Eyes Full of Ghosts

This sweet line takes a direct route up the center of Donut Buttress with great rock and exciting climbing.

From the talus field on the lower left side of Donut Buttress, scramble up and right on a loose ramp and continue trending right, aiming for the base of the very large, obvious, left-facing dihedral above. Make a 5.0 friction move to reach a sloped belay ledge with a slung boulder and a #4 Camalot for an anchor.

P1: (5.9, 200 feet) Start up moderate slabs, then balance up the thin corner to a stance about 15 feet below the first major step in the dihedral. Move up and left to a right-slanting finger seam on the main wall, then smear back right using some nifty underclings and launch over the roof on a massive bucket. Continue up the delicate corner and escape right on a steep flake near the top (tricky 5.9). Belay on a nice ledge at the base of a right-trending corner system. This is a sustained pitch with mediocre protection...PG-13. (Props to Luke!)

P2: (5.8, 200 feet) From the belay, take the right-facing corner up and right for about 20 feet, then swing left to a hanging flake. Lieback past a prominent tooth formed by the pointy flake, then make a rising traverse up and left through a hodgepodge of flake systems, taking the line of least resistance. Soon you will reach a stance at the base of a vertical seam, immediately right of a right-facing corner. Fish in an RP in the seam, then friction right on excellent rock (wild 5.8) to join another right-facing corner. Stretch the rope out to a belay ledge directly below the large chimney above.

P3: (5.9, 200 feet) Easy slabs lead to a grassy ledge just before the start of the big chimney. Motor up a jug haul on the wall to the left, then continue up through a bulge with a medley of fingers, hands, and finally a sporty move on perfect rock (crux). Move through a wider section in the now left-facing corner, then confront a final step in the dihedral with wonderful pinching and stemming. Scramble to the back of the broad ledge above and set a belay, or continue to a higher belay with a bit of simul-climbing.

Standard rack to 3 inches with doubles in small to medium cams, #4 Camalot, RPs.