Ascents of St. Vitus' Dance

Excellent.

Felt Stiff for the grade, but not excessively so. P3 is definitely the crux/money pitch with exciting moves and a bit of a desperate thrutching that gets the heart rate up. P4 and P5 have a few moves to get you thinking.

Took a double rack up to #3, and 1x#4. Plenty of placements, although the beta about saving a #3 for the third belay is good. Didn't feel like I needed a #5 at all.

Rapped to descend with a 60m rope.

P1. (5.7) Scramble and pull a few trees - and the occasional crack - till you reach lower baseline ledge, belay off a tree.

P2. St Vitus Direct (10a) layback, gets some seepage even after a few days of dry weather. Requires some smaller cams or nuts.

P3. (5.9) Will feel like the crux if you aren't used to wider jamming. A long crack leads to a good ledge for belay. Saving a #3 for the anchor is essential. 3 x #3 was useful. Two to create the anchor at the top of pitch three and one during the next lead. Some pictures suggest there's a bolt at pitch 3 anchor, there isn't, all anchors are gear.

P4. (5.9) Climb an obvious traverse, across the crack systems. Awkward bulge into a nice ramp and gear belay.

P5. (5.9) This is considered the crux pitch. It's exposed but easily passed in a few short moves into slabbier ground.

With a 70m you can link Pitch 5 & 6 with a with just enough rope to reach the tree-line. Anything less, sling the tree above P5. and split the pitches.

Very fun. Sustained at the grade. Bring large cams

Nice climb!

I'm converted to the crack! We accidentally took a 10b shortcut and ended up finishing up a different crack that led to some bolted slab. Great leading by a hungover Greg, some ok leads by a slightly less hungover Kelly, and no-one spewed!

I led the third pitch, Chris and Jenna led the first two.

amazing cracks!

Did in 3 pitches with some simuling, SUPER FUN!!

great crack; unintentionally did 10a slab variant at top...(with Paul)