Discussion Topic |
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drc
Trad climber
Boston, MA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Oct 31, 2007 - 10:43pm PT
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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
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Oct 31, 2007 - 11:37pm PT
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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
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Dragon with Matches
climber
Bamboo Grove
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Oct 31, 2007 - 11:44pm PT
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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
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slobmonster
Trad climber
berkeley, ca
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Oct 31, 2007 - 11:57pm PT
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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!
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yo
climber
The Eye of the Snail
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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.
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drc
Trad climber
Boston, MA
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 1, 2007 - 12:49am PT
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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
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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do them all and you won't be afraid, no more.
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spyork
Social climber
A prison of my own creation
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KorBeck is burly. Moreso than frenzy.
Absolutely Free is Burly for 5.9, IMO. Above Frenzy for sure.
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steelmnkey
climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
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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.
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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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.
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spyork
Social climber
A prison of my own creation
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Lena's is not too bad. I think La Cosita right is a touch harder.
I need to try Lava Falls. Volcanic Mud anyone?
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steelmnkey
climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
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Post up another vote for the Steck-Salathe. That thing is WAY MO harder than the three off the list that I've done.
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scuffy b
climber
The deck above the 5
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Reed's Direct, you mean without doing the crux, right?
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spyork
Social climber
A prison of my own creation
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Entrance Exam is burly and as Jaybro said, "That is a serious route". The exit out past the guillotime flake can induce some shrinkage.
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Miwok
climber
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Get on Sea of Holes on Hammer Dome. Best 5.9 slab climb i've been on in a long time.
Nice job Jay!
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lars johansen
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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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.
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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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.
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Elcapinyoazz
Social climber
Joshua Tree
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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.
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scuffy b
climber
The deck above the 5
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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.
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Elcapinyoazz
Social climber
Joshua Tree
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Just tryin to wind 'em up Scuffy.
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bhilden
Trad climber
Mountain View, CA
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One of the hardest 5.9's in Yosemite is Cookie Center. Back in the day (and maybe it is still the case) you could not protect the 2nd pitch OW and just had to go for it with a very poor FP down low at the base. Does anybody fit into that thang?
Bruce
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John Vawter
Social climber
San Diego
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Super Pooper at Tahquitz was rated 5.9 for years, now 10a/b.
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Mr. D
Trad climber
West Coast
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Triple S (5.8+)
Castor & Pollux (5.10a)
Pleasant Overhangs (5.7)
Seneca Rocks, WV
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Yes, the NE Buttress of Higher Cathedral is certainly more sustained and longer than some of the others. A step up from Central Pillar of Frenzy. Central Pillar itself is five pitches to Reed's Direct three. Maybe a touch easier.
The Split Pillar was originally graded 5.9 by Eric and Daryl - climbed with EBs, protected by hexes. Apart from a few moves at the bottom, it probably is only 5.9.
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steelmnkey
climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
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Yeah, after climbing the granite stuff around Phx and learning to respect 5.9 as hard climbing, we used to love going to J-Tree. We climbed about a number grade and a half harder.
Always thought Triple-S was about 5.8+
Maybe I climb better than I think...
Ken Trout (think it's the guidebook guy from Colo.) is over on mp.com suggesting that The Mace in Sedona is friggin' 5.10+
That's gotta be some kinda record for reverse-sandbag.
Had a buddy out here last month and we did some classics at Granite Mtn. He couldn't believe the ratings given to Said and Done (9+), Reunion (10a) and Slammer Jam (10a). I just said "Hey, that's the Granite Basin rating system dude!"
Mike. -- no fest for me. Hand that sucka off to the Sooze if you would and your reciprocating gift will be in the mail soon.
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Glaidig
Trad climber
Menlo Park, CA
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I'll add two more. How about the "Right Side" of the Cookie Cliff (Valley), the second pitch can be a grunt-fest, and "Traveler Buttress" (Lover's Leap), which also has some serious groveling during its second pitch. Hmmm...seems to be an OW correlation here...
Oh yeah, how about Apron Jam (Valley)...
Guy
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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I tried the Centre Route on the Cookie once, and failed miserably on the second pitch. Swimmer's chest or something. I've heard that you have to tunnel sideways, with your body horizontal, to get through.
Almost any 5.9 from the 1960s is suspect, as climbers then were reluctant to grade routes 5.10.
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kev
climber
CA
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Yo drc (aka dirtbag Vic)
I assume this is you Vic since we jumped on Pheobos, the Open Book and got our butts kicked on the Yawn this summer, and give the NH/boston stuff.
Well I guess we need to go do CPF then huh?
What's your Festivus deal? I'm thinking about Arizona this year...You free? Is your heart set on the biggest/latest new
years part in hidden valley again? Not sure when/where I am going for turkey day given my future xwife issues....
I'll phone you tonight or next week-off to Tenneesse this weekend and will play around on some sandstone stuff at T-wall.
For anyone still reading this he's also led Lena's (after at least a 6 pack).
Wanna go hit and run Lava Falls one day?
Congrats and sorry on the new job.....
I guess I'll have to celebrate beer-thirty for you now.
kev
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Erik
Ice climber
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Reed's Direct spanked me pretty bad. I had to rest on gear halfway up... *sob*... especially after reading John Long's story about the dude who took a whipper off this climb and had all his gear pull out...
Central Pillar of Frenzy was no prob, wicked climb. Loved every minute of it.
I also got spanked on Little John, hardest f#%@ing 5.8 I've ever attempted. Dunno why.
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K. Fosburg
Sport climber
park city, ut
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How about the first pitch of the Honeymoon Chimney?
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Miwok
climber
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Pitch 5 OW of the Rowell Route on Hetch Hetchy Dome, YNP, '5.9d'. Heh, heh...
ec -NO DOUBT!!! Nearly killed myself on that thing. I believe Galen said it to be the "hardest 5.9" he had done in YNP.
edit - when Clint and I put up Zeus I actually lead up the OW next to the 5th pitch of the South Face Route (Rowell Route). That ended in frustration and embarrasment.... Good catch Clint. :)
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Here's the exact quote from Galen Rowell in the 1971 AAJ:
"We found the bottom pitches to be just as hard as the week before. One is a F9 crack which is possibly the most formidable free climbing I have encountered on a big wall."
ow has its own rating scale, and since Galen specialized in doing them....
That was an impressive lead into the unknown on the middle ow/flare, Tim! (Eventually we realized the left ow was not as bad as it looked...).
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Miwok
climber
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Thanks buddy.
Blasting next Thursday, may need to invest in a few bolts from your stash. Watch for the TR.
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Hummerchine
Trad climber
East Wenatchee, WA
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Clint
I agree! La Cosita Right is SO not 5.9! I'm sure a zillion ascents and the resulting slick factor did not help...but 5.9???
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DHike
climber
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Didn't SS get upgraded to .10b? Something about a broken foothold at the Wilson OH.
Watch out for sandbaggers... the hand crack pitch after the flying buttress will give a .9 climber a run for their money too.
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Mike Bolte
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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Mighty Hiker -
Right side of Split Pillar at 5.9? eh? It gets burly for sure
up there where it gets wide after the first 30m of pumpy hands.
I'd say a grade or two harder than Reed's Direct for sure.
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stella
climber
cali
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from the northwest....the aptly named northwest corner, north early winters spire, north cascades
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ontheedgeandscaredtodeath
Trad climber
San Francisco, Ca
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East of Eden at Paradise Forks- 5.9+ and all of it. Is "5.9+" unique to AZ?
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