Climb drilled finger pockets up the center of the cave. It is short and powerful with poor footholds. Check out the extension

Predator X

(13b) for more chipped pocket action.

Predator

Apex Predator

Pizza Dick  aka Mother Nature

Hard Day Mining

Compassion Fatigue

Tommy's Hard Route

Cave Troll

Express Yourself

Ali Nomad

The Roid

Predator X

Freaks and Geeks

Try not to punt on

Predator

. Then make hard moves through the roof. If you have the energy, wiggle gear into some noticeable cracks. Power past the giant dagger block (it's solid) to some technical moves with kneebars. Walk off the top towards Primo Wall to get back down or build a gear anchor to make working the route more manageable. If you do top out, the easiest way to get your gear back is either to downclimb or reclimb

Predator

.

Some history behind the name: on the day of the send, Cody Snow and Aiden Hughes were trading attempts to send the route, and naturally the winner got to choose the name. Cody came up with "Apex Predator," but Aiden decided on the worst name imaginable "Predator Sus." This only made Cody more motivated to send the route. You can tell who won.

This is a fantastic line with some great moves.  The route is on the far right side of the cave and starts with the routes bouldery crux.  This is followed with some killer moves on slopers and a couple of crimps.  The feet are great and the moves are solid.  Be ready for a good redpoint crux near the end as the pump factor will get you.

Some history on the naming of the route: Fred Knapp was working this route while Pete Zoller was putting in his line next to it.  As Fred finished his route, he asked Pete Zoller what he thought it should be named.  Pete said, name it anything but...Pizza Dick!!  So, of course, that is the name that stuck.  Anyway, that is the story.  Three stars for a sweet climb that will challenge you but will leave you smiling when you get it.

Hard Day Mining starts on

Predator

, which is the center pocket line in the cave, and traverses left through a series of pockets to connect with

Express Yourself

. Big moves on good holds to difficult dead points comprise the climbing on this route.

This line is a link-up boulder problem to an existing route, in the same fashion as others in the cave (

Freaks and Geeks

,

Cave Troll

,

Ali Nomad

).

Boulder through the roof to a crux move gaining the first hold of "

Predator

/"

Hard Day Mining

". Climb through "

Hard Day Mining

", and clip the chains. The climbing is powerful on good holds with big moves to difficult deadpoints. It is certainly not the most aesthetic line, but it has fun, steep, gymnastic, power-endurance climbing.

Climb the hanging groove just left of

Pizza Dick  aka Mother Nature

to a sick throw for a good edge. It is much easier to the chains on

Pizza Dick  aka Mother Nature

. This is a stout, roped, boulder problem, probably impossible for anyone shorter than 5'8".

Start back in the cave on

Freaks and Geeks

.  Half way through when you get on the huge underclings bust straight towards

Predator

.  Some big lock offs to a final campus move makes for a burly crux at the end of the power endurance roof.  Then finish on

Predator

.

This is the leftmost chipped route in the cave. A hard boulder problem leads to straightforward pockets and a final crux. This is not be confused with "Hard Day Mining" which is another set of pockets that join it from the right.

Start on boulder problem "

Off the Books

" (V11) which is a compression boulder problem located to the right of

Freaks and Geeks

start. Climb this into "

Tommy's Hard Route

" aka "

Unknown at Nomad

" (5.13d).

To the left of

Express Yourself

is a bizarre crack/flare feature with goldshuts. Tape everything and thrash out this sick, overhanging nightmare. I have yet to redpoint this route and welcome any beta from people who have.

If

Predator

wasn't enough for you, then try this extension for more drilled pocket action. There are very fun and powerful moves on monos and two finger pockets. At the fourth bolt, head right into monos. At the lip, you will have to mantle to call it a send. Since there is no anchor, down jumping is the only way. Usually there is a bail biner at the last bolt to lower off.

Freaks and Geeks starts in the very back of the cave, and  boulders straight out into the start of Tommy's hard route. It's kind of a Supertweek-[style] route, but the line is very obvious and steep. By the time you get to the crux of the original route, you can tell you've done 10 extra roof moves to get there.

Description

Protection

Routes in Nomad's Cave