Patience Face

The proposed route, Patience Face (5.12a), is on the North Face of Dinosaur Rock, and will share the first five bolts of climbing with the existing climb The Shaft before moving right onto a wide black streak that runs to the top of the wall. The staging area is 40 feet down and off the trail, a flat spot among the trees that is also used for The Shaft. The route is 35 meters (114 feet) in length and has been redpointed on top-rope and thoroughly inspected for best choice of protection. Patience Face offers no cracks or reliable traditional/natural gear placements, and it is recommended that bolts/hangers be used for protection. The new route will consist of a total of 15 stainless steel, half-inch bolts: five existing bolts on the lower half of The Shaft, then eight new protection bolts and two new anchor bolts.

Patience Face starts out with a 5.11/11+ sequence (shared with The Shaft) to cross a hanging flake into the groove, then climbs more 5.11/11+ climbing up the groove, over a small roof, and up a clean face to a no-hands rest in a large pod. The climb then moves out the right side of the pod onto a twisting black streak/extruded tufa feature that trends up and right, away from the top half of The Shaft, gradually deviating from 10 to 30 feet away from The Shaft. The climb has two 5.12- cruxes at mid-height before another resting pod, then steps right and trends right again along a ramp before summiting the wall via a crux bulge (5.11+12-). The climb will require a 70-meter rope, but given that the climbing remains sustained to the top — and that all other routes established on Dinosaur Rock, including the 35-meter Ultrasaurus, also go to the top of the wall — the applicants do not recommend ending the climb sooner simply for convenience’s sake.

The rock quality is excellent, and only brushing was needed to make the route safe and clean. The rock has a black water polish and is very solid and compact. The shared start of Patience Face and The Shaft is the only safe and logical start on this part of the wall, which otherwise has friable rock down low.

The route offers sustained, outstanding, shady 5.12- climbing on perfect stone without compromising any existing routes or adding impact to the crag base – it’s directly off the Mallory Cave Trail on a rock approved for new routes, and will share the staging area with The Shaft, an already existent line. The climbing is athletic and gymnastic in nature; having a good 5.12- here will add to the destination qualities of Dinosaur Mountain, with the existing 5.10s and 5.11s on Der Zerkle only a minute’s hike away.

FHRC Overview of the application: Complete

Voting Results: Approved

OSMP Decision: Pending