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vortenberg
Nov 1, 2007, 3:15 AM
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Just curious. What is the hardest 5.9 you've led?
Cheers
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dudemanbu
Nov 1, 2007, 3:16 AM
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unconquerable crack, 5.9+ ragged mountain, ct.
(This post was edited by dudemanbu on Nov 1, 2007, 3:39 AM)
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flint
Nov 1, 2007, 3:22 AM
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Where Lizards Dare. Fortress Wall. 5.9+. Red River Gorge.
From the online guide book:
j-
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rjtrials
Nov 1, 2007, 3:58 AM
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Turbo Dog, Foster Falls, TN
5.9++
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lucander
Nov 1, 2007, 4:01 AM
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MF at the Gunks. Three distinct hard 5.9 moves and you can't say you did it until you climb at least to the GT.
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stymingersfink
Nov 1, 2007, 4:20 AM
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Ionic Bonding 9+ (P1, P2 goes 11a ) in BCC. Pumpy little fucker, the second pitch is actually easier than the first. Still a nice sandbag for that cocky 5.10 leader to be cajoled into.
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drfelatio
Nov 1, 2007, 4:23 AM
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flint wrote: Where Lizards Dare. Fortress Wall. 5.9+. Red River Gorge. From the online guide book: [image]http://www.redriverclimbing.com/RRCGuideV2/image/img/lizards.jpg[/image] j-
I haven't climbed it yet, but Where Lizards Dare is definitely on my to-do list. I haven't heard a single person claiming its 5.9 rating isn't sandbag. Gotta give it up for old-school trad ratings!
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stymingersfink
Nov 1, 2007, 4:29 AM
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stymingersfink wrote: Ionic Bonding 9+ (P1, P2 goes 11a ) in BCC. Pumpy little fucker, the second pitch is actually easier than the first. Still a nice sandbag for that cocky 5.10 leader to be cajoled into.
Wait, I just realized that this route doesn't count... it's a clip-up installed in '90 by Brian and Jonathon Smoot.
Umm, Trad routes I'd have ta say High Dive 9+, also in BCC. Not really a sandbag though, as standing at the bottom looking up one would ask themself "9+... Well, it is kind of a long second pitch"
Whereas with the first one I mentioned you'd be all "5 bolts??? I can see four of them from the ground and the first pitch is only like 50' "
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unreleasedenergy
Nov 1, 2007, 4:52 AM
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Contortionist,
Junkyard Wall, NRG
it spits out people that have climbed it before all the time. its one of those don't-breathe-wrong cruxes. A clean lead is a bit of a crapshoot, governed by humidity and the amount your sweating through the chest jams and chickenwings
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vegastradguy
Nov 1, 2007, 6:13 AM
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its a toss up for me....
the upper pitches of Touchstone were burly as hell, but that may have been exhaustion. 5.9 wide forever, as i recall....
Nadia's Nine, a well known sandbag in RR.
Deep Space, a burly ass DNFU chimney system. blow it and you fall 40', bounce off a ledge and then into the void below....
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shrug7
Nov 1, 2007, 2:57 PM
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Ant Killer Drapers Bluff, Soill.
Larger pic
(This post was edited by shrug7 on Nov 1, 2007, 2:58 PM)
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rock_fencer
Nov 1, 2007, 3:21 PM
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Ant Killer is so much easier than say Ant's Line @ the gunks. that being said. MF is pretty good. There is a 5.9 whose name i cant remember at T-Wall thats pretty ridiculous by golden locks.
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brokenankle
Nov 1, 2007, 3:32 PM
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The first two pitches of George's Tree at Lumpy Ridge. The two pitches link with about 200' of flaring/bottoming fingers, with some steep OW at the start of P2 for variety.
Edit: I thought about it some more: Lower Progressive at Veduawoo is pretty stout for the grade too.
(This post was edited by brokenankle on Nov 1, 2007, 3:53 PM)
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j_ung
Nov 1, 2007, 3:46 PM
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Jaws is up there for me. Bridge Buttress, NRG. MF at the Gunks, too.
