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Shiver Me Timbers

This route is located in the Middle Gorge Region at Tower Rock

 Anti-Gravity Acrobatics

31.
+3
3 votes

Arachnid 5.8 (Trad) *****

First Ascent: Tom Seibert, Larry Day in 1974
Length: 90ft
Gear: (report bad anchors)

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This route ascends the obvious left-facing dihedral directly right of the bolted face Blow Me Down. From Tower Backside, the route is 130 feet right. Climb the handcrack to the roof, move right under the roof and continue to a ledge and belay. If desired, continue up the second pitch to the main ledge.
Moves: Hands
Descent: Rap anchors
Stays Dry: Light rain
Owner: NFS
Steepness:
classic (2) hands (1) fun (1)
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Quality Consensus
 

4.76 stars (78 votes)
Grade Consensus
5.8 (50 votes)

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Submitted by: campby
Date: Apr 13th, 2015

Submitted by: kwagner059
Date: Dec 13th, 2012

Submitted by: caribe
Date: Sep 24th, 2010

Submitted by: caribe
Date: Sep 24th, 2010

Submitted by: rjackson
Date: Jun 1st, 2009

Submitted by:
Date: Dec 19th, 2005

Comments

32 comments {add your own comments}
1
Anonymous said on February 14th, 2003
I Mark de Saint-Rat climbed this in the company of Steve Must and Tom Hayes in 1986-7-8 using a #3 friend bought from Larry Sickman and a big sidways bong after the crux.
2
Wicked Tribe said on September 7th, 2003
congradulations
3
Yasmeen said on December 7th, 2003
Mark de Saint-Rat was my Calculus teacher at Miami Middletown! He's a cool guy... small world...
4
Curmudgeon said on August 23rd, 2004
Wes Evans and I damned near died after yellowjackets chased us of the intermediate ledge. Gung Ho slide down the rope from the rappel tree. No gloves, no device !!! We lived !!!
5
the lurkist said on November 19th, 2004
this was the route to do back in the day
6
Paul3eb said on April 5th, 2005
it still is pretty damn fun. definitely worth getting on
7
Snowpuppy said on June 1st, 2005
Fun!!!
8
Like This said on October 1st, 2005
its pretty rad, i would recomend it.
9
Sketch said on May 3rd, 2006
WTF, Mark was MY Calculus teacher too! Mark, you forgot to tell them about the old fixed T-bar and bolt used to protect the initial dihedral. Why doesn't anyone use T-bars anymore?
10
B.J. said on April 3rd, 2007
Fun as hell!!! For the beginning trad leader, this one is easier than it looks.
11
Ascentionist said on April 5th, 2007
I wouldn't recommend this as a beginning trad lead.
12
B.J. said on July 9th, 2007
Sorry, I wasn't necessarily recommending this as a beginner's route. What I basically meant to say was that I didn't find this route to be as intimidating as it looks. For the most part the protection is straight-forward and bomber and the climbing is secure. At first I found it intimidating and was nervous about the roof and the offwidth part above. After having climbed it, I found there wasn't really anything to be worried about...YMMV
13
jaseym01 said on March 17th, 2008
Awesome route, a must do.
14
Wes said on April 3rd, 2008
Would still be a 5 star pitch, even in IC, T-wall, Vedauwoo, Yosemite, etc. Killer opening crack with fun finish.
15
Myke Dronez said on July 8th, 2008
My favorite 8. Do it while the bottom half is soaked for that extra spicy flavor.
16
vooshniva said on April 17th, 2009
great route
17
Dman said on May 29th, 2009
Great route cant wait to do it when the bottoms dry.
18
kman154 said on September 14th, 2009
Really cool route. I was not expecting the offwidth after the roof to flair so much, but it wasn't bad. Would definately recommend this route.
19
jrathfon said on April 12th, 2010
awesome. the traverse protects well with a #5 and the OW will protect with a #6, everything else is 1's, 2's, and 3's. definitely not as scary on it compared to eyeing it up from the ground. excellent moves.
20
caribe said on September 24th, 2010
Photo: FA of Arachnid, Oct 1974. Larry Day in the red flannel shirt, jeans, and jungle boots following Tom Seibert on the first ascent of Arachnid. It wasn't the FFA, however, because Tom did a tension traverse under the roof. Larry Day returned soon after to bag the first FREE ascent with M. Hackworth 2nd.
21
emludwig said on October 12th, 2010
I climbed Arachnid, then continued up the chossy crack (5.8ish) and scrambled through thorns to a pine tree on a ledge. I belayed from there and then we continued up another crack/chimney (5.7ish) behind a boulder to the summit of Tower Rock. Has anyone ever heard of this being done before? Great climb, just curious if anyone has ever topped out via Arachnid before.
22
dustonian said on October 13th, 2010
No, you're the only one in 36 years.
23
pkananen said on October 13th, 2010
Anything Larry FA'd topped out.
24
JR said on October 14th, 2010
emludwig has made the first ascent of Tower rock in October 2010! High five! Down low! Too slow!
25
LK Day said on December 28th, 2010
Right you are, pkananen. We topped out 'cause. for us, it didn't count unless you did. Funny thing, Martin scratched the cornea on one eye while crawling through the greenbriar thorns that stood sentry at the top. Probably the same thorn bush that emludwig encountered.
26
Anonymous said on March 24th, 2015
This is the best 5.8 in the red. though provoking and makes your really "use your head." clayton
27
cottonej said on September 21st, 2015
Can someone PM me protection beta for the wide roof pull and the rest up top?
28
DrRockso said on September 22nd, 2015
As commented previously, a #5 in the roof and a #6 in the off width after the roof. The route is easily done without a #6.
29
Anonymous said on July 10th, 2017
If you're a noob like me you'll want the #6 for the offwidth section. Also not that a #3 c4 fits perfectly in the constriction at the top of the offwidth.
30
LK Day said on April 17th, 2020
I remember when everybody thought this line was impossible. Really, they did. I thought they were being a little too easily intimidated, even back then. :) I sure was proud to show them that it wasn't impossible at all.
31
Anonymous said on April 17th, 2020
cool story
32
KhaoticKlimber said on April 17th, 2020
LK Day, this was my second ever trad lead, and staring that roof down from the ground was one of the most intimidating experiences of my life. Thankfully, the move itself into the offwidth isn't too demanding once you sack up and commit. The rush of grinding up through it is insanely rewarding. Note to self: next time, avoid using a knee to step up and through, or at least don't sit on it until it goes numb from pain lol