Serenity Crack 

The 'long, long way' on the first pitch is about 30 ft of +/- 5.8 climbing. Heady, but doable if you feel comfortable enough for the .10d moves above.

Note that the start to this first pitch is often wet in Spring, and after storms. Edited to add: Which makes it much scarier!

The first pitch is missing the bolt.

The supertopo says that the first pitch is really scary and wet and blah blah. But it is not that bad. There is good gear to be found. I think I got in Black and Green Metolius right around where the bolt is missing.

I don't feel this is PG-13 if you can take your time in placing gear and especially if you have offset cams, however the gear is tricky to place well. Metolius offset cams worked so well here. I highly recommend them for the Valley. I agree that this hurts the feet quite a bit. Every pitch is excellent and logically combines with Sons of Yesterday. If you live in Boulder and want to practice the crux of this climb (left leaning finger locks with smearing feet) climb 'Deviant' at Cadillac Crag in Eldo. The pitch 2 step across is awesome. You can get good small stoppers in before you make the move.

the pin scars on the first pitch made me want to vomit... i have no idea how they went so long before saying "hey, why dont we stop destroying this climb"...

after the first 40 feet the pin scars get much less disturbing and the climbing gets so much better i forgot about the negative aspects of the beginning and had a blast on the rest of the climb...pits 2 is super cool and the 3rd pitch (the crux) is so great, wow...

Too bad the P1 anchors are not ~ 5 feet higher, since that would make it possible to rap from the top of P3 to the top of P1 in a single rap.

I tried to go for it and ended up just a little bit short.

Great route, P1 isn't as bad as they say, it eats gear after the initial section.

After 2 trips up this one (mid-May for both), I still think the first pitch is the crux. Wet, physical, and foot destroying- the first pitch pin scars are the crux for me. The 5.10d crux offers all the solid gear you desire. You can hang out and place pleny of small cams. I think I fished in 4 from the stance at the little black blob and above. Pinky fingers fit bomber in the locks. Go for it!

I love pitch 3, but if you are not into doing 10+ tips, you can head around to the left from the tree at the start of the pitch and do a 5.9 lieback as an alternative finish.

1 move off the ground is tricky, good nut placement 20+ feet up. Had to negotiate around a few wet sections on P1 when doing this route in early April.

The P3 crux starts at the obvious thin seam 3/4 way up. While the finger locks are good all the way, for two moves (crux) finding your footing may feel desperate.

Climbed this route on Sat, Jun 5 2010 with Jack Ziegler. I led P1 & 3, Jack led P2. I'll claim the onsight, though I did hang once on P2 while removing my partner's pro. In any case, Jack and I both onsighted all the pitches we led. The middle of P1 was wet - runoff from the falls, I guess.

Note that after the leader pulls the crux, they should put in a left directional for the second, as the top-of-P3 anchors are way around right. Otherwise the second risks a mighty big pendulum.

I've heard some people claim this is really a 10c. I'd have to disagree - its definitely significantly harder than Rubicon/JT, which is being downgraded to a 10c from 10d.

The P1 bolt is missing - wish someone would replace it.

P1 bolt was still missing on June 29, 2010. The initial 30ft are pretty damn scary, but the climbing is no harder than 5.9 and it definitely gets your head on straight for the rest of the route.

Of course, the rest of the route protects beautifully and has some of the most classic 5.10 hand & finger crack climbing you could possibly imagine. Very doable in midsummer if you start early (we left the car at 6:30am).

Beware, if rapping from bolts in the groove at the base of Sons, of a tendency to swing to the left and possibly end up below a large overhung arete. It would probably be better to rap from the tree on the ledge below and right of those bolts.

Bolt still missing as of June 2010, although by the time you get to where it used to be, the gear is pretty good anyway. A few decent nut placements (sideways orientation) are possible somewhere 15ish feet up if you are creative.

Definitely soft for valley 10d, but no question it's one of the best crack climbs in the country.

the useless bolt is gone forever

Aside from the thin move off the deck the first 30 feet are no harder than 5.8. Really- how are you going to fall off with such good feet?

i think it is funny, all the fuss about the bolt. The whole first pitch is one big pin scar!

Serenity crack can be rapped with a single 70m rope (haven't tried a 60 yet) by rapping from P3 belay to P2 belay, then climber's left from the P2 belay. From there three raps will yet you back to the starting ledge. The old tat that had been added to for ages has been removed and replaced with some new cord and carabiners.

my partner set a bomber blue tricam about 10 feet off the deck. Helps with some mental pro

I was nervous about the first part of P1 so I brought my offset cams. Didn't really work. The scars are just too flaring or too shallow. I was able to get one red/black metolius in one of the scars, about 15 feet up. But I would give it a 6/7 out of 10. 10 being totally bomber. Unfortunately the cam made the next move harder by blocking a perfectly good foothold! Truth is, the first 30 feet are pretty casual if you are attempting 5.10's in the valley.

The first pitch is very heady indeed - no pro for 30' unless you bring offset cams. I didn't and I'm pretty sure that a fall on one of the two half-open and very shallow cams I placed would have resulted in a ground fall. The first decent piece is a 0.75 camalot in a pocket 30' up...

Anchors have been moved/extended so that you can rap from P3 to P1 with two 60m Ropes. You can also rap from P2 to a separate rap route (three more raps to the ground) with one rope.

If you're trying to get from 3 to 1 with two 60's be careful! The anchor is right at the end of the 60's and it wouldn't be hard to go off the ends of the ropes if you forgot to tie knots.

The first pitch was wet in late march which made it extra sketchy. You can climb the Son's-Serenity link up in 5 pitches with a 70m rope.