Senile Superhero

1st Pitch: Start at the beginning of the Guillotine, but partway up veer a little more right. This makes for a more sustained grade. Head for the right side of a pocket ledge a little higher and about 15' to the right of the Guillotine ledge. You will be about 5' from the rollover edge of the face as you approach the top of the pitch. Near the top of the pitch is the 5.7 crux; some sloping hands and feet in an area without placements, not quite runout. (185')

2nd Pitch: Go straight up from climber's right side of ledge to a ledge above, then continue upward, drifting right to a substantial tree. First part of the lead is exposed 5.6. (about 75')

3rd Pitch: Go up gully with a crack to a face, then up face. As you ascend you first drift a little right, then drift a little left. First part is 5.5. (about 70')

Route changes character as you ascend, and the beginning of the second pitch is most gratifyng.

The route starts at the same place as the Guillotine and ends up on the highest bit of the crag. To descend, you can scramble climbers left and rap down Juniper overhang, carefully scramble climbers right on a discontinuous ledge to a second and final rap station, or climb up and go left (northerly) for awhile to reach the standard, well established and cairned descent trail. This is a great trail. Alternatively and much less desirable, you can take the "East Gully" descent as described on page 7 of Gary Clark's El Rito trad area guide.

Bring a typical El Rito rack with cams to 3.0 or better 3.5. and an extra piece of sling material at least 8' long. This is a totally trad route. At second belay sling knob and tie to 2 larger cams placed in shallow crack like feature. If you tie all together it will probably make an adequate anchor.