Need a new project

[steep4me]

Anyone want to help me out on choosing a new project?

Grade 12a or 12b

Has to have a short approach (or be accessible by mountainbike)

Has to be a sport route

Has to be steep

Has to be 11-ish until the 4-5th bolt

Clean falls

Not Bare Metal, Gung Ho, Tissue Tiger, Chainsaw, Manifest Destiny, Wildfire, Betavul Pipeline, Tacit, Mama Benson, or Twinkie.

Any ideas for me??????

[whoneedsfeet]

scar tissue or hippocrite at the zoo. both 12a steep with good clean falls.

[DonnyP]

Man, at first I was interested in recommending some routes, but these criteria are so specific, it makes it difficult to recommend anything. Sure these criteria still leave you with plenty of options, but there are so many great routes that are eliminated by them, and that's a shame because there is probably no good reason to avoid these routes. I wanted to recommend Magnum Opus, Abiyoyo, and Cell Block Six, but they are all in Muir Valley which has a long approach. Roadside has a short approach but is closed, so that eliminates Pine, and the other 5.12s (Strevels, Jersey Connection, Stay the Hand)there have low cruxes anyway. Wild Yet Tasty is only 4 bolts long, and you implied that you want a route longer than that. And Mercy the Huff is harder than 5.11 below the 4th bolt so that's gone too. I don't know whether the drive to get to The Motherlode makes it a long approach, but Buff the Wood, Burlier's Bane, and Ale-8-One are all low in the 5.12 grade and are good routes.

It seems like you're really trying to find a route that plays to your strengths and requires very little commitment (short approach, steep with falls that have no potential for consequence, high cruxes). That eliminates a lot of good, safe, fun routes. Infectious, for example, is one long crux, but it's well protected and really fun. Hippocrite is short, but the clipping holds are all huge, so it's safe to go for it and take a fall at any point on the route. The same can be said for Wild Yet Tasty. Dogleg's crux is basically the first 4 bolts, but it is as safe as a route can be and the clips are all easy to make, and that's not even mentioning that it's a really fun route to climb. I suggest considering some of these routes even though they don't quite fit the guidelines you laid out. I doubt that you would be disappointed by any of them.

[toad857]

"has to be 12a or 12b"

well, man.... my advice is to go find an 11 that you're scared of--it will feel like 12.

that being said, go to the solarium, solar collector, or shady grove (probably the best option, given the weather).

[whoneedsfeet]

well, man.... my advice is to go find an 11 that you're scared of--it will feel like 12.

+1 (does that include the butthole-pucker factor?)

[One-Fall]

If the approach is short enough, then Mercy the Huff sounds perfect. No move over v2, lots of opportunity to shake out, steeper but not too steep, and some of the best movement in the gorge.

[Andrew]

72 hour energy, Skinny Love, The Juice...

or abiyoyo, Mosiac, J-Rats back (not very steep), Ale-8 one, Burliers Bane, tic tac toe

[vertical1]

Mercy is definitely not harder than 11 climbing to the 4th bolt, and a fantastic climb at that. Also, Scar tissue is a good choice. I think you could do Mosaic...I have seen you climb. you are definitely strong enough. Maybe Far from God - just an endurance haul. Stick clip the first bolt, cause there is one tough move on the whole route, before the first. Ale-8-one is another decent choice. Maybe even Supafly at solar collector.

[steep4me]

Awesome--these are good suggestions! Just what I needed. I have been on dogleg on TR, but I am either too short (5'3 w/ neg 2 ape index) or not strong enough to make that move. Otherwise, cool route. I have done Stay the Hand w/ one take, but now roadside is closed. I like the other suggestions a lot. I asked for help because I tend to be at the same crags over and over and forget there could be something somewhere else--like Shady Grove of the Zoo.

All the restrictions are due to having both my ankles shattered into a million pieces--so the only way I can climb is if I can get to the cliff somehow and have zero chance of hitting my feet in a fall. It is a necessary evil if I want to climb in the future and still be able to walk. That's all.

Keep the suggestions coming. Don't rule out Muir Valley, because I have a pass to drive in--since Liz and Rick are super awesome and helpful--otherwise, I would have never even seen the place

[Rollo]

You would do scar tissue pretty quickly... one hard move for short people guarding the chains... think high step.