Squaw: Cleaning left of Kiddie Corner

[willthethrill]

Hi anyone know whats going on left of Kiddie corner. Looks like a bolt project and some flake and crack cleaning going on. Looks really fun. Any info on these routes?

Willy

[J Mace]

Looking for Optimus Prime on the Weekend and I found a whole slew of new routes just left of Kiddie Corner...any topos ?

Where the hell is OP ? does it share a slab with bolts that look like Barleys trademark black hangers and funny chain anchors? Up a Chimney past a massive three tree stump?

[Optimally-Primed]

I think that the routes left of Optimus Prime are those of Robin Barley and Dirty Harry ... not totally sure though.

Optimus Prime begins by walking up behind a recently cut-down cedar, into a chimney, then climbing up out of the chimney.

I have plans to rap into it this summer and fix it up. The pro is so-so in places. So I'm going to add bolts to make it more straightforward. If it doesn't get more traffic, it'll be lost to the Big Green Machine for sure.

-Jeremy

[harihari]

That line is Barley, all right. You get to the awesome jug, then you move three feet up from it to the awful miniature crimp where you are barn-dooring, and you clip off the miniature crimp. Then youmove 3 feet higher to the next logical stance and no bolt to be found. Sorry; I climbed a pitch of it once and thought the bolting was crap.

Bolt positions aside, this should be a pretty cool route-- great position and some really interesting moves.

Also Optimus Prime is AWESOME-- the first pitch is junky, the second better, the third cool very technical friction/face moves and by the time youare on the wild cool lieback you're loving it. Last pitch is also superb. For a mellow trad day this oen is definitely worth doing.

[Optimally-Primed]

Hey Harry,

Thanks for the kind comments about Optimus Prime. I enjoy the route too... That said, I'm more proud of my work on Right Wing. To me, Right Wing is one of the more memorable routes in Squamish at the 5.10+ grade.

Regarding Optimus, I'd like to make it a little more mellow and user friendly. If it doesn't get traffic, it'll be gone. So my plan was to add a few bolts here and there in awkward spots. Any comments about the following?

1. P1 is a bit dirty off the start but easy crack and well protected from there. No changes proposed.
2. P2 goes up and right across some neat features, to circle around onto an arete. Near it's top, you have a tricky move with no hands and just your toe in a crack. I was thinking of adding a bolt to protect that... and one more above it to keep the rope straight to the anchors.
3. P3 goes up a ramp to the right to a crux move to transfer right into a crack. Robin Barley suggested that I add a bolt there as it is unprotected beside some so-so gear beneath your feet. The rest of the pitch (when you get to the technical traverse) is fine.
4. P4 is 5.0 to move the belay up.
5. P5 goes up a great, white corner. At the top, you need to traverse hard left to a belay. Rope drag sucks here. I was thinking of adding belay bolts at the top of the corner to make for a very short pitch to reach the final corner.
6. P6 is fine as-is.

So that would be 5 new bolts. I'd like this route to be good fun and the kind of thing folks look to for some mellow trad... Any suggestions?

Jeremy

[Dru]

It's been a few years since I did Optimus prime but what I remember about P3? where you climb up to a headwall and then traverse right quite a ways into a 10b crack is that there were unscrubbed holds running straight up the headwall that looked like it would be not only more direct, but easier to climb (ie. rather than traversing right) if they were cleaned.

[harihari]

Hey Harry,

2. P2 goes up and right across some neat features, to circle around onto an arete. Near it's top, you have a tricky move with no hands and just your toe in a crack. I was thinking of adding a bolt to protect that... and one more above it to keep the rope straight to the anchors.

3. P3 goes up a ramp to the right to a crux move to transfer right into a crack. Robin Barley suggested that I add a bolt there as it is unprotected beside some so-so gear beneath your feet. The rest of the pitch (when you get to the technical traverse) is fine.
4. P4 is 5.0 to move the belay up.
5. P5 goes up a great, white corner. At the top, you need to traverse hard left to a belay. Rope drag sucks here. I was thinking of adding belay bolts at the top of the corner to make for a very short pitch to reach the final corner.
6. P6 is fine as-is.

So that would be 5 new bolts. I'd like this route to be good fun and the kind of thing folks look to for some mellow trad... Any suggestions?

Jeremy

Hi Jeremy--

Definitely add the bolt on P5 for rope drag but be carefull-- those awesomely spicy inital moves into that wild rounded layback should be done on gear. When I climbed that pithc, I actually had to fix the rope when I'd finished and down-aid to re-set slings cos the rope drag was so much. I would also suggest P3, not a bad idea 1 more bolt. The rest if I recall was fine.

if you want to get out one afternoon in the next couple of weeks, I will climb it with you and haul a drill etc if you want a hand.

chris

[ras]

Looking for Optimus Prime on the Weekend and I found a whole slew of new routes just left of Kiddie Corner...any topos ?

So, besides OP, are there topos for any of these routes, or descriptions anywhere?

[Dru]

There is a topo for the 4 new Barley/Young routes between Strait outa.. and Optimus in the MEC new routes book now and I would guess also at Climb-On?

FWIW the topo makes it look like they are all in the 11 to 11+ range with a couple moves of A0 bolts on most...

[ras]

There is a topo for the 4 new Barley/Young routes between Strait outa.. and Optimus in the MEC new routes book now and I would guess also at Climb-On?

Is this the MEC on Broadway in Vancouver? I didn't know they had a new routes book.

FWIW the topo makes it look like they are all in the 11 to 11+ range with a couple moves of A0 bolts on most...

Trad with A0, or sport?

[Dru]

Ya, it's the black book in the folder at the climbing desk. The current one goes back to around 2000. I wish they still had the older one as there were some routes written down in it that have never been recorded anywhere else, and that I can't remember specific details for.

Trad with A0. There is an 11+ lieback corner on one that looks like a quality pitch!