Pinky and the Brain

I guided two beginners up this climb. Started up buttress between Henderson's and Muir buttresses. Run out a lot of rope to good crack for pin before a lot of rope to the belay. This pitch although easily done (5.0- 5.3) is intimidating steep 4th and 3rd class. Belay has Henderson's 1930's to 40's ring piton anchored securely to his not repeated route. 2nd pitch up left onto block crested ridge. Aboriginal Rhythmic Implement (2000)] or Tom Tom is the winter route here too. Anyway the ridge is easy airy (5-4) with great pro. Its ends on up in the garden before onto the large slightly sloping platform split into two halves by the hand wide crack for belay. We called it the brain. Pitch 3 goes up the obvious giant left facing corner. The physical crux is about 15ft up this corner with a technical jam lay back maneuver. After the crux a precarious loosely wedged oven size block avoided. Stopped above it and brought everyone up and with little effort (cool trundle) sent it off. I moved the belay over to the right and began leading up the opposite side of the buttress in a fun large right facing corner. I went only 40 ft up to very nice unprotected extremely difficult stemming. I retreated and moved the belay to go up the large corner. I led up the wonderfully unique chock stone filled corner crack (5-5) to belay at fixed pins. Its was getting late To the right were old slings tied off to some questionable rocks and adjacent right the ancient 8 ft high, 20 ft long, 6" wide wafer of granite. We called it the pinkie. 4th pitch I led up and over it. What an adrenaline rush and the protection is a sling on the horn. Not good. The rope in between the rock wafer and the cliff its sharply edged. Falling is a bad option. I was delighted it wasn't difficult (5-6). After pinkie foot ledge right to recent rock fall depression up it then right foot ledge passed bush to cracked wall to belay hand crack corner alcove. Probably 60 ft. with less vertically. It was getting dark. One rappel 165 ft ropes brought us back to the brain. On the south or left side of the brain is a block with slings used to rappel the winter route 'Omega'. Next rappel to the base of the cliff. We started out walking down the rock pile scree field in the dark. We had pen lights. There are loose large boulders in this area. I stepped on one and had a very painful ride down on top of it each bump pounded my body until it stopped. I slid off the block afterward wiped out. It left me practically immobilized. I didn't break any bones. Bloody hair and face, my friends wanted to call for help. I refused being rescued by professional rescue people. I could go on and did with their help. We got to the car late 1:00 am. I was slow as a snail but I did get myself down with John supporting me to stay upright over some of the steeper descending places. We nicknamed the event boulder surfing. Oh well we didn't take over the world!

Cannon cliff south side between Henderson's Buttress and Muir Buttress is this forested and bushy start buttress. Rappelling the route is easily done High up is 'No Guts No Glory' giant ceiling for a land mark. The no pro bushy first pitch can be skipped by going to the area before the start to 'Omega' ice route. Here head left and traverse to belay ledge (no pro for 50ft) at easy fifth class.

Large and medium cams or hexes, stoppers. Retreat gear medium hexes or knotted rope slings wedged in the rappel crack. The knotted slings are ruined and I believe removed.