Innocent Victim

This is basically Alec Sharp's "

Victim of Circumstance

" direct. Instead of going out left at the end of the lieback section over said "rounded knob on the blunt arete," continue up the small corner, and tackle the boulder problem that breaks right through the sloping bulge and which eventually finishes up in the undercling jug above. It was said that Jerry Moffat did this direct FA accidentally.

Quoted from Rolofson: "what Moffat climbed, must be a very short direct variation at the top of the corner, where VOC steps left into "

The Campaigner

". This would involve a few very difficult moves to reach the undercling flake. I vaguely remember trying this direct on toprope."

With zero approach, "Innocent Victims" makes for a good 13a trad lead that's relatively safe to protect. With great movement using a lieback crack and smearing feet, culminating to a "crux" bulge where one has to find a way to transfer over and above right of the initial lieback crack via a boulder problem, using a high right diorite nub and a tiny left foot smear. Once pulled through

this initial 35 feet, the climbing eases up significantly and feels like a victory romp up to the "Viceroy" chains above the ledge.

There has been much confusion on this climb and its contrivances.

I would give this route a PG-13 rating because of the difficulty of placing the gear and the size of the gear. We didn't place anything larger than a small blue DMM offset nut through the crux section, and that being said, they are lieback placements, so you'll have to pull over and check them once placed.

This shares the same start as "

Crank It" (aka Slabio)

and "

Victims of Circumstance

," continuing left where "

Crank It

" breaks right and going straight up through the lieback to where the crack fades out and you have to make a bouldery couple of moves up and right to a thumbs up, back three fingers jam into another crack system. Stand up carefully, reach the jug undercling flake, plug in a 0.75, and most of the difficulties are over.

Gear from blue Alien to #0.75 Camalots and offset nuts.