New Beginnings

The grade was not initially given, as getting someone to repeat it was part of a bit of a game. Refer to page 30 of the thread

Brotherhood Of the Traveling Stopper

. There is a 'Travelling Stopper' presently in this climb that I was hoping will make its way into some other adventure.

But I found nobody would take the bait, so here you go, I think it is 10c-to-11a-ish. Call it 10+ as I am not sure. You either will get the sequence or it will be hard, but at least the crux protects well.

The top is sequential and a bit hard to flash on small gear on rock that has seen very little travel, but not dangerous. As for the rest, it can be protected, it is not terribly hard (nor terribly easy) and is certainly not pedestrian or a route to cut trad teeth on. The bottom is runout and/or requires creative gear placements.

I'd like to see someone repeat this, get that gear I left for them (intentionally), go use it, and post up.

The name refers to a few things, but as much as anything as "looking forward" to some rather nasty surgeries to recover an injured shoulder (torn cuff/labrum) and then trying to 'start over' again at 45 on getting into shape, again. I have been through too much of this crap. The route was done fairly left-handed, as the right was damaged goods.

Starting in the huecoed SW face of the upper summit tower of Der Zerkle, climb cautiously up a face on dishes and sidepulls to reach a short, diagonal crack/flare that hooks up and left to intersect the arete and a crack just right of '

Happy Ending

' through the bulge below the summit. Below the bulge, place a bomber #4 stopper, then get to the bulge. Sneak right on sequential moves (crux 1) and then up and right through the crack/seam to the top of the right crack (crux 2) which is also sequential. This is 5' right of '

Happy Ending

' and just out of reach of that route.

Get onto the ledge above the bulge, nest in some Aliens in the back of the horizontal, then tackle the overhanging and pointed bulge at the top of the formation to the chains as for '

Happy Ending

.'

This climb was established with long runouts in 5.8 terrain above the starting ledge. I believe that two #4 C4 Camalots and an old style #4 could have been placed to greatly decrease the odds of a tragic fall, and so the route with that gear would probably be PG-13, not R.

A few Aliens and small stoppers can also be placed along the way. A fixed nut was intentionally left at the crux of the route, wich could easily be cleaned. It is intended to be passed to the second ascent party. Reference the forum thread '

Brotherhood of the Traveling Stopper

' on page 20.