Charlie
Novice climber
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The route is clean, is on low angle rock and is easily protected; you can practice placing just about anything. We were third in line for this climb. It gets traffic, but does not take long to climb. A good warmup.
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ttoshi
Trad climber
Oakland, CA
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Hardest thing was actually getting to the route. I missed the path up with the switchbacks. It starts near where the path turns to dirt after following the rocky trail. Go left between two live trees and a dead cut-off tree (about 15 feet tall). This is a good route to practice passive placements (especially if there is nobody waiting, which was the case with us). I like to use hexes, and there were tons of hex placements in the big crack right in the middle in the second pitch. Also, on the second pitch, there is a big block in between a couple cracks that moves when you touch it. Avoid it.
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Gum Bee
Trad climber
San Francisco
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I have been climbing (well, following) for about 8 months, I thought the route was fun, had previously followed several 5.6 and 5.7 routes at the Leap, and I think that the rating 5.5 on this route is a bit excessive. The grade of 5.3 in my guide seems about right. It would be a good route to learn on ( to lead ) for a first time climber. With the low angle, it is a good route to learn how to trust your feet.
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Johnnyboy
Trad climber
Santa Rosa, CA
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This is a great climb for beginners. I took my girlfriend on this route and she had a blast(her first climb!). The climbing is not difficult and the views are great. Three pitches is a nice length for a first climb. The first pitch has a nice tree to set an anchor for the second pitch. The second pitch has two pitons, I clipped them, but also put in other protection because the pitons looked super old. The third pitch simply follows the crack right to the top.
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highminded
Mountain climber
Forks, Washington
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An excellent climb for beginning leaders. Plenty of feet for you to stand on comfortably while you fiddle with figuring out your gear placements.
Even if there's a line at the bottom of Knapsack, STAY! It's worth waiting for. DO NOT go down to Manic Depressive and try that as a first lead instead. It's crappy, dirty and scarey for beginners. You'll find yourself wishing you just stayed in your sleeping bag.
For all climbs on Hogsback, 2-way radios or a well established rope-tug communication system are essential. Road noise from HWY 50, the rushing waters of the river below and the ever-present Hogsback wind make verbal communication difficult, if not impossible, and the lower angle of the climbs means that your leader will climb out of your line of sight on many of the pitches.
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harmonydoc
Trad climber
Rohnert Park, CA
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Did this last weekend, my first trad lead experience, and I agree that it's an excellent first lead ... low angle, not exposed, well protected, no tricky routefinding. Worth the wait in line (and the line got pretty long)!
A note on using radios - if several parties in the area are using them, it's very possible you'll start hearing other peoples exchanges (this happened to me) there are only so many channels available. We ended up making a point to use eachother's names.
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tb00957
Trad climber
san jose, ca
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My partner led the first pitch, and belayed from the tree. I missed the pitons and had to stop 20 feet lower than the top on 60m rope. Like the supertopo said, if first belay 20 feet above the tree, then the 2nd pitch can top out.
Very clean, easy, no route finding problem. Enjoyed my first climb in lovers leap.
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Chris McNamara
SuperTopo staff member
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i got this feedback from a supertopo user:
, there's a fixed pin at the optional belay on
Knapsack Crack that isn't mentioned in the topo. It's not that
important but it did cause a minute of confusion as to whether that
was actually the fixed pin for the second belay. It probably would
have been easier to use that optional belay as a second belay with a
party of three as the legitimate second belay ledge was barely big
enough for two.
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Evdawg
Trad climber
Sacramento/S. Tahoe
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Just Did it. really good climb, very easy. HUGE LINES!!!!
It was my first multi-pitch [trad] lead really easy (fun to run it out) just be carefull of ledges or aqward falls [if you are climbing around that level]
We decided to do knapsack befor doing any of the other's and ended up waiting 2 hours on the ground, and another .5 hour at the first belay.
