BETA PHOTO: Rocket Man starts on Thin Man and heads left, foll...
Description
Rocket Man is a line of strength up the most beautiful section of Main Cliff. Start on Thin Man. After the initial boulder problem, rest on the slab. Here, Rocket Man moves left into a lower angled corner. Don't let this angle fool you, as the corner holds some hyper-technical 5.12+ slab climbing.
At the top of the corner, a good edge provides a respite before the crux bulge. A huge incut jug sits above the bulge. Now, how are you to get from the edge to the jug? Most people dyno. This is not a technical deadpoint. It's more like a most-points-off jump with feet flying in the air followed by a considerable outward swing. It is possible to move left and bypass the dyno, but this may involve double thumb underclings. Really.
From the jug, a few taxing high step moves lead to the pump crux: a big move out left to a gaston-jug. Many end the route here by clipping the double bolts and moving right to a no-hands stance. This completes an ascent of "Rocket Boy" 5.13c/d.
To ascend the full Rocket Man, continue on easier climbing, past a 5.12ish roof to the top of the cliff. The rock quality degrades quickly, which in my eyes, makes the full Rocket Man less classic. Since it is possible to fully recover on the no-hands stance at the end of Rocket Boy, this seems a logical ending.
The full Rocket Man (all the way to the top) may only have one or two ascents.
Protection
Bolts. A 60 meter rope is necessary to lower down from the full route. You may have to lower down to the Rocket Boy anchors and down again.
The top is well worth doing IMO, for the fun exposure if nothing else. The rock is good, just not as pristine as the lower stuff. The bolt at the roof above the first anchor really needs a preplaced sling or the clip becomes very difficult. The rest can be old school redpointed. The lower anchors are great for working the technical moves on TR or hanging your draws. They can be reached easily by traversing across the tops of the easier routes to the right (like Underdog). ..Such good moves, with a couple that are heinously awkward and technical. One of my favorite challenging routes though I have only successfully TRed it. Deserving of more attempts
Main Cliff
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