BO DEREK (5.10b)
Givler's Dome, Icicle Creek Canyon, Leavenworth
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Sean Courage leads Bo Derek
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Kevon Shea on Bo Derek
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For those who don't know their "history," Bo Derek is
the actress who starred with Dudley Moore in the film
"10". In the film, Ms. Derek, a "perfect 10", became
Mr. Moore's fantasy and obsession. One might safely say
that this route has a similar effect on many climbers.
The route was so named because it was considered the
"perfect 10" (5.10, that is). It is a stunningly beautiful
crack, a thin flake really, sawed down an overhanging wall
of golden granite on the left side of Givler's Dome. It
is hard to imagine that such an obvious, attractive line
was not climbed until 1980. But given that many routes in
Icicle Creek Canyon were climbed by early pioneers and
forgotten, who knows.
The route begins with a couple of moves onto a ledge,
from where you can get a big cam in a crack on the right
to protect the crux face traverse to reach the crack
proper. Once in the crack, the climbing is joyous jamming
and liebacking up the steep, thin flake. The "perfect ten"?
No. The route is much too short to be considered perfect.
But among 5.10 cracks in Washington state, it is among the very best.
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First Ascent:
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Bob Plumb or Pat McNerthney, Doug Klewin, 1980.
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Rack:
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A light rack of chocks and cams to 3 inches, with several
cams in the ½ to 2 inch range, should suffice.
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Guidebook References:
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Rock Climbing Washington (Falcon Publishing 1999)
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