Prime the Pump

Prime the Pump is the leftmost climb on the very overhanging western headwall of The Slab that begins just right of the big, black corner

Trad Kreem

and runs up to

Hippopotamus

. Recognize the start by a high bolt over an arete feature just off the ground along the approach trail. The arete is also the finish for the boulder problem

Junior Niblitz

.

You can do the route in two pitches or one. If in two pitches, the first pitch is 5.11+, the second pitch is 5.12c. If you do it in one pitch, a 60m rope is MANDATORY. I had some drag issues doing it in one pitch, so you might want to:

•Unclip the first two draws off the ground once you're into the third bolt.

•Use long slings at the start of the swell overhang on pitch one, and at the start of pitch two.

•Downclimb and unclip the midway anchor once you're into the two bolts above it (5-easy to get back down to the anchor).

•Use long slings/extendo draws on the rightward traversing part of the top pitch, which rails right along a flake.

•Or probably BEST: Warm up on pitch one to the midway anchor, then strip your draws on the way down. Now toprope this pitch and lead on past the anchor into the second pitch. Clip bolts one and two up there, come back and unclip the anchor slings, and off you go drag-free to the top.

The first pitch is cool, powerful 5.11+, the second pitch is pretty much the same all the way up until the last two bolts, where you gotta crimp down in the black streak. Good holds but bad feet (powerful) take you to anchors at the lip.

This route still needs some traffic, so don't be surprised by a little lichen and some crumbly-type feet. It got hot before we had a chance to do a final cleaning. It probably will clean up well to be a three-star route. It has great, exposed position on the pitch-two traverse, looking down and left back toward Boulder. Good eye to G$ for spotting the line and heroically down-aiding the top pitch so we could TR it.

Many thanks to OSMP, the Flatirons Climbing Council, and the Access Fund for keeping new-routing alive and thriving in the Flatirons!

This is 20 feet right of

Trad Kreem

, on the west face of The Slab; 20 feet left of

Pen 15

.

6 bolts on pitch one to a midway anchor at 15m; 7 bolts on pitch two to the top anchor at 30m.

13 bolts total plus anchor slings for both stations if done in one pitch.