Pressure Drop 

The fixed pin is no longer there. It is possible to lower from the anchor and belay from the ground with a 60m cord. None of the moves were too hard, but setting and moving above the RPs is a little heady.

A brilliant pitch off the beaten track. The upper traversy section requires deft footwork and confidence in leaving suspect gear a bit behind.

I always thought that Dan Hare et al had done the FA of "Finger Lickin'", but that it was myself and the late Eric Weinstein who did the first FA of "Pressure Drop" on Crescent Wall. In any case, it certainly was Eric who named it after the Jimmy Cliff tune (one of his favorites). Likewise, I know it was Eric who placed the pin (the one that fell out) since I was belaying him at the time (Jan./Feb. 1977). Victor Creazzi from the Gunks had tried the route back in 1973-74 and there were some other earlier attempts, too. Eric and I were the ones who aided up the first crux and cleaned all the dirt out of the crack, so I suspect there wasn't an earlier FA than ours.

In any case, Eric W. and I probably did the first ascent of both pitches as one. I think what people didn't like was that it was described in Climbing magazine as the "hardest crack climb in Colorado"! Certainly not the case, even in 1977! Nice route though. I remember now that Eric Doub tried it in 1975, too.

Brilliant. I and my partner both shed a little blood somewhere above the small roof (at ~30 feet?)... probably due to our famously sloppy technique, but we both wished we'd taped.

Bruce...an interesting post! When I added this route I had just climbed the route, and not knowing the history myself had referenced a guidebook for the reported FA. My apologies!!

Great climbing with awesome views. I had previously been on this route back in JULY of 2001! I almost melted that day from the heat. Today was also very hot up there. I would recommend doing this route on a sunny day in Feb. Very continuous at the grade with tricky gear stances. Good footwork a must!

Pete Steres and Scott Woodruff did the first ascent -- well-before Bruce M's 1977 ascent.

I followed Greg up this last Tuesday. Greg was solid, but was struggling a bit getting in the last nut before the final hard move. The crack crux was much harder than the traverse for me--I couldn't do it, and left a lot of skin behind. I hung on the traverse before the last move to rest and avoid a potential swinging fall. The gear on the traverse is good, except the final nut which is small and single and placed from a difficult stance. Just before that Greg had 3 good but small nuts. They were all in a horizontal and over an edge, but something would have held.

I'm wondering what kind of gear was used on the FA? No pins? It looks like pins would have worked. Did you (whoever) have brass nuts back then or only the flimsier #1 and #2 stoppers?