Bad Bananas

An exhilarating

Rock Canyon

classic up the most striking buttress at the mouth of the canyon. The climbing is exciting, the rock is sometimes suspect, and the exposure is intimidating. Historical relics abound (pins and bolts) making for a fun ride through the

wayback machine

.

P1

(50 feet, 5.11d, or 5.8 C0) An overhanging start on thought-provoking rock (but good holds), to an interesting clipping position for the third bolt. The business starts after clipping the third with smaller, less positive holds, and disappearing feet.

Once the fifth bolt is passed the terrain becomes much less steep and is significantly easier (5.easy) to the chains (which is good, because it's a

long

way to the chains).

P2

(100 feet, 5.5 PG13) With the bolts from two new bolted lines that cross this pitch, it’s not as frightening or as committing as it once was, but this pitch still gets your attention.

Traverse right about 25 feet from the P1 chains to an old, 1/4" bolt with a Dave Houser aluminum hanger. The bolt is not exactly confidence-inspiring, but there is a fair #2 C3 placement next to it. Continue right and up a bit, passing a newer bolt until you can see another old 1/4" bolt with a Leeper hanger (there is a newer bolt just a bit below it). Head up and left to the chains located at the left corner of the enormous roof (you’ll pass another set of chains from one of the newer routes—don’t stop there).

P3

(90 feet, 5.10a) The opening moves of this, the best pitch, are very committing and quite rewarding: Climb up a bit from the belay, clip the bolt over the roof, and make an airy, very exciting step-across. Continue up in the corner above, on positive holds with the occasional hand jam. Pass through a couple of steep sections, eventually traversing away from the corner a bit left and up to a bolted chain belay.

P4

(130 feet, 5.7) Traverse left from the belay, crossing over a bolted line and then head up a few feet left of the bolted line in a weakness. Climb upward on good rock just to the right of a dirty, broken crack, passing a double-ring anchor on your left. Head up the dirty chimney, carefully avoiding the many loose blocks. The crux is avoiding touching the large section of guano near the start of the chimney portion. The simplest solution for a belay at the top is to use the bolted belay for

Brain Full of Spiders

.

Starts up the last bolted line to the left of the

Bad Bananas

"cave", but before those bolted lines which are found up the ramp to the left.

A single rack with microcams and cams to 3 inches, nuts, and plenty of slings.

P1

5 bolts to chain anchors.

P2

1 ancient bolt (with a fair #2 BD C3 placement next to it), four modern bolts from other lines that this pitch crosses, chain anchors.

P3

1 bolt (that you’d want to clip), two or three old pitons, good-but-occasionally tricky gear, chain anchors.

P4

Good gear for the first two-thirds (and bolts within reach from another line if you so choose), mostly lousy gear for the last third of the pitch. Bolted anchors.