Echo Roof

This is a spectacular aid line on the biggest horizontal roof in Conway. The bolt ladder is fully horizontal, even down turned at one point, with tons of exposure. The free grade comes from the approach you take to get to the base of the roof. The easiest way to do this is to climb Holy Land 5.6, linking both pitches to a bolted belay beneath the roof. You can also climb Relic Hunter 5.7 to Reverberation 5.7, avoiding Holy Land if guides are top roping it. 

The Roof: Free some very easy slab to a small overlap. The crux is hitting the first rivet, and there’s a few ways to do it. I used one of those Kong Panic draws to reach high and clip it. Another option is to use a sky or cliffhanger hook to get up a move, or do a free move in rock shoes and just stand up to it. From the rivet, an 0.4 cam and a good fixed pin take you to the bolts. From here it’s plug and go. Swing around with fantastic exposure, nothing but air separating the back of your heels from the earth. The reaches aren’t long, so it’s all fun and games up there. Reach the end of the roof, puzzle at the lip for a bit, then pull over it using 2 more rivets, to the bolted belay. Fix the line and have your second jug.

(Cleaning beta): using a rope protector can be helpful if you’re going to have your second jug the traverse. Alternatively, as you’re leading back clean all the bolts after the one with the rap ring on it. This way your second can do a lower out, then easily jug straight up to the anchor. 

Descent: 2 70m ropes will get you to the ground, I haven’t done the raps with 60s but I believe they just reach. If you only bring one rope, you can rap to the midway anchor of Holy Land 

The bolt ladder that splits the obvious Echo Roof feature. Starts at the bolted anchor of Holy Land.

Many bolts, fixed pin, finger sized cam, stick clip or hook for the first move. Aiders, ascenders, Alfifi or other adjustable tether helpful. Light Rack for the approach pitches. 2 ropes ideal for the descent.