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WALL: Lower Solar Slab

Climb: Tanline
SUMMARY HAIKU

Route to Solar Slab
​Rick liked this climb, Stef did not
​Rated "What the Fair"
Picture
Oak Creek Canyon morning

​Climb: Tanline (Trad, bring #4s) (580')
Wall: Lower Solar Slab
Suitable for a Beginning Lead Trad Climber? 
Possibly, though each pitch has its challenges. 
Conclusion WTF? What the FAIR
Tan Line is located immediately to the right of the Solar Slab gully. It is only located on Mountain Project (not in Handren) and is touted as an alternative to the gully, either as its own climb or to access Solar Slab. Stef didn't really care for the climb, Rick liked it a little better but wouldn't put it anywhere near the top climbs. 

Stef's over all thoughts of the climb are:
  • If you are just trying to get up to Solar Slab and don't care how you do it, then fine, but if you want an all around great climbing experience and you don't want to go up the gully, then do Johnny Vegas or Beulah's Book (Beulah's Book is rated a 5.9, but there is an alternative 5.7/5.8ish variation to avoid the 5.9 section.)
  • The reasons I don't care for this climb are:
    • The exposed approach to get to the base
    • The description claims the route finding is easy/straight forward, it's not the worst route finding, but on pitch 2 I went the wrong way. It did get me where I needed to go, but I was not able to locate the way they described. 
    • It felt more like broken up 5th class climbing, sort of jumbled and incoherent.
    • The rock is mixed quality and meh (although there are some neat surrounding rocks that are visually stimulating)

Rick's overall thoughts of the climb are:
  • There are a lot of neat parts to it.
  • The climbing was varied (which is true)
  •  The climb was ok, a notch below "good."

On a general note, the climb description lists the climb as 480 feet and says to scramble the the last bit to the big solar slab ledge. We felt like we still needed a rope for safety's sake on the low 5th class and estimate a last 4th pitch of about 100 feet - so the climb is really more like 580 feet. 
Picture

Approach

To access this climb go all the way to the base of Solar Slab Gully then scramble up to an alcove of trees.

The photo shows the most exposed section of the approach which requires a couple of insecure-feeling moves (for shorter people at least) to reach good holds to get up onto the belay ledge.
Picture


​Pitch 1

Pitch 1 goes past a cool looking fin of white rock, then up the pocketed face that is difficult to protect unless you have larger tricams. It's surprisingly spicy and committing across this face, and if you don't have the right pro, gets run out. Things ease up fairly quickly as you head right towards the large, ceiling of rock that forms a large chimney.

Beneath the ceiling of rock/chimney is darker petina that is higher quality rock, but appears to have limited protection (based upon Rick's memory). He ended up going up the face that has some protection but questionable rock. 

​Eventually you do veer left to access a crack that takes you to the small ledge for the belay station for pitch 2. 
Picture
Pitch 1 start of Tan Line

Pitch 2

Pitch 2 follows a series of cracks to a deep, large, chimney/crack (you can't see the crack in the photo of pitch 2 here, but you can see it in the primary labeled photo above.) The Mountain Project directions make it sound like you climb on a face parallel to the offwidth crack, but if that is the case, it does not specify which side of the crack. We both looked around and agree it is not obvious where to go for a protectable face climb outside of the offwidth. There is a small, inconsistent crack on less-than-stellar-looking rock that also appears to peter out. So, I (Stef) just went up the offwidth - which definitely requires off-widthy moves.

Near the top, I decided to avoid the tree, by going out left outside of the crack. 

Pitch two tops out onto a large belay ledge where you can walk around and move over to belay pitch 3.
Picture
Stef pitch 2 Tan Line. This photo shows an example of what I described about this climb being "broken up" 5th class climbing. There are short spurts of 5th class.

Pitch 3

From the belay it is clear where to go for this section of pitch 3. 

The photo shows Rick at the clear crux of this climb. Rick placed a piece low in the bulge then a #4 near the top out. This has some spice to it. 

Once above the bulge, go across right. There is a corner that looks protectable to climb, but Rick opted to go up the slabby, knobby face (which has less protection) aiming left towards a cleft. 

