Today we have Grant Corley joining us for the WTF 5.7 Tour. Stef's knee is still inured, so Grant is helping out with carrying gear and leading along with Rick.
We had three climbs left to do at the School Yard and originally intended to do all three but decided to bail on the last one "School Yard Bully" since it gets super wide. After the off width surprise of Sunday School, we weren't sure we were up for it or had the gear it might require...so we have one more School Yard slog back up to go!
We had three climbs left to do at the School Yard and originally intended to do all three but decided to bail on the last one "School Yard Bully" since it gets super wide. After the off width surprise of Sunday School, we weren't sure we were up for it or had the gear it might require...so we have one more School Yard slog back up to go!
Dunce's Corner
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CLIMB: Dunce's Corner (Trad, 5.7) (1 pitch)(~70') WALL: School Yard - Right PROTECTION: Up to 4" BEGINNER LEAD: Probably - it's easy and protectable but know that it is sandy and the belayer must belay from above (so know how to build an anchor and belay in guide mode) and be careful of loose rock across the top getting to the anchor. Conclusion WTF? What the FUNNER THAN EXPECTED! The Handren guidebook and Mountain Project show two different cracks for this climb. We went with what Handren shows because the name of the climb is "Dunce's Corner" so we chose the corner. The crack shown in Mountain Project is not a corner - it's the wide slanting crack on the wall to the right. Frankly, the corner looked much better and more protectable anyway.
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Rick Momsen on Dunce's Corner at the School Yard - R in First Creek, Red Rock Canyon
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Mountain Project rates this climb as a bomb and describes it as dirty. We actually thought it was pretty fun. The white rock is a tad sandy and slopey and Rick had to dig some dirt from a couple spots in the crack to place pro, but it wasn't what we would call "dirty." It was actually pretty clean and, surprisingly, all three of us (me, Rick, and guest Grant) preferred this climb to the other one we did today, "Sunday school" (which received two stars in Mountain Project.)
Go up the ramp-corner then cut off to the right as you reach the same height as the ledge atop the adjacent wall. Cut across the top of the ledge until you see the two-hex anchor in the crack. Reinforce the anchor as necessary and bring up the second. Rappel from the two hexes. Rick and I added new tat in June of 2020. It still looked in good condition.
Go up the ramp-corner then cut off to the right as you reach the same height as the ledge atop the adjacent wall. Cut across the top of the ledge until you see the two-hex anchor in the crack. Reinforce the anchor as necessary and bring up the second. Rappel from the two hexes. Rick and I added new tat in June of 2020. It still looked in good condition.
Sunday School
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CLIMB: Sunday School (Trad, 5.7) (1 pitch)(~100') WALL: School Yard - Right PROTECTION: Up to 7" BEGINNER LEAD: No Conclusion WTF? What the Fine Print! (Or FUCK if you don't read this post and only go off Mountain Project!) Special guest Grant Corley lead this one and in this WTF 5.7 game, the leader get's to give it the F-word rating. Grant went with "What the Fuck!" primarily because the climb beta said pro to 3" and mentioned nothing of an off-width - which was an unexpected, rude awakening at the end of the climb. The last approximately 30-40 feet of the climb goes wide - all the way up to a #7. The bottom section of the climb is pretty straight forward and not difficult, but things get more challenging when you reach the jag in the crack and then the off-width above it. There are not many face holds at that point and you are mostly committed to the crack. There was one welcomed hold on the face that moves and will rip off if you try to pull on it - so it's not helpful. |
Grant Corley onSunday School at the School Yard - R in First Creek, Red Rock Canyon
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Top out by crawling through the wide exit and belay from the tree. The tree is also used to rappel. We added fresh tat (10-10-21) to reinforce the old material.