P38 

This climb is very pumpy for the grade but then again I'm not very good at flared cracks. I placed mostly small passive pro up to the crux but it's difficult to protect because of the flared pin scars. Rich Gottlieb says he soloed this route back in the day.....I need to climb harder? I wouldn't bring anything bigger then a #1 Camalot.

this is a great route to enter the grade because the gear is good. first couple moves off of the ground are a bit cruxy too, but can get good stoppers and gear through most of the bottom section.

Mike, this climb has changed a lot since I first did it in 1977. Holds have broken off at the start and also on the face to the left of where the crack ends. This climb used to be closer to 5.9 than 5.10.

used double ropes, lead crack with right rope, and used left rope on the leftward traverse. a #3 camalot was nice for the last move up above the left traverse, just before you break right again. doing it this way felt fairly well protected. good route for breaking into the grade as the crux is well protected, and with the double ropes or other trickery the easier climbing is well protected.

for what it is worth, i was actually more scared on several of the G and PG rated (Swain's guide) 5.7's and 5.8's than i was on P-38. i added the PG13 here because of the ledges a bit higher. the climbing isn't too hard, but i thought i would err on the side of caution. if a person makes it through the crux down low, they should probably be ok up higher.

As a second, i really enjoyed this climb. It's technical, requires balance and good sequencing. THe crux for me was the headwall at the finish. I had a tough time negotiating the pebbles.

The climbing on this route is super fun.

I would call this route very well protected. What the description calls a runout move after the traverse can be protected well by a small nut, and the climbing is pretty easy at that point. The actual 10 climbing can be sewn up with small-medium nuts.

Dick Williams lists many climbs like this as G because the crux is G although there may be substantial PG-13 or R rated climbing before or after the crux, i.e. (Land's End Direct, The Blackout) Personally, I don't think either of those routes are G; ditto that for this one.

For those who don't want to lead it, it's pretty straightforward to set up a toprope on it by ascending Radcliffe (class 4) and building an anchor above P38. You'll need some directional gear (because the crack is leaning), which can be set when rapping down the route after setting up your toprope anchor.

There are 2 ways to do the start. One is to pull the overhang directly below the crack. Another is to ascend slightly left of the crack, and once over the overhang, balance over right to the crack (easier).

Great route. Trying to figure out a good sequence was thought provoking. The G rating was accurate enough here. I sewed this route up with gear every 5 or 6 feet. semi-pumpy also, with subtle resting positions.

Stellar route! For the well protected version, traverse way left on the ledge after the crux, like 15 feet, until you find a nice pink tricam placement at chest level. Place that little sucker and then crank over the bulge at about 5.7. Doing it that way felt well protected. I'd give it a G. If you instead took the direct line up straight up the face after the crux then I feel that would be a spicy 5.10 move, albeit super fun.

I've led and followed this climb and enjoyed it very much each time. The thin crack at the bottom is followed by fun and interesting moves above. Medium wires and small to medium cams protect this route really well and I would give it a G rating. Bring the #3 for up top. The first pine is a rotted lump of crap, continue past it between the rock to find more (live) trees above.

This climb is well-protected from start to finish. There is no runout in the 5.8 bit at the end. And the cruxes at the bottom and top of the leaning crack have bomber bomber gear. Having taken a whipper at the upper crux I can tell you the fall is clean.

Hey Seth, I think a fall at the crux section is fine, but what happens it you come off climbing the 8-10 feet past the ledge (the section where you have to pebble pinch) once the real difficulty is done? I'm guessing that you'd break an ankle because there's no gear to keep you from hitting the ledge. This is the part that I am pointing out as not G rated. SketchySam seems to be traversing over to avoid this, "Stellar route! For the well protected version, traverse way left on the ledge after the crux, like 15 feet, until you find a nice pink tricam placement at chest level. Place that little sucker and then crank over the bulge at about 5.7. Doing it that way felt well protected." Is that what you did? I've always done it straight up.

Anthony, I think you are talking about the direct finish, which I haven't done. When I say it is well-protected, I am talking about the route that traverses left after the crux as Sam describes, and which is also the regular route description in the guidebook.