This pitch took a full 60 meters (walkie talkies are helpful.) There is a small ledge with a good sized horn above it.
Picture
Rick is at the largest crux of the the climb. It is spicy. He placed a piece low and a #4 up high. Once above the crux go up and right.

Pitch 4

The Mountain Project description talks about scrambling from the top of pitch 3 to get to the Solar Slab ledge. The climbing is slabby/slopey low 5th class, that, although, not very protectable, we stayed roped up because a fall would be deadly.

It's probably about 100 feet to get to the large, flat terrain of the Solar Slab ledge.
Picture
Pitch 4 of Tan Line

The Decent

The marked up photo near the top of the page shows the decent down the Solar Slab Gully. When you unrope, head climber's left towards the gully and you will see bolted anchors for the first short rappel that takes you down into the gully. Scramble in the gully to the next drop off, then look around the corner/edge and you will see the next set of anchors. Be careful of the drop-off. (There is also a tat anchor around a tree, but pulling the rope from the bolted anchor will be cleaner.) 

You can do a double rope rappel down to a large, sandy alcove, or a single rope rappel to a tat anchor. With a double rope rappel, the risk of the rope getting stuck increases in this section.

Walk and scramble down to the next set of anchors visible on the left wall (as you face outwards towards the valley). Do a single rope rappel to the next set of anchors. Then, if you have two ropes, you can reach the ground (or do two more single rope rappels.)


​WTF 5.7 Tour: Red Rock Canyon- Climbs By Area

WTF Tour Homepage
General
The Plan
Managing the Desert Heat

Black Velvet Canyon
Day 79: Schaeffers's Delight
Day 83: Ballantine Blast
​Day 86: Lazy Buttress

Calico 1 (1st Pullout) (DONE)
Amusement Park
Day 17: Civilization 
Day 14: The Slab
Day 20: Panty Wall
Day21: Wall of Death & Hamlet
Day 24: Child's Play
Day 49: Ultraman
Day 50: Dog Wall & Fixx Cliff
Day 51: Tuna and Chips
Day 53: Viagra Towers
Day 59: Iron Man - Necco Waif
Day 80: Tuna Cookies
Day 80: The Oasis - Diamond Dance
​Day 81: CarlyQuinn

​Calico 2 (2nd Pullout)
Day 13: Meetup & Black Corridor

Day 28: Retirement Plan
Day 52: The Walrus, Running Man, & Sweet Pain
​Day 54: USS Crag & Tsunami Wall
Day 56: Great Red Book Wall
Day 66: The Gallery


​​First Creek Canyon
Day 40: Falling Stars & Bad Moon Arising
Day 42: Algae on Parade
Day 44: Schoolyard 1

Day 67: Smiley Face
Day 67: Romper Room Wall 2
​Day 77: Schoolyard 2

​Day 78: Escondite
​Day 88: Lotta Brews
Day 89: Schoolyard Bully
​Icebox Canyon
 (DONE)

Day 12: Sunnyside & Frigid Air Buttress
Day 39: Necromancer: Hop Route
Day 57: Tarkus Crack

Juniper Canyon
Day 16: Myster Z

Day 35: Mz. Why
​Day 64: Canola Cracks
Day 87: Olive Oil

Kraft Area
Day 6: Conundrum Crag
Day 7: Caligula Crag
Day 4: Three Peaks and Yin & Yang
Day 10: Winter Heat Wall
Mt. Wilson
Day 41: Limon
​
Day 72: Gentleman's Club (Silicone Sag)

Oak Creek
Day 37: Johnny Vegas
Day 65: Tan Line
Day 68: Byrd Pinnacle
Pine Creek
Day 22: Mescalito E - Too Many Tantrums
Day 23: Mescalito E - Pauligk Pillar
Day 27: Straight Shooter 
Day 31: The Abutment (Robin Trowel)
​Day 32-34: Flight Path
​Day 36: Birdland

