Portions of Arch Rock are closed as of May 21, 2009: Lower Merced Canyon. Closure includes all routes above Arch Rock, from "GRE" east to but not including "Juliette's Flake", including "Cross Country," "Kindergarten Crack," "Quickie Quizzes," and Arch Rock Pinnacle. The routes from "Anticipation" east to "Grokin" remain open.
This is where it all began for the magical Valley grade of 5.11...Only makes sense why John Bachar made the first solo statement on this stellar line.
I usually do the route in 3 pitches (linking the 2nd and 3rd traditional pitches together).
P1. Behind the tree and up the crack! Blue Camalot size jamming over a cornery bulge is that crux. Belay on the obvious ledge below a big block (5.10-).
P2. Surmount the block and jam up a 5.7 corner and up toward the dark flared chimney (wet in early season). Place hand to fist size pieces in the crack in back using long slings and chimney upward passing some face holds. If you went right side in, then you'll have to do a tricky turn to the right and play off the double cracks as you squeeze up at the same time. The corner opens up above into a sort of alcove (where you could set a hanging belay out right)...At the top/left of the alcove and just right of the arete/prow is this flake type thing which you must jam a 5.10- move over using a not so secure hold. Once over that its easy body flare to a big pod. Belay under the sweet looking clamshell corner crack. (5.10)
P3. Its obvious what to do from here...Jam, stem and layaway the quickly narrowing crack which is good to the last drop. Increasingly thinning finger to tips locks in the slightly leaning corner make you strive for good body positioning to ease through the last move crux. (5.11-)
Rap off Gripper with 2 50M ropes.
Location
East facing corner system.
Protection
Nuts, green Alien to C4#4 Camalot sizes, runners, 60M rope.
The thin hands at the bottom of the last pitch felt rather hard to me until I did a combo of using the hand crack and some chimney action in the flaring corner.
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