We have been discussing ratings a lot lately.
Last Friday it was entertaining to watch Brad lead the approach pitch at Condor Crags.
Before he actually got on the climb, I told him that for an experienced crack climber, familiar with finger locks and various other techniques - if you hit all the holds just right and keep moving, the climb might be 5.7.
I figured if the climb really was 5.7 - Brad would just cruise it.
Make a single wrong choice of holds, don't trust yourself to layaway enough, stop too long to try and place a piece (just to name a few of many possible reasons) - and you'll probably take a leader fall.
I remember leading the pitch early on. These were my notes on 10-20-12 (less than a year after I started leading).
Crux at start. I placed a .75 cam in the crack and then used layback moves on the finger crack to get up into the clutch. I was shaking pretty good and couldn’t get a stable stance for another piece even though I needed one! Kat finally told me to move and when I did I found some good hand holds on the face out to the right that saved me. The crack peters out after the first few moves and you are left with some pretty sketchy stuff. I think the key is stemming out wide and KEEP MOVING. Looking at it afterwards I thought I might have seen some stemming holds I may have missed that might allow you a brief moment to place another piece – maybe a #1 cam.
I talked to several climbers (outside of our core group) over the holiday period who said they either backed off or were too intimidated to try it.
There is no doubt it is a challenging pitch.
Here is a summary from all the guidebooks
Condor Crags approach pitch history
Hammack Description
Once the first part, comprising a delicate, 15-foot balance pitch on tweak holds, is surmounted…
This latter part of the description cracks me up (pun intended)
The first pitch is quite difficult but due to its nearness to the ground it requires no protection. A variation of this first pitch is a crack to the left about 10 feet, but this route requires several pitons for protection.
Roper – 5.7 The first and crux pitch goes up a 15-foot vertical wall which leads to a small bowl. Although this pitch is rather difficult, no protection is necessary owing to the nearness of the ground. The first pitch is varied by climbing a crack left (5.7)
Richards 5.6 – climb the delicate 4 ½ meter wall in the middle into the hollow above…This old, admirable climb also contains on its bottom section and left-hand crack, the most damning overuse of pitons to be found in the Monument. To discourage continued pounding and wearing, a bolt now offers the initial protection.
Gagner 5.7 – Climb the steep chute past a bolt to the large broken-up ledges in the notch between the north and south summits.
Rubine – no separate rating given - he just says - All routes up both summits climb the initial thin crack leading into the notch between them…
Bottom line for me is you never know what you are going to get with 5.7 - for me, it is the trickiest grade at Pinns
A few good ones that come to mind are Cinder, Burgundy Dome, Elephant Crack, Mama Bear, Nit-Wit Knob and Spasm Block - to say nothing of all the 5.7R's