Day 38: Diarrhea Dialect (Bullnose Wall)
​
​Day 48: Cat in the Hat
​Stick Gully
  • Day 31: Stick Gully 1 - Unknown L Start to Datura
  • ​Day 34: Stick Gully 2 - Prelude
  • Day 62: Stick Gully 3 - Box of Rain
​Day 63: Cookie Monster​
Day 69: Soloist Crack
​Red Springs (DONE)

Day 1: Red Springs (Cut Your Teeth; Hide and Seek; Happy Acres)
Day 2: Red Springs (Cowlick, Cannibal)
Day 3: Red Springs (Dickies) 
Day 5: Moderate Mecca
​Day 8: The Fringe
​
​Day 9: Reptile Rock & near The Fox
​Day 45: Gnat Man
​Day 45: Gnat Man
Day 55: Coco Crag
Day 58: Riding Hood (In Through the Out Door)
 Sandstone Quarry
Day 29: High Scalin'
Day 47: Man's Best Friend & Americrag

Day 52: The Walrus, Running Man, & Sweet Pain
Day 66: Hall of Fame

Southern Outcrops
Day 70 & 71: Chocolate Rocks 
Day 82: Illusion - Part 1

White Rock Springs Area
Day 11: Angel Food Wall - Group Therapy
Day 25: The Ledger

​Willow Springs (DONE)
​Day 15: Mother's and Outhouse
​
​Day 18: Mossy Ledges - Pussy Nuts
​
​Day 19: Mossy Ledges 2
Day 26: Graduate Cliff - Pre Skool
  • ​Day 46: Pre Skool Part Deux
  • ​Day 60 & 61: Pick Your Poison, Walk to School, & Finished Pre Skool
​Day 30: Gold Digger
Day 60: Ragged Edges - Footloose
​
​Day 61: Case Face - Space Case
​Day 73: Ragged Edges - Dumptruck, Midnight, & Diplomatic Immunity
Day 74: Peaches (Children's Wall)
​Day 75: N-Plus Ultra Part 1 (Lucky Charms & Geezer face)
​Day 76: N-Plus Ultra Part 2 (Pillar Talk & Chocolate Tranquility Fountain)
Day84: N-Plus Ultra Part 3 (Cereal Killer)
Day84: Grey Matter at Lost Creek Canyon
​Day 85: Communist Plan (Lost & Found)

