Left Crack 

FA:  Unknown Type:  Trad Consensus:  5.8 [details] Length:  3 pitches, 450 feet, Grade II Views: 422 page views Submitted By: john durr on Jul 14, 2008 Add Photo  Add Comment

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Jesse Groves negotiates a wide section near the to...

Description 

An excellent sustained moderate crack climb. It looks wide and ugly from below, but is actually 2 pitches of excellent hand and finger crack climbing. Follow Arch Bitch-Up 5.8 to top.

Pitch 1: Left Crack starts at Tobin's Dihedral. Stem/lieback the first move of Tobin's to reach a horizontal thin crack. Traverse the crack right 30' (crux) and follow the crack as it curves upward to form a wide looking (hand size) vertical crack to a bolt/rappel anchor, 5.8 - 120 feet.

Pitch 2: As you follow the moderate hand crack up it diagonals left after a prominent ledge. Option A (recommended) is to follow this crack past the ledge to join the top of Tobin's and continue the nice dihedral to the top of a pillar (gear anchor 1-3" cams) 5.7 - 100 feet. Option B at the ledge traverse about 15 feet right, ascend a short bulge to reach an easy bushy crack left of Arch Bitch-Up to a tree belay 5.8 and spooky - 90 feet. Option C at the ledge follow the crack left about 10 feet up to a wide spot and face traverse up and right to reach the easy bushy crack and belay at the tree 5.8 and spooky - 90 feet. If you did option A, move the belay down and right 20 for the next pitch, easy 5th class.

Pitch 3: Follow the last pitch of Arch Bitch-Up past a slung knob to a bolt, head up and left big knobs to a weird ear / lieback. Bizarre and fun maneuvers past the ear (gear 0.5 - 3" cams) lead to a bolt belay / rappel station, continue past one more bolt and an easy runnout to another bolted belay, 5.8 - 180 feet. Walk off or easy 5th class left then up to the top of the rock.

Location 

The route starts on the main east face at the start of Tobin's Dihedral. Walk off either north or south side of the dome.

Protection 

A standard rack to 3". Small cams for the crux traverse help you to protect your second. Double 2-3" cams for the crack. A 4" cam would fit in some spots, but is not necessary. Belay anchor/rap station at the end of pitch 1 and 3, gear anchor at top of pitch 2.