Mad Cow Disease, 5.11, 6 Pitches

Overview/Approach

Mad Cow Disease is arguably the best bolted route on Sheepshead.  Although I disagree with one MP.com post, “easily the hardest route on Sheepshead, at least a couple of letter grades tougher than Stampede, Mad Cow is a sustained route, particularly if you choose the final two pitches of Stampede for your finish.  That makes for three 5.11 pitches and three 5.10 pitches, most of which are well bolted.  In my opinion Stampede’s cruxes are ever bit as challenging as Mad Cow’s.  Stampede is a bit longer and definitely offers more variable climbing where Mad Cow’s cruxes are quite similar in nature, stemming through blank slab moves. Stampede offers more trad climbing whereas if you added two or three more bolts to Mad Cow, it would be a sport route.

The 1st pitch is no gimmie at 5.10+.  Its upper crux is similar to the slab cruxes on the three 5.11 pitches to follow.  The 2^nd pitch offers more sustained 5.10+/5.11- climbing than any other pitch on the route.  The 3^rd pitch offers a techy slab stem crux through closely placed bolts, but then eases way off the grade.  The 4^th pitch is more 5.9 than 5.10-.  The 5^th and 6^th pitches are borrowed from Stampede’s finish and are two of the better bolted pitches on Sheepshead at 5.10+/5.11.  Most of us agree that the upper slab on the 5^th pitch is the crux of this route.

In the local guide, the author has the approach correct in that you do not enter the large gully where Stampede and Phony Pony are located, but rather stick to the normal approach to the very base of the broad west face of Sheepshead.  What the author is wrong about however is that you do travel south along the western wall as you do for the Ides of Middlemarch (she claims that you do not go to Ides).  Mad Cow starts just right of that route.  Look for a #.4 gear slot below a bolt marking the route.  Mad Cow is the next bolted line right of Ides. 

Route Descripton

1^st Pitch- 120’-5.10+/ The local guide has this 1st pitch at 5.10 and MP.com has it at 5.10+.   I concur with MP.com.  The guide book is also off a bit on lengths which is usual.  The first half of Mad Cow Disease is by far the crux.  This sustained 1^st pitch combined with the sustained 2^nd pitch and start of the 3^rd pitch make for great climbing at the grade.  Step up to place a bomber #.4, then stem left to climb up ground at the grade.  Trend back right as you follow the bolts and place a few pieces to supplement.  An exposed short stemming move is somewhere in there.  You end up on a mini arete out left to avoid polished rock on the upper face.  This short arete offers stellar movement at the grade, protected by a micro cam, before traversing back right up through a bolt to the fixed anchor. 

2^nd Pitch- 95’-5.11-/ Fully bolted pitch that is sustained at or just below the grade.  Climb the textured face straight up from the belay making some interesting stems. The crux is the last move near the top of the face via a slab move over a bulge.  Traverse up and right to the fixed anchor. 

3^rd Pitch- 150’-5.11/ Climbing at the grade is right off the anchor and what you can see.  After this initial face, the climbing eases way off.  Stem the slab depression through well placed bolts.  Follow the bolt line up and right as the climbing eases over positive features.  Continue to a fixed rap via 5.7 ground.  The local guide has the pitch at 5.11- whereas our consensus was in line with MP.com of 5.11.  The initial part of this pitch was substantially more technical than the 2^nd pitch and typical of 5.11 climbing in Cochise.

4^th Pitch- 160’-5.10-/ Both the local guide and MP.com rate this pitch 5.10-.  But I can’t say I felt any 5.10 moves on it. Climb a considerable amount of 5.7 through a few spaced bolts supplementing if you feel the need with cam pockets and/or slung features.  Eventually the climbing steepens over positive edges before you hit the low angled ground that leads to the massive ledge on Sheepshead.   

5^th-6^th Pitches- 300’- 5.11-/ Once you have done the finishing pitches on Stampede, you will be hard pressed to use any other exit to the summit, not to mention that these two pitches offer the exact same type of climbing as Mad Cow.  Move to the far-left fixed anchor on the massive ledge below a bolted sea of in cuts up a steep face.  Climb up the varying edge and side pulls below grade through choppy rock.  The crux is on the steep slab above that leads to a comfortable fixed anchor. This is a blank slab move that is slightly more difficult in nature than any of the 5.11 moves on Mad Cow.  Continue up the next steep slab section (5.10+) through four bolts at the grade.  Intricate stem, slab and edge movement shortly pulls over onto lower angled and easy ground.  Pass a fixed anchor and do a body belay on the summit.

Climbing Sequence

Descent

The normal Sheepshead walk off to the north

Essential Gear

60m rope.  Dozen assortment of draws and shoulder length slings.  Single rack from micro to #1.  We placed a minimal amount of gear.  Route receives full afternoon sun. Haul shoes for the walk off.