Canary Question

[ryland_moore]

The first pitch of Canary seems to be straightforward yet JKrueger and I somehow did a variation. We started up higher and to the left of the normal crack line on a crack that angled up and right to the base of a double craqck. We followed this beyond the normal exit off to a ledge on the right and went straight up clipping two fixed pins to right underneath the roof with a bunch of webbing. Then it was a tough move using yoiur left hand for a side pull and throw up onto the ledge with your right. Is this the standard way or a variation? If so, what is the grade? Maybe I'm just a uss, but that last move seemd bouldery and harder than 5.8.

[wrench]

i'm having a hard time picturing what you're describing except what you said at the end. the only way i've done it i went straight up the double cracks past the pins up to the webbing, then yes, encountered very awkward moves to exit out from under the roof. but i thought they were just awkward, not significantly hard. and if you do it right, it's actually not that bad. the 2nd time i did it was much less ugly than the 1st.

[Sphinx]

You go up a crack on the left to the tiny roof. Traverse right. Clip a few pins, go up stemming between cracks. Clip a wad of sling beneath the roof, then go right and hit the ledge. There aren't any another ways of doing it, yes, it's hard for 5.8.

[Dru]

it's "Hank Mather 5.8"

 

like the Coyote's Penis in Marble Canyon is "Hank Mather 5.4" or modern 5.7.

[ryland_moore]

I disagree Sphinx. There is an easier way of doing it. Right after you get to the first pin, there is a small ledge off to the right that then leads up a short crack roughly 10 ft. high. If you look in the new Leavenworth Guidebook, that is where the route shows you are supposed to go. Anyone ever done the route this way?

[Sphinx]

Dunno, I haven't looked at the book. I found it to be easy until you're beneath the big roof. I just went up the big dihedral until my head smacked into the roof. There is a big tunnel with about a million slings around it. I clipped the slings, then traversed right beneath the roof and did a belly flop onto the belay ledge.

[matt_warfield]

The first pitch can be done 2 ways: up to the webbing and the roof and a traverse right to the ledge.....

or traverse right partway up and climb cracks more or less straight to the ledge. They are both listed as 5.8

in various places, but in my opinion traversing under the roof is 5.9. But's it short, well protected, and has been

around a long time so gets old school 5.8. Either way, the second pitch start will test your mettle and air out

your skirt.

[ryland_moore]

The 2nd pitch, while intimidating, is an move once on it, at least compared to that last lunge move at the top of 1st pitch under the roof IMO.

[chucK]

There is an easy way to do that move onto the ledge. I discovered it last spring with Mattp. I wouldn't want to ruin everyone's fun by posting the blow by blow on the internet though

 

By the way, it cannot be that secret as the key hold was very well chalked.

[Dru]

chucK said:

There is an easy way to do that move onto the ledge. I discovered it last spring with Mattp. I wouldn't want to ruin everyone's fun by posting the blow by blow on the internet though

 

By the way, it cannot be that secret as the key hold was very well chalked.

 

Dude, you get on the blue taped hold, and establish with your left ring finger in the piton scar mono, and your right hand pimping the sloper at chest height. your right foot should be wearing a slipper for the powerful heel hook move and your left foot an edging shoe for outside-edge Egyptianing on a dime edge at knee height on the right wall. then you just thow a triple-Sukahara to a rose move and you're up!

[jkrueger]

chucK said:

By the way, it cannot be that secret as the key hold was very well chalked.

Everything under that roof is buried in chalk... it must have been camouflaged! Or maybe the secret hold was so secret I used it without knowing it? At any rate, a fun climb.