Pinch Overhang

Just so you don't get the wrong idea, I haven't climbed this route. I don't even want to climb this route. Maybe someday I'll rig a toprope, but I doubt it.

The most famous route at Rotary Park, yet climbed by relatively few. This problem is on the west face of the Mental Block. The horrific sloping topout is easily visible to the north of the main Rotary Park area. New improved trails lead to all the major rocks at Rotary Park.

The pinch hold is obvious when you're there. Grip it with your right hand, a slight lieback may help. I just grip the pinch hold and jump to the lip and slap the sloper. Harder folks will want to get their feet on the rock before doing the dyno to the lip - this is more difficult, and infinitely better style. Now that you're hanging from the sloper with your left hand, get your right hand up there - you need to control your swing, but you knew that.

This is the point at which I drop back to the ground and sulk back to the Eliminator Boulder.

To finish the problem, mantle. Or die. You can move your hands up to the next hold, do a super high step, and rock up. Or, just press the mantle out with no feet. It looks easier if you go right a bit, but purists will probably accuse you of cheating. After 'completing' this problem, you'll either walk proudly back to your car, or be carried to a waiting ambulance on a stretcher.

It's easy to bail from the lip, as there is a small flat spot between ankle/leg/cranium breaking boulders directly below. It isn't too hard to gradually work up to the dyno to the lip - to get a feel for things and figure out your tragectory and how to land in the above mentioned flat spot should you not make it. However, to complete the problem requires maximum commitment for the highly technical mantle. Failure will result in a train wreck of a fall. Good luck.

Crash pads, king-sized mattresses, large and strong spotters who like you