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shrug7
Nov 1, 2007, 3:52 PM
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Never climbed at the Gunks, yet... But from what I have heard/read is that they are rated closer to Devil's Lake 9's then anything down in Soill/RRG.
That's still a great freaking line though. 
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rockgoat
Nov 1, 2007, 3:58 PM
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Any 5.9 in the Mocanaqua area of PA.
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jdouble
Nov 1, 2007, 3:58 PM
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Clean & Jerk, J Tree
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LostinMaine
Nov 1, 2007, 4:19 PM
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Frosted mug (or was it Labatt-Ami, I can never remember which is which) on the Beer Walls in the Adirondacks. Committing climbing on the lower section and ultra pumpy crack/corner climbing to the top.
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munky
Nov 1, 2007, 4:27 PM
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Apricot Jam in Linville Gorge. When I first led this thing I had only followed routes up to 5.9 on gear, I could lead 5.11 on bolts, but never any multipitch, and I had only placed gear on a few routes in 5.5-5.6 range. What an epic f-ing day. I did it onsight but linked pitch 1 and 2 with horrendous rope drag. I remember thinking the ending dihedral of "pitch 1" was as hard as anything I'd climbed before. And then on pitch 2 (really pitch 3) I got completely off route and couldn't hear my belayer, nor could I budge the rope. I had traversed way too far off to the right and had so much rope drag I was stuck. I built the shittiest anchor of all time and prayed for all I was worth while my more experienced partner began to solo with a mountaineers coil to my high point. I finally led us off the thing via a crazy thin crack under a roof. I finally topped out with the sky under a crimson cloak minutes from near darkness. TOTALLY EPIC and made me love climbing more than ever!!
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blueeyedclimber
Nov 1, 2007, 4:50 PM
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The hardest 9 that I have climbed was actually an 8+
But, if I must choose, then maybe Inverted Layback at the Gunks.
Ants Line I thought was easy compared to some other 9's.
Josh
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onceahardman
Nov 1, 2007, 5:19 PM
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its frosted mug. small inside corner at the edge of an outside corner. labatt-ami is 5.6. adirondacks have pretty stout ratings in general.
there is a WAY harder 9 (to me) across the street at the spider's web. "on the loose" (9+)...i think it might be a henry barber route. 120 ft handcrack, overhanging all the way, what a PUMP!
at pok-o-moonshine, psychosis (9+) spits off plenty of 5.10+ leaders.
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ryanb
Nov 1, 2007, 5:43 PM
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Damnation, on Castle Rock, near Leavenworth, WA.
5.9+ put up in the early 60's 30 something meters, cupped hands to fist to OW to ledge easing to run out stemming in a flare narrowing to a 6+ inch crack.
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kmc
Nov 1, 2007, 5:50 PM
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On the loose was a pumpy route, but I think that Bloody Mary at Poko O is harder for the grade. Haven't been on psychosis though, Ill be sure to check it out next time Im up there.
As far as not having done MF until you take it to the GT, I disagree. I know that is what most people say that, but I never really agreed, well is worth doing at least once. Its just that one roof right of the belay, and then nothing else too exciting afterwards. Now if they had just placed the bolted anchor slightly higher above the roof, that would be a stellar pitch with three great cruxes on it, as opposed to a stellar pitch with two great cruxes.
~Kevin
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vegastradguy
Nov 1, 2007, 6:07 PM
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jdouble wrote: Clean & Jerk, J Tree
well, hell, if you count Clean and Jerk as 5.9, I'd say that route probably wins!
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hansolo
Nov 1, 2007, 6:09 PM
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Tits and Beer at Looking Glass NC has gotta be one of the hardest 5.9's out there.
Crescent Arch on Daft Dome in Tuolome was also pretty hard for the grade, but it was no Tits and Beer.
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onceahardman
Nov 1, 2007, 6:10 PM
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yeah, bloody mary is maybe more technical. old-school john turner route...5.9 from the early 60s is usually tough.
have you done fastest gun at pok-o? 4 pitches, 9+, 9+, 10a, 10a, but it's really 4 varied pitches, all about the same diff. third pitch is runout. not the hardest 9 though, but still pretty stiff for the grade.
incredible route, one of the best in the 'dacks.
