The Chop

This is a good route, if that is your thing.

Get out your long sleeves and canvas pants... the rock is solid and the climbing varies between tight, squeeze chimney and wide O.W. It is PG-13 or maybe R unless you have a really big piece (

i.e.

bigger than a #6 Friend or C4, which you might want 2 of otherwise). So get out your Valley Giants or Big Bros or be ready to get up above your gear a way.

Start up a crack and as it gets wide, stuff yourself inside for a brief time. A #6 C4 Camalot will just fit back in the back of this before it gets too narrow to negotiate. If you lack anything bigger, place on of those then back out with your left side in, and then run it out for a bit to a #0.5 and #0.75 placement on a flake to the right. Pinch this and head up to a bigger placement (red Camalot) and some stemming along with arm-bars and heel-toe cams. Continue up to a welcome rest where 3" jams (#2 and then #3 Camalots here, use slings or get some drag) can be placed for a few moves, then back left into the OW. A second #6 Camalot (I wish) will probably ease nerves on the last 20' or you get nothing.... Climb a few tense moves until it gets low angle to the ledge at 50'.

Belay on the ledge from a good crack with thin-hands-to-fist sized gear and a cordalette.

From the belay, there is a second pitch. We found two options - up and right a steep splitter just left of the skyline arete through a bright yellow face. This is mostly hand-sized and is awkward and steep, at 5.9+. Otherwise, head up and left, 3 meters left of that in a grey face for and obvious 5.8 crack finish to the top.

Scramble and walk off to the West and down onto a ledge, eventually descending through a tunnel and back East to the base.

Approach the base of the climb as for

Consternation

, on the far right end of the North face where a 4' wide slot is broken through the base rock, allowing you to walk up to the base of those. The Chop is the wide crack to the right of this slot, starting from the ledge.

WIDE. At least a run of cams from 0.5" to 6", but an 8" piece would have been nice. Barring that, two #6 C4s would have also been nice. The route is PG-13 save for these.