Swallow Dance

Swallow Dance climbs the most prominent face on the Golden Belly, high up in the Cyanide Gully. The p3 crack can be seen from the road - we couldn't believe that this feature was not climbed until 2022. This climb has some truly standout movement and positioning and may just have what it takes to become a classic.  The rock varies from laser-cut splitter cracks to grainy choss (sometimes both at the same time!), and with time and traffic will only improve. Solid gear throughout the whole route, and all belay anchors are bolted.

P1 - the 'one bolt wonder' - starts at a large boulder with an old buttonhead in it at the very top of the Cyanide gully. This pitch follows the original aid line up the Golden Belly, the 'South Arete' (see Bishop Area Rock Climbs by Peter Croft and Marty Lewis for a topo of the original aid route). Scramble up and slightly right on easy, mediocre rock, to a black chimney/ramp. Climb it until the wall steepens, then look right to the shiny, lone bolt that pulls a bulge (crux). Finish up an easy ramp to a bolted anchor. This is the so-so approach pitch that leads to the  goods. (5.9)

P2 - the crux 'lightning bolt crack' - climb up a thin flake from the belay. The flake has some poor rock, but climbs well and has abundant gear. At the top of the flake, step right, and gain the incredible left-leaning, laser-cut hand crack. (Alternatively, traverse right from the belay across the large, rust-colored ramp, and follow a lower-angle dihedral into the hand crack). Fight the pump and drink in these glorious jams until gaining another ramp/ledge. Continue up 15 more feet to an obvious bolted anchor. (5.10+)

P3*** - the 'crackception' pitch - Do you like cracks? Do you like cracks inside your cracks? Then you're in luck! Climb a clean dihedral to a ledge. From here, climb the obvious splitter nestled between opposing mini-dihedral/flakes, right up the middle of an immaculate varnished face. Tread lightly at the start of this crack, there are some obvious, large loose blocks that will come out at some point. You can avoid the worst of these blocks entirely by climbing on some solid face holds just right of the blocks. At a band of grainy jugs, step left on an easy but slightly run-out foot traverse to a seam that takes great nuts. Continue left into a left-facing dihedral to situate under a roof. Jam another amazing splitter out of the roof to a stance below some blocks. Carefully pull through these, then place a great piece to protect a final crux pulling onto the top of the Golden Belly. This is a long pitch (>50m), plan your gear accordingly. (5.10-)

***On the FA, we did a mini pitch up the clean dihedral past the crack on the face, to a corner 20 feet climber's right of the crack, and belayed there (.5/.75 and .2/.3 sized cams). This protected the belayer and our ropes from rockfall through the loose blocks. 

Descent: Rap the route you just climbed with two 60m ropes. 3 raps to the ground. We'd like to thank the original South Arete aid party for climbing a much harder feature and then putting rappel anchors in exactly the right spots to facilitate our ascent.

The climbing on this route is incredible and unique, highly recommended for crack enthusiasts and anyone looking for a cool adventure high above the canyon floor.

Swallow Dance is a reference to the aerial acrobatics of the swallows that roost on the Golden Belly.

Approach as for Silverback.  Continue past Silverback to the end of the Cyanide Gulley on a mixture of scree and 3rd/easy 4th class terrain -  totally doable with a pack.  Do not pull on the old fixed lines you may find up there - they are completely destroyed.  

Double rack .1 - #2, single #3, small to medium nuts, alpine draws, two 60m ropes