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irregularpanda
Nov 1, 2007, 6:18 PM
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North Early Winters Spire, The northwest corner.
Best layback in the Washington State is just below the heinous flaring O.W. Crux pitch.
Oh, and if anyone has the new climbing mag, don't believe the hype about washington pass, it sucks there.
In Fact, most of Washington state kinda sucks except for a random pitch amongst oodles of chossy pitches.
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jajen
Nov 1, 2007, 9:09 PM
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Aesthesia at the Spider's web in the Dacs. Know a solid 11 leader who still won't lead it!
How about ANY 9 or 9+ at Cathedral in North Conway that Henry Barber put in?? For that matter any Henry Barber 9 or 9+ anywhere!
Dacs, Gunks and North Conway all are rated pretty stout for 5.9.
(This post was edited by jajen on Nov 1, 2007, 9:10 PM)
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onceahardman
Nov 1, 2007, 9:54 PM
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hey-we brought up on the loose at spiders web...
i have looked at aesthesia, gosh it's pretty, but it does look hard for its grade. another of those inside corners stuck on the edge of an outside corner. never actually tried it.
TR (5.10) is easier than on the loose.
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zeke_sf
Nov 1, 2007, 10:12 PM
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Travelers Buttress at Lover's Leap is the hardest 9 I've led. It has a bit of funky OW and I don't have that technique dialed at all. It seems to give even a lot of strong 5.10 leaders the slip.
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climbingaggie03
Nov 1, 2007, 10:59 PM
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How about steck salathe? it's been upgraded to 5.10b but it used to be 5.9 from hell.
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jajen
Nov 1, 2007, 11:51 PM
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onceahardman wrote: hey-we brought up on the loose at spiders web... i have looked at aesthesia, gosh it's pretty, but it does look hard for its grade. another of those inside corners stuck on the edge of an outside corner. never actually tried it. TR (5.10) is easier than on the loose.
Totally agree on the TR comment - I warm up on that but still ned to get my head in the game to consider Aesthesia or On The Loose!
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jacobbelsher
Nov 2, 2007, 12:19 AM
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well, having some trouble interpeting (hardess) but my most exhausting pitch ever, is I guess my hardest 5.9 pitch of trad: the flaring chimmney on the south face of Prusssic Peak. P4 I think. seriously, its fucking ridiculous. literally, could hardly speak when I was finished.
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kmc
Nov 2, 2007, 12:37 AM
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Onceahardman,
I have been on fastest gun but have only done P1 and P2. Not sure why we didnt do the whole thing, but we ended up stopping after P2.
I love the climbing in the 'dacks, but unfortunatley I dont make it up there as often as I'd like. Last trip there I spent one day at the Beer Walls, and one day at Spiders Web. Spiders Web has some fabulous routes. Got on Slim Pickens, Aesthesia, On the Loose, and Dacker Cracker. The climbing there actually made it hard to go back to the Gunks (something I never thought I'd say)
Hopefully it will get cold enough for some ice real soon. Then Ill be heading up North for sure.
~Kevin
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tallmark515
Nov 2, 2007, 2:42 AM
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Open book at Tahquitz. First 5.9 in the country put up by Royal Robbins. Lots of committing, steep, liebacks up a dihedral. I tried to to jam/stem the whole thing and it ended up making it more difficult and awkward.
-m
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cragmasterp
Nov 2, 2007, 3:28 AM
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Steck Salathe on Sentinal was 5.9 back when i climbed it, and it kicked my ass. and that was after having a fun time on the NW face of half dome a couple of days before.
I led Tits and Beer at the glass back in my early days, and I remember it being somewhat epic.
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charlet_poser
Nov 2, 2007, 4:47 AM
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Godzilla, 5.9+ at Index, WA.
After feeling comfortable on 5.10 this thing still gave me the willies to lead.
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ryanb
Nov 2, 2007, 5:03 AM
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irregularpanda wrote: North Early Winters Spire, The northwest corner. Best layback in the Washington State is just below the heinous flaring O.W. Crux pitch. Oh, and if anyone has the new climbing mag, don't believe the hype about washington pass, it sucks there. In Fact, most of Washington state kinda sucks except for a random pitch amongst oodles of chossy pitches.
