Ascent Notes for: melvins wheel - 5.8 Average Rating : 4.50/5

Great sustained 5.8 although rated in my guidebook 5.8+ and it felt like it. First pitch was awesome finger-crack pulling a small roof with a bomber chock stone, easily protectable. The second pitch is straight up hand crack, and requires you trust your jams...quality crack up to a roof with an offwidth. The 3rd pitch pulls the roof using the offwidth, which required some awkward moves and grunt-work. Once beyond this you have not so fun chimney (I'm not a fan of chimneys), I had trouble finding protection and was highly run-out...my guide book said 5.8 and it felt like it. The chimney levels out to a large flat and sheltered ledge where I belayed my second up to. Then their is a very small section up the continues back and over a myriad of flakes, with a somewhat substantial tranverse over a gap that didn't excite my second. You'll find some newer looking rap anchors there to a large ledge only 20 feet below...continue rapping down to your right (off right side of ledge when facing rap-line)below there is a boulder wrapped with slings that is invisible from above, halfway down the gully. I rapped into gully and thought it was down climb-able (not a fun down climb)...I got half way down and found the second rap station mentioned above

Great route, glad we finally got to get on it. Skip third pitch and rap down from 2nd if you don't want to have a heinous time getting back to your stuff.

Again, lumpy holds so many classics. This is the best 5.8 at lumpy in my opinion. Pitch 1 - climb a left facing corner for 80-100ft. The crux of the pitch is the thin portion of the corner about 60ft up. Takes gear well - just look for it. Continue up to the roof via a easy 5.7/5.8 crack. I don't think you need a BD cam #3 to protect the roof, but it won't hurt either. 5ft after the roof, a nice TCU placement is found. Angle up and right via a crack to the 2 bolt belay ledge. Pitch 2 - the best 5.8 flaring finger/hand crack in the world. Prepare to test your skills at the grade. First twenty feet are easy and good for placements. Continue up the crack and place stopper/tcu at any interval you wish. Smears with your feet are available on the left side more than the right. Finish the crack and come to a horn with rap slings around. There is a 5in crack back and on the right of the offwidth section starting after the horn. I set two BD #.75 and combined them with the rap slings on the horn to equalize against for a nice belay. You can bail and rap down, but why not finish a classic route. Pitch 3 - 30ft of easy offwidth. Start facing the right for 10ft, then switch and face left. Notice the finger crack within the offwidth, which will make your day easier. Continue into 5.6 flaring chimney with hand holds on either side. Contniue all the way in the chimney and then stay on the right side to cross over to the backside of the bookmark. Look for the two rap bolts. Look at my fanatsy ridge description for more into.

Rapped after the second pitch. Getting down from the top would be awkward.

led the first pitch while guy lead the second. F*** the #3 camelot at the crux! This is an excellent opportunity for a large hex - don't pass it up!

Second pitch is the money pitch - get ready for some painful jamming in a perfect hand crack. Definitely sustained. Bagged out after the second pitch - who really wants the wide stuff anyway? I do, and will probably return for it.

cool route!

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Good day, good climb. Not quite up there with Pear Buttress, but an interesting route none the less. Other than the offwidth / squeeze chimney at the start of p3 it was pretty casual. After rapping off the back side we took a quick run up Cottontail, an easy 2 pitch 5.6 on the Left Book.

A fantastic 1st pitch. It was our 3rd route of the day. So we only decided to do the first pitch, which was fantastic. Lots of good pro the entire climb. A 60 M rope allowed us to rap to a ledge below then scramble down to where backflip starts. A #3 BD was a welcome piece to protect the roof move.