Experts Choice

This past summer Chris has been busy putting some new routes up at Experts Choice. Sunday we went up there to climb them so here's my take on these climbs. I'm not sure if he's named them or not but i'll be as descriptive as i can. The above picture is the first route we did. It starts right in between Local Decision and Long Decision and basically goes straight up the face and stays right of the roof above Chris and joins onto Local Decision. The picture shows Chris right at the crux just below the roof. We placed a bolt (the only one) just above him which protects the crux well. The route has good rock, protects quite well but takes thin gear and has some interesting moves and we figured a 5.8.

Chris, if this route needs a name how about "Split Decision".

Once up on Raspberry Ledge we moved over to the new rap rings at the start of Crispy Ambulance. The next route we did is about 3 or 4 meters to the climbers left of Crispy Ambulance. It climbs up the face to where the angle eases off and and right to intersect Crispy Ambulance. Here you need a small cam. Head straight up (Crispy Ambulance angles left) and head towards the roof above you. This is the crux. Stay left of the roof pulling on small holds on a steep face. The angle eases off just before the top station. I really enjoyed this route. I would give this route 3 stars. It went at a 5.10a. We used one small cam and the rest was just quick draws.

This next route is about 6 or 7 meters left of Crispy Ambulance. It starts almost directly underneath a small roof that is about 10 meters above the start of the route. You will come up under the roof on the right side and go over it or around it on the left side. There is a bolt at the lip of the roof on the left side. Above that is just fun climbing to the top station. This was my favorite route of the day. Definitely 3 stars and a 5.10a. All bolts.

We then moved over towards Split Clevage. This picture was taken from the rap bolts on Crispy Ambulance and Chris at the start of the route. It heads up an obvious weakness to the face above. The route is steep and pumpy with small holds and very sharp rock. Lots of friction. Again the rock was excellent. I think we used a couple of nuts on this route and the rest was bolts. The picture below shows Chris at the start of the crux. This route was about 45 meters long and ends up right under the huge roof on Slit Clevage. There is a rappel station half way (25 meters??) down to Raspberry Ledge. It went at a 5.10c.

Unfortunately, the last route i didn't get any pictures of but we started started at the 1st rap station from the last route i just described. I'm not sure if this is where the route was supposed to start or not. Chris will have to verify that. From where we started it headed up an arete onto the face above and ended up at the same top station as the last route. This route was very steep and i admit, i had some troubles with it but the rock and the exposure are excellent. I would say this was a tough 5.10c. No gear needed, just quick draws.

Our whole day was done with one 60 meter rope. One 30 meter rappel off the rap rings at Crispy Ambulance will get you to the down with a very short scramble to the bottom.