Ascent Notes for: Crescent Arch - 5.9 Average Rating : 4.60/5

Sandbagged 5.9. Might get spanked if you are at your limit on this grade. Kudos to Catherine for onsighting pitches 2 an 3! Slick and awkward. Pitch 4 is physical and stimulating. Great climb. A grade harder than west crack for sure....

Did this climb with Lou, we were going to do West Crack, but with 6 people at the 1st hanging belay, moved on over to Crescent. This is slick, esp when water dripping down the wall and in the crack... I lead the 2nd & 3rd pitch-thought it to be pretty hard/slippy-then Lou led the 4th/in addition to 1st-that is sustained and pumpy IMHO-he did great! You'll feel proud of getting to the top of this one (4th pitch is 5.10b IMHO).

The 5.9 sections feel fairly stiff for the grade. The climbing is incredible, though slightly awkward in sections. The traverse at the top of the crescent is amazing and sustained.

Awesome, awesome climb. Sustained but with great rests. Face climb around the awkwardness at the bottom. The supposed 10b traverse move below the top of the arch is really not bad at all.

Opportunity to lose it on the last pitch or my name ain't runningitout

Very sustained climbing. The traverse at the arch was probably the crux, but the whole route is consistentlly challenging at a 5.9 rating. Great footholds appear every 15 feet or so to provide nice rests. Hanging final belay was 'interesting'.

This was a very enjoyable route. Much less crowded than the neighboring West Crack. The wide section at the start of the 2nd pitch seems as hard as the "crux" arch pitch.

Polished, awkward 5.9 moves but with bomber protection. Pitch 4 is the business.

A slick and greasy ride all the way to the top. Run the second and third pitches together but make sure you place a piece in the corner (old school rope drag eliminating trick) to prevent the rope from getting sucked up in the crack. Pitches 2 and 3 are the crux, not pitch 4 going under the arch. The route is nothing spectacular IMO, just that it looks really cool from the ground. Kinda ugly and nasty up close though. Worth doing I suppose.

linked pitches 2+3 -- tremendous rope drag.