Fantastic route. Awkward start to a right facing corner with nice jamming and stiff stemming. After the crack, transition left to cool face climbing protected by small gear in incipient cracks. There was a bolt out left (optional) but it seemed too far out of the way and would ruin an all trad climb. Place thin fingertip pieces in your last tiny crack and then run out the face on easier terrain to the top. If you have a lot of rope drag, expect a battle.
Gear anchor at the top. Not obvious.
There are rappel anchors on the west side but I'm not sure how long the rappel is. We opted to downclimb the south side. Involves exposed easy fifth class climbing. Near the bottom, we downclimbed toward the west side. The descent is definitely rated x.
Location
There is a gully between Mean Mistreater and Faded Rock. Climb the slab at the base of the gully to reach the route. I started at a broken right facing corner.
Protection
Bring a full rack. If you can lead this route, one fist size is all you need. Rack down to micros for the upper section. Use long slings on all your pieces, otherwise, the rope drag might take you down on the runout finish.
I don't think an "R" is warranted on this route. The runout part is 2 number grades easier than the crux. It does add a touch of spice to a great route though.
You can rap down the route from the anchors at the top of Wrecking Ball with a 60 M rope. They are to your right as you get to the top of the route. Regardless of if you call this 'R' or not, a fall on top could be bad. The hardest thing for me was route finding because the easiest way up wasn't obvious. In the end, I found a fairly easy way up towards the right side of the face.
Did this climb two days ago and it was fun if not a little bit spooky. I have been clipping bolts that are so close that now a standard old school runout makes me pay attention. The start of this climb is up in the gully between Faded Rock and Mean Mistreater. It starts just left of another gully/chimney. A bolt line is just to the right but Seventh follows right facing corners and cracks to a 5.7+R headwall. At one point up high you can clip a bolt out left or place an equally bomber stopper about 3 feet right of the bolt. Wonder why they placed the bolt?
That bolt is there because those two guys were wimps. Well, at least that one guy was wimp.
The real story is: Steve told me to runner out one of the low nuts but I didn't want any extra space between the nut, the ground and me. By the time I hit that headwall, I could barely move from rope drag. It was all I could do to make the moves out left to where there was a drilling stance and some other gear to make a belay. It sucked to break the pitch up, it really sucked to have to drill and the sun had set by the time I brought Steve up.
I seem to recall Steve was ready to call it a day when I talked him into letting me jump on this. It was a late afternoon and I think we'd just done Q of Balance (great climb.) I thought it would be a quick little route. Instead, I pissed my pants thinking I was going to have to lead the headwall by pulling up all the slack and then running for it. I finally decided the shame of the bolt was worth my life.
Cams, sticky rubber and balls! We all could have been somebody instead of bums like what we are! The fact that you had none of the three or chalk makes the fact you are alive to type about it more amazing. Great climb.
Which reminds me, pull the bolt sometime. It's off route and there's no longer any mystery about what's up ahead. At first glance, it looks like some possible run out 5.9 ground. Fortunately, the holds are positive up on the headwall.
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