Another Pretty Face 

FA:  Peter Prandoni and Bruce Holthouse Type:  Trad Consensus:  5.11 [details] Length:  2 pitches, 220 feet, Grade II Views: 204 page views Submitted By: George Perkins on Jun 29, 2008 Add Photo  Add Comment

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Description 

Another Pretty Face is an alternate start to Question of Balance, and this climb is viewed as the best on Questa Dome among area hardmen. Considering Question of Balance is reputedly the best in the state- it's a big claim- but Pretty Face is certainly very good. Bring your face climbing skills and a calm head. Might be no fun on a really hot day.

Pitch 1: Begin about 40' right of the start of Question of Balance, or about 10' left of the start of Tostadas con Questa and a big right-facing corner. [Note this climb is NOT the one with new bolts right of Question's p1- that is a new 5.11- variation start to Question, put up by Greg Swift and Sharon Dogruel and Josh Smith; Pretty Face begins to the right of that start.] Spy the lower left end of the obvious roof to get your bearings. A tricky 5.10- slab move without good pro immediately near you gets you to a fixed pin at the lower left corner of this roof. Climb past two twiggish pine trees, and follow continuous 5.10 cracks and flakes, passing another fixed pin, and reach a 3-bolt anchor after 150'. Note that Taos Rock shows this belay in an incorrect location. Excellent pitch.

Pitch 2: Traverse left from the belay (5.10, thin enough that you might fall before you reach the first bolt). From the first bolt to the 2nd bolt is 5.11 thin face and is the well-protected crux of the climb on improbable smear moves; you won't fall more than a few feet if you fall on the crux. After the 2nd bolt, the difficulty eases to only 5.10 but its a 20' runout getting to the 3rd bolt. Before you get to bolt 3, you can cut left on a "ramp" to join Question of Balance pitch 2 finger crack, or continue up the thin face past the 3rd bolt, after which you'll join Question midway through pitch 2 anyway. Follow this 5.9 finger crack up and right to an anchor (2 bolts, 1 piton). Classic face climbing. Because these bolts were replaced recently, falling on them is not as horrifying as it probably used to be.

Rappel from here to the ground with 2 60m ropes (it will just barely reach), or continue up Question of Balance, which is recommended and the next 2 pitches are classic. The link-up of the 2 pitches of this route, p3 of Question of Balance, and the 5.11 variation finish through the right notch in the big roof has been dubbed Questa Direct. If you keep going and top out the dome, it should take about 5 pitches total and some easy scrambling and the experience warrants a Grade III. Walk off the east side.

A pretty good topo is found on the Questa Direct page of Gary Clarks Classics collection
The topos in the guidebooks covering Questa Dome are good too.

Location 

Another Pretty Face begins just left of Tostadas con Questa, the prominent left-facing dihedral near the right side on Questa Dome, and about 40' right of the start of Question of Balance. It starts below a big roof.

Protection 

1 set nuts, 1 set cams to 3", with 2 ea. in finger sizes useful.

In 2004, Josh Smith installed fat new bolts, replacing 1/4" originals, at all the most important places.