The Skinwalker

The crag's main attraction, The Skinwalker is easily one of the top desperates at Shelf, offering that rare combination of bullet stone and a consistently overhanging angle. While few Shelf .13s offer a legitimate pump, success on this line depends on maintaining strength and poise as you overcome consecutive boulder problems split by pumpy rests.

Begin at a left-facing corner 10' below a 2'-deep roof. Climb up the corner and make powerful moves over the roof to a pumpy stance on the slab. Work up along a right-facing, undercling flake to a beautiful, streaked wall of small horizontals. The first blank stretch is overcome with a clever long reach. A pumpy stance at the fourth bolt allows an opportunity to contemplate the awfully thin crux. Tiny crimps setup a long dyno to a horizontal pod and another slopey shake. Another tough, thin section past bolt 5 leads to more cerebral highsteps and lockoffs, and ultimately one last good rest before the redpoint crux. Move right and up steep speckled rock with sequential moves, to a protruding knob just above bolt 7. Desperate stabs and vanishing feet lead past this knob to one last, well-earned hueco rest. A pumpy sprint on slopey edges leads to the anchor.

Like most hard routes at Shelf, it's possible to traverse off the bolt line at various points to reach easier terrain. The grade given reflects a direct ascent.

A Skinwalker is a human/animal shapeshifter of Native American legend.

Near the tallest section of cliff is a double black-streak that terminates above a shallow roof, 10' off the ground. The Skinwalker climbs the line of bolts that begins along the right black streak.

9 bolts to 2 bolt anchor. Shares first bolt with

Le Pumping Bull

, then goes straight up (right).