Silverback

A varied line with a distinct face crux, Silverback follows a set of cracks interrupted by a 15' golden shield peppered with diagonal slits. It has the great honor of being the (almost) 100th route at the Jungle, the tallest at the Upper Jungle, and an mild obsession of mine since I first visited the place and spotted the shield.

Extract yourself from a prickly bush and follow a thin dihedral crack to a bolt. Leave the relative safety of the corner to mantle a shelf and find yourself face to face with the intimidating shield. Clip a second bolt and cast off through a series of powerful sidepulls and highsteps culminating in a committing throw. Take a quick breath, sink a couple of pieces and commit to a few more thin moves to gain a laser-cut crack and the first decent feet in a while.

The theme of the adventure changes to hand jams, fist jams and the occasional lieback or face move up the rapidly expanding crack.

The protection in the last 30' is adequate but not straightforward as the crack is formed on the right side by a pile of blocks that would make any sea stack off the coast of England pale in shame. Some cams need to go in deep to reach good pods. We cleaned the crack as well as we could but sanitizing it would require sending the whole pillar down. Tread lightly, keep your eyes peeled for feet on the solid left face and treat the holds on the pillar to your right as possible traitors.

Silverback climbs the left side of the Gorillas in the Crack Pillar, starting about 10' to the left in a prickly brush creeping up a small dihedral.

The route bisects a distinctive golden shield split by diagonal fractures.

Two bolts.

Medium nuts, single set of cams from micros (green C3) to #2. Double or even triple #3 and one or two #4.

Chain anchor at the top.

Long runners are useful for the few cams you'll bury deep in the upper section of the crack.