What is the hardest route rated 5.10a you haveever done?

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Largo

Sport climber

The Big Wide Open Face

Apr 24, 2012 - 04:37pm PT

I think that the Crack of Despair is harder than Doom. Despair requires more pure off width techinque whereas the hard wide on Doom is a chimney.

Lost Arrow is probably only 10a but nasty and burly - for 5.11 trad leaders. You used to have to do it off very old tat and bolts with no hangers - basically soloing.

Chingando is simple if you have your offwidth dialed. Flakey Foont on the Apron is rated 5.9 and feels like 5.11 in EBs.

The first Dogleg pitch on Sentinel West Face is SOLID 5.9. I did the route at least six times and never got any pro in that pitch at all.

The Waterchute out at Josh was rated 5.9 till like last year and that just ate people alive.

I remember the 2nd pitch on Comic Book being a kind of keyhole kind of squeeze flared hand thing that was for sure at least 10a but rated 5.9 "To keep the fluff off."

The last pitch of both Sundance and Iron Cross at Suicide were always pretty stout for 10a.

Are there more?

JL

paul roehl

Boulder climber

california

Apr 24, 2012 - 05:02pm PT

The worst day of climbing I ever had included Sacherer Cracker. I followed after belaying the leader (John Bald... who was one of the very best climbers I've ever known) in the early spring shade and my frozen, numb hands felt like two clumps of hamburger meat as I finally started up. To top that off I was wearing an old pair of Kronhoffers (sp?) that felt like roller skates. Everything seemed to come together in a perfect storm of desperation... made that climb feel like one very nasty struggle! Pretty depressing.

mouse from merced

Trad climber

merced, california

Apr 24, 2012 - 08:37pm PT

Chingando, the sweater-tearing, needs-a-whole-tube-of-Vitalis butch!...but I liked it rough.
I would never use protection, Chingee-baby, never! It's more fun that way.

Wait-a-go, I did the easiest?

And whahoppen to Moby Dick Center, used to be "five-niney as hail" before they added plus signs to anything. In con see vuh bull sh#t.

Levy

Big Wall climber

So Cal

Topic Author's Reply - Apr 24, 2012 - 10:08pm PT

Ho man! I had forgotten all about this thread. I would now like to add a few more.

I have to agree with Bruce Morris in his mention of Pink Dream, on Elephant Rock. I did this last fall with Mike Waugh & Dan Hershman and we thought the 2nd pitch was stout for the grade & kind of hard to protect. The crack is an odd, two way deal & kind of has weird places that form an hourglass shape where it is difficult to palce good protection quickly.

Mowing The Yawn - @ Buck Rock. This route is very steep for the grade & some of the movement is kind of rugged for a mere 5.10a.

I keep seeing Chingando mentioned but it seems to me to be fairly graded at 5.10a. There are few technical moves & the rest knobs keep the pump factor low. Up high the crack opens up & you can get into it & rest if you want to.

PellucidWombat

Mountain climber

Berkeley, CA

Apr 24, 2012 - 10:31pm PT

I keep seeing Chingando mentioned but it seems to me to be fairly graded at 5.10a.

Perhaps it is both the first and last 5.10a OW that many people climb? :-)

As far as technical cruxes it felt no harder than a 5.9 OW to me. It's a long pitch and that makes it tiring, but there are good rests that can keep it chill. You can catch your breath enough to recover however much you want to.

Russ Walling

Gym climber

Poofter's Froth, Wyoming

Apr 24, 2012 - 10:51pm PT

Mental Block

nutjob

Gym climber

Berkeley, CA

Apr 24, 2012 - 11:14pm PT

Cookie Left
1st move of Moby Dick Center (unless you reach out left to bypass the initial thin crack)

Trad climber

Apr 24, 2012 - 11:26pm PT

Not sure but i suspect it would be at the Gunks. Learned at Gunks, got to be a relatively decent climber In the Valley and then moved back east and was humbled again at the gunks

Fogarty

climber

BITD

Apr 25, 2012 - 01:56am PT

People we are missing one, Joshua Tree Taxman 5:10a this 100 foot pitch has it all, face, fingers & hands, steep and don't forget about the pump. I think this route for a 5:10a climber puts them to work?

Bruce Morris

Social climber

Belmont, California

Apr 25, 2012 - 02:25am PT

Re: "Pink Dreams" (5.10a) on Elephant Rock, you have to keep in mind who did the FA: Barry Bates and Steve Wunsch. I think their original piton is still there on the crux pitch, and it must have been a desperate affair pounding it in on the lead.

John Vawter

Social climber

San Diego

Apr 25, 2012 - 02:43am PT

I felt pretty shaky following the first pitch of Ciebola on Medlicott. Seemed harder than the second pitch.

justthemaid

climber

Jim Henson's Basement

Apr 25, 2012 - 07:42am PT

Could just be my style... but I find Taxman easier than Exorcist. Exorcist is pretty polished these days. I just can't stay in the damn thing. Neither is the hardest 10a I've done.

There's have been several 10a's I just can't get up at all so I'm not even sure what my choice would be. Something like Shiela's Crack would certainly shut me down if I dared to try it. That thing looks gnarly and hand-size dependent.

Gunkie

Trad climber

East Coast US

Apr 25, 2012 - 08:26am PT

I've always struggled with 'Simple Suff' in the Gunks. I feel like my hip is going to pop out of joint on that climb. Most people tell me it's the easiest 5.10, ever. I find 'Matinee' (now rated 5.10d/5.10+) way easier.

Reilly

Mountain climber

The Other Monrovia- CA

Apr 25, 2012 - 11:35am PT

Any 5.9 in Wales.

dee ee

Mountain climber

citizen of planet Earth

Apr 25, 2012 - 07:21pm PT

Base104, no dude, that's Diamond Dogs. While rated 10a is easier than Exorcist. Isn't that the definition of 9+?

.....and no, DD is not the hardest 10a.

Brandon-

climber

The Granite State.

Apr 25, 2012 - 07:33pm PT

For me, it is Farewell to Arms on Donner.

Only the hardest though because I was just breaking into the grade.

hobo_dan

Social climber

Minnesota

Apr 25, 2012 - 07:53pm PT

I figured I became a good climber when 10a was easy.
The very first moves off the ground for Rixons West Face--I could not do. Step up slab and I wanked it every try. My partner steps up and on and off. Funny how that goes.
Hardest 10a was the 5.9 offwidth at the top of the Good Book- Right side of the FOlly

donini

Trad climber

Ouray, Colorado

Apr 25, 2012 - 08:07pm PT

So when Pinched Rib was rated 5.8 it was a 5.8 climb- by definition. Ratings are effectively DEFINING a climb rather than trying to humbly describe their relative difficulty.