E.L.100

Tired of climbing that silly "rock" stuff? Want to revisit the tree-house capers of your childhood? This is your route, once described by Jim Erickson as "an exercise in flagpole-sitting."

Climb any convenient route to the upper ramp (

Vertigo

would work great if you're a hardman/woman, but then, you probably wouldn't be shooting for this route), and then climb the upper ramp past

Italian Arete

to a point just below and to the right of

Mellow Yellow

. Find a good-sized, semi-stripped pine tree right next to a pillar/arete. This is your route.

Climb the tree proper to its very "summit", slinging a branch or two along the way. The top of the tree can be a bit unnerving when it's windy. Reach across to place a good RP, and then lean/jump to the rock and "good" holds (5.7d). Another 5 feet up and you can start hauling on jugs and huge, incut huecos up the steep face, moving slightly right to stay generally in the crack system going up the middle of the face. Go past a couple of bulging, slightly overhanging spots (on great incuts and/or hand jams) to a convenient belay. There is good gear all the way.

Descent: work your way to to "climber's right" of the route and slightly down to the rap anchors on

Chockstone Chimney

(which will take you to the Upper Ramp with a single 60m). The most direct route traverses straight right and down, exposed 5.2 or so with some loose rock. You might want to rope up for the traverse.

Light standard rack weighted towards hand and thin-hands sizes, plus RPs and a couple of slings for branches.