Reckoning

The Reckoning, I've waited a long time to log this route in at cb.com. Mark had scoped this route several years before we went up to put it in. For now, I'll avoid a lot of commentary on the personal significance of The Reckoning to Mark except to say that The Reckoning hit Mark in much the same way that Battle's End hit me, and for a similar reason. It's a bit strange, perhaps, but when you have enough love of climbing it becomes hard to separate climbing from all of the other things that compose one's life. As a result many of us put a lot of personal stuff into our climbs, and so it is with The Reckoning, and how can we not?

The Reckoning begins by climbing the first two pitches of

Handcracker Direct

. At the top of the second pitch, step right to the tree and set up a belay.

The third pitch is the first variation pitch for The Reckoning and this entails a thin crack (5.12a) protected on small wires. After the crack, chase the arete on the left to a ramp system below the obvious headwall.

P4 fires up the headwall and constitutes the crux pitch. Take some gear for the start and the finish. Three bolts and a pin will get you to the diagonal crack above which is chased out left on small to mid sized camalots. The crux comes in the middle of the face on thin edges and corners; very fingery, very powerful. Finish way out on the left of the crack and belay after a short face at the tree. The easiest descent is to walk off East via the slab. The continuity, position, and complex climbing on The Reckoning add up to as good a line as you will find in Eldo.

Bring a trad rack and rope.