Avg: 3.8 from 4
votes
The left most route of Senin-bong and one of the classics. Did the first 3 pitches of the route and was not disappointed. Had to bail after the 3rd after one of my partners dropped her phone while climbing the 3rd slab pitch. (the phone miraculously survived). I will updated the top pitches after I finish them.
Pitch 1 (25m, 5.10c): Plug in a small cam and go up using the very greasy and worn footholds and finger jams. The gear placements are definitely all there but falls and broken ankles happen all the time here so be extra mindful of your placements and make sure you and your belayer are attentive. After getting a .4 in and pulling through the finger/small hand jam, smile up a very satisfying hand crack for about 10-12 meters. This part eats up cams from 0.5-2. After, clip the bolt, or put in a few 0.1s here and gun up the thin lay back section. The top section has several places to put gear from the .5-1 range so hold on to one unless you want to run it out 30 feet. Near the top, you have a choice, to belay your seconds from the anchors on the right, or to traverse the slab left and belay from the anchors there. Even while stepping on the plaque there, this 3 m traverse part is extremely difficult. Most people sling a double sling at the bolt, grab the end, and swing over to the ledge safety to the anchors.
Pitch 2 (25m, 5.9)
Go up a very thin, greasy layback section, clipping bolts or placing gear as you go. The gear placements are there, but again, are very thin. As you go up, you will traverse a series of beautiful flakes that sound hollow when you hit them but for the most part are solid. Extend your placements with alpine draws as the gear is solid but have a tendency to walk. Skip the first anchor and keep going. The end move is a bit funky but not overtly difficult.
Pitch 3. (15m, 5.7).
Go up an awkward section, grabbing a giant flake on the right. Protect yourself with a very solid .75 placement and traverse the most sandbagged 5.7 slab I have done in my life. Bolts are far apart. Anchors are in an obvious place.
Start left of the big flake, or on it. Dealer's choice.
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Bangkok, Thighland
Menifee, CA
Rack: draws, singles .3-4 (recommend doubles), two 60s for rapping (there's probably a better rope beta for rapping, but we were playing it safe with so little information to run off of, two 60s worked fine, 4 raps to the ground).
p1: Classic, protects well except for the first few moves, but they're over quickly. Bring doubles unless you're fine running it out or back cleaning.
p2: Felt solid, not too slick, plenty of edges and textured spots to smear your feet. Protects well.
p3: Runout sandbagged slab. Aided this pitch, not down to get hurt so here's how we did it semi-safely. Climb the left facing corner to the crack and place a bomber .75. Climb up and clip the two bolts above the crack. Have your partner lower you off the upper bolt so you can swing over left to easier slab. Climb up the slab and clip the bolt. Climb up more slab to the anchor. Your follower can either do an exciting swing over left on the swing section, or you can leave some cord or a carabiner on the upper bolt and do a lower out.
p4: Climb the slab past 2 bolts. At the second bolt traverse right and get into a right-facing slanting wide crack. A #5 would probably fit but I'm not 100% sure and we didn't have anything bigger than a 4. Layback up the wide crack and through some easy climbing finishing up the pitch in an awkward flared chimney with good spots for pro in the back, ending at a huge obvious ledge.
Didn't do p5&p6, we opted to finish on p5 of Bat, ending at the same anchor.
Beta to skip the slab between p1&p2: Belay at the right anchor, have your follower swing over to the left anchor and set a belay, you can lower out from the right anchor (huge rap ring) to the left and climb up to your follower. Sep 27, 2022