This is an incredible route -- you may recognize it from the cover shot on the first Rifle guidebook by Hassan Saab. It is a long, airy pitch on the beautiful white and blue streaked wall left of the Ruckman Cave.
Beer Run is the rightmost of a quartet of long, "slabby" routes on the towering wall left of Ruckman and can be recognized by an often-fixed long draw at the lower crux. It climbs just left of a huge round bowl at mid-height on the cliff-band and tackles a series of well-chalked laybacks.
Pass an initial bolt or two to reach a ledge (5.10) then step onto the wall and begin laybacking. The laybacks soon become thinner and you're forced to crimp a bit before a pumpy crux deposits you at an awesome resting hole. Surge up and right from the hole onto the expansive headwall and save some juice for the 5.9+ run-out to the anchors.
This brilliant line is a testimony to the power of beer and to one man's courageous journey down to the distant village of Rifle to procure a six-pack prior to the first ascent.
The runout to the anchors is more like 10+/11- and shouldn't be taken lightly if you are working on this route. It is extremely pumpy after pulling the Tombstone crux. Make sure you have it worked out before the send, or else a very disappointing 35 footer from the chains is likely. One of the best pitches ever.
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