Dark Horse 8

This is a great new route on the Universal Wall. Like most multipitch climbs on Mt Charleston, it is scrappy and chossy at times (bring helmets), but it is a fun adventure and the two crux pitches are incredible (subjective star ratings assigned to each pitch below).*P1 (80’, 5.10a, 8x Bolts): Climb chert ladder to belay stance on block in recess. Link easily with the next pitch if you can manage rope drag and conserve draws.*P2 (100’, 5.10b, 7x Bolts): Continue up chert ladder to bolted anchors on long ledge. Move belay 20’ right to end of ledge.**P3 (100’, 5.11a, 8x Bolts): Climb loose corner to difficult final moves to good belay ledge. Link easily with the next pitch if you can manage rope drag and conserve draws.**P4 (60’, 5.11a, 6x Bolts): Climb right-facing flakes to good ledge.***P5 (100’, 5.12a, 14x Bolts): Climb right-facing corner to roof. Sustained climbing leads through bulge and slab crux to high roof and awkward corner. Belay at hanging stance.****P6 (60’, 5.12c, 8x Bolts): Work rightwards through slabby crux and then up to stance. A second difficult slab crux guards passage to a good belay ledge. *P7 (90’, 5.10a, ?x Bolts): Climb gray wall towards two large trees. Work up ledges and left to a belay. **P8 (120’, 5.10d, ?x Bolts): Climb a long, grey streak with chert and flowstone holds to stance belay at top of wall.Descent: Rap the route EXCEPT for P3. Instead, rap down the wall left of the P3 corner to the anchor directly above P2 (the one you reach before moving the belay across the ledge).

Begin from three stone benches at left side of the Universal Wall.

16x draws and a 70m rope.