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  • About
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    • The 15-minutes from Red Rock Restaurant Tour >
      • Indian
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    • WTF 5..7 Tour - Red Rock >
      • General >
        • The Plan
        • Managing the Desert Heat
      • Black Velvet Canyon >
        • Lazy Buttress/Whisky Peak E >
          • Day 79: Schaeffer's Delight
          • Day 83: Ballantine Blast
          • Day 86: Lazy Buttress (Climb)
      • Calico 1 (1st Pullout) >
        • Amusement Park
        • Day 17: Civilization
        • Day 20: Panty Wall
        • Day 14: The Slab
        • Day 21: Wall of Death & Hamlet
        • Day 24: Child's Play
        • Day 49: Ultraman
        • Day 50: Dog Wall & Fixx Cliff
        • Day 51: Tuna and Chips
        • Day 53: Viagra Towers
        • Day 59 Iron Man - Necco Waif
        • Day 80 - Tuna Cookies
        • Day 80 - Diamond Dance - The Oasis
        • Day 81 - CarlyQuinn Crag
      • Calico 2 (2nd Pullout) >
        • Day 13: Meetup & Black Corridor
        • Day 28: Retirement Plan
        • Day 52: The Walrus, Running Man, & Sweet Pain
        • Day 54: USS Crag & Tsunami
        • Day 56: Great Red Book Wall
        • Day 66: The Gallery
      • First Creek Canyon >
        • First Creek Slabs >
          • Day 40: Falling Stars & Bad Moon Arising
          • Day 67: Smiley Face
        • Lotta Balls Wall >
          • Lotta Brews
        • Romper Room >
          • Day 42: Algae on Parade
          • Day 67: Romper Room 2
        • Schoolyard >
          • Day 44: School Yard 1 - Deja Vu & Short Subject
          • Day 77: School Yard -Sunday School & Dunce's Corner
          • Day 89: Schoolyard Bully
        • Slot Club Area >
          • Day 78: Escondite
        • Strawberry Hill >
          • Day 43: This Ain't the F'n Way!
      • Icebox Canyon >
        • Day 12: Sunnyside & Frigid Air
        • Day 39: Necromancer - Hop Route
        • Day 57: Tarkus Crack (Tiki Cliff)
      • Juniper Canyon >
        • Jackrabbit Buttress >
          • Day 16: Myster Z
          • Day 35: Mz. Why
        • Rose Tower >
          • Day 64: Canola Cracks
          • Day 87: Olive Oil
      • Kraft Mountain >
        • Day 6: Conundrum Crag
        • Day 7: Caligula Crag
        • Day 4: Three Peaks and Yin & Yang
        • Day 10: Winter Heat
      • Mt. Wilson >
        • Day 41: Limon
        • Day 72: Gentleman's Club - Silicone Sag
      • Oak Creek Canyon >
        • Day 37: Johnny Vegas
        • Day 65: Tan Line
        • Day 68: Byrd Pinnacle
      • Pine Creek Canyon >
        • Day 22: Mescalito E - Too Many Tantrums
        • Day 23: Mescalito E - Pauligk Pillar
        • Day 27: Straight Shooter Wall
        • Day 31: Robin Trowel (Abutment) & Stick Gully 1
        • Day 32-34: Flight Path
        • Day 34: Stick Gully 2 - Prelude
        • Day 36: Birdland
        • Day 38: Diarrhea Dialect (Bullnose Wall)
        • Day 48: Cat in the Hat
        • Day 62: Stick Gully - Box of Rain
        • Day 63: Cookie Monster
        • Day 69: Soloist Crack
      • Red Springs >
        • Day 2: Cowlick and Cannibal
        • Day 1: Cut Your Teeth, Hide & Seek, Happy Acres
        • Day 3: Dickies (Seems Like a Butt)
        • Day 8: Fringe
        • Day 5: Moderate Mecca
        • Day 9: Reptile & Fox Walls
        • Day 45: Gnat Man
        • Day 55: Coco Crag
        • Day 58: Ridinghood - In Through the Out Door
      • Sandstone Quarry >
        • Day 29: High Scalin'
        • Day 47: Man's Best Friend & Americrag
        • Day 66: Hall of Fame - Ms. Adventure
      • Southern Outcrops >
        • Day 70 & 71: Chocolate Rocks
        • Day 82: Illusion Crag - Part 1
      • White Rock Springs - Angel Food Wall >
        • Day 11: Group Therapy
        • Day 25: The Ledger
      • Willow Springs >
        • Day 15: Mother's and Outhouse
        • Day 18: Mossy Ledges - Pussy Nuts
        • Day 19: Mossy Ledges 2
        • Day 26: Graduate Cliff - Pre Skool Part 1 >
          • Day 46: Pre Skool Part Deux
        • Day 60 & 61: Graduate Cliff 2
        • Day 30 - Gold Digger
        • Day 61: Ragged Edges - Footloose
        • Day 62: Case Face - Space Case
        • Day 73: Ragged Edges Area
        • Day 74 Peaches (Children's Wall)
        • Day 75 N' Plus Ultra 1 - Geezer Face & Lucky Charms
        • Day 76: N'Plus Ultra 2 - Pillar Talk & Chocolate Tranquility Fountain
        • Day 84: N'Plus Ultra Part 3 - Cereal Killer
        • Day 84: Lost Creek Canyon - Grey Matter
        • Day 85: Communist Plan at Lost & Found
    • Meet Our Tools >
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          • Insulation and Vent Fan
          • Quick Fixes
          • Kingsized Pullout Bed
      • Ultralight Exposure Protection Gear
    • For the Ladies >
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      • Getting Women Climbing Outside
      • Women's Resources
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      • Mapping with Lady Lockoff
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      • Gram Parsons' Logbook
      • Oh Shi*! Bees!
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      • Althea Crag & Mapping Dog
      • Exposure!
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