IT'S VERY POPULAR [but for a reason] VERY fun climb!
BETA:
the two pins mentioned are acctually about 20' apart before and after a easy shalow chimney like section, or climb the easy 5.5 layback flake to the right.
wind can make communication difficult. have signals to make the prosess quicker.
Final: Don't get pissed off/agrivated if it's not going well for your first time leaders!!! today had some tempered people. keep it cool out there ppl. thanks :)
summary: very worth the wait, Great practice for getting into leading outdoors.
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steele
Trad climber
CA
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if you're interested in practicing with a partner, this is a good route to simul-climb or speed climb laps on with relatively easy pro and holds. crowded on weekends.
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Stonedeaf
Social climber
misreading rock everywhere
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I'd give it 4 stars if the final 90 feet was steeper. For years I ignored it thinking it wouldn't be that good. Took my son up it today.
We lost a #1 trango flex cam at the second (piton pelay). my son was too short to reach it from the stance and ended up pushing it deeper. If retreived, we would appreciate it back..Thanks.
916 690 4913
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Friedo
Trad climber
South Lake Tahoe
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This is a great first lead or first follow for a beginner multi-pitch climber. If you are taking an inexperienced climber up their first multi-pitch, you don't really need to worry about their belay abilities...you won't fall!
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Hosh11
Sport climber
carson city
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if you split this route into 3 pitches how long is each pitch?
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murcy
Gym climber
sanfrancisco
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100, 130, and 90 feet, says the Supertopo guidebook that you really oughtta purchase.
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steele
Trad climber
CA
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Trick is to do this weekday morning then do a climb to the right or shoot over to pop bottle or haystack to up the ante a bit. Excellent practice for simul-climbing or low angle alpine/trad leads.
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zoltarburger
Mountain climber
San Jose
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Did this as a first lead a couple of weeks ago.
There was some slow parties in front of us and we had to wait three hours to start.
As mentioned before, there is a fixed pin below the 'real' second belay, and we got suckered in to using the lower pin.
The last pitch had some real communication issues where you can't see or hear your second. He didn't hear my multiple calls of 'off belay', and I ended up pulling all the slack up thru his belay device.
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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If you found stuck cams here at some point in the spring/summer of 2014, please PM me. Those are likely mine. If it is in the BD# 0.4 to #2 range especially. If you get some cams out on the East Wall (especially Bear's Reach, The Line and Haystack), return them to me as well, those are definitely mine! :)
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Park
Trad climber
Reno
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Knapsack Crack (5.5) is a good warm-up climb at the Leap. The 1st pitch is very easy with great pro. If you set up the belay about 30-40ft above the tree on the small ledge you can climb the route in 2 long pitches. The 2nd pitch has a brief wide section that you can wedge your legs in and place good pro in the incut holds of the wide crack. It's the only cruxish section of the route and then the rest of the pitch to the summit is straightforward. There are excellent views of the East Wall, Center Wall, and Main Wall on the summit of Hogsback.
Overall it's a very casual, fun, and enjoyable route with good views and sounds of the American River flowing down below.
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labrat
Trad climber
Erik O. Auburn, CA
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The pitons were hiding on this route a couple of weeks ago.... Did they get removed?
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Janet Schlindwein
Trad climber
San Antonio, TX
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Just lead knapsack on March 13, 2015 in awesome 60 degree weather! Excellent route, but way dirty; filled in with packed dirt and pine needles, hard to find gear placements. On my way down I spent a lot of time cleaning it out. So its nice and clean with accessible placements! Was able to rock climb and ski in one vacation!
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occhico
Trad climber
CHICO
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Two years ago, I was diagnosed with a neuro disease right after getting into trad climbing. It took two years, but was able to lead at Knapsack with my smoking' hott wife following. Plenty of good pro, lots of interesting moves, absolutely beautiful setting. Great day...ready for more.
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the route as seen from Highway 50.Photo: Chris McNamara
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