Line of Strength is located on the right side of the Dark Side, a few climbs to the right of The Audition. It has an undercut start with a very high first bolt. Stick clip the first bolt and climb a tough boulder problem off the ground. The route then follows well-spaced bolts to a cruxy section on the upper black face. The upper section is quite [spicy] with one bolt protecting the final 35 feet of 11/11+ climbing.
This is all-time Shelf classic that is a bit old school. Consider that LOS has only 6 bolts in 80-90 feet of climbing, whereas its neighbor, Two Hearts, has 11 bolts with the same route length. Judging by the absence of chalk on the sections which are exposed to rain, the amount of dooky on the route, and the amount of dust and other debris on some ledges and huecos, this route sees virtually zero traffic. In addition to the slightly runout climbing, the bolts are in need of an upgrade. All bolts are 3/8 to 1/2 inch, but have badly spinning old SMC hangers. For all I know, the hardware is from the first ascent.
The 3-star rating assumes a hardware upgrade and sufficient traffic to keep the route clean. Its slightly runout nature is part of the routes appeal, however, and in my opinion, should be maintained. Nevertheless, a hardware upgrade would give this deserving classic at least some traffic. Best to avoid this route in the spring since the enormous hanging flake on the lower part of the route appears to be quite popular with birds.
The Dark Side
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