October Light is an excellent testpiece that seems to receive very few ascents. I would highly recommend this route for someone looking for a good challenge. The route is located just to the left of Hurley-Fowler and B-G crack and is very obvious. It is the intimidating hands through offwidth crack that splits the buttress. Get psyched up and go for it. The pitch starts off as good flared hands through a steep bulge and continues to get wider. Save a #4 Camalot for the top. Don't expect to find a line on this Scarpelli masterpiece.
Protection
You can place everything from a yellow Alien to #6 Friends. Go heavy from #3 to #5 camalots. Big bros may be difficult to place because the offwidth section flares a bit. A #6 Friend is good to have. Hand size pieces are nice for the anchor.
How is it that the book rates both this climb and Big Pink 11b? Sure they are both big bad offwidths, but this thing is definitely a grade easier than Big Pink. Come on guys, have some consistency.
October Light is generally considered easier than Big Pink by most Vedauwoo offwidth climbers, but you might be surprised by the number off good offwidthers that consider this thing pretty damn hard. The trend at the Voo is that if it is hard and doesn't have a roof it is an .11. If it is hard and has a roof it is a .12.
I wonder what most folks think the crux is on this route? I thought it was the beginning hand crack. Above that, nothing felt harder than 5.10d. Since I've been failing on some other things at the Voo, I'd have to think this is soft for Scarpelli 5.11b.
I believe Scarpelli originally rated this 10d or 11a. I think it was given 11a in the old Kopishka guide and was uprated in the first edition of Heel and Toe. Most people I know consider the first and third bulges to be the cruxes with the third bulge being the overall crux.
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