Yeah WA pass sucks. Chossy wet road side junk. Last hard pitch of liberty crack is a good 5.9 ... 50 meteres of techy slab climbing protected by old pins with about 1000 feet of exposure. Glad my partner led it.
Godzilla isn't that bad if you use the rests (you can get hands free above and below the layback, and right before you go out left by chimneying in the corner a bit) and save a green alien for the top but is a harsh introduction to sustained index climbing if you don't. GM (all 3 pitches, not the first 2 to heart of the country) would get my vote for hardest index 5.9 but i haven't managed to do the last pitch (bring lots of 3's and 4's...).
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raymondjeffrey
Nov 2, 2007, 5:07 AM
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Am I missing something? Clean and Jerk 5.10c on page 155 of Randy Vogel's Rock Climbing Guide.
The toughest 5.9 for me was Laceration Spur; those chimneys kicked my ass.
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cchas
Nov 2, 2007, 2:27 PM
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hansolo wrote: Tits and Beer at Looking Glass NC has gotta be one of the hardest 5.9's out there. Crescent Arch on Daft Dome in Tuolome was also pretty hard for the grade, but it was no Tits and Beer.
Check out the 5.9 about 50ft to the right (yup, out on the slabs) of Crescent Arches on Daff Dome. I lead 5.12 trad and 5.12d/.13a sport (and spent 2 years doing only R/X rated climbs) and the 5.9 out on the slab still freaks me out (ok, I'm a wimp)
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ja1484
Nov 3, 2007, 5:23 PM
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j_ung wrote: Jaws is up there for me. Bridge Buttress, NRG. MF at the Gunks, too.
Now Jay, I know from other posts on here you're a Stone Mountain vet and you're telling me the first pitch of Grand Funk didn't pucker you up more than Jaws?
Anyway, that's mine:
Grand Funk Railroad, 5.9- (FA'd 1971), Stone Mountain, NC
Crux is a blank, steep bulge you must traverse right across on smears alone with no handholds for roughly 15 feet. By the time you hit this crux, you are ~40' off the deck and about ~30' to the right of your last piece of pro, a bolt. After that it's all fun in the sun, but I seriously thought I was going to the hospital all through that section.
(This post was edited by ja1484 on Nov 3, 2007, 5:27 PM)
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camhead
Nov 3, 2007, 6:29 PM
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if Clean and and Jerk is indeed 5.9, then without a doubt that is the top of my hard list.
otherwise, I agree with anyone who cited MF.
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fenderfour
Nov 3, 2007, 6:56 PM
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irregularpanda wrote: North Early Winters Spire, The northwest corner. Best layback in the Washington State is just below the heinous flaring O.W. Crux pitch. Oh, and if anyone has the new climbing mag, don't believe the hype about washington pass, it sucks there. In Fact, most of Washington state kinda sucks except for a random pitch amongst oodles of chossy pitches.
Yeah, the climbing in Washington is pure crap. I have to go to Smith or Squamish to find anything of value.
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kmc
Nov 3, 2007, 7:32 PM
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Why does everyone keep saying MF? I never found that to be a difficult route for the grade. Le Teton on the other hand is a more difficult 9.
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drjghl
Nov 3, 2007, 8:15 PM
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Northeast Buttress on Higher Cathedral Rock in Yosemite.
After climbing for eight years, nothing even comes remotely close to being as hard as this 5.9 thugfest. After I took a hang on the first 5.8 pitch I knew I was in trouble.
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pt
Nov 3, 2007, 9:32 PM
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The Straight Edge (9+) Vedauwoo
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boglins
Nov 3, 2007, 10:53 PM
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Tits and Beer on Looking Glass in NC has spit out more than a few 5.11 sport climbers...
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onceahardman
Nov 4, 2007, 1:45 AM
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hey, its only 5.8, but has anybody ever led (or seen anybody lead) turner's flake at cathedral ledge?
it looks great, but f-ing COMMITING! like either keep laybacking or fall a loooong way!
just curious. i have always wanted to go back for that, but i never met anybody who actually did it!
