Red Moon Rising

A fun outting at a moderate grade that follows a prominent crack system to gain the ridge between Epic Gully and Bass Buttress to top out. Rock quality is mostly good or excellent with a couple of sections of poorer quality (pitches 1 & 4)

Pitch 1: start at an obvious left leaning crack 15m right of Blue Sky Days. Climb the crack to a small ledge that is also the pitch 1 anchor for Blue Sky Days. Rock quality is not great on this pitch. 37m, 5.6/5.7. 

Pitch 2: exit the belay to the left climbing an obvious crack on excellent rock to an alcove. Mostly 5.6 with a short crux. 30m, 5.8.

Pitch 3: exit the belay hard right, downclimbing a move or two to gain the vertical crack system. Climb the crack system for 15m, through a chimney (5.8), before the angle backs off to a 5.4 jug haul for another 25m. Find a sheltered belay below the broken  corner. 40m, 5.8.

Pitch 4: continue towards the broken corner and start up it before coming onto the face to continue upwards. At the top, take the alley leftwards up onto a terrace of broken rocks. Belay before an obvious short crack that is wide at the bottom before becoming a perfect hand crack. 40m, 5.6. 

Pitch 5: climb the crack to gain the ridge crest proper (5.8+). Continue up the ridge crest  (5.4). There is a crack for a gear anchor in a depression on the right side of the ridge before the ramp that guards the next headwall. 40m, 5.8+. 

Pitch 6: climb up the wrap and climb the furthest right of three crack systems (fist crack). Belay to the right a chimney/gulley filled with chokestones. 40m, 5.7. 

Pitch 7: go up the chimney/gully to a left leaning diagonal crack. At the top of the diagonal crack, continue to the right side of the ridge to gain a scree ledge before two large caves. 40m, 5.5. 

Pitch 8: cross the scree ledge, enter the left cave, climb an improbable crack system on the left wall with excellent quality water polished rock to gain a ledge inside the cave, under the huge chokestones, belaying before turning a blind corner/roof. 32m, 5.7.

Pitch 9: pull around the blind corner/roof to gain a gully (5.7). Climb the wall on the left side of the gully to stay on the ridge (5.5), as you gain the ridge crest proper at the top of the wall, take the vertical crack (5.9) to a ledge. Climb the short wall at the far side of the ledge to top out (5.7). 65m, 5.9. 

From the hut, walk towards Bass Buttress/Kraut Pinnicle. Follow the trail to the leftside of Kraut Pinnacle. Stop at the obvious left leaning crack about 15m before the start of Blue Sky Days. 

Double rack .3-#4, with a single #5, and a set of nuts.