Days Of Our Lives

A short climb that packs a punch. The moves and setting are better than 1 star, but the R rating and a spot of bad rock make the route less desirable than it should be. Certainly a climb for those solid at the grade. The first ascensionist climbed the route on free solo expecting the crux to be pulling into the crack from the ramp, but ended up in a "no fall" situation slightly higher.

Step up high on the slab below the dangling flake to place gear under it and at a low point on the side. A few knuckle-sized cams and stoppers are in "good" placements, but the hanging flake does flex a little, so over-camming or using the largest possible stopper is a good idea.

Stem up another move and get a finger lock and place additional gear as high as possible to prevent a fall to the slab from the crux. Pull up on thuggy fingerlocks and some interesting footwork to scrunch up high into the last locks before the crack becomes a seam. An RP or two and even the smallest microcam you have can be placed from this very strenuous stance if desired, but the flake does flex a bit, so gear is questionable. Mind the fact that a sharp edge presents itself to the rope in the event of a fall.

Execute the confusing crux to reach the top of the hanging flake in a solid undercling with good gear potential. I broke off a hold here, fell before placing gear, and cut the sheath of my rope through. Beware. Sink that solid piece, a large nut or a #0.5 Camalot (~1.5"). Move out right and up past some remaining suspect rock in a pod and up into a 5.8 handcrack that faces and leans to the right, then climb onward to the belay tree.

This route lies on the upper-most section of the South-facing wall near the summit of the Hourglass. From the top of the Amoeboid, scramble up and right and onto a ramp that will deposit you on a nice shelf to belay from. Climb up the discontinuous cracks, always tending right when in doubt, to a ledge and trees on the slab of the east face above to belay. One more pitch on the slab can go directly to the summit (5.3) or follow the horizontal crack and ledge system north to a notch in the summit (easy 4th class).

Small cams (0.6" = second knuckle and down) and a few stoppers to start, then very thin gear behind a potentially expanding flake for a few feet. At this point, the shallow, leaning dihedral/flake presents a sharp edge for the rope (mine was cut through the sheath in a fall) and then some large stoppers or medium to hand sized cams to the top, where a good-sized tree awaits at the belay.