Airy Interlude 

This is 10A.

A good combo, IU to the big ledge, AI to the top. You skip the first pitch of AI, which is average, basically getting the best pitches of both IU and AI. Given the traffic on both these routes, this might be hard to pull off.

Wasn't this rated 5.9 in the Harlin guide?! Now it is up to 5.10b?

You can just barely do the top half (the good part) of this route with a 70m rope if you sling the traverse well and run the rope a bit over the final roof traverse.

.10a .10b? I just can't tell about grades any more. Anyway, the corner start before the traverse is terrific climbing as well, this would have to be the best pitch I did out of 20 at the Needles.

When I first climbed this, I remember waiting for a distinct .10b crux on the hand traverse. I never really found it. It's definitely easy .10, but solid at that.

Does .10a on granite get any cooler than this? Wow.

We skipped the first pitch by scrambling from the left due to threatening weather. The primary pitch is just amazing!! Awesome gear, awesome climbing, and awesome position. The traverse took a green camalot, red camalot, and red alien in that order. I did a hanging belay right where the traverse hits Igor for the photo op of my wife climbing across, though I could easily have continued up.

Get on this climb!

the upper half of this route rivals any 5.10 pitch i have ever done, anywhere. absolutely terrific, heroic climbing. wow.

For P2 (the traverse pitch) I was surprised at how much small gear was needed. I highly recommend bringing a bunch of small cams if you want to sew this pitch up. Even the corner at the beginning of this pitch took great small stuff. The traverse is wonderful .75 territory, but the moves are easy enough that I wasn't worried about pro. Afterward though, you'll want nuts and small cams. Did I mention that this climb is amazing?

The second and third pitches are some of the best I've EVER climbed. The traverse has some nice rests. Such stellar climbing!

There is nothing wrong with the traditional start of Airy Interlude. The climbing on this pitch is varied and slightly caliente, but rumors of its chossiness are much exaggerated. Admittedly, a bit of choss is encountered but it's not that bad and pro appears solid, if sometimes intermittent throughout the climb. A possibly rope-stretching 200 feet that keeps going and going.

Save some anchor pieces!

This is a great route- you know...if you're into that kind of thing. :)

If the grade is low for you- try a single set of cams- soo much fun to run it out on such locker terrain.

Sad that, 1, MP wouldn't allow me to give it 5 stars, and, 2, that it replaced the 3rd (finger crack) pitch of Reunion on Granite Mountain as my favorite pitch of 10a ever.

Best way to do this is 1st pitch of Igor, 2nd Airy, then finish on the shared 3rd pitch.