Ten Conversations At Once 

I am one of the three and cannot beleave this route is rated 5.10a. And to reiterate Woodys comment about the flake...it thins considerably towards the top and will in time snap if pulled on incorrectly (Meaning too much outward force for anyone beinging to climb). The crux move looks deceptivly harder from ground level so do not be intimidated. It is not at all height dependent so long as oyu are of at least average height. JUST BECAUSE WE THREE FEEL IT IS EASIER THAN 5.10a, THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT IS HAS BEEN WRONGLY RATED!

Hmmm! I had one of those weird moments on this route Monday. Not long ago, I stated that this route was overrated at 10a and should be a nine. Locker and I flashed it. Well, Monday I did it again thinking that it would be a quick climb while waiting for the line to shorten on another. I struggled all the way; and flat out couldn't do the final move off the upper ledge. I instead went straight up from the bolt into the bucket then traversed over to the anchors. Odd how much difficulty can vary on varying days. Again a caution: the lower flake is downright scary: it's rotten and quite thin in spots. I'd use tri-cams placed well back under the flake where it's thicker. Cams might pull right through due to the decomposed quality of the rock. I hesitate to say this(Please forgive me.); a bolt somewhere near the beginning of the lieback and on the face to the left might be justified. So, as of this note, Randy is wrong again: Monday it was 10b.

Woody: Maybe, just like the rating, the suggestion of adding bolts is equally suspect. The pro hasn't kept you from leading it twice.

Of course, my playing back and forth with the rating was a joke on myself; however, I trusted none of the pro I put in under the flake. I had the feeling that a fall would strip all of it due to the rotten quality of the rock. One bolt would preclude that from happening. Be that as it may, I haven't placed a bolt in thirty years; it's only an observation.