EDIT: BTW, it was first led when the only pro was 1-2 inch pitons!
(This post was edited by onceahardman on Nov 4, 2007, 2:25 AM)
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LostinMaine
Nov 5, 2007, 2:24 PM
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onceahardman wrote: its frosted mug. small inside corner at the edge of an outside corner. labatt-ami is 5.6. adirondacks have pretty stout ratings in general. there is a WAY harder 9 (to me) across the street at the spider's web. "on the loose" (9+)...i think it might be a henry barber route. 120 ft handcrack, overhanging all the way, what a PUMP!
I agree that this is harder, but I haven't led it ;)
My brother and I spent some time at spider's. After climbing Mr. Roger's Neighborhood and Slim Pickins, I handed the rope over and he climbed On the loose. I'm glad he led it.
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cracklover
Nov 5, 2007, 2:51 PM
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I've done MF and Le Teton at the Gunks. I've done those really tough-for-the-grade Henry Barber routes on Cathedral like Chicken Delight, Layton's, and Double Vee. I've done Vertigo, an unprotectable 30+ foot arching offwidth on Cannon. But there's another 9 in the Northeast that has them all beat by a mile, in my book: Retaliation, on Cathedral Ledge.
Followed it, scared out of my gourd, and vowed I'd never lead it. About 5 years later I'd forgotten all about the climb (blocked it from my memory, no doubt), saw the name in a guidebook, and thought it would be fun to lead. By the time I got through the crux pitch, I realized that this felt strangely familiar. D'oh!
100 feet of very tenuous layback/undercling, with super-balancy foot-smears, often no gear, and when you do get gear, it's placed blind, and to inspect it you'd have to pull 5.12 moves to be on the wrong side of the crack. Curving/angling face, so you can never see what's coming. And through it all the pump clock just keeps ticking. What a horror show. It even made my second cry!
GO
(This post was edited by cracklover on Nov 5, 2007, 2:56 PM)
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chossmonkey
Nov 5, 2007, 4:03 PM
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In Pursuit of Excellence at T-Wall. I really sucked at jamming when I did it though.
Assembly Line at Devils Tower always seems hard to. The supposed crux moves at the bottom are no problem. Its the easier climbing above that gives me problems. Its a really bad size for me.
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tomcat
Nov 5, 2007, 5:14 PM
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Duet Direct was rated 5.9 when I led it.Seemed a tad harder though.I heard it was "5.7"at the time of the FA.
I've led Turner's a bunch of times.Not as burly as you'd think,good feet at a lot of spots.Having a #4 Friend or Camalot that you slide up a couple times makes it downright fun.I'd say the 5.8 part is actually in that tight corner at the end of the pitch.
Retaliation is tough to lead because of the difficulty placing gear,many people epic on it,but I don't personally think it's harder than 9.Easier to do Youth Challenge at 10b.
Live Free or Die at the Beer Walls seems kinda stout,but it's got a plus so it's OK I guess....
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vegastradguy
Nov 5, 2007, 5:24 PM
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cracklover wrote: I've done MF and Le Teton at the Gunks. I've done those really tough-for-the-grade Henry Barber routes on Cathedral like Chicken Delight, Layton's, and Double Vee. I've done Vertigo, an unprotectable 30+ foot arching offwidth on Cannon. But there's another 9 in the Northeast that has them all beat by a mile, in my book: Retaliation, on Cathedral Ledge. Followed it, scared out of my gourd, and vowed I'd never lead it. About 5 years later I'd forgotten all about the climb (blocked it from my memory, no doubt), saw the name in a guidebook, and thought it would be fun to lead. By the time I got through the crux pitch, I realized that this felt strangely familiar. D'oh! 100 feet of very tenuous layback/undercling, with super-balancy foot-smears, often no gear, and when you do get gear, it's placed blind, and to inspect it you'd have to pull 5.12 moves to be on the wrong side of the crack. Curving/angling face, so you can never see what's coming. And through it all the pump clock just keeps ticking. What a horror show. It even made my second cry! GO
Dude, if i ever make it back east, we're going up this route! Sounds sweet! I'm even guessing you'll let me lead the whole thing!
