Cruel Shoes

[Mtnclimber]

I am just getting to the point where I can start leading harder slab routes. Cruel shoes is a route that I am looking at but the 5.9 scary/poor pro has me feeling a bit apprehensious. Is that pitch continous 5.9 climbing or are there a few 5.9 moves intersperced with easy climbing. Cruel shoes is also an older route put up in the early 80s- have the bolts been replaced? My goal this summer is to climb the Grand wall from Apron strings. Cruel shoes is what concerns me. Looks like a good route though.

[matt_warfield]

Cruel Shoes is a classic and the bolts are fine. The runout pitch is indeed runout but not continuous. The other pitches are continuous and the crux is hard for the grade. Cruel Shoes is one way to get to the Split Pillar while Apron Strings/Merci Me is another. Cruel Shoes to Grand Wall is a lot of climbing. Have fun.

[jmace]

Cruel Shoes Rocks, the 5.9 pitch is not somethng to worry about. Especially if your talking abut leading 10d/11a

 

Yes it is an older route the bolts are fine, but remember this was bolted on lead, so all the bolts are placed from stances not nessecarily where the climb goes or where the crux is. I would recommend this route hands down as one of the BEST slab climbs in squish.

[Janez_Ales]

My feel is that both cruxy moves are not that hard if you get the general idea of what needs to be done. Power will not help on either. Last year I watched somebody doing a dyno on the last pitch of CS, not quite the way to approach it... both cruxy parts are well protected, unlike in 1991 when I did it first and we had old rusty bolts on the same spots but they did not instil any great confidence Thanks for rebolting to those who did it!

[matt_m]

Yep - the 5.9 R is runout but if you've gotten there you shouldn't have an issue with it. Bolts are all good now. The lower crux is technique dependent and tricky (where the route goes vs what the bolts "tell you") The upper one is stout and reach dependent IMO. I watched my buddy who's a 13 climber fall off because he couldn't reach the hold - I did it after a little work. GREAT route I've dine twice now. Favorite pitch is hands down the TRAVERSE pitch - Have fun. CS in GW is a nice high milage day...