Slinky Tassle

A really fun variation on the lower buttress of Ironman. The route follows a continuous line left of the original route on the Southwest Buttress and joins that route 2 pitches below the top of the lower buttress. You can descend from there via fixed anchors or continue to the top of Ironman.

The first pitch follows a clean, left leaning tips flake (11a) into a hand and finger crack in a left facing corner (5.9). Ends at a good ledge after 30m.

The second pitch starts at the left end of the belay ledge and follows cracks and flakes straight up to a rightwards traverse past some loose flakes (5.10) to a belay stance below the large detached block above, 15m.

The third pitch climbs the right side of the detached block in a left facing corner (5.8) that pinches to a seam. We placed a Lost Arrow in the corner and made one french free move (A0) to regain the the crack above. This could be freed with some difficult stemming in the awkward corner. Continue up the corner past a bulge to a sloping ledge after 25m.

Pitch four climbs up the steepening crack through a bulge via an overhanging handcrack (10+) that leads to a clean hand and finger crack on the face above (5.10). An excellent pitch that ends on a good ledge after 30m. 

Pitch five moves right to the widening left facing corner that starts as a thin hands crack and ends as a squeeze chimney (5.9). Belay at a stance on top of the large rectangular block which is also the top of the third pitch of the standard route, 20m.

Climb two more pitches of the standard route (5.7) to reach the large ledge system at the top of the lower buttress. Continue to the top of Ironman or descend from here. 

There are fixed anchors from the summit of Ironman down the upper buttress to a direct descent down the face of the lower buttress climber's left of this route. Replace old webbing as necessary. 

The route is located at the northern end of the toe of the Southwest Buttress of Ironman. Locate the left leaning thin crack and flake that marks the start of the route about 12m left of the original route.