True Grit (Var.)

A recent No Star tick, True Grit, despite its appearance, offered consistently exciting and engaging climbing--an acquired taste, if you will. From a ledge located a few body lengths to the south of Sacrifice (5.10d, L. Wheeler, J. Newsome, 1980), climb a right-leaning handcrack leading to a series of thin, friable flakes. Hold your breath as you lieback the wafer-thinness to a stance from where it is possible to traverse right and into a steep gully. Surmount a short section of squeeze then climb past a few keyed-in pillars to a stance with a cordelette anchor and maillon. This one might clean up nicely with about a million more ascents.

True Grit can be found to the looker's left of the obvious, "guillotine flake" above the Sacrifice finger crack. Rap the route with a single, or continue up the Westwind Crack.

Bring medium to large Hexentrics, small to large Chouinard straight-tapered Stoppers, a #1 Forged Friend, a small Campbell nut--absolutely key for this route--and two large bongs for the flakes in the gully. Or, a standard LCC rack will do--bring lots of long slings!