Gnawing on the Rind

Gnawing

is one of the better 2-pitch trad lines in the area. If it weren’t for

Watermelon Tetris

(thanks lads), we wouldn’t have been motivated to get on it – led from the ground up after seeing the first pitch would take gear while lowering off

WT

(and then vigorously cleaned on rappel).

The first pitch climbs the seam system in the steep, shallow corner just right of

WT’s

bolt line. About thirty feet up, a move left from a friendly right-leaning flake will keep you on-line (see the beta photo of the first pitch). Climb the seam system to its end, step around the edge and into a large capped corner, then turn the cap to a good belay ledge and gear anchors.

The second pitch shoots for the obvious overhanging handcrack 60 feet above the belay. Climb the red face immediately above the belay, trending toward its right side, until possible to step right onto a greenish face that avoids huge stacked blocks (I couldn’t budge them on rappel, but why risk it? Besides, the greenish face provides good climbing). From the tip of the top of the greenish face, continue up the buttress above, protected by a RP crack to the right, to a good horizontal crack, then shuffle left along the horizontal crack, surmount the overhanging handcrack, and climb the short headwall to the top. Belay from a bolt and gear in a thin crack.

In late June, on the second pitch at the top of the greenish face and before the step onto the buttress, swallows had an active nest on top of a bowling-ball sized protrusion that looks easily dislodged to the left of the line. We left them in peace, and hopefully you will do the same if the nest is occupied.

Start just right of

Watermelon Tetris

. Descend via the rappels on

Eternal Flow

.

RPs or the equivalent (offsets useful), wires, double cams from micro to No. 2 (yellow camalot), maybe a No. 3 (blue Camalot) for the overhanging hand crack.