Warning: this route includes a 30 foot runout, with occasional 5.6 or 5.7 moves. This runout starts where the thin crack runs out, about 35 feet off the deck. A climber falling from the upper part of this section could easily end up decking out after 50-60 feet.
Okay, now that I've said that, I actually had fun on this route. It's likely to be open, even when adjacent routes are queued up. The thin crack is quite enjoyable 5.8+, and protects adequately. And the runout is sure to make you forget whatever else is on your mind.
Second warning: towards the top of the runout, pay careful attention to folks descending from the rappel station above Poodlesby.
Obligatory favorite story: so there I am, 60 feet off the deck, with my last piece 25 feet below me. A party of four is rapping past me, and I'm hanging out waiting for them to clear the way so I can proceed towards what I hope will be a solid placement. The last rappeller doesn't see me until the last minute, and is startled by my presence here on the rap route. She asks how I'm doing, to which I reply "I'm fine; just don't kick me." From below, my belayer yells up "Did you say 'take'?" I'm sure that folks as far away as the Hidden Valley Campground looked up and wondered who was yelling "NO" at the top of their lungs, with terror in their voice. Fortunately, my belayer did NOT pull me to the ground, and we finished the climb without incident.
Protection
Standard rack. The thin crack protects reasonably with small to medium gear, with a solid smallish stopper where the crack runs out at about 35 feet. From here, there's about a 30 foot runout to a shallow pink tricam placement, then ten more feet to anything really solid.
Hemingway Buttress
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