Follow the regular approach to plumb line, but go right up the plumb line gully rather than left to plumb line. Bushwack a ways up the gully until a right leaning finger crack appears to your left. Pitch 1 climbs a rising traverse up the crack using a cool mix of liebacking and finger locks. Expend good fingers coupled with exfoliating granite foot holds (these should clean up with more traffic). The second pitch is 5.9- s. If you're in the area of plumb line, this climb is well worth doing.
Protection
Nuts and small cams. Doubles or triples of green and yellow aliens are advised. Due to the rising traverse on the first pitch, either back cleaning or a fair amount of small cams are needed to avoid ground fall. Don't forget to protect the second. There is a two bolt anchor with chains at the top of the first pitch.
The first pitch IS really fun, but, I wouldn't send any of my friends up the second pitch. You have to make a mantel ( with your last piece 10 feet down and to the left, looking at slab smack) THEN clip a bolt. If you are Zen-ing it isn't too terribly hard, but hard enough for the pitch.
Pitch one is excellent- pumpy fingerlocks with an occasional lieback thrown in. We used doubles in TCU's and would have appreciated a #3 camalot on the exit (tipped out #2 works). The occasional small foothold saves the day and the forearms, but the grit was a bit unnerving given the vague deck potential.
The first ascent of the first pitch was done by Lynn Wheeler and I. Les Ellison added the second pitch at a later date.This was around 1980/81.........Cheers,Jeff Newsom
I agree with TP--the second pitch is an adventure: undercling-liebacks on crumbly rock, a few relics of fixed nonsense and a gripping mantle to finish things off. Worthy, for sure, but--perhaps--not worth it.
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