This 5.7 route has 1 "hard" move with the rest of the route going at 5.5/5.6. This would be a great 1st lead for a 5.7 climber. The lower portion takes small nuts & cams while resting on good stances. There are two holes in the rock that can be threaded with a long draw before stepping up to clip a bolt. At the bolt, go straight up or move right slightly for an easier time. Once you're above the bolt fiddle in some small gear or run it out on easy ground to the anchors. The rock is clean & solid on the 1st pitch.
From the Swallow belay, you can go up Eat Mo' Possum (5.6R), top rope THC (5.10a)or top rope 1st Offense (5.10a). If you go all the way to the summit and rap back, be extremely careful about knocking rocks off on your fellow climbers. The fall line is directly over the very popular Shadow. I dropped my water bottle while rapping & found it at the base of Shadow.
If you want to get in some more top roping, from the Swallow belay, you can easily swing right & hit the anchors shared by Fat Man (5.8) and 3 to Get Ready. Move a bit further right & you can top rope Thin Man (5.9R). Don't try & rap to the base of Thin Man. You won't make it! Thin Man must be top roped from the top.
I saw two unknown climbers onsight flashing everything up at the Cuesta Crags yesterday... who were those guys? One had poison oak head to toe and was suffering from wasp stings and the other guy was old and half naked. An amazing sight to behold.
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