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Head & Shoulders is a sweet, but freaky, ass route at Drive By. I got on it this weekend, had noticed it before and noticed that no one ever mentioned it so I'd been hesitant. The climbing is unique, the holds generally positive and the lead is heady. But for the pump factor there probably isn't an 11d move on the climb, but damn is it steep and disorienting! Climb it sport or trad, your choice. Haas says he's going to send it clean on gear and the mere thought causes me to crap myself.

Leave work now, get on this climb, you have been missing out.

Thanks to Paul for the catch and the reminder that it was going to be hard to clip the bolt above my head while I was sitting on the rope( which was tangled around my nut sack and would have resulted in self-castration if I beefed the clip).

paul and i got on this thing about a month ago, first time for both of us as far as i know. i lead it clean up until the last bolt (at the bolt but not clipped) and took a nice fall. the fall was clean but it sucked trying to get back on route. i don't know how to jam so i found some other ways to clip the bolt and get the anchors. want to get on it again. three stars for sure!

How in the world are you leading trad if you don't know how to jam?

I'm embarassed to admit that though I'm a traddie at heart, I do not know (nor like) how to jam. Layback Africa? Sure thing!

Sco Bro wrote:Head & Shoulders is a sweet, but freaky, ass route at Drive By.

I've done ass routes before...shove a butt cheek and a shoulder into the crack...right? Partytime is a bit of an ass route too.

Wow...I'm impressed that y'all can get up these routes w/out jamming. I lOvE to jam...it's so much easier for me.

i've been learning little by little. i used a couple jams this weekend on Rock Wars that were pretty helpful, but im not very good at them yet.

To clarify, Head & Shoulders is a bolted line that follows a steep ass flake system. You can get some jams but largely it's a steep lay back that is, to me, slightly reminiscent of the top of Bandolier, but much, much steeper. No way you're jamming the whole climb, it's hand over hand and the whole time you're trying to figure out where the rope is in relation to you and the ground, at least I was.

Pa, I hung several times, but the top part to the anchor was the hardest part. It was a long move for me from a semi-jam to that nice and deep 2-3 finger pocket to the left of the anchor. I was thankful for the drop in anchors!

anchors were great. the only place i saw to jam was that section between the last bolt and anchors but i layed the entire thing back, sank my hand into that nice pocket and then ended up grabbing onto one of the anchors b/c i got short roped (understandably) and couldn't wait around for the rope on that hold.

I'll take a bomber jam over a huge jug anyday!

I'll take a bomber jam over a huge jug anyday!

I don't know lots and lots of eight legged meanies on Head & Shoulders. I spent as much time removing webs as I did climbing. I worried about what might be living in the deep recesses of that flake. I was afraid Shelob would be back there and mistake my hand for a hobbit's.