burly 5.9 beta survey

Search
Go

Discussion Topic

Return to Forum List
This thread has been locked
Messages 1 - 20 of total 40 in this topic << First  |  < Previous  |  Show All  |  Next >  |  Last >>
drc

Trad climber
Boston, MA
Topic Author's Original Post - Oct 31, 2007 - 10:43pm PT
Apparently my latest climbing goal is to convince myself that I am not afraid of 5.9
Rate these in order of difficulty(technical for a single pitch)with whatever comments. I've led all but one of these, but I am still nervous about the one I haven't.

Central Pillar of Frenzy - Valley
Open Book - Tahquitz
Phobos - Meadows
Recompense - Cathedral Ledge, New Hampshire
Reeds Direct - Valley
Rock Wars - Red River Gorge
The Yawn - Meadows

Cheers
Ed Hartouni

Trad climber
Livermore, CA
Oct 31, 2007 - 11:37pm PT
ones I have lead in increasing level of burl:
Central Pillar of Frenzy - Valley
Phobos - Meadows
Reeds Direct - Valley

been on:
The Yawn - Meadows (probably up there with Reed's Direct)

haven't climbed
Open Book - Tahquitz
Recompense - Cathedral Ledge, New Hampshire
Rock Wars - Red River Gorge
Dragon with Matches

climber
Bamboo Grove
Oct 31, 2007 - 11:44pm PT
never climbed in the NE.

technical difficulty: (increasing order of diff)
RD-CPoF-RW-Y-P

enduro difficulty:
P-Y-RW-CPoF-RD

proudest tic:
Y

get out & send

slobmonster

Trad climber
berkeley, ca
Oct 31, 2007 - 11:57pm PT
In increasing order of burliness (IMO, and I'm including only the routes I've climbed):

Phobos
Recompense
Frenzy
Rock Wars
Frenzy
Reed's

Reed's is at the top mostly because it's sustained. I've climbed it all styley and clean, and then a week later been stymied into making it annoying and thrutchy.

Recompense is wonderful: a few wiggly wide moves bracketed by clean, beautiful, elegant climbing.

Phobos is slightly burl, but damn straightforward; no real need to get funky. Deimos has a rep for being weirder/wider/burlier but I find it nice and fun. Just find the right place to start!
yo

climber
The Eye of the Snail
Nov 1, 2007 - 12:00am PT
Phobos and Deimos...yipe! My buddy calls them Scrotos and Fecos, hahaha.


Apparently this is limited to single pitchers, but there's a little route on Sentinel that has a touch of 5.9 burl too.
drc

Trad climber
Boston, MA
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 1, 2007 - 12:49am PT
Yo, yo

I'm planning to wait on that little route on sentinel till i'm all confident on the ones I mentioned. Thanks all for the beta.
Cheers
Jaybro

Social climber
The West
Nov 1, 2007 - 12:55am PT
do them all and you won't be afraid, no more.
spyork

Social climber
A prison of my own creation
Nov 1, 2007 - 01:27am PT
KorBeck is burly. Moreso than frenzy.
Absolutely Free is Burly for 5.9, IMO. Above Frenzy for sure.
steelmnkey

climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
Nov 1, 2007 - 09:37am PT
Have only done three of those...

Central Pillar - Don't recall that wide pitch being any big deal.

Open Book...nearly died on th the supposed "5.7" on the way up to the wide stuff, but the wide stuff was just fun climbing.

Reed's Direct - Sustained, but not too bad.
k-man

Gym climber
SCruz
Nov 1, 2007 - 11:10am PT
Absolutely Free is burly, you can buy a ceder box on the approach alone.

Lava Falls at the Pinns is also a nice 'n' stout 5.9.

Lena's Lieback, anybody find that one attention-getting?

Steck-Salathe, do that and you've got the grade in hand.

spyork

Social climber
A prison of my own creation
Nov 1, 2007 - 11:15am PT
Lena's is not too bad. I think La Cosita right is a touch harder.

