Ascent Notes for: Roof Crack - 5.9 Average Rating : 0.00/5

3/11/05 seconded berkly on this killer route - thought I wasn't gonna make the crux at all! This one's sending me back to the bouldering cave, to strengthen up and return to lead it. Four days later I'm still pretty scraped up from this baby. Poor technique, I know! 5.9 is a sandbag on this one, in my book. Whew!
But I'm keen to get back, to tackle this and the roof corner which looks like fun too.
4/9/06 Redpoint! Big #4 down low, too much pro in roof, crux is a struggle but the jams are so good, no prob - even hanging from 'em for a while, kick the #2 a few times between toe jam pushes and trying to find that left-toe jug . . . but finally it works with a good effort and . . . the jams win over in the end. Sweet, sweet jams. I'll be leadin' that again! Got to, to do it w/o totally screwing up the pro/rope situation. Longer sling on the #1 would have done the trick though. rope drag before I top out and have to downclimb to build anchor and lower to unstick gear, then take too long on the belay. Then belayed J Paw on Baldilocks, (2 falls on the crux bolt) had a shot (nice finger crack!) and then follered his Kingfisher Caravan lead. I made it harder this time than I ever did - even onsight.

My crowning acheivment in my short climbing career. The old guidebook says 5.10, the new 5.9+ so needless to say I was pumped to finish this route. I protected the start with a #4 camalot and climbed a short chimney section, then to a stemming dihedral face, running it out to the roof for a rest. Plugged the roof with a mini anchor: Gray Alien, #5 stopper, a #2 camalot and came charging out to the lip. The crux is turning the lip and establishing your self on your right foot, which was strenuous to pull off with your left leg dangling in thin air.

My first attempt failed after turning the lip and I fell on goldylocks. Went up again only to find my energy zapped. So I downclimbed and lowered off.

After a drink of water, rest and a mental examination of what I did and need to do, I went back up. Carefully placing my mitts in the crack above, I cranked on simply sublime jams. Getting my right foot on the ledge was easy, but pulling all 230 lbs up onto a stance was strenuous to say the least. I took all my strength to plant one more jam and crank onto the stance. Breathing frantically, standing on my tip toes with only my left hand in the crack I remember telling my self to get a piece in. A #3 worked nicely and I was on my way working out the jams up the rest of the crack to the top.

If you want to try a roof crack, try this one. Best route Ive ever led.

Cool route. Its a one move wonder. The pro down low kinda sucks as does the rock.