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cracklover
Nov 5, 2007, 6:01 PM
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vegastradguy wrote: cracklover wrote: I've done MF and Le Teton at the Gunks. I've done those really tough-for-the-grade Henry Barber routes on Cathedral like Chicken Delight, Layton's, and Double Vee. I've done Vertigo, an unprotectable 30+ foot arching offwidth on Cannon. But there's another 9 in the Northeast that has them all beat by a mile, in my book: Retaliation, on Cathedral Ledge. Followed it, scared out of my gourd, and vowed I'd never lead it. About 5 years later I'd forgotten all about the climb (blocked it from my memory, no doubt), saw the name in a guidebook, and thought it would be fun to lead. By the time I got through the crux pitch, I realized that this felt strangely familiar. D'oh! 100 feet of very tenuous layback/undercling, with super-balancy foot-smears, often no gear, and when you do get gear, it's placed blind, and to inspect it you'd have to pull 5.12 moves to be on the wrong side of the crack. Curving/angling face, so you can never see what's coming. And through it all the pump clock just keeps ticking. What a horror show. It even made my second cry! GO Dude, if i ever make it back east, we're going up this route! Sounds sweet! I'm even guessing you'll let me lead the whole thing!
Hahahaha! You bet, man, it's all yours! However, in exchange, you have to let me drag you up some heinous roofs at the Gunks!
Edited to add - Tomcat - you may be right, the individual moves may be physically no harder than 5.9. But to onsight this climb is much more difficult than any other 5.9 I've done.
GO
(This post was edited by cracklover on Nov 5, 2007, 6:06 PM)
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graniteboy
Nov 5, 2007, 6:14 PM
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For well known routes....I'd say it's the steck-salathe. Or traveler's buttress....both have good hard 5.9 offwidth moves. And steck-salathe is a very good endurance workout.
But really, for sheer thrashing, we did a winter ascent of "offramp" at the black wall, donner summit....it's only graded 5.8.....but with a couple feet of snow to scratch off of every hold.....that was a real sonofabitch.
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elepita
Nov 5, 2007, 6:17 PM
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vortenberg wrote: Just curious. What is the hardest 5.9 you've led? Cheers
I don't know if someone has mentioned, but Godzilla in Index is beautiful but hard!
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tomcat
Nov 5, 2007, 6:19 PM
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Definately agree Gabe...it's tough to lead.When that guy whipped for that photo shoot there,some commented that it's A1 placements every five feet.The gear is good if you can get it placed,but you are constantly tempted to just go for broke.
Nice position on Retalition too.
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graniteboy
Nov 5, 2007, 8:05 PM
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Yeah....Godzilla is stiff. I actually rate that one 10a, and think it's a very fair rating. I talked to the guy who did the F.A. on that thing, way back in the day.....He moved to Truckee....Don something or other....gave him some shit about it.
But Godzilla is not alone at index.....
Index climbers seem to revel in giving sandbag ratings to their routes. But we hafta remember the reason for a rating system: so that climbers who haven't done the route have some idea about the difficulty.....not so that we can make ourselves feel "manly" by undergrading things and sandbagging climbers from other regions.....
Cause if sandbagging were the point, I'd be busy putting up 11b runout routes and calling em
5.8 (pg), and inviting lots of Out of state climbers to come break their legs on em....
But that's not what its about.
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antiqued
Nov 6, 2007, 3:31 PM
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cracklover wrote: ... I've done those really tough-for-the-grade Henry Barber routes on Cathedral like Chicken Delight, Layton's, and Double Vee. ... But there's another 9 in the Northeast that has them all beat by a mile, in my book: Retaliation, on Cathedral Ledge. 100 feet of very tenuous layback/undercling, with super-balancy foot-smears, often no gear, and when you do get gear, it's placed blind, and to inspect it you'd have to pull 5.12 moves to be on the wrong side of the crack. ... And through it all the pump clock just keeps ticking. ... GO
Different pulls for different fools, I guess. I rate Chicken Delight as an easier 9, Retaliation in the middle of 9, and think Double Vee deserves 5.9++! Not that pumpy, but a hard move!! (at least statically)
I just want to induce some people to try Retaliation. It does traverse, your second does need to be competent, but you can always see your protection by placing it (or replacing it!) behind you.
