Agent Orange (with direct start)

Wonderful features, fun climbing, and a pitch great exposure characterize this old route with a new start.

Agent Orange has typically been accessed by first climbing Cheap Thrills (10-), which has a grungy slot for its first pitch that is now occupied by a tree (see beta photo).

Recently Dave Merin, Aleix Serrat-Capdevila, and I established a direct start that heads straight over a large roof to gain the terrific shallow corner on which Agent Orange starts. The description below includes this start.

Pitch 1 (75'): Start just right of Naranja. Boulder up under a small roof, place some gear and pull around it on the right side. Work up to a stance above the roof, protect in a horizontal pocket, and gain the finger crack up and to the right. Climb this to two bolts under a large roof. Aid through the roof (A1) and continue up a stellar shallow corner with a finger crack (11-). Hanging belay at the top of the finger crack.

Pitch 2 (60'): Work up and right into a hand and fist crack (11-). Make some strenuous moves until about 10' below a roof. Traverse directly left (fun 5.10) and enter a V-shaped notch to belay. Pitch 1 & 2 could be combined with some careful use of runners.

Pitch 3 (130'): From the notch move up about 10', place some gear, then make a committing move left on to a face with good holds. From here head straight up the left side of the arete to a bolt. Move to the arete and continue to a ledge with a tree. Continue up the arete another 15' to a second ledge. From here, follow the ramp left 30' and work up to the bolted anchor for Jimmy Dean. A thrilling, exposed, and challenging pitch.

Descent: Two 115' rappels down Jimmy Dean

Starts just right of Naranja. See overview photo and Squeezing the Lemmon.

Stoppers, doubles to blue Camalot. One #4 Camalot.