Gates of Delirium is just another magnificent Valley multi-pitch climb, this one in the stunning Ribbon Falls amphitheatre. A notch below Astroman and reminiscent of Freestone which is to say an order of magnitude better than any climb at any other area. An outstanding 10 pitch varied, moderate crack climb on the prominent right facing corner just right of Ribbon Falls. Despite the gratuitous bolting next to bomber placements even self-righteous old goats found the climbing and position well deserving of Valley three star status. Deluxe belay/rap stations, almost all on nice comfortable ledges. Other than a short crux on P1 and one move on P2 the climbing gets more difficult as you go higher so you can always rap when you've had enough. Because it's a new climb with no topo here's our beta:
P1 - short two bolt 5.12 crux which was wet so we skipped it. The only 10' of wet rock all day. Well worth missing the crux just to catch the views of the falls up higher. ~100', 5.12 (or 5.11-/A0)
P2 - short 5.11a face traverse rt then up an easy short section to a belay ledge. ~50'
P3 - starts up perfect 5.10- wide hands and then inexplicably cuts left at a midway bolt around arete to perfect 5.10- hands thereby skipping the perfect 5.10- OW. Go figure. ~80'
P4 - don't remember much but it was good 5.10- fun.
P5 - ditto except it was 5.10- fun through a tree.
P6 - short 5.9 grassy ramp. ~70'. Might be able to link P7?
P7 - straight up 5.10+ wide cracks to blocky roof. ~100'.
P8 - nice climbing to short stout 5.11- OW section. Loose block at top of OW.
P9 - one of the longer (~150'), varied and better pitches on the route. From 5.10+ nice figures over a bulge (with gardening) to hands to dicy tree climbing. Climb until you bump into the roof, cut left around huge fin to anchors. Stellar view of the falls and amphitheatre from anchors.
P10 - best pitch on the climb despite the silly bolts although the bolts help with the heads up route finding. Good crack traverses right at bolt into another good crack and [we kind of forget here] maybe traverse right at next bolt into good crack. Then fun chimney to thin traverse left at bolt into final funky 5.11+/5.12- tips crux. Excellent pitch. ~120'.
P11 - junk. After wandered around runout for 100' and not finding the anchors I rapped off a thin dead tree. I believe you can go to the rim using natural anchors and there's probably a way down from there although I don't know it.
You can link most pitches on the raps with two ropes. Don't listen to your partner on the last rap -- one 60M rope more or less reaches.
Here's a quick topo Greg sketched on the drive home mostly to take his mind off the lack of cold Sierra Nevadas. However this was a good 45 mins after we were down, by which time neither of us had any recollection of the climb. Any resemblance to the actual climb is strictly coincidental. Suggestions/improvements are welcomed.