Dihedral Variation 

FA:  JIm Erickson and Chris Reveley, 1979. Type:  Trad Consensus:  5.9+ [details] Length:  1 pitch, 90 feet Views: 153 page views Submitted By: Tony Bubb on Jun 2, 2005 Add Photo  Add Comment

You and this route  |  Other Opinions (1) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

BETA PHOTO: Approach to routes on the upper tier of the Bihedr...

Description 

This is an independent line and in fact NOT a variation of the Bihedral for the first pitch as the name might imply.

This is the next, shallow dihedral right of the Bihedral dihedral, in that same corner, perhaps 4 meters away. Climb up a thin crack and open book past some blank areas, palm-stems and footholds on the right, get some thin gear near a small shrub and work up past the crux to good holds and good gear. Turn the corner and climb the arete or face on the right placing occasional decent gear or clipping the bolts that are on the Bihedral Arete. This climb can go left to end on Bihedral Arete's P1 anchor (rap with 60M rope) or continue as for Thumb Tack or otherwise to the top of the rock.

Protection 

Fun route, if you are up to the challenge. Leading this will require some difficulty, small nuts or maybe sliders. The crack is thin and hard to see into, and sewn shut most of the time. Ballnuts maybe and some small BDs or large RPs protect the crux. As you go higher the pro would be a standard rack, or clip the bolts on the Bihedral Arete, which has been bolted on top of part of the upper half of this pitch, or place gear as for "face" or the bottom of Thumb Tack.

I TR'd the route in fading light after rapping from the P1 top anchor of Bihedral Arete and was facing a huge swing and brutal pounding into the corner if I had popped off -- no better than leading it and falling. With forethought, one could clip some Bihedral Arete bolts for a directional and do the TR safely, but at least a 60M rope would be required, with little or nothing to spare.