rpc - Jan 9, 2003 9:26 am - Voted 10/10
Excellent photo!This is a great photo showing the first 2+ pitches (I think from reading about it???) of the Durrance route. What makes it especially nice is that it has a climber in it clearly showing the scale. Great job!
radek
Alan Ellis - Jan 9, 2003 10:07 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Excellent photo!I like the 5.6d rating. :) You know the old saying of the Durrance Crack, "Rated 5.7, feels like 5.8, but should be 5.9." Or the other one, "It's rated 5.7, but there are a lot of moves that are 5.9." Anyway....looks like a fun lead. Can't wait to do it on July 17/18.
rpc - Jan 9, 2003 10:30 am - Voted 10/10
Re: Excellent photo!mtntrail2,
NICE. Heard about the relative under-rating of the Durrance Crack at 5.6........but do you think it's really under-rated by .2 or even .3??? If that's the case, will need to wait a while with this one.
radek
Alan Ellis - Jan 9, 2003 12:31 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Excellent photo!The Devils Tower Climbing Handbook by Richard Guilmette rates the Durrance Route as 5.7, Grade II. I haven't done it, but one of my climbing buddies did it and said it was a HARD 5.7. He thought it was underrated (as many have). Check with Frank Sanders (aka bigwally). He's a hell of a nice guy and will talk climbing with you forever.
rpc - Jan 9, 2003 5:39 pm - Voted 10/10
Re: Excellent photo!Many thanks for the info. gentlemen. I will take it off my list for '03.
Having seen the Dark Shadows route at RR first hand, my hat goes off to you Josh for free-soloing it (to the top no less!!!!). Much respect.
radek
greg_shergold - Feb 17, 2005 12:58 am - Voted 10/10
Re: Excellent photo!Well considering it's me in the picture :D I'll add a comment or so..
This was my first "real live rock climbing". I had a couple other days on the tower before I did this. Other than that it was just what little bit I had done in the gym for about 6 months before.
It was a fun climb. Partly because it was my first climbing trip, and partly because I did it . It was a cold day (just above freezing, but was *MUCH* warmer than from where I came from (-40).
That second pitch, is long and sustained more than anything.
My limited opinion, I'd say it's definitly more than 5.6 climb. But thats just my humble opinion ;)
rpc - Feb 17, 2005 2:34 pm - Voted 10/10
Re: Excellent photo!Greg,
having done Durrance last summer, I agree with you on that 2nd pitch. One of the guidebooks I have on the tower gives it a 5.7 rating.
Great route though, right?
cheers
Radek
greg_shergold - Feb 23, 2005 12:52 am - Voted 10/10
Re: Excellent photo!Greetings Radek,
Oh yeah! It's a great route. I mean, how can one not love their first summit route
Yeah, I've seen different guide books rate from 5.6 through to 5.9. The latter I would think to be a bit high, but again, just my humble opinion.
I was reading somewhere, and unfortunally I can't cite the reference, but there was a debate on that route, 5.6 or 5.8. This particular author was saying 5.8, just because it is a very long and sustained 5.7, and because it was so long, should be rated 5.8.
I dunno, I suppose its a debate that could go on forever.
Regardless, it's a fantastic route, regardless of the rating. I especially enjoyed the "Bailey Direct" variation. I guess it's a little less traveled, I just found my shoes stuck to the rock like velcro. Could just be the rock, or could be my technicque evolved over the previous pitches.
Cheers,
Greg
--- BTW I reciently posted a few pictures, you may want to check them out.
Comments
Post a Comment