This route heads left from Dinner Ledge. It's a bolt line that starts on a little pedestal with one bat hook move and a few funky hooks up higher. That's the 4th pitch (which we made a long one). The next pitch is funky. You head up and get on the S. Face route for about 14' then you swing left to a seam, then up and left again. I know that this has been done C2-3 (maybe free?), but back when we did it we used pins. One fixed head on this pitch. Above you follow cracks and corners up parallel to the S. Face route to the rim. Pitch 7 has another swing on it I killed my self with rope drag, so use long runners. pitch 8 has one hard section, then it's not so bad to the rim for 2 more pitches. It took me 2 tries to get up this route, great climbing.
If you're a fast team and want to pass other teams off Dinner Ledge, the first 2 pitches of Southern Man will get you to the top of the 6th pitch on the S. Face route.
Location
Head up the first 3 pitches of S. Face, then go left. Can't miss the start. Getting down: Walk the death slabs.
Protection
Aid rack. We used thin pins but with all the new toys you can do it clean. I recall trad belays with 2 bolted, but could be wrong about that. Some fixed heads.
Once on Southern Man proper, the belays are indeed all natural with the exception of 4 and 7. Pitch 8 has one bolt to supplement the gear. Pitch 4 and 5 can be linked with a 60 meter rope if belaying from from the pedestal above Dinner Ledge. From a little above pitch 9, there is a rappel from a tree that can be used to get onto the South Face route if retreat is necessary or you just don't want to go to the top. There are a few crucial fixed heads. A hammer, some heads and a few thin pins are recommended.
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