Have you climbed 5.5 or below?

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mike m

Trad climber

black hills

Topic Author's Reply - Dec 11, 2013 - 12:33am PT

5.5 and under is the new 5.8 once retro bolted bump.

WyoRockMan

climber

Flank of the Big Horns

Dec 11, 2013 - 05:10pm PT

Mike- Thanks for suggesting the Conn on Aquarium this summer. A great route I would have overlooked otherwise. Fun romp.

rmuir

Social climber

From the Time Before the Rocks Cooled.

Dec 12, 2013 - 06:17pm PT

Wolf's Head Arête, fer sure. Slightly harder--though for only for a few moves--the East Face of Mt. Whitney. ...soloed that several times.

hobo_dan

Social climber

Minnesota

Dec 12, 2013 - 06:56pm PT

1st pitch up to McCarthy North Face
3rd FlatIron

Curt

climber

Gold Canyon, AZ

Dec 12, 2013 - 07:25pm PT

Just another 5.4 in the Gunks.

Curt

Steve Grossman

Trad climber

Seattle, WA

Dec 12, 2013 - 08:13pm PT

Nice- Lots of splendid overhanging moderate routes there!

squishy

Mountain climber

Dec 12, 2013 - 08:19pm PT

Walk back after the top out sucked though...

lol....

pussy

speelyei

Trad climber

Mohave County Arizona

Dec 12, 2013 - 08:20pm PT

Yep.

The Trough at Tahquitz comes to mind...

mike m

Trad climber

black hills

Topic Author's Reply - Dec 12, 2013 - 08:26pm PT

Cosmic come up to the needles sometime and there are hundreds on low fifth class routes with terrific summits. I think you would have a blast. You can fly to Rapid City from Vegas for as cheap as 40 or 50 bucks on allegiant sometimes.

10b4me

Ice climber

Bishop/Flagstaff

Dec 12, 2013 - 09:17pm PT

What's neat is, since the injuries I've gotten over the last 15 years,
I have gotten to climb a lot of the easier climbs I didn't do back in the 70s and 80s.
I was climbing the, Grades, back then, and now I am climbing to have fun, and enjoying the
Peace, Vertical ground brings to me.

Q- Ball

Mountain climber

where the wind always blows

Dec 12, 2013 - 10:54pm PT

I was eight years old and got top-roped up a 5.9, the next pitch was a 5.4 slab.
I had to be hauled up it in the rain!

Many years later I bailed on some desert 5.5 friction routes in Wyo.

Chiloe

Trad climber

Lee, NH

Dec 13, 2013 - 01:54am PT

When you're far from the trade routes and not climbing granite, every now and then you find a 5.5 pitch that is just freaking desperate. No pro and holds breaking and you hope you're gonna live to reach that next ledge.

Reilly

Mountain climber

The Other Monrovia- CA

Dec 13, 2013 - 02:11am PT

^^^^^ 5.5? How about fourth class and you're terrified the rope is gonna dislodge one of the
dominoes that will bring the whole pitch down?

Gerg

Trad climber

Calgary

Dec 13, 2013 - 02:20am PT

mike m,
So you live in the Black Hills, what a wonderful place to climb. We did a family trip there couple summers back, camped at Sylvan Lake, climbed about. I would love to go there as a more serious climbing trip, its just a fun area.
We met John Biddick and his tall friend one day in the Needle parking lot, gosh they were super funny, and seemed mega stoked to be out in the Hills, enjoying summer. We were on a tower and we could hear those two laughing crazily from some tower in the woods.

mike m

Trad climber

black hills

Topic Author's Reply - Apr 2, 2014 - 10:49pm PT

There are 5.5 here that are not easy even though they have good gear and rock. The exposure and summits are awesome. Many times the exposure freaks people out even though a bomber hold awaits around the corner or you have to be very creative about gear. This place forces you to do that most essential skill of climbing: going just a little farther than it seemed prudent just a few feet back.

Climberdude

Trad climber

Fresno, CA

Apr 2, 2014 - 11:08pm PT

I hear you regarding the 5.5 and below in the Needles area. I did a climbing trip last August specifically to climb the Conn routes in the Black Hills rope solo. Wow, the Conns were way ahead of their time. Their climbs are very bold, so the ratings do not feel the same as other areas. I even backed off of a 5.0 climb, not because I did not think I could do it, but because the route, which I knew I was on route, took me into some really crazy territory.

I have done many sub 5.6 routes at the Black Hills, Seneca Rock, and the Gunks. The ratings of these climbs are in a group of their own and cannot be compared to ratings in other areas. I do not know exactly what it is (actually it is due all of these), but the boldness, protection (lack thereof), and exposure all contribute to put the ratings in these areas into a class of their own. I could be gripped out of my mind just as much on a 5.5 and below in these areas as a 5.9 or higher climb in other areas.

ß Î Ø T Ç H

Boulder climber

extraordinaire

Apr 2, 2014 - 11:12pm PT

Took a single lap on one of my old routes from like 20 years ago - had to reverse moves etc to get psyche, and no idea of how to get back down. [Click to View YouTube Video]