Guillotine Flake

This is a super cool route unlike any on the mountain unless you combine the last pitch of Magnolia Thunderpussy with a horizontal version of Coke Bottle with a wee bit of awkward hand jamming roofy stuff thrown in. No idea why it's rated 5.7, but that's usually the case for GM ratings -- point is that it's a wild route and, as always, a moderate that you'll want to be comfortable with a lead head on.

Was especially fun to do this right after meeting David at long last and also finally doing Coke Bottle enough to feel reasonable about Karl's knee grinding techniques. Of course, Hanna followed the first pitch by completely avoiding the unprotected horizontal chimney climbing that I chose to do to get to the ledge right below the guillotine proper.

You can do this in one, two or three pitches. I chose 3 to avoid rope drag and to be able to communicate with Hanna. P1 up the easy ramp and into the horizontal chimney. Hanna showed that this can be easily climbed by stemming between the top of the ramp and the right wall, but it's a bit heady. P2 goes deep into the cave like system and then stems up the back recess using all three walls to surmount the guillotine flake, which really does feel like a guillotine (don't fall on it!). I belayed on a nice ledge above so I could look down into the cave. P3 is just a short thrutchy roof move with solid hand jams. Awkward and airy. It puts you on top of the feature and right above Guicco Piano. Descend with an easy walk off the far right. The trail can only get better with use.

Far right of the crag, just to the left of Jump Back Jack Crack and well to the right of Grody Coyote -- approach from Grody by scrambling up and over a big granite ledge. We've all done some good brush clipping on that side of the mtn now, but not completely.

Not much. I used one or two medium to large pieces on the first pitch, down low to protect an unexpected slip, then nothing. A few medium to large ones while going up the hidden flake and then a few for the last roof.