Clean Break p3-4 beta for dumb dumbs?

[Doug_Hutchinson]

Nothing like humping back into Clean Break, sending the first two crux pitches on a stellar day only to bail because we were too dumb to figure out the rest of the route - with route descriptions from Beckey, Kearney and Nelson in hand no less!

 

So, at the top of p2, we belayed at the small tree. For p3, went left about 20 feet on a ramp, up an easy corner about 20 feet, stepped right into a somewhat dirty .8-.9 left facing corner that topped out in about 30 feet on a flake with slings (for others to bail from?). Dirty face above and a very dirty corner to the right. A lot higher up was a cleaned crack that I think we were supposed to do face moves left into but it made no sense how to get into it. We tried other dirty cracks but ran out of time and patience.

 

This seems like a killer route. Anyone got any pointers?

[fern]

zigged when you shoulda zagged

 

I think from your slingy flake you traverse farther right, even maybe going down a bit in a deep corner until you can do a tricky mantle right out of the corner onto a face and follow blocks and crack pretty much straight up from there to the "fixed pin" pitch.

 

Anyways you did the best pitches (1&2) no great loss to skip the rest IMO.

[layton]

Dude, pitch 3 is the twilight zone pitch...seriously. We did like a A2 move and a pendulum...lots of weird crap. Don't feel alone. The rest of the climb is fun. Go back.

[AlpineK]

I've done the route twice and had problems with that 3rd pitch both times. Both times we went left and found a way up to a large ledge system that went right. If I read the description correctly we should have cut right sooner. We went far enough left that the route got much easier than advertised.

 

The first time I climbed it we went a little right on the ledge and did this crazy offwidth crack. The second time we went even further right and got to easier climbing above and we could see a 5.8 or 9 bellow us. There were a couple challenging pitches above, but if I had to pick a 2 pitch cragg climb in that area the first 2 pitches of that route are a good choice.

 

If you want to here a hairball climbing story I'd be happy to tell you about the East Ridge of Oubliette in the Canadian Rockies. In the guide it's a 5.7, but after summiting and doing, "the easy descent," I'd give it a rating of 5.7d VS.

[robertm]

Yep, as others have said you should have gone right. The idea is to regain the crest of the ridge. From the tree belay you drop down about 10 feet and head out right... If this sectio feels harder than 5.7/8 you are off route. Once on the crest there are gear opportunities so don't place a piece on the traverse if you can help it since it will result in rope drag.

[jshamster]

Down and right for sure.

Took a few to figure it out, but it's all there.

 

A most excellent route.

 

Cheers.

Jimbo