Ground Fall Interceptor (GFI)

Start 15 feet right of

Short Circuit

/Meltdown. Climb up to the left edge of the low ceiling band, undercling and lieback around the roof and stretch up for a fingerlock (tricky protection). Face climb up and right on perfect stone, 5.9+, and then up and left on easier climbing to the large ledge 60 feet up. Belay at the tree.

Move right on the ledge to a thin crack 10 feet right of the Meltdown finger crack. Climb the finger crack to its end, then sketch past 3 bolts of fantastic steep slab climbing. Crux is between 1st and 2nd bolts. At the 3rd bolt, perform a delicate traverse right, 5.10d, to gain discontinuous cracks that lead to a stance on the right edge of the face. From the stance, step left into a thin crack in a shallow corner. Lieback and jam this to its top, place a critical #00 TCU, and perform difficult moves pulling over a bulge, exciting 5.10c. After the bulge, climb up and left on runout 5.9 slab to reach a thank-god jug. Easier climbing, 5.6 or 5.7, finds the top. Use slings on horns for belay, walk off for descent.

This is a full 200-foot pitch if done as described. If using a 50-meter rope, set intermediate belay at stance below upper crack, using a couple of 2" cams for anchors. However, when done as one pitch, the 2nd pitch is a long, sustained lead with multiple cruxes of excellent thin face and crack climbing. Quality!

Rack: single set of medium stoppers, single set of cams from #00 TCU up to 2". Long slings for both anchors.