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wstmrnclmr
Trad climber
Bolinas, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Dec 5, 2012 - 09:49pm PT
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We always hear about the sandbags and how most are underrated. So What are some of the most overrated? My vote goes to The Boltway on Stately....No way it's 10a. I rate it 9.
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Tom
Big Wall climber
San Luis Obispo CA
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The other day I had to explain to someone that Snake Dike was not really "5.7R". It's 5.7 + 5.4R. The 5.7 friction move is very well protected, and the run-outs on the dike are so easy, you can almost climb them blindfolded.
Ironically, the crux of Snake Dike might just be the long, final stretch of 3rd class slab.
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bergbryce
Mountain climber
California
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Bishops Terrace
Oh overrated that way.
No idea.
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Crack-n-up ...
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Risk
Mountain climber
Olympia, WA
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Summit block of Cathedral Pk is deemed 4th class, but that seems like a stretch. Never seen anyone up there tied in.
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Fletcher
Trad climber
The rock doesn't care what I think
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Agree that Tenaya Peak is super easy, but man, also agree that it is a total fun place to be and would do it again in a heartbeat. Great views. I think it would be a great intro for a beginner to get a feel for longer alpine climbs.
Eric
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raymond phule
climber
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I didn't think that the east buttress of middle cathedral was a very good climb.
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paul roehl
Boulder climber
california
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Can't think of any overrated Yosemite climbs, though many underrated climbs come to mind.
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10b4me
Boulder climber
Somewhere on 395
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I thought Boltway was 5.7/5.8. At least it was when I climbed it.
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Byran
climber
Yosemite Valley, CA
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Most of the ones I can think of that are overrated (in terms of difficulty) are size dependent. Serenity Crack, The Rostrum, Fish Crack, are all pretty light for the grade unless you have sausage fingers. Zorro is sort of famous for being the easiest V4 in the Valley...
And I also concur that Tenaya is pretty much 4th class (and only 3rd class for the first half), with some short sections of easy 5th that you could probably avoid if you want to.
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wstmrnclmr
Trad climber
Bolinas, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 6, 2012 - 02:02pm PT
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10b4me....if you keep climbing up past the belay near the bottom of the crack which most people use to finish West Country, Boltway, etc. there are some bolts continuing up the face. That's why there's a 5.8/5.10 rating. Just thought it might be interesting to find the overrated ones.
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nutjob
Gym climber
Berkeley, CA
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Can't think of any overrated Yosemite climbs, though many underrated climbs come to mind.
+1
I think of it this way because there is no climb I've done that I felt disappointed after doing it. Then again I'm a starved weekend warrior and never gave myself the chance to immerse in a sea of opportunity and really develop my climbing palette.
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weezy
climber
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Not Yose/TM, but there's a "5.10+" hand crack on the far right side of the Reservoir Wall in Indian Creek called Warm-Up crack. I'm in no way a sandbagger but even calling this thing 5.9+ is generous.
Sorry for the desert derail...
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Levy
Big Wall climber
So Cal
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I know this is an obscure one but I'd have to say that Death Crack in TM seems overrated at 5.11d. It is tough & challenging but IMHO no way 5.11d. I did it once with a cast on my left leg & a cutoff climbing shoe strapped to my leg cast, so how hard can it be? More like 5.11a.
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Chief
climber
The NW edge of The Hudson Bay
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Help me out here, are we talking overrated for difficulty or quality?
Most Valley climbs kick my sorry ass, especially the current version.
The off width on Blind Faith seemed a lot easier than Twilight Zone.
The NA was a classic outing but somewhat of a pile as an aid route.
PB
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wstmrnclmr
Trad climber
Bolinas, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 7, 2012 - 12:33am PT
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Overrated both in grade and in reputation....Can include ghosts as well where the climb is not nearly as hard or scary as it's rep.
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justthemaid
climber
Jim Henson's Basement
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OK I think we've thrashed that one to death.
Who are the most over weight climbers in yosemite / Tuolomne?
Now we're talkin'
Pics of fat guys climbing really hard sh#t would be way more entertaining.
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can't say
Social climber
Pasadena CA
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Maxine's Wall
and
+1 for Peruvian Flake
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fosburg
climber
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Thought about this today at work after seeing the thread this morning.
For sure the 11c pitch on the Rostrum is light, Peruvian Flake, as mentioned, Fish Crack, Butterballs, Catchy, Wheat Thin.
I started breaking into harder grades in Joshua Tree where in retrospect the grading seems stiff so almost everything in Yosemite felt a bit soft.
