6/7 belay for Let it Burn.. 

P6 ->  Summit -  Finish per Let It Burn

Location

This route is to the left of Let it Burn and The West Face. 

Protection

RPs, Single Purple C3, 3-4x Green C3 / blue alien, Double rack from Green Alien to #2 Camalot, Single #3 Camalot

Around 8-10  alpine draws. Bolted anchors to the top of Pitch 4

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Tipping Point and Let it Burn. The Turbo Start is a closed project.
[Hide Photo] Tipping Point and Let it Burn. The Turbo Start is a closed project.
Florian A. on the splitter 3rd pitch of tipping point.
[Hide Photo] Florian A. on the splitter 3rd pitch of tipping point.
Adam Butterfield on route summer 2018, as seen from the West Face
[Hide Photo] Adam Butterfield on route summer 2018, as seen from the West Face
Ben Gilkison on P2.
[Hide Photo] Ben Gilkison on P2.
Shane grobing the knob
[Hide Photo] Shane grobing the knob
Shane on the first pitch
[Hide Photo] Shane on the first pitch
Adam silhouetted on the Tipping Point, as seen from the West Face
[Hide Photo] Adam silhouetted on the Tipping Point, as seen from the West Face
Current finish for tipping point is to do the upper pitches of Let It Burn.
[Hide Photo] Current finish for tipping point is to do the upper pitches of Let It Burn.
Topo of the tipping point
[Hide Photo] Topo of the tipping point

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Florian Aß
Berlin, DE
 
[Hide Comment] This is an awesome addition to CBR. I thought that the character of this route is more technical and less burly than it's neighbor 'Let it Burn'.

The first pitch is not to be underestimated and a rough warm up after a 3 hour approach.
The third pitch has some awesome technical climbing and tricky but safe gear in the initial angling crack followed by amazing stemming and jamming up the steeper corner.
The crux pitch is long, varied and defined by a crux boulder problem entering a flare with a finger crack in the back.
Watch your rope drag and watch out for the sting in the tail.
The last pitch is still a little dirty but would be 4 stars at any crag if it was clean.

Gear beta seems to be correct however we never placed the #3 Camalot. Jul 23, 2018
Matt Carroll
Van
  5.12b
[Hide Comment] What a rock climb! Super stellar climbing centralized around cracks and knobs. Certainly a candidate for the best hard alpine climb WA. Linking the 12+ variation into the main crux pitch would be a tour de awesomeness, although the crux pitch as described still evokes plenty of try-hard and memorable movement.

The bolts are all thoughtfully placed to keep the climbing safe. Go rock climb this. You won’t regret it! Sep 3, 2019
[Hide Comment] What an excellent line! A gem, and thank you to Luke and Kerwin for putting this up! It is clear that a lot of thought and care was given to the route.

For the rack. If I were to climb the route again, I would bring the recommended rack BUT only a single #1, single #2, and no #3. This should be sufficient gear for a proficient 5.12 leader Jul 22, 2020