The Gauntlet

[craven]

New route in the Dihedrals put up in May before the falcon closure. topo can be found under The Gauntlet at http://www.quickdrawpublications.com/FreeDownloads.htm. some additional info that the second ascenstionists (also pre falcon closure) thought should be added to the topo: my standard rack beta might be considered vague, extra small cams would be a good place to beef up your rack, save some tiny units for the end of pitch 5. Pitch 9 should probably be broken into 2 pitches and there is an intermediate bolted belay to do so creating a 10 pitch route that feels about the same overall difficulty as freeway. All belays are bolted, excellent sustained 10+/11- climbing open august 1st.[/img]

[craven]

http://www.quickdrawpublications.com/FreeDownloads.htm

[alik]

Climbed the gauntlet the other day. Some really high quality pitches on this one. Well worth doing. Thanks to the guys you put in up, you guys did a really good job with bolt placement and such. The beta on the previous post is all good to have, especially about saving some tiny cams for the end of pitch 5. No need for a #5 camalot, you'll need a 4 on pitch 6 though. Does anyone know what the righthand variation on pitch 3 goes at?

[craven]

I'm glad you guys enjoyed it! The corner system to the right of pitch 3 is a 2 pitch line put up in '06 called Mad Nerd and Poodle, the pitches are 10d,12b. The 10d pitch is one of the best 5.10 pitches going and makes an excellent variation to The Gauntlet. The 12b is also amazing featuring wild stemming and laybackiing in a double overhanging corner.
Wondering if you guys finished the gauntlet via the last bolted face pitch and chimney or did you finish via europa?

[alik]

We did the gauntlet finish. The last pitch was great. loved classic easy chimney to finish.

[barefootcracks]

Thanks for putting up such a great route.
Loved the duality of the 4th pitch - goes over the roof and it's a different world; each giving a rest right in the middle of it.
I'm stoked with an onsite!

[Brendan]

Thanks for putting up such a great route.
Loved the duality of the 4th pitch - goes over the roof and it's a different world; each giving a rest right in the middle of it.
I'm stoked with an onsite!

Nick E?

[barefootcracks]

no, Thomas

[Brendan]

sorry

[Tenn]

Did the gauntlet with the "chicken out" finish last week. This route has top notch and well protected corner and crack climbing. It's not easy but it sure is fun. It needs traffic to stay in climbable shape. Somebody else should go do it - like soon!

Pitch one (cleaning the brain) is good. Pitch 2 is awesome (we did the .11a corner). Apparently the "mad nerd and poodle" pitch 1 is one of the best 5.10 pitches in Squamish (that's what I hear from people who know about that sort of thing). Worth checking out right?? Pitch 3 is a cool move from a corner into a hand crack on an exposed feeling arete - kind of like topping out on the .11c pitch of high plains drifter - followed by some good face climbing. The belay at the top of pitch 3 has a block sitting on it that is not attached to anything - that made us both a little nervous as there were lots of climbers below. Careful with that. The next pitch was hard, sustained, well protected and awesome. The route keeps going and there are several variations possible as it intersects with Europa and Millennium Falcon. We didn't do the .10d slab/face pitch as it's a little spicy and the .11b chimney top out looked pretty full on. The Europa (chicken out) finish was great.

Blah blah. It's all in the guidebook. I'd love to hear about others experience on this quality route. It deserves traffic. Some one do it...

[Brendan]

Could someone discuss the variations on the lower pitches (not the MF variations) in a bit more detail? Difficulty? Do they meet up with the Gauntlet belays?

Are all belays bolted or are there some gear belays (not including the Europa variation)?

And just to clarify, what is the largest BD Camalot needed and can I get by with just one?

Thanks!

[imnotnate]

did they take the topo down off quickdraw's website, or am i just not seeing it?

[Brendan]

did they take the topo down off quickdraw's website, or am i just not seeing it?

It’s in the new guide.

[imnotnate]

...even better!

[relic]

The corner system to the right of pitch 3 is a 2 pitch line put up in '06 called Mad Nerd and Poodle, the pitches are 10d,12b. The 10d pitch is one of the best 5.10 pitches going and makes an excellent variation to The Gauntlet. The 12b is also amazing featuring wild stemming and laybackiing in a double overhanging corner.

Hi Craven and others, you are welcome for the 10d pitch! Andreas Taylor and I cleaned and freed that excellent 10d pitch back in May of 2003. It is in the Kevin McLane guidebook from 2005, called The Simian Response. We actually climbed/pulled on gear up the 12b pitch too, but not free. So I guess Colin and Jer freed the 12b pitch we left as a project and renamed it Mad Nerd and Poodle, or the Facade in the new guide book. I wonder if the Mad Nerd name is a poke at Andreas maybe? Sort of like when Croft freed Kevin Mclane's Astronomy first pitch and renamed it Mad Englishman and Dog.

Also, the first 10c splitter pitch of The Gauntlet is an old climb called Cleaning the Brain from 1984 by Scott Young, Craig Thompson, and Jim Brennan. We re-cleaned that when we did the 10d pitch in 2003.

Not sure why neither parties get any credit in the new select guide, but the new renamed continuations of what we climbed before sound really good.

I have a picture of me seconding the 2003 FA of The Simian Response/Mad Nerd and Poodle/The Facade 10d pitch somewhere, let me find it.