And while I haven't done the other Spider's Web 9s suggested earlier, Esthesia deserves a mention here.
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j_ung
Nov 6, 2007, 6:28 PM
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ja1484 wrote: j_ung wrote: Jaws is up there for me. Bridge Buttress, NRG. MF at the Gunks, too. Now Jay, I know from other posts on here you're a Stone Mountain vet and you're telling me the first pitch of Grand Funk didn't pucker you up more than Jaws? Anyway, that's mine: Grand Funk Railroad, 5.9- (FA'd 1971), Stone Mountain, NC Crux is a blank, steep bulge you must traverse right across on smears alone with no handholds for roughly 15 feet. By the time you hit this crux, you are ~40' off the deck and about ~30' to the right of your last piece of pro, a bolt. After that it's all fun in the sun, but I seriously thought I was going to the hospital all through that section.
Pffft... Everything at Stone Mountain that's 5.10 or under is easy as long you just keep your shit together. Technically, powerfully, endurance-ly and all the other physicalies... Grand Funk is easy. It just also happens to be mind-numbingly terrifying. I heard a story once of a guy who threw up and then went blind in the middle of the crux.
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trenchdigger
Nov 6, 2007, 7:14 PM
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j_ung wrote: ja1484 wrote: j_ung wrote: Jaws is up there for me. Bridge Buttress, NRG. MF at the Gunks, too. Now Jay, I know from other posts on here you're a Stone Mountain vet and you're telling me the first pitch of Grand Funk didn't pucker you up more than Jaws? Anyway, that's mine: Grand Funk Railroad, 5.9- (FA'd 1971), Stone Mountain, NC Crux is a blank, steep bulge you must traverse right across on smears alone with no handholds for roughly 15 feet. By the time you hit this crux, you are ~40' off the deck and about ~30' to the right of your last piece of pro, a bolt. After that it's all fun in the sun, but I seriously thought I was going to the hospital all through that section. Pffft... Everything at Stone Mountain that's 5.10 or under is easy as long you just keep your shit together. Technically, powerfully, endurance-ly and all the other physicalies... Grand Funk is easy. It just also happens to be mind-numbingly terrifying. I heard a story once of a guy who threw up and then went blind in the middle of the crux.
Yah, pucker factor is one thing, sandbagged is another. I found the climbing at Stone soft for the grade. I got on a 12a there (Scimitar, I think?) that would have been just another well protected 5.10+ slab in JTree.
Woodson has its share of sandbagged routes. The one that probably best fits this post is the 40' boulder problem called "Big Grunt". It starts as a 50 degree overhung offwidth that you chicken wing and heel-toe up until it gets wide enough for you to squeeze inside of. From there it's just a widening chimney to the top. It's a 5.9, but the specialized OW techniques required cause many a climber to think otherwise. That has to be my pick...
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ja1484
Nov 6, 2007, 8:13 PM
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Guess you guys distinguish between physical toil and pucker factor when rating difficulty. I don't - there are routes I can't do because they're physically above me *and* there are routes I can't do because I'll throw up and go blind in the middle of the crux  . Physical toil doesn't both me so much as that's just a matter of training...but when a route scares me so much that my balls are hugging my eyes...
Either way, they're f*cking hard in my book.
(This post was edited by ja1484 on Nov 6, 2007, 8:16 PM)
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ajkclay
Nov 6, 2007, 11:20 PM
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Resurrection was the scariest...
Single pitch with a tricky mantle crux followed by a crimpy side pull high-step about 3-4m up and no gear until past half way up. I'm at about 6-7m in the pic and the crack I'm reaching for is the first placement. No escapes into easy rests once you've committed either. And it is very solid at the grade.
The ground below is littered with several sharp blocks that will break your fall. 
Cheers
Adam
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nthusiastj
Nov 6, 2007, 11:56 PM
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I accidentaly climbed Birdcage 10b, thinking it was birdland 9.
