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Index routes


UW_climber

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I don't think Index is sandbagged and is in line with older rating at Squamish and Leavenworth. Look at Saber, at 5.4 is harder than the 5.6 on Great Northern Slab IMO.

Edited by danielpatricksmith
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Inner Wall

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Toxic Shock (as one longer pitch) is a nice shady route with a crux 5 ft off the ground (lieback move, thin) that gets much easier once you do it a few times. Avoid when wet!

 

Right around the corner are 2 parallel cracks that form the first half of "Even Steven" both at 5.8. Good routes.

 

Lower Wall

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Great Northern Slab is nice for starters. (.6 to .8 various lines, Lower Town Wall)

 

Princely Ambitions p1 is probably the easiest of the steeper routes on Lower Town wall. Its .9 but has lots of good rests. The second pitch is "only 5.8" but I find it much more frightening than the first pitch.

 

Godzilla is the Index classic .9. Many people say its 10a, but I think its not too tough if you are tall, and remember to rest. Its a long pitch though, bring 2 ropes.

 

Japanese Gardens to the first anchor is a commonly done 9/10a. Its a bit thin and insecure for pro near the bottom, which makes it a bad choice on a greasy day.

 

Country

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Ultrabrutal is nice but short (.6, Country) - With a stick clip you could yard up the short 10d above Ultrabrutal's chains and TR it.

 

GM offers some great climbing, the standard classic is to climb the first p of GM (wandering a little, 5.8. Avoid when wet!) and then link the second pitch of GM (steep! #3 camalots) with the 3rd pitch of Heart of the Country. The last bit of HofC is 10a, but if you made it that far just work it out, its a great route!

 

This stuff should give you a really good introduction to Index and an idea for what you are up against when you want to get on other routes.

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Alex....that was an awesome post! Thanks for taking the time to explain all of that instead of just coming back with a one liner or a smart assed comment...and Thanks to the other repliers as well. I'm headed out there this weekend if life permits. laugh.gif

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The great northern slab is 3 short pitches and is usually done by newbies in less than an hour. The approach hike is less than 5 minutes. However, you rap the route and I've seen some pretty bad clusters as a result of having 4 parties coming up behind you. The belay for the 3rd pitch is also the belay station for 2 other popular 5.8 or easier routes so it can be interesting when there's a bunch of us gumbies out there. Good opportunty for recovering booty though.

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I'd add Rogers Corner to Alex's list; pitches go at 5.8 & 5.9 with good pro. A few rattlies on pitch 2, but no big deal really.

 

Timberjack (5.7) is on the formation above the GNS (forgot the name). It's a nice layback.

 

Also, above Princely and back in the trees is a nice route (5.7-ish) on some wall I forgot the name of. It's above Princely, though.

Edited by Greg_W
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yeah...no shit! I've seen some real sketch stuff at 38 and at index and well, just about everywhere...

 

also, pulled some real sketch stuff a loooooooooong time ago and got lucky...was a real idiot...

Edited by RuMR
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the bolt 10a lie back flake to the right of timberjack is also fun. both those climbs are good to do when it is hot out

 

i have seen more then one party show up at index with a "rack of quickdraws" asking if there are any sport easy sport routes

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I kind of left out Roger's Corner for one reason: one of the cruxes of the second pitch is right off the belay with no real pro. While alot of people do those moves as no big deal, it might be surprising and scary for someone who just doesnt know: the rock is crumply, the pro is sketch, and your belayer is looking at a F2 fall and you are looking at broken ankles if you Elvis-leg it. As such, I don't think its the best introduction (that and its SO steep!!) to Index. However, Rogers Corner p1 (5.7) is a GREAT way to get a short trad lead in AND THEN toprope the difficult Sugar Bear (10c) just to its right...one of the only routes at Index that remains completely dry in light rain.

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Lizard AKA Aries (5.8) is excellent. It is good in its' entirety, but the first bit can be awkward and a wide chimney at half height is legendary for being sandbagged and intimidating (it is not bad if you know "the trick" which is to climb up and place pro, then shimmy back down and move out to climb back up five feet outside the corner iteself).

 

To climb Aries the easy way, many people climb onto the first ledge way out right, avoiding the short wide handcrack at the start. Then everybody loves that first corner, perhaps 60 feet high. You can then avoid the scary chimney by traversing left and climbing up twenty feet to traverse back right onto the route for the spectacular overhang and twin cracks. This is not quite "Lizard," but it makes a good climb and is all very straight forward.

 

Also, the alternatives nearby, Blockbuster (5.9 or 5.7 if

you don't actually do the "Blockbuster") and Taurus (5.7) (instead of the overhang to twin cracks near the top) are both excellent.

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"Timberjack (5.7) is on the formation above the GNS (forgot the name). It's a nice layback."

 

Timberjack is on the winky dinky cliff and is 5.8. I thought it to be a little sandbag at 5.8 but i probably just need to work on the off-width technique.

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The great northern slab is 3 short pitches and is usually done by newbies in less than an hour. The approach hike is less than 5 minutes. However, you rap the route and I've seen some pretty bad clusters as a result of having 4 parties coming up behind you. The belay for the 3rd pitch is also the belay station for 2 other popular 5.8 or easier routes so it can be interesting when there's a bunch of us gumbies out there. Good opportunty for recovering booty though.

 

just want to throw at a second for this caution! the route is and fun to climb. watch out on a busy w/e for the cluster. all in the same day, i saw a party try and rap all the way down w/a 60m rope hellno3d.gif, a party w/no rope management skills let their rope run down the crack and into a climber from the belay at the second pitch, all with another party waiting to rap down and another person heading towards the chains from a different route. craziness.

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