Soft Touch 

Just to the right of the anchors on top of the 2nd pitch there are other anchors with chains you can rap from. There is a little warning sign that two rope rappel is needed. We made it fine with 2x60m ropes, I think 2x50m will also do it.

This is a very good route, especially for the grade...

If you like traverses (and Vedauvoo has some great ones, i.e. Journey to Coramonde; NE Cutoff; Hair Lip; Captain Nemo; Golden Grief; from EO Lieback to the top of 5.11 Crack; Grand Traverse; etc.), try this: Start up Soft Touch and traverse across the horizontal crack to Screw. It starts easy and progressively gets harder. Fist jams are required and then a very thin and off balance mantle to stem across to Screw. Take 1 or 2 #4 Camalots and assorted medium and large cams (If I remember correctly, I think that I used a Big Dude.). Don't run it out because of the ground fall potential. Protect your second! This route doesn't have the best position, but for anyone that loves traverses, it is worth the price of admission. I believe I had the FA since there were potato chip flakes that broke off at key hold areas. The last 3-4 moves are .9.

Climbed 6/11/06 with H. McIntyre...guidebook recommends this for the 'beginning' leader. Pro is good, but the upper bulge crux felt rather stiffer than the given 5.easy grade. Rap chains require two ropes! BTW the other two rap stations (70') indicated in the guidebook above Screw have been removed.

5.5 felt about right for this, although it took some looking (and a little bravery on my part, my ego wouldn't let me fall on a 5.5) to find the right sequence. If you string the two pitches together, a double set of Camalots #0.75 to #3 with a little bit above and a set of nuts protected this very well. The second crux did feel more difficult than the crux of Edward's Crack, but I've done Ed's so many times that it all feels easy to me.

I thought Edward's Crack was far easier than this route. Given the extreme awkwardness of the bulgy, wide cruxes here, I felt it was a sandbag at 5.5 (and I've climbed a number of different types of OW at different areas in different states). I would not recommend this for a new leader at all unless perhaps they have been following Vedauwoo cracks for some time and find this type of climbing "normal." (ha ha) The one good thing about this crack is that the cruxes protect VERY well and would allow a leader to have gear above them at all times, but I still feel the rating is off. For instance, the short 5.5 route on the Fall Wall is by far more correct for the grade than this route. Just my $.02.

fun but grunty.5.6 is a better grade,it will still see all the traffic but parties will be more ready.A great beginner CHALLENGE, and that is what it's about.