When I hit the ground I was complaing how hard Gunks grades are when the guy next to me straightened me out.
That was a damn hard 9.
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j_ung
Nov 7, 2007, 3:55 PM
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ja1484 wrote: Guess you guys distinguish between physical toil and pucker factor when rating difficulty. I don't - there are routes I can't do because they're physically above me *and* there are routes I can't do because I'll throw up and go blind in the middle of the crux . Physical toil doesn't both me so much as that's just a matter of training... but when a route scares me so much that my balls are hugging my eyes... Either way, they're f*cking hard in my book.
Good stuff.
Separate subject: Should wide cracks even count here? All of them are hard for the grade.
(This post was edited by j_ung on Nov 7, 2007, 3:56 PM)
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jdouble
Nov 7, 2007, 4:31 PM
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robdotcalm wrote: jdouble wrote: Clean & Jerk, J Tree Since the route has always been rated 10c, it really doesn't qualify as "hardest 5.9". r.c
I was trying to make a joke/stir the pot........lots of old threads bickering over the rating on Clean and Jerk.
I will work on my humor.
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munky
Nov 7, 2007, 5:04 PM
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Its not really that bad. It looks a hell of a lot scarier from the ground then it actually climbs. Get on it and have some fun.
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kmc
Nov 7, 2007, 7:21 PM
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Birdcage is a great 5.9. Untill you get to the 5.10 roof at the top of the pitch.
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trundlebum
Nov 8, 2007, 12:14 AM
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Any New hampshire 5.9+
I hear 'Titties and beer' at looking glass, is one hell of a 5.8 lol
Steck Salathe'
'Reeds direct'
N.E butt of Higher cathedral rock
for sustained ^
'quick silver'
for 'pucker factor' ^
(This post was edited by trundlebum on Nov 8, 2007, 12:20 AM)
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curt
Nov 8, 2007, 2:25 AM
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camhead wrote: if Clean and and Jerk is indeed 5.9, then without a doubt that is the top of my hard list. otherwise, I agree with anyone who cited MF.
MF isn't even the hardest 5.9 in the Gunks. Go do "Jekyll and Hyde" and you'll see what I mean.
Curt
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brutusofwyde
Nov 10, 2007, 12:06 AM
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My hardest was one of the pitches on Magic Mushroom below Mamoth Terraces. 7" groove rated 5.9 or A3.
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graniteboy
Nov 27, 2007, 1:37 AM
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Here's a truly obscure line down in joshua tree that i thought rated right up there with some of the hardest 5.9's I've ever done: It's called "True Democracy", and it's way out in some obscure part of the wonderland. 5.9 crumbly water groove stemming....the crux is about 30 feet up, and about 6 feet after that, you can actually get some pro. I'd be inclined to rate it 5.10, but it was called 5.9 in th book. I'd be surprised if anyone in here has ever done it though....pretty obscure.
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dominic7
Nov 27, 2007, 2:11 AM
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Hey. That's me. Yeah. Retaliation gets my vote. Though I haven't actually quite finished it yet so my vote shouldn't count.
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ja1484
Nov 27, 2007, 2:21 AM
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dominic7 wrote: Hey. That's me. Yeah. Retaliation gets my vote. Though I haven't actually quite finished it yet so my vote shouldn't count.
Story? Is the pro sketchy or did you just place poorly?
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dominic7
Nov 27, 2007, 2:42 AM
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ja1484 wrote: dominic7 wrote: Hey. That's me. Yeah. Retaliation gets my vote. Though I haven't actually quite finished it yet so my vote shouldn't count. Story? Is the pro sketchy or did you just place poorly?
I'm sure the pro is fine. Its a bitch to place though.
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dominic7
Nov 27, 2007, 2:44 AM
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zeke_sf wrote: dominic7 wrote: Hey. That's me. Yeah. Retaliation gets my vote. Though I haven't actually quite finished it yet so my vote shouldn't count. I can't believe you didn't post up your perfectly topic-appropriate BOMZ: 
m34TB0Mz off da rez. Yull getz us banzed weke!
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