Straight Up

With stone that would be considered stellar at any crag in the country, this route has everything: sustained difficulty, intricate footwork, crimps, slopers, jugs and pockets. Surely one of the best at the grade in NM. [I realize I've violated my own 3-star limit (for the Tunnel), but this route is soooo good it deserves a special exemption.]

Begin as for Heat stroke with a tricky little b.p. getting to the 1st bolt (stick clip). Traverse right past the 2nd bolt, then up to the jug band. After clipping the 3rd bolt head up and slightly left on several jugs to a small, beautiful orange bulge. Clip from the highest jugs, then reach up to a wickedly thin, slopy crimp. Work your body over the bulge on more thin crimps and sidepulls, then pull your feet up over the lip with great difficulty (crux). Up and right you will be teased by deceptively slopey jugs that provide just enough rest to keep you from shouting "take", but not enough that you can cruise on to the chains. Long reaches to more slopiness lead up and left to a large pocket, level with the chains of MLK. Don't get cocky though, you still have to surmount one more tough section, so rest what you can before commiting to the long, dynamic reach to a detached (but solid) flake. A few more trivial moves lead to the anchor.

Starts same as Heat Stroke, but head up and left after 3rd bolt.

7 bolts, 2 bolt anchor.