Page Type: | Route |
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Route Type: | Trad Climbing, Sport Climbing |
Time Required: | Less than two hours |
Rock Difficulty: | 5.9 (YDS) |
Number of Pitches: | 2 |
Often overlooked, Knuckle Duster is an excellent mixed climb near the center of Devil's Slide. If people are on Harder Than It Looks and Mark of the Beast, as is often the case on weekends, consider this one if the grade suits you; it is just as good as the other two if not better. But you will need trad gear unless you want to run it out on 5.5 anywhere from 85' to 115', depending on where you start the climb.
Set out on the Summit Trail and then take the Echo Canyon Trail. When that trail reaches a board with lots of information posted, head right on a good trail that follows the Backside and has several spur trails to various walls. Look for the Yellow Trail and take it to the base of the dome. Devil's Slide is to the left. Easier Than It Looks starts up a slab next to a massive boulder leaning against the slab. With the picture below, you should have no trouble finding the routes.
Officially, the route begins from the top of the boulder, so keep in mind and prepare for a 160' rap from the anchors back to the ground. A single 80 will just get you back to the top of the boulder.
For just the official route, medium and large cams, four draws, and a cord or sling for the anchors will do. If you are leading the mini-pitch at the start and/or topping out, you will need some smaller cams and some nuts. Tricams are great for the top-out anchor.