Hardest "moderate" route to onsight?

[Baltoro]

How about the "access chimney" on the far right side of the Great Northern Slab. I have yet to see someone get up that for the first time in anything resembling good style. I don't care if you climb in the .12's. That thing may be the most humbling thing at Index and that's saying something. Moderate is relative!

[mattp]

Good call, Baltoro.

 

Another candidate for this discussion is the bolt ladder start to City Park. There is a serious trick to it so that if you know the "beta," it is at least a letter grade easier and maybe two: from atop the block where it starts to get hard, step down and right about four or five feet, then proceed upward again.

[curtveld]

Or Ruttabaga, Squish

Yeah, took a couple of nice sliders off this one until I figured out the 5.9 A1 sequence.

[pope]

Can't believe this didn't come to mind earlier: Alley-Oop Chimney at Peshastin. Go climb it, you'll see what I mean.

[sobo]

Can't believe this didn't come to mind earlier: Alley-Oop Chimney at Peshastin. Go climb it, you'll see what I mean.

 

Since we're on the subject of Peshastin, how about the first pitch of Lightning Crack? I got thrashed by the bulge move for over 20 minutes the first time I tried it. I skulked away humbly, losing the onsight.

[bwrts]

Can't believe this didn't come to mind earlier: Alley-Oop Chimney at Peshastin. Go climb it, you'll see what I mean.

 

Since we're on the subject of Peshastin, how about the first pitch of Lightning Crack? I got thrashed by the bulge move for over 20 minutes the first time I tried it. I skulked away humbly, losing the onsight.

 

naww, you just were not lucky...

I have seen that onsighted more times...

but it has definitely seen more than a few shutdowns. and injuries....

The overhang on orchard rock has (i am sure) stumped a few "à vue" leaders. I have also seen a few blown onsights on Fakin It (austrian slab)....and ankle breaks...

[DirtyHarry]

MF Overhang or MF Direct at Castle. Slippery sustained and steep enough. Though I don't know how much easier it gets after the first go 'round.

[powderhound]

MF Overhang or MF Direct at Castle. Slippery sustained and steep enough. Though I don't know how much easier it gets after the first go 'round.

 

I would give you thee beta but perhaps for you it is not so easy

[bigwalling]

Thin Wall Special. Pulling the mantel first try seemed hard. I failed on this move and had onsighted harder rated cracks that trip. Fuck I need to climb more and get back in shape. I'd probably fail on most those routes today.

 

It's never an onsight if your feet leave the ground and touch it again.

[colt45]

It's never an onsight if your feet leave the ground and touch it again.

So is it also not an onsight if you get to a crux section and downclimb to a stance a couple times before sending?

[bigwalling]

No that counts. But I;ve seen it claimed even if they climb up to a crux and squirm about at the start. Then down climb and stand there, breath a bit, chalk and climb up and send. Total bullshit in my mind for Onsighting. That said I don't really care what you call it. As long as it's fun I'm happy.

 

I do the stance thing all the time when I climb stuff that is harder for me.

[G-spotter]

The ground is a stance too, no

[G-spotter]

Cause you know when Yuji Hirayama onsighted Sphinx Crack he climbed the 5.11 part for a warmup, downclimbed to the ground, then climbed back up and onsighted the 5.13 part...