ElGreco
Mountain climber
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I have to agree with folks - the ST description doesn't do this climb justice. As improbable and intimidating as it looks, roof and all, it all goes. The rock is highly featured - get on it and find out for yourself how. Protection opportunities are ample. Just watch for the odd loose block though.
Exciting, steep first pitch. Work out the roof and then take it all the way to the second roof, or link 1&2. The offwidth is very workable. The second roof will make you think again, but also goes - unusual and wild moves. The flake on p3 can be climbed as an offwidth, lieback or face, and from there you have a fun little sport climbing finish past one bolt to the top...
What more can you ask for? It's the full package in three pitches. Phobos made me work. Deimos made me smile. Get on it! And do pay attention to the trees, as Tom says. Some beauties out there.
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LongAgo
Trad climber
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Yes, be careful of blocks on first pitch. They were wobbly at the time of first ascent I can attest and now still so it seems.
Walk off versus rap gives still more views and intimacy with rocks and trees. Speaking of trees, don't miss the twisted giants on the hike up – adds to the other world feel up there! Enjoy.
Tom Higgins
LongAgo
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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On pitch 1 there are a few HUGE blocks balanced on each other and a much smaller block. Probably only matter of time before someone grabs or kicks the smaller rock and whole thing will go. Maybe it is super solid, but be careful out there.
Thought the climb was good, but not as good as Phobos by quality. V slot looks sooo intimidating from bellow but than you get there and it has great feet for stemming etc. Physical with great hand jams to exit. Maybe 3.5/5 stars for climbing, but views bump it to 4/5 stars. With Phobos getting 5/5 in my book for both.
Not many climbers in Toulumne area at all, even though it was a gorgeous Sunday with warm temps. Nobody on this particular cliff at all.
PS: what does that huge horizontal roof with hands/wide hands crack go at???? I think I saw a few very old bolts where it finishes.
but it could use some anchors at the top. There is no place for gear except way back from the edge running over a bunch of loose rock and gravel, 1 double rope rappel would get you to the base ledge and the climb could be done in one rope length if the anchors were placed properly, and the hike off through the brush sucks.
My god, rappel instead of walking down for 10 minutes? If you were able to hike up to the base of these climbs (45 mins?), you should not have much trouble taking a scenic hike down. It is safer to hike down, and would create cluster fks on busy days with lazy people throwing ropes over other climbers.
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Ted Baker
climber
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I also agree, it is definitively not "burly". The way it was described I was thinking I was going to have to do some kind of chickenwing dyno or something, but not much of any offwidth technique was needed on the whole route. I was glad for that good bolt, but it could use some anchors at the top. There is no place for gear except way back from the edge running over a bunch of loose rock and gravel, 1 double rope rappel would get you to the base ledge and the climb could be done in one rope length if the anchors were placed properly, and the hike off through the brush sucks. The hike off seems an unnecessarily forced waste of time for a single rope length climb. Just that downgrades it in my mind. Although I suppose Blues Riff could be rappelled?
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Mike Bolte
Trad climber
Planet Earth
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Kev is right. Completely reasonable 5.9 with good gear (I think I pushed my one big friend through the wide part back in 1980). Don't even need much wide technique. Go to the back of the flare and get good fists or even hands. Useful to know how to do a little heel-toe.
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kev
climber
A pile of dirt.
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Climbed this yesterday and the climb is beautiful. However we felt that it was pretty mellow for all the hype, and quite reasonable for the grade. Definitely easier than Phobos - both technically and physically (if you have any wide technique).
We did it in 3 pitches but P1 and P2 would easily link on a 70m. Drag might be an issue depending on how much gear you place and where you place it however.
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Greg Barnes
climber
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Hey Ed, Deimos. The bolt is mentioned in the Roper green guide, and shown in all the Reid/Falkenstein books (it's there in the '83 guide) right next to the arrow from "5.9 move" on the last pitch. It's the only bolt on either of the two 5.9 classics. I asked Roper about it a couple years ago, he confirmed it was original. First time I ever did Deimos (around '96) I remember staring at this little 1/4" hole when I was freaked out on the face moves.
Greg
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Hey Greg, Phobos or Deimos?
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Greg Barnes
climber
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Finally replaced the long-missing bolt on the last pitch today (8/2/04). The 1/4" hole was filled with dirt from a small abandoned wasp's nest. The original bolt pulled sometime in the early '90s (or maybe it just fell out during the winter!). Does anyone know if it pulled in a fall and if anyone was injured? (ledge not too far below...)
Greg
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Chris McNamara
SuperTopo staff member
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The American Safe Climbing Assn. may have replaced anchor bolts on this climb. To find out visit the ASCA Replacement Page
The ASCA is a non-profit organization dedicated to replacing unsafe anchors. To learn about helping the ASCA click here
DONATE NOW
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Alexey
climber
San Jose, CA
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We did Deimos along with Phobos on July 28. We did Phobos first and then returned to the base of the climb. (you can check my beta for Phobos approach and decent on related page.
1.From Phobos base it took about 7-10 min to walk to base of Deimos. The picture with Demos line on ST Beta page is wrong - it shows Blue Riff line instead. Deimos line should be at far right end of this picture. Also ST Beta page description " It turns most people away who are just trying to reach the bottom of the climb, which is located on a blocky terrace after a 5.8 chimney boulder problem."- is confusing. We spent with my friend 15 min.trying to find this 5.8 chimney and won't. You should start the climb from place directly below inverted V-slot roof. From the start of the route you should see first two pitches of climb.
We used same pro for Deimos as for Phobos:
2.Pro: 1set of nuts,
1 ea 0.5'-1.5'
2ea 1.75'-3.5'
1ea 4" is optional for belay settings.
3. We did Deimos in two pitches ( link p1 and p2 with 60m rope) because we expected the rain. It took 1h 30 min up to the top.I would not recommend to link pitch1&2 because we had rope drug at the end of the pitch
4. Pitch 1(p1 and 2 from Reid book) 170 ft.
In fact -start of the route which will bring you to blocky terrace 15 feet above -appeared to be mixed hand jamming , stemming and face climbing and it probably 5.8 and most unsecured part of the climb in term of decking.
After inverted V-slot roof , offwidth section began ( which marked as "Fist" in Reid book).This section was too wide for my fist, I use arm baring along with some dip inside hand jamming (crack flared).
After second overhang section with good hand jam passed - climbing eased and you will reach soon good ledge for belay.
5.Pitch2 ( Pith 3 in Reid book). 80-90 ft
Start at the left end of the ledge. You traverse left and up about 10-15 ( mixed face and crack climb) until you reach good hand size crack. Since than climb strait forward.
6. Decent left toward Phobos top and than follow decent trail.
It difficult to say what is better to climb Deimos or Phobos - they both great and you can protect them well, but Deimos probably more sustain and demanding.
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