Wages of Skin. Looks can be deceiving, no real off...
Description
Once you scramble up a 3rd class ramp, negotiate the menacing off-width above by, well, staying to the left and bypassing it altogether. After a few scrambly moves (5.9/5.10ish), step ACROSS the off-width to your right, then face climb excellent rock past a couple bolts, then turn the lip onto some edgy slab. Gain the crack--which is now on your left--then charge up a slammer handcrack till the crack abruptly angles right into a traversing finger crack (the crux) with nothing but glacial polish for feet. Fire the finger crack then finish the pitch with 15 feet of stellar hand-jamming.
Location
Far right side of the Gong Show crag. This splitter "splits" the obvious polished face.
Protection
Standard rack with some extra finger-sized pieces (handy for the crux). Also, there are a few bolts, so have some draws handy.
By andy patterson Administrator From: Santa Barbara, CA Jan 29, 2008
I found this route to be quite challenging and varied: off-width, hand-crack, finger-crack, off-hands, slab, slightly overhanging face-climbing... You name it, it had it. It's the most aesthetic line at the Gong Show crag, in my opinion. Do it--you won't regret it.
Abandoning that horizontal crack and lurching (some may call it a dyno) for the slot above is reachy and tough! It's been years, somehow I suspect it's not any easier.
With two #5 camalots you can lead this very safely without clipping the bolts. The offwidth is a lot of fun - perfect hand/fist stacks - and goes at 5.10. Then you can voice your outrage towards the person who bolted this crack.
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