Crack Variation

This is an extremely obscure climb with some pretty good climbing on it. Were the top section close enough to the ground to be in view and stand on its own, it would get constant traffic.

This climb, much as the variation to the Lower Meadow, starts off on the beginning of ramp at the base of

The Contest

and

PsychGillLogical

. Climb up and left on that ramp briefly into a man-eating, wide chimney (easy, no squeeze, casual) and then out onto the face. While the chimney may intuitively seem more secure, the open ramp out left of it is actually easier to climb. If you can, continue with no gear (5.5) around the corner from the South Buttress onto the Southwest Buttress before placing any gear. The belayer can follow with the rope, hugging the base and avoid a whole lot of drag.

Just as you cross the corner, several gear placements become available in a downward pointing flake overhead. Use long slings on these or continue onward (5.6, one spooky move) on the ramp leftward. There is seldom gear opportunity - and while it is not terribly difficult climbing, if you have not placed gear here and fall, your climbing career is over.

Continue on the ramp past some occasional gear placements and into a slightly right-facing HAND-CRACK. This is a near-perfect red Camalot crack for quite some way with some pods for slightly larger cams. Levin gives this climb 2 stars for this part of the pitch, no doubt. Imagine

The Bastille Crack's

best section without any traffic, crowds, or polished rock.

Continue up and slightly right on this until it terminates, then head left on another small broken ramp, then up and right in another crack system, eventually reaching the Upper Ramp after about 50 meters of climbing. Slightly more rope may be needed to reach a desirable belay.

To descend, head up the upper ramp and descend as for lower

T2

or

Touch and Go

.

This route starts as for The Ramp, The Lower Meadow, and at the base of

Redguard

, heading up and left around and arete to gain a hand-crack and wander, eventually, to the Upper Ramp.

A standard rack with a few extra 2-3" pieces and long slings. A 70m rope is nice for the raps.