1st Pitch- The first pitch of Jimmy Durante is the crux pitch. It is 60’ on a sandy featureless slab (photo) through a small roof problem to a chain station above. However the crux is not the move to gain the roof, but lower down. The first 20’ is easy 5th class climbing. You get to a ledge. There are four bolts above that serve as fixed pro. Todd’s guidebook recommends taking gear for this route, but I used none nor found much placement if I wanted to use it. When you get through the second bolt, there is a 5.10ish move that involves getting your right foot up high and hoping it holds on the gritty loose sand as you reach for some small nubbins. After that the route is a breeze in comparison.
Jimmy Durante, 5.9 R, 3- Pitches, Island in the Sky, South End, Snow Canyon State Park, St. George, Utah, January, 2006