Hippopatamus, 5.10+
The Slab, West Face
Application date: 6/15/09
Information from the applicant:
The proposed route (50 feet) is on the far right side of the West Face of the Slab, starting off the right side of the
belay ledge for Undertow, about 30 feet right of Undertow. It climbs solid, gently overhanging black rock on jug holds.
The route has been redpointed on toprope and thoroughly inspected for best choice of protection. The only natural gear placement is possibly a hand-sized or larger cam deep behind the layback flake, between the location of the proposed first and second bolts now. The disadvantages to not bolting this section are: the flake is thin and the cam could fail or break the lip in a fall; if the cam were to be the first piece on the route, you¹d need to climb up, through hard moves, 10 feet off the exposed ledge to place the piece; and the layback nature of the moves makes it very difficult to see behind the flake to size the piece. The advantage to placing the first bolt would be: adequate protection off the exposed ledge, with a bolt in solid rock out right of the flake.
The proposal is to use five-steel half-inch bolts plus a 2-bolt anchor. The anchor will be at the top of the overhanging section of the wall, where the main difficulties end the climbing above here is 5.4 for 15 feet and higher anchors would not be good on a rope while lowering.
The rock quality is excellent in general, and only brushing was needed to make the route safe and clean. The route offers sustained, outstanding 5.10+ climbing at a wall (the Slab) that currently has no good warm-ups. The staging area would be the Undertow Ledge.
FHRC Overview of the application: Complete
Voting Results: Approved
OSMP Decision: Approved
