Iridescent Flow

A fun climb made of cracks of various sizes and a few sneaky face sections to link the various cracks,  and bolted anchors at most of the belays, all on comfy ledges.

Pitch 1: 5.9 110ft.  scramble up some 3rd class ledges and start climbing some downward pointed flakes to reach a corner crack system (or wider arching crack) and follow either of these to the top of the pillar to a bolted belay.

Pitch 2: 5.10 90ft.  Climb a tricky smooth v slot/alcove feature thru the band of reddish rock up to an obvious horn, make a big move left at the horn to gain another crack system, follow this up to another leftward move to reach the next bolted anchor.

Pitch 3: 5.10 70ft. follow the crack right up from the belay until it fills with flakes look left for a delicate travers over to the prominent crystal tower at the base of a flying arete feature.

Pitch 4: 5.10+ 115ft. Step right of the tower ledge into the corner, climb up the corner, using the wide crack in the corner, and the thin crack on the left face to fight past 3 or 4 bushes complicating the crux.  after the bushes step left onto a nice ledge and climb a wide crack with lots of face features up to an even nicer ledge and another bolted belay.

Pitch 5: 5.9+ 100ft.  move rightward of the belay and follow cracks up thru another reddish rock band to a flared hands crack before reaching another nice ledge with a bolted belay.

Pitch 6: 5.10 100ft.  step left from the bolts and climb the wide crack, the wide only lasts 10 or 15 ft before other flakes and features allow for non-wide techniques.  follow this crack system as it passes several more small ledges and into another reddish rock band.  While there is a bolted anchor, its recommended to move right into easier terrain and build a gear anchor on bigger nicer ledges.

Pitch 7: 5.2 150ft. Climb the path of least resistance back left thru easy terrain, staying more on the ramps and ledges of the conical top of the white pillar, and away from the major corner of the white pillar and red upper headwall.  build a gear belay anywhere convenient.

Pitch 8 5.8 100ft, continue across and upwards thru the many, many ledges, mostly easy climbing and many options exist.  there is a bolted anchor, but using it isnt necessary, and finding it could be hit or miss given the rambling nature of the climbing here.

Pitch 9 5.8 130ft.  More path of least resistance rambling up many corners and ledges, aiming for the top of the white pillar.  the final bolted anchor is just on the right side of the top of the white pillar.  stop at this anchor if rappelling the route, Otherwise go another 40 feet or so up the red headwall to reach the top of the west ridge.

DESCENT:

Walk off the west ridge down to Sky Blue Lake, or down the gully between Miter Towers back to Iridescent Basin.

OR 

Rappel Civilized.

on the right side of the white triangular pillar making up the left side of the wall, find two chimney features at the base of the wall, the first pitch of Ir flow starts up the side of the right of the two chimneys.

set of nuts, double cams 0.2 to 2, single 3 and 4, 70m rope or preferable longer for rappelling