Lizard Skinner

Lizard Skinner 5.11, 3p, 90m, Afternoon Shade

Lizard Skinner ascends an unmistakable corner behind chimney rock on the main formation of thunder mountain, somewhere between the lizard's head and tail.  It's hard to miss, you can see it from town.

Park at Andante trailhead and hike up to saddle behind chimney rock, same as for the lizard tail tower.  Turn right and follow ridge toward lizard tail. Rather than turning right again (uphill) for the tail, keep traversing across the amplitheater on a hermit's trail with cairns.   Start just left of juniper trees at a bolted dihedral.

P1, 5.11, 28m

Series of bolted mantels through chossy layer.

P2, 5.9, 27m

Classic Sandona traverse. Head up funky dihedral, step left on thin looking face with white foot rail, clip bolt on face, (traverse upper ledge over triangle boulder for OG route), cross chossy ledge with bolt, and follow the last bolt to a hand and then finger crack straight up through the limestone band.

P3, 5.11, 35m

The reason you're here.  Splitter crack corner with slight overhang, subtle roof, and a tight slot at the top to skin the lizard.  The crux is near beginning on thinner stuff, the wider sections are easier.  The Skinner slot at the top might feel Harding for some but is very secure.  Consider re racking here if you still have a lot of gear on your harness.

(optional gear belay on ledge before wideness makes it 4 pitches)

Descend by 3 raps, down the route on bolted anchors with a 70m. Tie knots, the first rap is long and the second is diagonal.  

Single .3 to 6

Doubles up on .5, .75, 1, and 4

Single .3 to 6 (largest gear for p3 only)

Doubles up on .5, .75, 1, and 4

9 draws