Yamnuska - Grayscale (5.12a)
Summary
Thought-provoking movement on sharp rock that doesn’t seem to get a ton of traffic. This climb was a full-brain exercise with the amount of smears and small handholds it had. I would either have a good hand or a good foot but rarely both. The spacing of bolts and the hard-to-read rock kept it interesting and worth doing at least once. Despite the guidebook mentioning a small rack, I found only a couple of placements, all within one metre of a bolt and/or a secure stance. In saying that I wouldn’t recommend bringing any gear unless you are really into training weight! All in all a fun day with Aiden.
Gear
1 x 70 m rope
1 x tagline (for hauling bags and/or to rappel the route)
15/17 x draws if linking pitches 1 & 2
NO CAMS
Pitch Notes
P1 : Stem corner with bolts on the right side. Options for gear but feels out of character for run-outs and fall consequences later on in the route. Mossy and felt stiff!
P2 : Ramble up to the pinnacle, and combine with P1 easily.
P3 : Back to the real climbing. Sharp rock and balancey moves lead to a powerful bulge pull. The bolt for Excalibur is hard to see from the anchor and it's tough to go off route (don't follow the old bolt on the left).
P4 : Step right and climb 5.10+ on the slabs. The bolts felt spacey and falls have consequences but the moves are all there and climbs securely. Climb past Blood Meridian mid pitch anchor on the right. Keep climbing halfway up the next pitch to a mid-pitch anchor at the start of the crux bolts for P5.
P5 : Ramble up more sharp 5.10+ terrain. Once at the crux, keep weight on your feet. A sloper on the right side of the lip unlocks the moves to the anchor. Anchor on far left.
P6 : Climb back right and follow the bolts up. I found the moves to be extremely thin and delicate 5.10+ climbing.
There are rap anchors on the right for a better stance.
Rappel/Retreat
Rap - can rap with tag or without. If rapping with tag - there is A TON of cracks for a knot to get caught on so great to be prepared for that.
