CLIMBING SETUP: GUNKS. Jesse’s Rack. My Rope.
CLOTHING: Stretch Jeans and 5th Ave Shirt. Got super hot and bakey on the first belay ledge of Minty. I had no sunscreen. Mistakes were made. Didn’t get hot enough to change out of my jeans though.
QUICK CLIMB SUMMARY:
Minty 5.4 - Lead the 120’ money pitch. Wow! Probably the best pitch of climbing I have ever done.
Easy V - 5.3 - Pretty frightening! Probably harder overall than Minty despite the grade. Not great protection for about 20 feet of the first pitch.
Minty - 5.4 - Follow - Lead - Follow
This is the first time I felt like a serious climber. Pitch 1 and 3 are pretty short and simple, but Pitch 2, the 5.4 pitch, is a sustained 5.4 level climb that really puts you out there. Felt amazing!
-Jesse led pitch 1 and pitch 3.
Pitch one has one mildly-hard move in the first 10 feet or so, maybe questionable on lead, but nothing to worry about on top rope.
I led pitch 2. The long pitch. 120'. I followed a video on youtube but actually ended up going a different way (thanks Jesse), but in the end the route was super straightforward, no hairy spots, and it ends with a bolted anchor on the GT ledge.
For future leads, watch the video of my lead and the youtube video (link here). I think the other path is easier, and it has more permanent pro (pitons). The way I took this time had a bit of a traverse to the main tree, which wasn't well protected or ultimately all that fun. If you do end up going that way. Make sure the rope is ABOVE the tree and not below which would increase rope drag.
Pitch 3 - super simple romp on mega buckets and tons of pro.
Easy V - 5.3
Take all the joy and elation from Minty and create the inverse. That’s Easy V. This one is tough.
Pitch 1 - Jesse originally tried to lead pitch one but backed off after getting a little off route and freaked out. Above his high point, it gets pretty run out and unfotunately at the same time I ended up dripping buckets of sweat in my eyes. it cleared a bit and then I finished the runout section to a decent #1 placement. Above that it was pretty easy, but this bulge was definitely the pitch 1 crux.
Pitch 2 - Mostly straightforward but has a pretty spicy roof pull crux. There is a pretty bomber back-rest at the crux so you can collect yourself. Pulling the roof is a commiting move to a huge foot ledge. Once you get that it's an easy romp to the top of the main pitch, and then an additional slab push to the top. I had some really serious rope drag, so +15-20lbs on the slab push.