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Inner City
Trad climber
East Bay
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Crest Jewell seems like it's not really 5.10. With the newer rubber, I think it is easier. Great location though.
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Dapper Dan
Trad climber
Menlo Park
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Absolutely Free center route ....
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ryankelly
Trad climber
el portal
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At least this thread is about climbing but come on:
Talk about a first world problem!
All kidding aside, in answer to the question I didn't really enjoy Crest Jewel, but it was fun because we climbed it in January and topped out to snow and sunset on Half Dome.
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Captain...or Skully
climber
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Sounds like fun. I'd camp out & savor, but some folk(many) are faster than I.
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bhilden
Trad climber
Mountain View, CA
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+1 for Absolutely Free Center.
If the 1-1/2" crack at the start of pitch 2 was longer than 15 feet than maybe it's worth it, but pitch 1 and 3 are highly unremarkable with pitch 3 being not only wide, but also rough. Then there's the ant trees and the yucky descent.
If this climb was in some place other than Yosemite then maybe it's an OK route. But, given all the great climbs in Yosemite, Ab Free Center is a waste of time and energy unless you have done every other route in the Valley.
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brat
climber
El Portal
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OMG The Yawn is so hard.
Overrated? Maybe Commitment?
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Tork
climber
Yosemite
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Damn Kevin, you are trashing half of my favorite routes.
Midterm is in my top ten Yosemite pitches for sure and no the lines are not backing up for that one. It tests all the sizes, technique, and endurance. The most solid rock anywhere I've climbed, not a loose grain on it. It shuts over half the people I've seen down but not that hard with good technique.
Cental Pillar... Best route I can think of for the grade. Linking P2 and 3 is so good.
Reeds Direct...just look at it, vertical, splitter, clean ????
Ahab's not hard???? Shuts most people down.
I agree that New D is soft for 11a on the last pitch but think the route
is a stout affair overall.
The most overated pitch I can think of as far as difficulty is the first pitch of The Free Blast at 10c, more like 10a. I love that pitch though.
I guess we all have are likes, dislikes and challenges.
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Chief
climber
The NW edge of The Hudson Bay
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Kevin (Fosburg)
How the hell are you?
You're taking some of the proud off our Rostro-Man day, one of the best days of climbing I've ever had!
I do agree though, that compared to Butterballs, the Rostrum finger crack is a softer 11c.
Josh is generally stout and anything by Lechlinski/Gilje is likely a full heads up sandbag.
Hope you're well!
Perry
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David Wilson
climber
CA
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crux pitch on rostrum
rostrum 11b pitch up high
fish crack ( but i just TR'd )
chingando
crack a go go ( tricky though )
manana
vanishing point
catchy
any pitch of SS if rated 5.10
+ 1 for peruvian
-1 for cramming - hardest 10d i've done in yos
-1 for ahab - also seemed really hard
-1 for top pitch new D
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snowhazed
Trad climber
Oaksterdam, CA
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Quality wise- American Wet Dream
Grade wise.... there are soft grades in the park?? If so they must be changed- we have a rep to maintain
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Tork
climber
Yosemite
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Kevin, now I have to rethink my idea of heading south to check out some of that stuff you've been developing. Our differences are scaring me away.
IMO the amount of technique plus mental and physical relaxation required to do Ahab earns it's hard reputation.
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wstmrnclmr
Trad climber
Bolinas, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 9, 2012 - 03:57pm PT
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Snowhazed....Also depends on which guidebook you look at. Anything other then Supertopo is what I'm basing ratings on. Supertopo has definitely softened up the grades by upgrading many climbs and in my opinion, screwing up the system because they are way different. It seems as if Supertopo is trying to match trad with sport grades to get the gym crew a more realistic view of what their getting on which I think is not a bad idea except it messes with established rating systems for areas.
And the Warbler has put up some of the most heinous sandbags in the valley. So I would think that anything he says is easy is normal for mere mortals. Get on Quicksilver sometime and let me know if you think it's 5.9.
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chill
climber
between the flat part and the blue wobbly thing
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Warbler wrote - There's way more underrated routes, especially quality wise.
Climbers are like people - most of them do what all the rest do...
Clearly your time would be best spent climbing elsewhere, the Valley is not worthy of you.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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We climb on immutable (with a few exceptions) rock features that were sitting there long before apes evolved into humans. Affixing numbers (grades) to them is a very recent game we play. "Climbs" are neither over or under rated, the arbitrary numbers we give them are transient and will fade away into history.
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