I need to try Lava Falls. Volcanic Mud anyone?
steelmnkey

climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
Nov 1, 2007 - 11:56am PT
Post up another vote for the Steck-Salathe. That thing is WAY MO harder than the three off the list that I've done.
scuffy b

climber
The deck above the 5
Nov 1, 2007 - 12:39pm PT
Reed's Direct, you mean without doing the crux, right?
Clint Cummins

Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
Nov 1, 2007 - 01:19pm PT
1. Reeds Direct (pitch 2) - Valley
traditionally the "hardest 5.9 in the Valley"
the crux would be 5.7 or 5.8 if you weren't so pumped
from the long leaning section getting to it.
I don't do the final 10' of splitter ow/fist; I go left
instead. The pitch still gets my attention.
2. Central Pillar of Frenzy - Valley
2nd pitch is a little technical (bad size for small hands/fingers) for a few moves
3. Phobos - Meadows
just a few moves on the overhanging hand crack start
4. Recompense - Cathedral Ledge, New Hampshire
it's been 30 years; I don't remember anything real tough
? Open Book - Tahquitz
? Rock Wars - Red River Gorge
? The Yawn - Meadows

Other candidates mentioned:

 Lava Falls - Pinnacles
pumpy runout demands confidence!
 Lena's Lieback - Valley
slick!

Not mentioned yet:

 DNB (pitch 5 - corner to undercling left) - Valley
I call it the "this is not 5.9" pitch, quoting Jimmy Dunn.
 M.F. - Gunks
although I was off route and climbed direct when I did it
 Birdie Party - Gunks
still 5.9 or 5.10 now?
 Modern Times (last pitch) - Gunks
"5.8 for 5.10 leaders"
 Unconquerable Crack - Ragged
 Hollow Flake on the Salathe' - Valley
actually only 5.8 on the ow/chimney scale, but seems be a big
relief for most people to reach the anchors
 Entrance Exam - Arch Rock - Valley
never tried it, but it looks demanding

Longer routes:

1. Steck-Salathe' - Valley
King of the burly 5.9 routes
2. Higher Cathedral Rock - North Buttress - Valley
much 5.9 and topo/routefinding adventures
the tricky 5.8 squeeze seems to cause the most panic on it
3. Kor-Ingalls - Castleton Tower - Moab
anybody else find the slick calcite lieback/squeeze scary?

Routes that don't make the burly list for small hands/fingers, but might for those with big mitts:

 Absolutely Free Center - Valley (1.25")
 La Cosita Right - Valley (thin fingers)

5.8s that might make the list, if you won't wear big hiking boots :-) :

 Little John Left Side - Valley
spyork

Social climber
A prison of my own creation
Nov 1, 2007 - 01:44pm PT
Entrance Exam is burly and as Jaybro said, "That is a serious route". The exit out past the guillotime flake can induce some shrinkage.
Miwok

climber
Nov 1, 2007 - 01:59pm PT
Get on Sea of Holes on Hammer Dome. Best 5.9 slab climb i've been on in a long time.

Nice job Jay!
lars johansen

Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
Nov 1, 2007 - 02:07pm PT
Aplodontia [5.9R] on Power Dome, Courtright will get your attention.

Used to be, Lancelot [5.9] was considered one of the harder nine's in the Valley.
Fat Dad

Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
Nov 1, 2007 - 02:23pm PT
Nobody's mentioned the way burly NE Buttress of Higher Cathedral. Far, far hardier than some of the other 5.9s discussed here.

Oops. Nevermind. Just saw Clint's message.
Elcapinyoazz

Social climber
Joshua Tree
Nov 1, 2007 - 02:30pm PT
What's with all you light duty wankers who don't FINISH Reed's Direct?

3rd pitch is the biz, is burlier than anything the OP listed, and goes at about 10a. Those creampuff handcracks on the first couple pitches you couldn't fall out of if you tried. Skipping the 3rd and claiming an ascent is almost as wankeriffic as doing that fairy face climbing around the wide technical crux of the 2nd pitch.

Good call there Fad Dad, the cumulative effects of that one get you.
scuffy b

climber
The deck above the 5
Nov 1, 2007 - 02:35pm PT
Used to be, Lancelot [5.9] was considered one of the harder nine's in the Valley.

I certainly turned it into one of the hardest nines when I
climbed it.

Hey, no need to pull punches, Will.
Messages 1 - 20 of total 40 in this topic << First  |  < Previous  |  Show All  |  Next >  |  Last >>
Return to Forum List
 
Our Guidebooks
spacerCheck 'em out!
SuperTopo Guidebooks

guidebook icon
Try a free sample topo!

 
SuperTopo on the Web

Recent Route Beta