- Edit (TBD)
Description
Where's the crux ? Ha ha ha...... The crux is not blowing beets at the top of the first pitch.
A rarely done squeeze/offwidth.
Good warm up for 2nd pitch of Abra. Or maybe Abra is a good warm up for this ?
I believe the first lead was Mark Axen but someone should check on that. It has more the feel of a Dave Baker lead. But Mark pointed it out to me in 1976 and told us (Jim Haisley and I) that we had just bagged the second ascent. We were down from Flagstaff for a Beanfest (actually not really a beanfest yet, still a Rich Thompson Climbers Fest) and it was early afternoon and it looked like an obvious line. I think I was wearing blue RRs.
I recall wanting more gear as I grunted up it.
I also recall that even though it was early/mid October, the sun was blazing hot and baking the face as I shaked away 20 ft from the last sideways 2 point 11 hex.
The name is right on.
Save it for a cloudy day in cool weather.
Location
The obvious arching crack on the left hand side of Stronghold dome's main east face.
You can't miss it. If it looks like a nasty squeeze/offwidth, then you've found it.
Protection
I'd imagine a rack big bros, etc... would be nice. We had #11 hexes and maybe a tube chock.