Kris ticked The Pirate. Bruce Bourassa clicked the...
Description
Just right of the Double Exposure arete is this striking thin crack testpiece up a smooth, 85 degree slab. The first pitch is often popular to practice clean aid (C2) and is sometimes attempted on toprope by climbing The Buccaneer (5.10c) to access the anchors; this route is seldom lead free.
P1) A combination of tip jams and face moves down low gain the security of a knob, conveniently located next to the crack, above which the difficulty eases (5.11) and the crack opens up to accept better locks. Near the top of the first pitch traverse slightly right to a bolted belay; thin fingers or a lack of feeling in your fingers is a plus on this pitch. P2) Back left into the crack and up the moderate (5.9) crack to the top. Belay atop Double Exposure and then descend the backside.
Originally done as an aid climb it was later free climbed in 1978 by a 16 year old Tony Yaniro (wearing EB's), who went on to climb the Grand Illusion near Lake Tahoe the following year; the climb saw no repeats until the sticky rubber Fire's hit the U.S. market around 1982. Even in this era of big numbers this is a challenging route that sees few ascents free and on the lead. Equinox (5.12c) at nearby Joshua Tree while rated only slightly easier is a much easier tick.
Protection
pro to 2" (include many thin nuts), bolted anchors
An incredible route with amazing climbing. Hard and insecure. This is one I'll be going back to work on. Continuous, hard movement for the first 40 feet of climbing with a nearly indistinguishable crux somewhere around the black knob.
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