Adrien doing a strange upside down backstep with h...
Description
This route is located on the face to the left of the first pitch of The Side Wall about halfway up the West Ridge. Climb up about 12 ft. in the corner of The Side Wall and then pull up and left following a series of underclings (crux). Follow a dihedral to the anchors. A fun toprope or a scary and strenuous lead. The holds are good, but the moves are reachy and the feet poor at the crux. This pitch felt harder and was definitely more pumpy than the first pitch of The Side Wall. There is a fun face climb to the left of this that is easily toproped as well (no name). It seemed to be in the hard 5.11 range somewhere.
Protection
Easily toproped from the anchor on top of the first pitch of Sidewall (that's what I did). Otherwise, it looks like you could get some small to midsize cams in the underclings.
Conversions is actually a slightly different variation on the hard 5.11 toprope face described in Unbroken Chain. Instead of bailing left to the ramp/arete early it punches straight up the black and green face on a series of crimps, that once commited to, present a sequence you can't escape from. While not the path of least resistance, it is the direct line on the wall.
I think the hard 5.11 way involves yarding on the rotten flake and moving up and left, which is fine on toprope but not as palatable on lead. Conversions moves right under this flake then straight up the face.
By adam brink From: Boulder, CO Feb 27, 2006 rating: 5.11c PG13
While a pumpy lead, there is nothing X about this route. I got 9 bomber pieces in its 45 short feet. As an on-sight, it would definitely be more difficult to nail the placements and moves (maybe 11+).
West Ridge - Pony Express to Long John
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