Looking down the first pitch from the belay ledge.
Description
Appropriately named, Absorption starts sucking you in before you have raced across the hardpan. An easy approach lures you to its base. The rock quality is superb on the first pitch, as long as you don't venture into the salt crystals and mud deposits that reside on the left side of the dihedral. Although solid in many places, the occasional chunk of mud will dislodge when pulled on. Easy climbing builds your confidence and warms you up. Finger cracks and face moves take you higher up, where the absorption process becomes complete. Hands turn to fists as the crack begins to turn from an easy left to more vertical right. Throw in some roofs and chimneying and you are nearly enveloped. Release yourslef from the crack's grasp and escape to a great ledge just underneath a small pine growing out of the face and belay. The second pitch is only for the adventurous that dare to continue up the widening chimney above complete with offwidths and exfoliations galore.
Location
Most apparent natural line at Ibex. You can spot it from across the Tule Hardpan. It is an obvious, right-trending crack that starts fingers and ends up a chimney. Absorption resides in the shadow of the huge overhang on Shadow Buttress and is the inside corner of the dihedral.
Protection
Medium to large cams, a fixed nut protects a difficult sequence. There is no other permanent hardware on the first pitch. The belay consists of a bolt and chain. There is a bolt without a hanger slung with webbing and a leaver biner. The first bolt on the second pitch is easy to see from the belay.
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