U Slot 

Not knowing where the route actually went, I aimed up and left from the starting crack toward what I thought looked like a "U" slot in the overlap. I plugged a cam below and left of the notch and pulled the overlap with a big high-step and a good left-hand crimp. A bit heady and with a bad slab fall if you blow that move, this variation isn't any harder than the 5.8 rating given the standard route.

Selected climbs says to use the arete (sp) and climb that up and then straight to the lower portion of the overlap. We used the dihedral and protected there before heading up. There is a very small u shape on the left side of the main block. It makes the route more difficult and I really thing the run out brings it very close to a ground fall if you don't protect in the narrow water groove. For a 5.7 it is a very heady runout and I don't think many people that know much about slab should have any business on this route's runout. I honestly think one bolt in between would make this a much more enjoyable classic climb, but again, if you go straight up the feet are there and it can protect after the runout. I think I slipped once on the whole route but wow this was a very big wake up and introduction to Stone. So much that our group realized this was a different kind of slab as supposed to LG and we thought it best to rap after this climb to train up a bit more. What a fun climb though and a great view from the belay station. That one little bolt would put this as a super classic in my book, but then again, almost ever starting route at the base's first bolt is what: 30-35ft up. Gotta love NC's very unique ethics.

Nice Climb and good way to access tree ledge. There are numerous ways to climb this route but taking the low line, using the crack, seems to be the easiest and offers the most pro. Do not let the mantle onto the large ledge near the top freak you out of this line because it protects like non other!

• I think you need to link up two ropes if you want to attempt a standard TR*

Mike you are absolutely right, you need two ropes if you want to set up TR or rappel down from the tree/anchors.

I have made this mistake before :/

Learned today if you want to climb the route in the pic to the right of the tree on top of the traditional line bring some tri-cams and cams for flared cracks. Dont let the line pull you off to the left too far much like the guy in the pic.

Flexibility helps to get a right foot up on the sharp part of the slot. I thrutched it up there doing kind of a lieback to get a toe up and then rocked my weight onto it. Easy runout to the closest solid tree to build a belay. For a less heady slab lead, but a slightly harder move onto the roof/bulge, try Block route to the left. I didn't find this route to be PG13 probably because I had some Metolius offsets. I think the yellow/orange 2/3 went in the shallow flaring crack that leads you to the bulge. Without protecting that crack, it could be PG13 but it is very protectable. Plenty of pro off the ground and I don't think I went more than 20ft or so without placing a piece. That's not PG13 for Stone- unless you're counting the distance from the "crux" to the closest tree to belay from which is about 5.3.