BETA PHOTO: the red line shows the approximate line of the fir...
Description
This route begins on the brown patina face just downhill from the Gold Wall gully. Originally established in two shorter pitches, the lower half of the route features stellar, 5.9 face and crack climbing and can be toproped from an intermediate stance with a bolt--the bolt can be backed up using finger to hand-sized gear... The upper half, however, is the business: if climbing the line as a long, single pitch, continue past the bolt where you'll encounter tenuous stemming above tricky, thin gear. Routefind your way to an alcove beneath a small roof. Pull the roof to gain the exposed, parallel cracks above, then finish on patina holds, ala the City of Rocks, to a comfortable ledge along the ridge. Belay takes 1" to 2.5". A large, slung block--to the climber's right--provides an escape; a double-rope rappel reaches the base.
Protection
Bring doubles in cams from micros to 2.5", RPs and wires--offsets useful--and plenty of long slings!
The Ruckman guide writes of the Merciful Traverse, II 5.6 (D. Bell, C. Giddings, A. Kelner, 1958): "Follow the southwest ridge to the summit, which intersects the Open Book route on its terminal pitches." Has anyone ever done this route? I believe Be Here Now can be linked to this obscure ridge climb--if so, the first integral ascent awaits!
Congrats Shingo on a couple of new recent cool sounding lines up in LPC... am I the only one too blind to notice the red topo lines drawn in on the photos, though? for the life of me , I don't see them? Could you please draw them in thicker for us blind guys? Thanks!
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