A friend and I went to Jungle Cliff at Broughton Bluff to climb the highly star-rated Gorilla Love Affair route. Upon arrival we took a brief glance at the book then quickly sorted through the gear we would need for the route. My partner racked up (some quickdraws and an assortment of camming devices), tied in to the rope, looked up at the route, and prepared to climb. The route indicated a steep vertical dicey stemming problem, and required some cams in the 2" range.
So up to the flared slightly overhung stemming slot my partner climbed. He's feeling quite strong today, but at the crux move he hesitates by the tricky crux moves. Wow, this looks like a stout crux. After hesitating he finally he powers his way through the crux moves fighting desperately to stay on it, with his legs quaking like a leaf. After the crux the route eases to mere 5.9...a cruise for him. On those final moves (above the crux) he is able to recompose his overcharged senses, and shortly later reaches the belay anchor, clips the rope through the belay rap rings, then is lowered back down to the ground.
Upon arrival at the ground he comments to me, "Dude, that's the stoutest 5.10 that I've done in quite a while!
Both of us glanced at the guidebook again, thumbing over to the Jungle Cliff page. At that moment we both realize that he did not climb Gorilla Love Affair (our intended route), but had, in error, chosen to ascend the "Crime Wave" route to its immediate left, a dicey mixed gear lead.**
**Note: Prior to all the recent fixed bolts that were added to Crime Wave this route was climbed using some natural pro gear (using cams). A bold lead indeed!
