October Surprise

This climbs the face/arete left of Golden Stripe. It's a bit shorter, a bit less soaring, and just a titch harder than its neighbor to the right. But it's still a great outing. Climb the slab, then work up the left side of the face, using a crack to a good rest. Launch into a fingery crux and then follow good holds top to a topout on a ledge. This route shares anchors with Flicker (5.11c) to the left. This is so named because I received a surprise during what I thought would be the first ascent. After negotiating the difficulties, I reached up to a brick-sized hold on the arete, thinking that I had completed the FA of a line I had been spying for a while. Before I knew it, the brick was flying through the air along with me. I bounced on the end of the rope and the brick crashed down the gully below my belayer. It just goes to show--Russell schist is not to be taken for granite!

Just left of the very obvious Golden Stripe. 

Bolts to LO. Long sling on bolts on slab.