Permanent Income Hypothesis 

It is important to note that Romain and I simply made the First KNOWN Ascent of this route. Two pieces of fixed gear indicate that an attempt was made to climb this arete in the 80s. Other than these two placements, the route felt pristine (there had been little or no cleaning of lichen and loose rock prior to our ascent in 2007).

It is possible to access the start of this route (and descend from the base of the route when finished) by using the rock-filled, 4th class gully beneath the route. This is NOT recommended. The descent is particularly treacherous. It is much better to use the first pitch of "Free to Choose" for both the approach and the descent.

I'll add that the uppermost of the 80s-style bolts had a rap sling on it; it is probable that those who attempted the line bailed from there. Any traditional protection anywhere on that route would be very sketchy at best.

Interesting route! The climbing and position were fun and the route should get better as future ascent parties clean away some of the lichen and loose rock. Recommend a helmet and protected stance for the belayer until things clean up.

I noted evidence of two previous (pre-Permanent Income Hypothesis) ascents/attempts on the arete when my wife and I climbed it today. These included a rusty old bolt and hanger (70s era) that I had mistaken for a piton when I saw it from the ground some years back and a newer bolt (90s? era and chopped) towards the top. Nobody’s ever claimed any credit for these as far as I know?

I have to commend Matthew and Romain for putting a tremendous amount of work into "Permanent Income Hypothesis" and the other projects I noticed going up around the Fortress. Thanks! We had a great day.

To see a photo of the aging bolt removed from PIH, please click here

What appeared from the surface to be a standard issue 3/8" wedge bolt was actually something very different.

Really spectacular exposure on this route and the arete transition near the top is just fantastic. After climbing again I think that the move at the 2nd bolt is perhaps 5.9, but the rest seemed no harder than 5.8.

Best current route at the Fortress? I think so. Thanks for all the work put into these climbs Matthew and Romain. The upper sections reminded me of some arete climbs in the Gunks. Stuck ropes are a possibility on the first rap into the gully (happened to me) and having some pro to lead back up through the choss is nice.

Did this route with my girlfriend back in April, and we had a ball. After the initial 5.9 slab move, the rest of the route is surpisingly cruiser and the exposure high on the arete is fantastic. I commend the FA crew for a superb bolting effort. I'll definitely be coming back to this one!

Not every day gives you the opportunity of a 16-bolt 5.9+ on super exposed sandstone, and especially not if you live in SoCal. This climb is worth whatever it takes you to get here!

Be prepared for some sore achilles tendons after the 60 meters of pointwork you'll be putting in here, and do yourself a favor by rappelling off "Free To Choose" when you're done, the descent on foot is kinda hairy.

Nikki and I climbed PIH on 9/30/07. Awesome route, super exposed, super fun climbing. Definitely one of the best 5.9s around (or anywhere). Thanks to Fienamn and Wacziarg for putting up such a superb route.

Some Beta:
1) Helmets are a good idea as there is still a significant amount of lose rock and lichen on the route.
2) I can echo the sentiment about a stuck rope on the first rappel as it almost happened to us as well.
3) I would recommend bringing gear to build a belay at the bottom of the route as a lead fall before the first bolt could result in tragic consequences (I used a #1 MaxCam[~.75"], #10 & #11 Nut).
4) For the conservative, bringing a 2" Cam for the traverse from Free To Choose isn't such a bad idea either.
5) Bring some longer slings for offline bolts (2nd bolt for example) as after 16 bolts the rope drag, although manageable, is quite considerable

Nice to see that there are some permanent routes going up in this area. I did many of these routes either on top rope or on lead with natural gear (not recommended as the rock was pretty loose and pro was sketchy at best) about 10 years ago when we were adding routes to the John P. Wall. I did a line that closely follows PIH with gear and was pretty spooked because I knew my placements were not that great. I was thinking of coming back and bolting the route after we finished Cleaning Lady (The 10c just to the right of Color Blind on the John P Wall) in 99. The flies were so bad and we ended up never coming back to do it. Thanks Matt and Romain for putting it up. I am sure it will be much more fun clipping bolts on it then my last go on it. Also top roped the area around Classically Liberal and Consumption Dysfunction in the late 90’s and thought they would be a lot of fun as bolted lead routes. I knew this area had some good climbs in it and I am glad to see that someone has finally began to put some routes there. During the 90’s some friends and I put up about 10 routes in the area and knew there were many more fine lines to be had.

If you think the Fortress Area is nice, check out the walls a few more miles up the creek. There are a ton of classics waiting to be had there. Did several exploration climbs there as well, and though the approach is not quite as nice, once a decent trail is established the possibilities for really fun first accents will keep you happy for quite a while.

Looking forward to getting back up to the area and checking out the established bolt lines.

Just did this route as a trio last weekend. With two 60m ropes, it is possible to rappel the entire route in one stretch. Pulling our ropes from the base also seemed to provide a better angle and a cleaner pull (perhaps providing less chance of a stuck rope).

"The permanent income hypothesis (PIH) is a theory of consumption that was developed by the American economist Milton Friedman. In its simplest form, PIH states that the choices made by consumers regarding their consumption patterns are determined not by current income but by their longer-term income expectations."

A free market fan eh?

Great route! Fun, very exposed, one of the few full pitch climbs in the area. Maybe too many bolts. The rock quality keeps you on your toes but it's all there.

I also did this route as a trio, and raped all the way down and found the rope pull much cleaner. I have had my rope stuck raping of this route before.

Climbed this route on sunday 8/16/09. Fantastic! Very pleasant view from the summit. Must have seen some traffic since previous posts, as it has cleaned up very nicely. Minimal loose rock and lichen on the arete. Some of the holds appear to be fragile, so pull softly. None broke under my 200 lb frame. Coming back to this spot again, one of the best/longest sport climbs in the area! Thanks M+R

I love this route! Gotta watch out for rocks falling when pulling your rope after the first rappel though.